charged Mardoun.
Meg sprang forward and planted herself between the two men, holding her hands out warningly toward each. “Stop! Coll!”
Coll did as she said, but, his expression murderous, he started to slide around her as his eyes remained on the earl. “Get out of the way, Meg. You canna think I’ll stand by and let this lord make sport of you.”
“Move, Meg,” Mardoun said behind her, his voice ice to Coll’s fire, but no less deadly. “I’ve a mind to teach this oaf you do not belong to him.”
He, too, made to bypass her, but Meg moved with them, keeping her body between them. “Stop it! Both of you. I do not belong to either of you.” She shot the earl a furious glance, then turned the same angry gaze on her brother. “Coll, step back. I will not have you shaming me in my own house. I was on the beach, and the tide caught me on the rocks. The earl rescued me. He came into the sea after me when I fell in; he saved me from drowning. We had to come back by the caves. He is here to dry out a bit. That is all.”
Coll glowered, shooting a suspicious look at Mardoun, but he relaxed his fists and stood still.
Meg swung around. “And you! Coll is my brother . He is the gamekeeper for Baillannan, and what he brought me he has permission for from the Roses. You do not own everything here, me, least of all. Now . . .” She looked back and forth between them, giving them equal doses of her scorn. “Listen to me. I am my own woman and the property of no man, be he earl or brother. This is my house. And whomeverI choose to invite into it is no concern of either of you. Have I made myself clear?”
“Indeed.” Mardoun folded his arms, his voice as aloof as his expression.
“Good.” Meg looked at Coll inquiringly.
“Oh, aye, Meg.” He let out a gusty sigh and stepped back. “You always do.”
“Very well, then.” She swiveled back to Mardoun. “Thank you, my lord, for helping me. I imagine you are eager to be on your way home. Just take the path that way.” She pointed in the opposite direction from which Coll had come. “When you reach the standing stones, take the path to your left, and—”
“I am sure I can make my way home from there,” he told her stiffly. He snatched up his wet garments and boots, then inclined his head toward Meg. “Good day, Miss Munro.” His glance flickered toward Coll, but he said nothing, merely gave him a short nod before he strode out of the cabin.
Coll waited until Mardoun was gone before he swung back to his sister. “Now, would you mind telling me what that man was doing here?”
“I did so already. Did you think I was lying?”
“I’d like to see the day when you get caught by the tide.”
“Well, here it is, so I suggest you enjoy it.”
“Why were you on the beach with that villain anyway? And what were you doing to make you forget about the tide?”
“We were having a row, not that it’s any of your business.”
“And the tide washed you off the rocks?”
“No, of course not, I was on his horse and the thingreared and sent me into the water. The undertow took me, and—”
“You were on his horse? What the devil were you doing on his horse?”
“Trying to escape the rising water, you fool!” Meg stamped her foot down hard, though since it was unshod, it failed to make her point. “What do you mean interrogating me like this? I am a grown woman and have been for many years. You have no reason to know every detail of my life, much less any right to it.”
“I know full well you’re an independent sort, and I dinna pry into your business,” Coll said loftily. Meg rolled her eyes. “Not as much as I’d like to, at any rate.” His face relaxed into a small smile, and Meg had to do the same.
“I can take care of myself, Coll. You know that.”
“Aye, I do.” He nodded and picked up the birds he had dropped, carrying them into the kitchen. “But this is the Earl of Mardoun we’re talking about.”
“Do you think I’ll
Meg sprang forward and planted herself between the two men, holding her hands out warningly toward each. “Stop! Coll!”
Coll did as she said, but, his expression murderous, he started to slide around her as his eyes remained on the earl. “Get out of the way, Meg. You canna think I’ll stand by and let this lord make sport of you.”
“Move, Meg,” Mardoun said behind her, his voice ice to Coll’s fire, but no less deadly. “I’ve a mind to teach this oaf you do not belong to him.”
He, too, made to bypass her, but Meg moved with them, keeping her body between them. “Stop it! Both of you. I do not belong to either of you.” She shot the earl a furious glance, then turned the same angry gaze on her brother. “Coll, step back. I will not have you shaming me in my own house. I was on the beach, and the tide caught me on the rocks. The earl rescued me. He came into the sea after me when I fell in; he saved me from drowning. We had to come back by the caves. He is here to dry out a bit. That is all.”
Coll glowered, shooting a suspicious look at Mardoun, but he relaxed his fists and stood still.
Meg swung around. “And you! Coll is my brother . He is the gamekeeper for Baillannan, and what he brought me he has permission for from the Roses. You do not own everything here, me, least of all. Now . . .” She looked back and forth between them, giving them equal doses of her scorn. “Listen to me. I am my own woman and the property of no man, be he earl or brother. This is my house. And whomeverI choose to invite into it is no concern of either of you. Have I made myself clear?”
“Indeed.” Mardoun folded his arms, his voice as aloof as his expression.
“Good.” Meg looked at Coll inquiringly.
“Oh, aye, Meg.” He let out a gusty sigh and stepped back. “You always do.”
“Very well, then.” She swiveled back to Mardoun. “Thank you, my lord, for helping me. I imagine you are eager to be on your way home. Just take the path that way.” She pointed in the opposite direction from which Coll had come. “When you reach the standing stones, take the path to your left, and—”
“I am sure I can make my way home from there,” he told her stiffly. He snatched up his wet garments and boots, then inclined his head toward Meg. “Good day, Miss Munro.” His glance flickered toward Coll, but he said nothing, merely gave him a short nod before he strode out of the cabin.
Coll waited until Mardoun was gone before he swung back to his sister. “Now, would you mind telling me what that man was doing here?”
“I did so already. Did you think I was lying?”
“I’d like to see the day when you get caught by the tide.”
“Well, here it is, so I suggest you enjoy it.”
“Why were you on the beach with that villain anyway? And what were you doing to make you forget about the tide?”
“We were having a row, not that it’s any of your business.”
“And the tide washed you off the rocks?”
“No, of course not, I was on his horse and the thingreared and sent me into the water. The undertow took me, and—”
“You were on his horse? What the devil were you doing on his horse?”
“Trying to escape the rising water, you fool!” Meg stamped her foot down hard, though since it was unshod, it failed to make her point. “What do you mean interrogating me like this? I am a grown woman and have been for many years. You have no reason to know every detail of my life, much less any right to it.”
“I know full well you’re an independent sort, and I dinna pry into your business,” Coll said loftily. Meg rolled her eyes. “Not as much as I’d like to, at any rate.” His face relaxed into a small smile, and Meg had to do the same.
“I can take care of myself, Coll. You know that.”
“Aye, I do.” He nodded and picked up the birds he had dropped, carrying them into the kitchen. “But this is the Earl of Mardoun we’re talking about.”
“Do you think I’ll
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