chair.” Bonnie pleaded, coming down
the stairs. She tugged on his tartan, and he snapped out of his trance to
answer her.
“Nay,
bean-sith, I won’t.”
Kate
moved to sit at the table. Brendan sat across from her and resumed his staring.
She stared back. The feeling of serenity overcame her as she stared at her
living, breathing vision. Even though his cold gray eyes watched her, all those
years of seeing him through her mind overrode his boorish manner. She swore he
wouldn’t intimidate her, but he was more menacing now without his war-paint.
She wanted to be courageous and appear so to him. Well, she was brave. Hadn’t
she saved his niece?
“You’re
taller than most ladies I know, Lady Kate,” he said suddenly.
She
was taller than most ladies, but his comment irritated her. Nay, she certainly
wasn’t a dainty lady, well as dainty as some. As if he knew many ladies, she
almost snorted at that. He didn’t appear to be the type many ladies would get
close enough to, since his frowns probably sent them running. Bonnie had
mentioned something about him frowning on their journey.
Kate
didn’t know why she shivered; mayhap it was the icy glare Brendan gave her. She
rubbed the chill on her bared arms. Her light-brown gown barely covered her,
and showed too much skin. Lady Juliana insisted she wear it, and she even
arranged her hair atop her head. But Brendan didn’t appear to notice her
appearance, because he continued to scowl. She became bold, watching him, and
wanted to smile. She wasn’t one to cower. Courage, she kept reminding herself.
She cleared her throat, because it had gone dry. Had she lost her voice, as
well as her nerve?
Julianna
entered and saw them engrossed in a staring match. She smiled, and broke the
silence. “Brendan, she brought my bairn home, you be nice.”
“Aye,
I am being nice,” was all he said.
Gil
approached the table and sat on the other side of her. He grinned at Brendan,
and then let out a bellowing laugh.
“Well,
hell.” Brendan cursed, giving Gil a formidable look.
Kate
heard Lady Julianna laugh.
“What
did you say, Brendan? Did you blaspheme in front of the ladies?” Gil asked.
“Aye,
so I did.” He tapped his finger against his cup. As if he were lordly, the
servant hurried to refill his cup. His manner struck a chord of admiration in
her, mayhap he could be considered highborn if he didn’t look so mean.
“He
said, well, hell ,” Bonnie repeated happily. “ Well, hell , he
swore, Mama.”
Everyone
ignored her, and Julianna didn’t seem to have the heart to reprimand her when
she’d only returned from her mysterious disappearance. Instead, she asked, “Did
the men leave yet to get Colin?”
“Aye,
they left right off, taking the news to Colin in Londontown. I told Burk that
Colin would be arriving home soon for good. I expect he should be here within a
day or so.”
“Good,
I hope he—”
“Julianna,”
a man shouted, as he walked into the hall. Walt stood beside him, and they
stopped upon seeing everyone at the table.
Julianna
stood, holding her daughter in her arms. “Colin, I’m so glad you’re home,
Brendan found Bonnie.”
The
man drew a deep rasping breath. He looked at Julianna, and in a sprint, he ran
across the hall and took Bonnie into his arms. He squeezed her tightly against
his chest, and his throat grew thick as he uttered her name. One arm held her,
and the other moved to caress her hair, arms, and legs.
“I’m
home, Papa.”
The
man appeared shaken to see Bonnie alive. He smelled her hair. His daughter held
onto him, crying, and soaking his tunic. Everyone began talking at once. Colin
held up his hand for silence. He looked as though he just wanted to hold his
daughter for now. Kate thought he might start weeping like a woman, because his
eyes grew misty, and he kept swinging Bonnie in his arms.
Kate
watched Colin MacKinnon’s reunion with his daughter with a heavy heart. Colin
was a handsome man, his hair was lighter
the stairs. She tugged on his tartan, and he snapped out of his trance to
answer her.
“Nay,
bean-sith, I won’t.”
Kate
moved to sit at the table. Brendan sat across from her and resumed his staring.
She stared back. The feeling of serenity overcame her as she stared at her
living, breathing vision. Even though his cold gray eyes watched her, all those
years of seeing him through her mind overrode his boorish manner. She swore he
wouldn’t intimidate her, but he was more menacing now without his war-paint.
She wanted to be courageous and appear so to him. Well, she was brave. Hadn’t
she saved his niece?
“You’re
taller than most ladies I know, Lady Kate,” he said suddenly.
She
was taller than most ladies, but his comment irritated her. Nay, she certainly
wasn’t a dainty lady, well as dainty as some. As if he knew many ladies, she
almost snorted at that. He didn’t appear to be the type many ladies would get
close enough to, since his frowns probably sent them running. Bonnie had
mentioned something about him frowning on their journey.
Kate
didn’t know why she shivered; mayhap it was the icy glare Brendan gave her. She
rubbed the chill on her bared arms. Her light-brown gown barely covered her,
and showed too much skin. Lady Juliana insisted she wear it, and she even
arranged her hair atop her head. But Brendan didn’t appear to notice her
appearance, because he continued to scowl. She became bold, watching him, and
wanted to smile. She wasn’t one to cower. Courage, she kept reminding herself.
She cleared her throat, because it had gone dry. Had she lost her voice, as
well as her nerve?
Julianna
entered and saw them engrossed in a staring match. She smiled, and broke the
silence. “Brendan, she brought my bairn home, you be nice.”
“Aye,
I am being nice,” was all he said.
Gil
approached the table and sat on the other side of her. He grinned at Brendan,
and then let out a bellowing laugh.
“Well,
hell.” Brendan cursed, giving Gil a formidable look.
Kate
heard Lady Julianna laugh.
“What
did you say, Brendan? Did you blaspheme in front of the ladies?” Gil asked.
“Aye,
so I did.” He tapped his finger against his cup. As if he were lordly, the
servant hurried to refill his cup. His manner struck a chord of admiration in
her, mayhap he could be considered highborn if he didn’t look so mean.
“He
said, well, hell ,” Bonnie repeated happily. “ Well, hell , he
swore, Mama.”
Everyone
ignored her, and Julianna didn’t seem to have the heart to reprimand her when
she’d only returned from her mysterious disappearance. Instead, she asked, “Did
the men leave yet to get Colin?”
“Aye,
they left right off, taking the news to Colin in Londontown. I told Burk that
Colin would be arriving home soon for good. I expect he should be here within a
day or so.”
“Good,
I hope he—”
“Julianna,”
a man shouted, as he walked into the hall. Walt stood beside him, and they
stopped upon seeing everyone at the table.
Julianna
stood, holding her daughter in her arms. “Colin, I’m so glad you’re home,
Brendan found Bonnie.”
The
man drew a deep rasping breath. He looked at Julianna, and in a sprint, he ran
across the hall and took Bonnie into his arms. He squeezed her tightly against
his chest, and his throat grew thick as he uttered her name. One arm held her,
and the other moved to caress her hair, arms, and legs.
“I’m
home, Papa.”
The
man appeared shaken to see Bonnie alive. He smelled her hair. His daughter held
onto him, crying, and soaking his tunic. Everyone began talking at once. Colin
held up his hand for silence. He looked as though he just wanted to hold his
daughter for now. Kate thought he might start weeping like a woman, because his
eyes grew misty, and he kept swinging Bonnie in his arms.
Kate
watched Colin MacKinnon’s reunion with his daughter with a heavy heart. Colin
was a handsome man, his hair was lighter
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