fine. I needed a little…um, forti-fortifying, I think.” Her words were gently slurred.
He needed some fortifying himself. The whiskey had been just enough to warm his blood and nicely blur the edges of reason, but not enough to diminish passion. The hot stirring inside him craved release. Gazing at her, watching her breasts rise inside the shell of that fetching and fiery gown, he felt himself ripen further.
“We’ve both had enough.” He capped the decanter. “You were sick earlier—you don’t want to repeat it.”
“That was before I had any whiskey. I have a finicky stomach.”
“Then we do not want to agitate it. How are you feeling now?”
“Fine. Very fine. I like Mary Murray’s whiskey.”
“Wait till morning.” He cocked a brow.
She looked away. “How is it that you live…stay at Glendoon?”
“I rent the property from your brother.”
“You’re a tenant of Duncrieff? Do you have your own tenants here on this land?”
“A few. I act as a small laird, renting the castle and the land with it.”
“Why would you rent a ruin?”
She did love to question him. “It’s better than a damp outlaw cave, and I can afford it. Your brother asks almost nothing from me in return.”
“In coin,” she said, sending him a quick, keen look.
“In coin,” he acknowledged.
He knelt as he spoke, needlessly rousing the peat embers with the poker. She stepped closer to the fire, her skirts brushing his shoulder.
“My gown is nearly ruined.” She sounded dismayed as she lifted the soggy hems to peer at her feet. “And my shoes. Had I known I was to spend the night hill-walking, I would have worn sturdier shoes.”
He twisted his mouth to suppress a smile. “If you had known, lass, you would have stayed inside Duncrieff Castle, and I would have had to climb up and come in your window.”
She gasped. “Would you have done that?”
“If I had to. But my comrades saw you ride out with your escort. It was still light then, or we would have snatched you before you went to…see Campbell.”
“I should have accepted Sir Henry’s invitation to stay the night at Kinnoull House. I would have been safe there.”
“No,” he growled. “You would not be safe with him, believe me.”
“And I suppose I am safe with you,” she snapped.
“You are.” With the poker, he worked at the embers, which sparked and gave off more heat. “You may want to borrow some clean garments,” he went on, changing the topic to something more neutral.
“I will want my own things…if I stay here.”
He noted the wording. “You’re my wife, madam, not a prisoner, though we’ll keep you safe at Glendoon for a while, according to your brother’s wishes. The chest over there has women’s things in it, though they may be too large for you.” He glanced at her slender form.
“I refuse to wear things that have been used by…other women you have brought here.”
He fixed her with a stern glare. “They belonged to my mother.”
She blinked. “Oh! Where is she?”
“She died a few years ago. You may use her things. No one else does.”
“Thank you.” She was silent for a moment. “But I will need my own possessions. I do not have many things, but I would feel more comfortable if I had them with me.”
“Certainly. I will fetch your trunk from Duncrieff, but not just yet. The local Highland watchand your kinsmen will be searching for you, and best to keep clear of them. But I will get word to your kinsmen that you are safe. Allan MacCarran knows me.”
She nodded. “I should see my cousins myself so they will know I am safe. Then I can gather my own things at Duncrieff.”
“Oh ho,” he said, “you will not. I’ll fetch them. Just tell me what you need.”
“I am not going to list my intimate garments for you to steal from my home.”
“I’m not a thief. And I’ve seen some of your intimate garments already. Very pretty,” he said, as he jabbed the peat bricks with the poker.
“You
He needed some fortifying himself. The whiskey had been just enough to warm his blood and nicely blur the edges of reason, but not enough to diminish passion. The hot stirring inside him craved release. Gazing at her, watching her breasts rise inside the shell of that fetching and fiery gown, he felt himself ripen further.
“We’ve both had enough.” He capped the decanter. “You were sick earlier—you don’t want to repeat it.”
“That was before I had any whiskey. I have a finicky stomach.”
“Then we do not want to agitate it. How are you feeling now?”
“Fine. Very fine. I like Mary Murray’s whiskey.”
“Wait till morning.” He cocked a brow.
She looked away. “How is it that you live…stay at Glendoon?”
“I rent the property from your brother.”
“You’re a tenant of Duncrieff? Do you have your own tenants here on this land?”
“A few. I act as a small laird, renting the castle and the land with it.”
“Why would you rent a ruin?”
She did love to question him. “It’s better than a damp outlaw cave, and I can afford it. Your brother asks almost nothing from me in return.”
“In coin,” she said, sending him a quick, keen look.
“In coin,” he acknowledged.
He knelt as he spoke, needlessly rousing the peat embers with the poker. She stepped closer to the fire, her skirts brushing his shoulder.
“My gown is nearly ruined.” She sounded dismayed as she lifted the soggy hems to peer at her feet. “And my shoes. Had I known I was to spend the night hill-walking, I would have worn sturdier shoes.”
He twisted his mouth to suppress a smile. “If you had known, lass, you would have stayed inside Duncrieff Castle, and I would have had to climb up and come in your window.”
She gasped. “Would you have done that?”
“If I had to. But my comrades saw you ride out with your escort. It was still light then, or we would have snatched you before you went to…see Campbell.”
“I should have accepted Sir Henry’s invitation to stay the night at Kinnoull House. I would have been safe there.”
“No,” he growled. “You would not be safe with him, believe me.”
“And I suppose I am safe with you,” she snapped.
“You are.” With the poker, he worked at the embers, which sparked and gave off more heat. “You may want to borrow some clean garments,” he went on, changing the topic to something more neutral.
“I will want my own things…if I stay here.”
He noted the wording. “You’re my wife, madam, not a prisoner, though we’ll keep you safe at Glendoon for a while, according to your brother’s wishes. The chest over there has women’s things in it, though they may be too large for you.” He glanced at her slender form.
“I refuse to wear things that have been used by…other women you have brought here.”
He fixed her with a stern glare. “They belonged to my mother.”
She blinked. “Oh! Where is she?”
“She died a few years ago. You may use her things. No one else does.”
“Thank you.” She was silent for a moment. “But I will need my own possessions. I do not have many things, but I would feel more comfortable if I had them with me.”
“Certainly. I will fetch your trunk from Duncrieff, but not just yet. The local Highland watchand your kinsmen will be searching for you, and best to keep clear of them. But I will get word to your kinsmen that you are safe. Allan MacCarran knows me.”
She nodded. “I should see my cousins myself so they will know I am safe. Then I can gather my own things at Duncrieff.”
“Oh ho,” he said, “you will not. I’ll fetch them. Just tell me what you need.”
“I am not going to list my intimate garments for you to steal from my home.”
“I’m not a thief. And I’ve seen some of your intimate garments already. Very pretty,” he said, as he jabbed the peat bricks with the poker.
“You
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