the rents. But he was doing none of what he ought to be doing.
On the chance of seeing the lovely Sheena this morning, Jamie sat at his table and waited. He admitted the truth to himself but would never tell anyone else why he was sitting there. Luckily, Jessie wasn’t there. She did not make an appearance until midday.
Jamie gave Jessie little thought, anyway. The other lass occupied his mind and had done so since he’d left her the previous evening. Because of her, he had had no desire for Jessie the night before. Because of her, he had lain awake many hours, feeling utterly alone, wondering what the devil he had done to frighten the lass so badly. He couldn’t stand her fear of him.
He wanted the exact thing his brother wanted—for the girl to stay with them. How to make her stay was the problem. It would be easy to force her. He had that power. But she would hate him for it, and he was surprised to find that he valued her good opinion.
Just then, all he wanted was to see her. He kept his eyes riveted to the far end of the hall and the arched entrance. What could be delaying her? He had thought surely the girl would want to speak to him, to find out what he wanted to do about her. He sighed. She had every right, after what Colen had done, to demand to be returned to Aberdeen.
Jamie was beginning to feel quite ridiculous, sitting there knowing his men and servants were wondering what he was doing. At last, his vigil paid off. Colen appeared at the end of the hall. Behind himthere was a swish of green skirt, and then the lovely Sheena came into view. Jamie’s pulse picked up at the sight of her. Colen was holding her hand and seemed to be dragging her forward, though gently. She was looking all around her, and Jamie was suddenly proud of the richness of his hall, seeing it through a stranger’s eyes. The wainscot-paneled walls, the painted deal ceilings were the luxuries of a tower house, not a castle. The lower tables had padded benches. The laird’s table had English chairs covered in damask, plates of silver and pewter, and Dutch linen to cover the rough wood. There was even a thick Persian rug, and there were several chairs before the great hearth, where Jamie liked to spend evenings. All in all the place was impressive, and that pleased him very much.
But his pleasure quickly turned sour when Sheena spotted him, stopped dead in her tracks, jerked her hand away from Colen, and ran back the way she had come. Colen was after her instantly, stopping her. He swung her back around, and they argued, though in hushed voices. Colen tried to catch her hand again, but she pushed him away and cried “ Nay ” loud enough for everyone to hear.
Jamie could well imagine his brother’s embarrassment, for he and the girl had suddenly gained everyone’s attention, and the silence that followed was complete. Jamie knew the reason for the long silence. Sheena’s extraordinary beauty was spellbinding.
But she seemed not to notice the attention. Shetook advantage of Colen’s discomfort and left him, moving to the far end of the nearest trestle table. She sat down, ignoring one and all, and began to partake of the food left there.
Colen stomped angrily up to the raised dais and the laird’s table. Jamie said nothing for several moments after his brother had sat down next to him, glowering across the room. There was ample food left on the table, but Colen didn’t move to help himself. Conversations slowly began to resume below, but Colen fumed silently.
Finally, Jamie sighed. “Will you be telling me what that was all about, lad?”
“She thinks I lied to her,” Colen answered, his words sharp.
He wouldn’t meet Jamie’s eyes, so Jamie followed Colen’s gaze to what he preferred looking at anyway. “Did you?”
“Nay.”
“But she didna believe you?”
“How could she when here you are?”
Jamie turned his attention back to his brother. “And what have I to do with it?”
Colen squirmed. He still
On the chance of seeing the lovely Sheena this morning, Jamie sat at his table and waited. He admitted the truth to himself but would never tell anyone else why he was sitting there. Luckily, Jessie wasn’t there. She did not make an appearance until midday.
Jamie gave Jessie little thought, anyway. The other lass occupied his mind and had done so since he’d left her the previous evening. Because of her, he had had no desire for Jessie the night before. Because of her, he had lain awake many hours, feeling utterly alone, wondering what the devil he had done to frighten the lass so badly. He couldn’t stand her fear of him.
He wanted the exact thing his brother wanted—for the girl to stay with them. How to make her stay was the problem. It would be easy to force her. He had that power. But she would hate him for it, and he was surprised to find that he valued her good opinion.
Just then, all he wanted was to see her. He kept his eyes riveted to the far end of the hall and the arched entrance. What could be delaying her? He had thought surely the girl would want to speak to him, to find out what he wanted to do about her. He sighed. She had every right, after what Colen had done, to demand to be returned to Aberdeen.
Jamie was beginning to feel quite ridiculous, sitting there knowing his men and servants were wondering what he was doing. At last, his vigil paid off. Colen appeared at the end of the hall. Behind himthere was a swish of green skirt, and then the lovely Sheena came into view. Jamie’s pulse picked up at the sight of her. Colen was holding her hand and seemed to be dragging her forward, though gently. She was looking all around her, and Jamie was suddenly proud of the richness of his hall, seeing it through a stranger’s eyes. The wainscot-paneled walls, the painted deal ceilings were the luxuries of a tower house, not a castle. The lower tables had padded benches. The laird’s table had English chairs covered in damask, plates of silver and pewter, and Dutch linen to cover the rough wood. There was even a thick Persian rug, and there were several chairs before the great hearth, where Jamie liked to spend evenings. All in all the place was impressive, and that pleased him very much.
But his pleasure quickly turned sour when Sheena spotted him, stopped dead in her tracks, jerked her hand away from Colen, and ran back the way she had come. Colen was after her instantly, stopping her. He swung her back around, and they argued, though in hushed voices. Colen tried to catch her hand again, but she pushed him away and cried “ Nay ” loud enough for everyone to hear.
Jamie could well imagine his brother’s embarrassment, for he and the girl had suddenly gained everyone’s attention, and the silence that followed was complete. Jamie knew the reason for the long silence. Sheena’s extraordinary beauty was spellbinding.
But she seemed not to notice the attention. Shetook advantage of Colen’s discomfort and left him, moving to the far end of the nearest trestle table. She sat down, ignoring one and all, and began to partake of the food left there.
Colen stomped angrily up to the raised dais and the laird’s table. Jamie said nothing for several moments after his brother had sat down next to him, glowering across the room. There was ample food left on the table, but Colen didn’t move to help himself. Conversations slowly began to resume below, but Colen fumed silently.
Finally, Jamie sighed. “Will you be telling me what that was all about, lad?”
“She thinks I lied to her,” Colen answered, his words sharp.
He wouldn’t meet Jamie’s eyes, so Jamie followed Colen’s gaze to what he preferred looking at anyway. “Did you?”
“Nay.”
“But she didna believe you?”
“How could she when here you are?”
Jamie turned his attention back to his brother. “And what have I to do with it?”
Colen squirmed. He still
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