with ye, and to give ye to that savage.”
She grabbed the front of her skirt and stomped down the steps toward her mare.
“Brat,” the captain muttered under his breath.
“I was thinking selfish fool,” Nareen answered softly.
The captain grunted and nodded. “That as well.” He stepped partially into Abigail’s
path and leveled a hard look at her. “I advise ye to stay here, lass. I know Laird
MacLeod will nae be happy to hear ye have departed, much less so when he hears that
ye ride without proper escort. The MacKays have vowed vengeance on the Ross with just
cause, I’m sorry to say.”
It was a foolish risk. She knew better.
“Well, Nareen?” Abigail called from atop her mare. “Are ye attending me, or shall
I make sure me father knows he owes ye not a single crust of bread? He is me sire,
so do nae be thinking he’ll have ye beneath his roof without me good word.”
“Laird MacLeod would want ye to be here when he returns,” the captain pressed quietly.
“Which is why I must go,” Nareen replied. “I know ye are right, but I cannae accept
his suit. So I cannae make any demands on him. That would nae be right. I’m going
home to me father from court.”
“At least ye are nae going to continue serving her.”
It was a bold thing to say about the earl’s daughter, but the captain was a Highlander.
Just as Saer was. They were men who kept their own minds and didn’t bend their knees
to the undeserving.
“Nareen…” Abigail whined again.
“Good luck to ye, Mistress Grant.” The captain stepped aside.
“Thank ye,” Nareen replied.
Her belly was knotted, and she worried that she was going to need that luck.
A great deal of it.
***
Saer discovered himself happy to see the walls of the Ross fortress that evening.
It wasn’t the sturdy walls that warmed his heart, even though he had spent the day
selecting stone to build up his own. No. He craved Nareen. It was more than a need
to ease his lust. He longed for her smile and the way she looked him straight in the
eye when she had something to tell him.
His grin broadened.
And he liked the way she resisted him. Propping her hand onto her hip. He doubted
she realized how much that pose pushed her breasts up. He might just tell her, for
the sake of seeing her reaction. She’d spit fire at him, but he liked that facet of
her character.
And hoped marriage would never change her.
But the captain of the guard met them in the yard, and the news he carried was grim.
“Ye allowed them to depart with only six retainers?” Saer exploded before the earl
had a chance to respond. “Are ye a half-wit?”
The captain’s eyes narrowed, and he directed his answer to the earl. “I warned them
of the dangers. Mistress Grant even tried to hold yer daughter back, but there was
no stopping her.”
“She’s half yer size, man,” Saer growled. “Ye should have locked her in the damned
stocks and left her there until she gained some sense.”
The earl waved his hands in the air. “Me daughter is strong-willed.” His body was
trembling, and he licked his lips repeatedly. “They will be well enough.” The earl
dismissed the news as he began to climb the stairs. His gillie was already waiting
at the top with his master’s goblet. The earl reached for the drinking vessel like
a starving babe, gulping down mouthfuls of the wine so fast, it trickled down the
sides of his chin and stained the collar of his shirt.
Saer turned away in disgust, eyeing the captain again.
“The mistress was right nasty to Mistress Grant.”
Saer forced himself to hear the man out. It took effort, because all he wanted to
do was get moving after Nareen.
“She threatened to dismiss her and have her father give her to ye.”
“That’s the drivel of a spoiled brat,” Saer snarled. “The earl has no say in Nareen’s
fate.”
“He is the master here,” the captain replied. “The lass would have no one to
She grabbed the front of her skirt and stomped down the steps toward her mare.
“Brat,” the captain muttered under his breath.
“I was thinking selfish fool,” Nareen answered softly.
The captain grunted and nodded. “That as well.” He stepped partially into Abigail’s
path and leveled a hard look at her. “I advise ye to stay here, lass. I know Laird
MacLeod will nae be happy to hear ye have departed, much less so when he hears that
ye ride without proper escort. The MacKays have vowed vengeance on the Ross with just
cause, I’m sorry to say.”
It was a foolish risk. She knew better.
“Well, Nareen?” Abigail called from atop her mare. “Are ye attending me, or shall
I make sure me father knows he owes ye not a single crust of bread? He is me sire,
so do nae be thinking he’ll have ye beneath his roof without me good word.”
“Laird MacLeod would want ye to be here when he returns,” the captain pressed quietly.
“Which is why I must go,” Nareen replied. “I know ye are right, but I cannae accept
his suit. So I cannae make any demands on him. That would nae be right. I’m going
home to me father from court.”
“At least ye are nae going to continue serving her.”
It was a bold thing to say about the earl’s daughter, but the captain was a Highlander.
Just as Saer was. They were men who kept their own minds and didn’t bend their knees
to the undeserving.
“Nareen…” Abigail whined again.
“Good luck to ye, Mistress Grant.” The captain stepped aside.
“Thank ye,” Nareen replied.
Her belly was knotted, and she worried that she was going to need that luck.
A great deal of it.
***
Saer discovered himself happy to see the walls of the Ross fortress that evening.
It wasn’t the sturdy walls that warmed his heart, even though he had spent the day
selecting stone to build up his own. No. He craved Nareen. It was more than a need
to ease his lust. He longed for her smile and the way she looked him straight in the
eye when she had something to tell him.
His grin broadened.
And he liked the way she resisted him. Propping her hand onto her hip. He doubted
she realized how much that pose pushed her breasts up. He might just tell her, for
the sake of seeing her reaction. She’d spit fire at him, but he liked that facet of
her character.
And hoped marriage would never change her.
But the captain of the guard met them in the yard, and the news he carried was grim.
“Ye allowed them to depart with only six retainers?” Saer exploded before the earl
had a chance to respond. “Are ye a half-wit?”
The captain’s eyes narrowed, and he directed his answer to the earl. “I warned them
of the dangers. Mistress Grant even tried to hold yer daughter back, but there was
no stopping her.”
“She’s half yer size, man,” Saer growled. “Ye should have locked her in the damned
stocks and left her there until she gained some sense.”
The earl waved his hands in the air. “Me daughter is strong-willed.” His body was
trembling, and he licked his lips repeatedly. “They will be well enough.” The earl
dismissed the news as he began to climb the stairs. His gillie was already waiting
at the top with his master’s goblet. The earl reached for the drinking vessel like
a starving babe, gulping down mouthfuls of the wine so fast, it trickled down the
sides of his chin and stained the collar of his shirt.
Saer turned away in disgust, eyeing the captain again.
“The mistress was right nasty to Mistress Grant.”
Saer forced himself to hear the man out. It took effort, because all he wanted to
do was get moving after Nareen.
“She threatened to dismiss her and have her father give her to ye.”
“That’s the drivel of a spoiled brat,” Saer snarled. “The earl has no say in Nareen’s
fate.”
“He is the master here,” the captain replied. “The lass would have no one to
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