behind until she wed.
A new determination welled within him. He would take her to France and together they could both start anew, surrounding themselves only with those they chose. He would take his bonnie bride and give her the one thing she needed most. A home and someone she could trust.
"We’ve one more thig to make this day," she said softly, her light touch skimming the back of his hand.
"Who have we left to see, lass?" he asked, more attentive to the emotions that played across her face, than he was a moment before.
"The Earl of Argyll requested he be last on our rounds this morning."
Ian leaned forward on his powerful legs and rose from his chair.
"Then let’s go."
Her lips curved upward in a small smile that stole his breath away. His skin heated in response. Ian decided he liked her full lips even more when she smiled and vowed to see more of it before they left on their journey across the ocean.
They walked up to the young earl’s quarters above the stairs, and Ian knocked at the thick door.
"My lord, my wife and I have come to collect a thig from you."
"Enter," Argyll called.
Ian opened the door and let her walk in ahead of him. The chamber was simple, but still grand enough to be appropriate to the lad’s station.
"Am I the last then?" The earl took both of Sorcha’s hands in his own, rubbing them lightly with his thumbs.
"Aye, my lord," she replied, smiling at him and placing a chaste kiss on his cheek.
Ian’s gut tightened in response even to the innocent intimacy between them. What he wouldn’t give to be gifted by one of her radiant, full smiles such as that.
"What have you for us, my lord?" Ian stuffed his irritation down.
The earl pulled forth a sheaf of papers. "I’ve purchased a horse for Sorcha from the Earl of Sutherland."
Ian shoulders tensed. It was a gift a suitor, a lover or father would give, not a young ward. Was there more between them than he had yet noticed? Perhaps his attentions were not needed, merely his service, as the laird had stated.
A flicker of uncertainty glinted in Sorcha’s eyes. Had he not been watching her so intently, he would have missed it. Something about the gift had disturbed her. Perhaps she too was aware that the gift bordered on inappropriate.
"Archibald, you should not have done anything so lavish."
Ian’s suspicions grew a little more when Argyll grasped her hand gently and his eyes fixated on her in a way that spoke of intimacy.
"It was to be a birthday present, but your marriage happened sooner than I anticipated." Argyll glanced at Ian, their eyes meeting, and he instantly let go of his hold on her. "I was hoping you and Hunter would be willing to go with me to fetch it. We and a few of the other lords have been invited to hunt at Lord Moray’s estate in Abercariny, and I could certainly use an extra pair of eyes to guard my back." He looked at Ian, his eyes somber despite his smile.
A gut awareness hit Ian that Argyll was using the expedition for the horse and the hunt as a cover for more serious, political reasons. His senses came to full alert, but were redirected as Sorcha briefly laid her hand on the young earl’s cheek.
"We would be glad to accompany you, my lord. When did you plan to leave?"
"In three days."
Ian grasped her about the waist and brought her close to his side, sending the unmistakable message of possession to Argyll.
"In the meantime, my lord, did you still wish to begin your lessons at arms?"
"Aye, that I would." He turned his gaze to Sorcha. "Would you allow me to take your husband for but a few hours this eventide?"
"Certainly, Archibald."
The unguarded familiarity between them pricked at Ian, leaving him feeling edgy and in need of some physical activity. He had seen the signs of infidelity with Mary and had ignored them at his own peril. Now he was keenly aware. He would not be the fool twice.
He forced himself to remember his rule. He should focus on completing the contract, grab the gold and make
A new determination welled within him. He would take her to France and together they could both start anew, surrounding themselves only with those they chose. He would take his bonnie bride and give her the one thing she needed most. A home and someone she could trust.
"We’ve one more thig to make this day," she said softly, her light touch skimming the back of his hand.
"Who have we left to see, lass?" he asked, more attentive to the emotions that played across her face, than he was a moment before.
"The Earl of Argyll requested he be last on our rounds this morning."
Ian leaned forward on his powerful legs and rose from his chair.
"Then let’s go."
Her lips curved upward in a small smile that stole his breath away. His skin heated in response. Ian decided he liked her full lips even more when she smiled and vowed to see more of it before they left on their journey across the ocean.
They walked up to the young earl’s quarters above the stairs, and Ian knocked at the thick door.
"My lord, my wife and I have come to collect a thig from you."
"Enter," Argyll called.
Ian opened the door and let her walk in ahead of him. The chamber was simple, but still grand enough to be appropriate to the lad’s station.
"Am I the last then?" The earl took both of Sorcha’s hands in his own, rubbing them lightly with his thumbs.
"Aye, my lord," she replied, smiling at him and placing a chaste kiss on his cheek.
Ian’s gut tightened in response even to the innocent intimacy between them. What he wouldn’t give to be gifted by one of her radiant, full smiles such as that.
"What have you for us, my lord?" Ian stuffed his irritation down.
The earl pulled forth a sheaf of papers. "I’ve purchased a horse for Sorcha from the Earl of Sutherland."
Ian shoulders tensed. It was a gift a suitor, a lover or father would give, not a young ward. Was there more between them than he had yet noticed? Perhaps his attentions were not needed, merely his service, as the laird had stated.
A flicker of uncertainty glinted in Sorcha’s eyes. Had he not been watching her so intently, he would have missed it. Something about the gift had disturbed her. Perhaps she too was aware that the gift bordered on inappropriate.
"Archibald, you should not have done anything so lavish."
Ian’s suspicions grew a little more when Argyll grasped her hand gently and his eyes fixated on her in a way that spoke of intimacy.
"It was to be a birthday present, but your marriage happened sooner than I anticipated." Argyll glanced at Ian, their eyes meeting, and he instantly let go of his hold on her. "I was hoping you and Hunter would be willing to go with me to fetch it. We and a few of the other lords have been invited to hunt at Lord Moray’s estate in Abercariny, and I could certainly use an extra pair of eyes to guard my back." He looked at Ian, his eyes somber despite his smile.
A gut awareness hit Ian that Argyll was using the expedition for the horse and the hunt as a cover for more serious, political reasons. His senses came to full alert, but were redirected as Sorcha briefly laid her hand on the young earl’s cheek.
"We would be glad to accompany you, my lord. When did you plan to leave?"
"In three days."
Ian grasped her about the waist and brought her close to his side, sending the unmistakable message of possession to Argyll.
"In the meantime, my lord, did you still wish to begin your lessons at arms?"
"Aye, that I would." He turned his gaze to Sorcha. "Would you allow me to take your husband for but a few hours this eventide?"
"Certainly, Archibald."
The unguarded familiarity between them pricked at Ian, leaving him feeling edgy and in need of some physical activity. He had seen the signs of infidelity with Mary and had ignored them at his own peril. Now he was keenly aware. He would not be the fool twice.
He forced himself to remember his rule. He should focus on completing the contract, grab the gold and make
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