her rejection, “ And what am I? Am I a leach, a disgustin' lizard, na worthy to scrabble at ye feet? Does'na yer body soar at my touch, do'na ye grow wet in desire for me? ”
“ Nay, ye are something far worse; ye are a strong powerful beautiful man who deserves a beautiful proud wife. The likes of which I can ne'er be! ” she bit out.
“ Ye could ne'er be proud of me? Me, the laird? ” his anger filled his heart, “ Are ye so high and mighty that ye hold yer nose up to me? To me? How dare ye? And who, pray, do ye think is worthy of ye touch, ye fire? A king? A god? ”
Andra's sobs wretched her body, “ Nay, nay! Stop teasin' me! Stop! I am unworthy of ye. Tis I who ye could ne'er be proud of. My body is fat and ugly; na man wants what little I can offer. Why do ye attack me so cruelly? Just because ye are laird, ye feel it necessary to mock me! Get out! Get out! ” She cried in agony as she tried to shrink into the cover around her body.
Kagan was standing on unfamiliar ground and stooped to pick up his kilt. He backed away, retreated to regroup his defenses. He pondered her words as he watched her turn her back to him. He tied the kilt in place around his hips and took a deep breath. No woman in her right mind would ever dare to refuse him!
“ Any man, warrior, king, or god would die a thousand deaths to lie in yer arms but for one night. Why can'na ye see yer own beauty? ” His deep voice kissed her ears with the compliment.
He turned and flinched as pain erupted from his earlobe and a vase crashed and shattered into the door. His hand flew to his bleeding ear and he stormed out of the room, slamming the door in his wake.
Blasted woman!
He raged down the steps like an angry bull. The three Duncans had listened intently at the bottom of the stairs, but quickly tried to look busy as the laird sailed down the steps and roared his return upon their ears.
“ What ha'e ye done to her? ” His rage was evident as he asked, “ She is touched in the head! No woman can deny me. Explain this now or suffer my hand! ”
Only Crimm dared to answer, “ Only what ye ordered us to do! In ye lust of her; ye chose to keep her locked away! Tis ye that wanted her trained to defend herself, tis ye that insisted she learn of worldly ways, or ha’e ye forgotten at ye own convenience? ” Any other man would have fell at Kagan's blade for daring to question his methods, but Crimm Duncan was not any other man.
“ Hold ye tongue! ” ordered Adalie, “ We are all at fault in this! ”
Crimm rubbed his temples and paced the stone floor, Aran retreated to the kitchen needing to break something, and Adalie dropped into his chair with heavy heart. The father silently begged his daughter for forgiveness.
“ Her ma would ne'er forgive me, but I only wanted what was best for her, ” he whispered into his hands, “ How are we goin' to repair the damage? ”
Laird Kagan growled and disappeared down the corridor, unable to bare Andra's sobs any longer. He stalked like a madman to Demon. He mounted the warhorse, bareback, and rode him hard and fast into the hillside with the highland wind in his face and his highland mist behind him. His, she was his!
Chapter 5
Her fate had been decided, signed and sealed. She had been ordered to pack her bags and depart for McKregan Keep in three days. Crimm was to accompany her on the journey to make sure that she arrived at her would be husband's keep. Her father had made it perfectly clear she would go either sitting on top of a horse or tied and gagged in the carriage. She was to marry Laird McKregan, lie in his bed, and have his babes.
He would savagely take her body, leaving her to the terrible mountains of pain that he would put her through. And he would use her body whenever he wanted and walk all over her heart like the heathen he was simply because that was the way it was. Women had no right to disagree! Her heart pounded in her ears and her loins ached.
Andra pulled herself
“ Nay, ye are something far worse; ye are a strong powerful beautiful man who deserves a beautiful proud wife. The likes of which I can ne'er be! ” she bit out.
“ Ye could ne'er be proud of me? Me, the laird? ” his anger filled his heart, “ Are ye so high and mighty that ye hold yer nose up to me? To me? How dare ye? And who, pray, do ye think is worthy of ye touch, ye fire? A king? A god? ”
Andra's sobs wretched her body, “ Nay, nay! Stop teasin' me! Stop! I am unworthy of ye. Tis I who ye could ne'er be proud of. My body is fat and ugly; na man wants what little I can offer. Why do ye attack me so cruelly? Just because ye are laird, ye feel it necessary to mock me! Get out! Get out! ” She cried in agony as she tried to shrink into the cover around her body.
Kagan was standing on unfamiliar ground and stooped to pick up his kilt. He backed away, retreated to regroup his defenses. He pondered her words as he watched her turn her back to him. He tied the kilt in place around his hips and took a deep breath. No woman in her right mind would ever dare to refuse him!
“ Any man, warrior, king, or god would die a thousand deaths to lie in yer arms but for one night. Why can'na ye see yer own beauty? ” His deep voice kissed her ears with the compliment.
He turned and flinched as pain erupted from his earlobe and a vase crashed and shattered into the door. His hand flew to his bleeding ear and he stormed out of the room, slamming the door in his wake.
Blasted woman!
He raged down the steps like an angry bull. The three Duncans had listened intently at the bottom of the stairs, but quickly tried to look busy as the laird sailed down the steps and roared his return upon their ears.
“ What ha'e ye done to her? ” His rage was evident as he asked, “ She is touched in the head! No woman can deny me. Explain this now or suffer my hand! ”
Only Crimm dared to answer, “ Only what ye ordered us to do! In ye lust of her; ye chose to keep her locked away! Tis ye that wanted her trained to defend herself, tis ye that insisted she learn of worldly ways, or ha’e ye forgotten at ye own convenience? ” Any other man would have fell at Kagan's blade for daring to question his methods, but Crimm Duncan was not any other man.
“ Hold ye tongue! ” ordered Adalie, “ We are all at fault in this! ”
Crimm rubbed his temples and paced the stone floor, Aran retreated to the kitchen needing to break something, and Adalie dropped into his chair with heavy heart. The father silently begged his daughter for forgiveness.
“ Her ma would ne'er forgive me, but I only wanted what was best for her, ” he whispered into his hands, “ How are we goin' to repair the damage? ”
Laird Kagan growled and disappeared down the corridor, unable to bare Andra's sobs any longer. He stalked like a madman to Demon. He mounted the warhorse, bareback, and rode him hard and fast into the hillside with the highland wind in his face and his highland mist behind him. His, she was his!
Chapter 5
Her fate had been decided, signed and sealed. She had been ordered to pack her bags and depart for McKregan Keep in three days. Crimm was to accompany her on the journey to make sure that she arrived at her would be husband's keep. Her father had made it perfectly clear she would go either sitting on top of a horse or tied and gagged in the carriage. She was to marry Laird McKregan, lie in his bed, and have his babes.
He would savagely take her body, leaving her to the terrible mountains of pain that he would put her through. And he would use her body whenever he wanted and walk all over her heart like the heathen he was simply because that was the way it was. Women had no right to disagree! Her heart pounded in her ears and her loins ached.
Andra pulled herself
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