them. For a second he wondered if… Nay. The man had stormed off before Brodie had decided to discipline Annabel. “Not all knights are honorable, Lady Stonewall. I do no’ trust the man entirely.” In truth, he did not trust the man at all.
“He seemed most interested in your ward. I saw no signs of being untrustworthy.” She narrowed her eyes. “Or is it that you have feelings for her, more than as your ward?”
“Even if I did, they wouldna matter. I have given my word to marry ye.” He didn’t want to talk anymore about the marriage or about Annabel. He simply wanted to go somewhere alone.
Agatha stepped closer, lifting her chin in challenge. “Then do so, on the morrow. Prove yourself.”
She had pushed him too far now. “There will be nay wedding fer a fortnight, as I already told ye. Dinna push me agin on the matter or ye will learn how much I dinna like being pushed.”
“Are you threatening me?” she questioned, blinking in shock.
He decided she might as well know from the beginning how he dealt with disobedience and dogged annoyance. “’Tis no’ a threat, but a promise, Lady Stonewall. Ye disobey me, purposely antagonize me, or do something foolish and yer bottom will suffer for it.”
“My…my bottom?” Her eyes widened. “Surely you do not mean that you would… would touch my bottom in a…” she swallowed hard, “in a harmful manner.”
“Aye, I do. Push me, disobey me, antagonize me, or behave foolishly and ye will get a sound spanking…or worse.” He didn’t particularly enjoy punishing a woman, but he would not be a weak man, a weak husband. Then he noticed her paleness. “Yer father or mother never took ye over their knee? Never burned yer butt?”
She shook her head. “Nay.” She swallowed hard again. “I do not wish to be,” she lowered her voice and her cheeks turned pink, “spanked…or worse.”
“Then do not force me to do so.”
“I…I would like to retire now, my laird. I find I am rather tired from the day’s events.” She backed away from him, looking wary.
He gave her a knowing look. “Yer ass is safe fer the night. Though ye did come close to getting a swat or two.” He glanced toward the stairs without meaning to and added, “I have already warmed one bottom and that is enough fer today.”
Agatha’s eyes widened again. “You… Annabel… You…”
He shouldn’t have said anything but it was too late to take it back. “Aye, I disciplined Annabel for behaving foolishly. She will think twice next time.” But he doubted it.
Agatha gave him a nod and hurried away; clearly worried that he would change his mind and spank her as well. He had a feeling he would be doing so before long.
He waited until she had disappeared at the top of the stairs before he headed for them. His head seemed to throb even more and it was starting to make him nauseous. He would get some much needed sleep and the morrow would no doubt be much better.
* * *
The first rays of dawn were creeping into Brodie’s chamber when he tossed off the bed linen. He had tossed and turned all night, fighting demons, struggling with memories he couldn’t quite reach. Sweat beaded his body. His head throbbed even worse than it had when he’d gone to bed.
He flung his legs over the edge of the mattress, put his hands to the sides of his head, and squeezed his eyes shut. Something was there right in the corners of his mind. Something important.
Furious that he couldn’t get it, he stood and swore viciously. He was tired of this not knowing himself, his past, his people, his family…anything. His thoughts turned to Annabel and how frustrated she was, too. The cryptic note she had found: Braden…Ala…vow to kill Anna .
Braden! Braden MacKay ! He knew the powerful Scottish laird, head of the MacKay clan in the northern Highlands! Now that his mind had freed up that knowledge, he could even picture him. The MacKay was a big man, every bit as large as himself, with a
“He seemed most interested in your ward. I saw no signs of being untrustworthy.” She narrowed her eyes. “Or is it that you have feelings for her, more than as your ward?”
“Even if I did, they wouldna matter. I have given my word to marry ye.” He didn’t want to talk anymore about the marriage or about Annabel. He simply wanted to go somewhere alone.
Agatha stepped closer, lifting her chin in challenge. “Then do so, on the morrow. Prove yourself.”
She had pushed him too far now. “There will be nay wedding fer a fortnight, as I already told ye. Dinna push me agin on the matter or ye will learn how much I dinna like being pushed.”
“Are you threatening me?” she questioned, blinking in shock.
He decided she might as well know from the beginning how he dealt with disobedience and dogged annoyance. “’Tis no’ a threat, but a promise, Lady Stonewall. Ye disobey me, purposely antagonize me, or do something foolish and yer bottom will suffer for it.”
“My…my bottom?” Her eyes widened. “Surely you do not mean that you would… would touch my bottom in a…” she swallowed hard, “in a harmful manner.”
“Aye, I do. Push me, disobey me, antagonize me, or behave foolishly and ye will get a sound spanking…or worse.” He didn’t particularly enjoy punishing a woman, but he would not be a weak man, a weak husband. Then he noticed her paleness. “Yer father or mother never took ye over their knee? Never burned yer butt?”
She shook her head. “Nay.” She swallowed hard again. “I do not wish to be,” she lowered her voice and her cheeks turned pink, “spanked…or worse.”
“Then do not force me to do so.”
“I…I would like to retire now, my laird. I find I am rather tired from the day’s events.” She backed away from him, looking wary.
He gave her a knowing look. “Yer ass is safe fer the night. Though ye did come close to getting a swat or two.” He glanced toward the stairs without meaning to and added, “I have already warmed one bottom and that is enough fer today.”
Agatha’s eyes widened again. “You… Annabel… You…”
He shouldn’t have said anything but it was too late to take it back. “Aye, I disciplined Annabel for behaving foolishly. She will think twice next time.” But he doubted it.
Agatha gave him a nod and hurried away; clearly worried that he would change his mind and spank her as well. He had a feeling he would be doing so before long.
He waited until she had disappeared at the top of the stairs before he headed for them. His head seemed to throb even more and it was starting to make him nauseous. He would get some much needed sleep and the morrow would no doubt be much better.
* * *
The first rays of dawn were creeping into Brodie’s chamber when he tossed off the bed linen. He had tossed and turned all night, fighting demons, struggling with memories he couldn’t quite reach. Sweat beaded his body. His head throbbed even worse than it had when he’d gone to bed.
He flung his legs over the edge of the mattress, put his hands to the sides of his head, and squeezed his eyes shut. Something was there right in the corners of his mind. Something important.
Furious that he couldn’t get it, he stood and swore viciously. He was tired of this not knowing himself, his past, his people, his family…anything. His thoughts turned to Annabel and how frustrated she was, too. The cryptic note she had found: Braden…Ala…vow to kill Anna .
Braden! Braden MacKay ! He knew the powerful Scottish laird, head of the MacKay clan in the northern Highlands! Now that his mind had freed up that knowledge, he could even picture him. The MacKay was a big man, every bit as large as himself, with a
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