during bat tle. Defender of the innocent and protector of helpless animals.
And Douglas, seducer of innocence and, at times, a helpless animal himself.
She chattered on. Douglas removed a gold doubloon from his pocket, tossing it from palm to palm. He resisted the urge to look out the window again. Gazing upon that woman roused peculiar feelings inside him. Was it possible for a man to be beguiled by a gentle spirit and a clever mind?
" Leave me now, " he said abruptly, interrupting Gemma ' s flow of talk. "I have plans for the night to find this Neacail who begs to be killed."
"I pleased the princess, didn ' t I? " she asked. " I said the right things? "
"Aye, lass. "
"Baldwin curtsied at her. She didn ' t even tell him what a moron he was. "
"She is an unusual person, " Douglas said thoughtfully.
" Are you going to wed her? " she asked.
" 'Tis ludicrous to think of such a thing."
She stood, glancing suspiciously at the unshuttered window. "What about bedding her? "
"That, " he said, pushing her toward the door, "is none of your business. "
" Why do you hate Matthew so? " she whispered.
Douglas sighed. "I do not wish to speak of it. "
"Please, Douglas. It has to do with Mama, doesn ' t it? "
"Mama was very ill for a long time, and you were a wee scrap of nothing, " he said after a long pause. "I tried to take care of you both. I had stolen and worked to be able to afford a simple stone cross in a Highland kirk when she died. " His face hardened. " Then Matthew appeared in his fine clothes and lacquered carriage while I was pleading for a cart. He had her body taken to a private graveyard in England for a burial. "
" ' Tis not the worst sin in the world, is it?" she said softly.
"He deprived me of my last chance to prove to her that I lov ed her—and that I had some good ness in me. "
"She must have known, " she said with fierce loyalty.
He lifted her up and deposited her in the hallway as if she were an annoying kitten. " ' Tis past. I want to change my clothing now. Gemma, and as you said yourself, ' tisn ' t decent to watch someone undress. "
T he single knock had a distinctly familiar echo. Aidan. And it meant trouble.
Douglas crossed the bedchamber in silence, opening the door on the man who more resembled him, inside and out, than his half-brother.
Black hair, black eyes, black temperament. Aye, Douglas and Aidan might have been spawned by the same ungodly source.
Aidan wore his hunting clothes and heavy jackboots. He looked austere and anxious.
" I ' ve come to ask your permission, sir. "
Douglas lifted his brow. He rarely inquired into the private lives of his men, their loves, their past. Long ago Aidan had confessed that his young wife had died in a coaching accident, that he had taken the blame, that he came from a noble family who had disowned him. Certainly the aloof pirate had his secrets. But he obeyed, and he was loyal and brilliant. Douglas demanded nothing more.
"Permission for what? " he asked, glancing beyond him into the passageway.
"To murder a man, " Aidan answered.
" Hell ' s bloody bells! " Douglas dragged him into the chamber. " Have you taken leave of your senses? Did you hear nothing I said? How could you have already made an enemy in the short time we were here?"
Aidan stared at him in stone-faced silence.
" Answer me, Aidan." Douglas shook his head in disappointment. "I hope you have told no one else of this folly. What hapless soul do you wish to murder?"
" The reiver who raped the village girl earlier today and left her for dead. ' Tis the same man who beat that boy senseless on his way here. I know you, Douglas. You're going to seek vengeance tonight, and I would help you. This castle … well, it reminds me of things that are painful. "
Douglas turned slowly, assessing the stoic composure of Aidan's face. " That is the first time I have known you to speak of the past since we met. "
Aidan shrugged, changing the subject. "The villagers plan to ambush
And Douglas, seducer of innocence and, at times, a helpless animal himself.
She chattered on. Douglas removed a gold doubloon from his pocket, tossing it from palm to palm. He resisted the urge to look out the window again. Gazing upon that woman roused peculiar feelings inside him. Was it possible for a man to be beguiled by a gentle spirit and a clever mind?
" Leave me now, " he said abruptly, interrupting Gemma ' s flow of talk. "I have plans for the night to find this Neacail who begs to be killed."
"I pleased the princess, didn ' t I? " she asked. " I said the right things? "
"Aye, lass. "
"Baldwin curtsied at her. She didn ' t even tell him what a moron he was. "
"She is an unusual person, " Douglas said thoughtfully.
" Are you going to wed her? " she asked.
" 'Tis ludicrous to think of such a thing."
She stood, glancing suspiciously at the unshuttered window. "What about bedding her? "
"That, " he said, pushing her toward the door, "is none of your business. "
" Why do you hate Matthew so? " she whispered.
Douglas sighed. "I do not wish to speak of it. "
"Please, Douglas. It has to do with Mama, doesn ' t it? "
"Mama was very ill for a long time, and you were a wee scrap of nothing, " he said after a long pause. "I tried to take care of you both. I had stolen and worked to be able to afford a simple stone cross in a Highland kirk when she died. " His face hardened. " Then Matthew appeared in his fine clothes and lacquered carriage while I was pleading for a cart. He had her body taken to a private graveyard in England for a burial. "
" ' Tis not the worst sin in the world, is it?" she said softly.
"He deprived me of my last chance to prove to her that I lov ed her—and that I had some good ness in me. "
"She must have known, " she said with fierce loyalty.
He lifted her up and deposited her in the hallway as if she were an annoying kitten. " ' Tis past. I want to change my clothing now. Gemma, and as you said yourself, ' tisn ' t decent to watch someone undress. "
T he single knock had a distinctly familiar echo. Aidan. And it meant trouble.
Douglas crossed the bedchamber in silence, opening the door on the man who more resembled him, inside and out, than his half-brother.
Black hair, black eyes, black temperament. Aye, Douglas and Aidan might have been spawned by the same ungodly source.
Aidan wore his hunting clothes and heavy jackboots. He looked austere and anxious.
" I ' ve come to ask your permission, sir. "
Douglas lifted his brow. He rarely inquired into the private lives of his men, their loves, their past. Long ago Aidan had confessed that his young wife had died in a coaching accident, that he had taken the blame, that he came from a noble family who had disowned him. Certainly the aloof pirate had his secrets. But he obeyed, and he was loyal and brilliant. Douglas demanded nothing more.
"Permission for what? " he asked, glancing beyond him into the passageway.
"To murder a man, " Aidan answered.
" Hell ' s bloody bells! " Douglas dragged him into the chamber. " Have you taken leave of your senses? Did you hear nothing I said? How could you have already made an enemy in the short time we were here?"
Aidan stared at him in stone-faced silence.
" Answer me, Aidan." Douglas shook his head in disappointment. "I hope you have told no one else of this folly. What hapless soul do you wish to murder?"
" The reiver who raped the village girl earlier today and left her for dead. ' Tis the same man who beat that boy senseless on his way here. I know you, Douglas. You're going to seek vengeance tonight, and I would help you. This castle … well, it reminds me of things that are painful. "
Douglas turned slowly, assessing the stoic composure of Aidan's face. " That is the first time I have known you to speak of the past since we met. "
Aidan shrugged, changing the subject. "The villagers plan to ambush
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