you.”
“Fine, then, if you want to hurt little Gwen’s feelings after she nursed you and took the time and trouble to make you something fit to eat. I’ll just take it down and tell her you said it was slop and you’d rather have nothing than touch it.”
She turned, bowl in hand. Before she’d taken two steps, Coll relented. “Hell and damnation, give it to me, then.”
Brigham caught her smirk as she swept aside her skirts and sat. “Well done,” he murmured.
Ignoring him, she dipped the spoon in the bowl. “Open your big mouth, Coll.”
“I won’t be fed,” he said just before she shoved in the first bit of gruel. “Curse it, Serena, I said I’ll feed myself.”
“And spill gruel all over your clean nightshirt. I’ll not be changing you again today, my lad, so open your mouth and be quiet.”
He would have sworn at her again, but he was too busy swallowing gruel.
“I’ll leave you to your breakfast, Coll.”
“For mercy’s sake.” He grabbed Brigham’s wrist. “Don’t desert me now. She’ll yap at me, nag and bluster and set me mad. I—” He glared as Serena pushed more gruel into his mouth. “She’s the devil of a female, Brig. A man’s not safe with her.”
“Is that so?” Smiling, Brigham studied Serena’s face and was rewarded by the faintest rising of color.
“I haven’t thanked you for getting me home. I’m told you were wounded,” Coll said.
“A scratch. Your sister tended it.”
“Gwen’s an angel.”
“Young Gwen had her hands full with you. Serena bound me up.”
Coll looked at his sister and grinned. “Ham-fisted.”
“You’ll be swallowing the spoon in a moment, Coll MacGregor.”
“It takes more than a hole in my side to devil me, lassie. I can still put you over my knee.”
She wiped his mouth delicately with a napkin. “The last time you tried you walked with a limp for a week.”
He grinned at the memory. “Aye, right you are. Brig, the lass is a Trojan. Kicked me square in the—” he caught Serena’s furious look “—pride, so to speak.”
“I’ll remember that if I ever have occasion to wrestle with Miss MacGregor.”
“Beaned me with a pot once, too,” Coll said reminiscently. “Damn me if I didn’t see stars.” He was drowsy again, and his eyelids drooped. “Fire-eater,” he muttered. “You’ll never catch a husband that way.”
“If it was a husband I wanted to catch, so I would.”
“The prettiest girl in Glenroe.” Coll’s voice wavered as his eyes shut. “But the temper’s foul, Brig. Not like that pretty Frenchie with the gold hair.”
What pretty Frenchie? Serena wondered, sending Brigham a sidelong look. But he was only grinning and fiddling with the button of his jacket.
“I’ve had the pleasure of discovering that for myself,” Brigham murmured. “Rest now. I’ll be back.”
“Forced that gruel on me. Nasty stuff.”
“Aye, and there’s more where that came from. Ungrateful oaf.”
“I love you, Rena.”
She brushed the hair from his brow. “I know. Hush now, and sleep.” Serena tucked him up while Brigham stood back. “He’ll be quiet for a few hours now. Mother will feed him next, and he won’t argue with her.”
“I’d say the arguing did him as much good as the gruel.”
“That was the idea.” She lifted the tray with the empty bowl and started past him. Brigham had only to shift to block her way.
“Did you rest?”
“Well enough. Pardon me, Lord Ashburn, I have things to do.”
Instead of moving aside, he smiled at her. “When I spend the night with a woman, she usually calls meby my name.”
The lights of war came into her eyes, just as he’d hoped. “I’m not some golden-haired Frenchie or one of your loose London women, so keep your name,
Lord
Ashburn. I’ve no use for it.”
“I believe I have use for yours … Serena.” She delighted him by snarling. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.”
That flustered her. She knew how to handle
“Fine, then, if you want to hurt little Gwen’s feelings after she nursed you and took the time and trouble to make you something fit to eat. I’ll just take it down and tell her you said it was slop and you’d rather have nothing than touch it.”
She turned, bowl in hand. Before she’d taken two steps, Coll relented. “Hell and damnation, give it to me, then.”
Brigham caught her smirk as she swept aside her skirts and sat. “Well done,” he murmured.
Ignoring him, she dipped the spoon in the bowl. “Open your big mouth, Coll.”
“I won’t be fed,” he said just before she shoved in the first bit of gruel. “Curse it, Serena, I said I’ll feed myself.”
“And spill gruel all over your clean nightshirt. I’ll not be changing you again today, my lad, so open your mouth and be quiet.”
He would have sworn at her again, but he was too busy swallowing gruel.
“I’ll leave you to your breakfast, Coll.”
“For mercy’s sake.” He grabbed Brigham’s wrist. “Don’t desert me now. She’ll yap at me, nag and bluster and set me mad. I—” He glared as Serena pushed more gruel into his mouth. “She’s the devil of a female, Brig. A man’s not safe with her.”
“Is that so?” Smiling, Brigham studied Serena’s face and was rewarded by the faintest rising of color.
“I haven’t thanked you for getting me home. I’m told you were wounded,” Coll said.
“A scratch. Your sister tended it.”
“Gwen’s an angel.”
“Young Gwen had her hands full with you. Serena bound me up.”
Coll looked at his sister and grinned. “Ham-fisted.”
“You’ll be swallowing the spoon in a moment, Coll MacGregor.”
“It takes more than a hole in my side to devil me, lassie. I can still put you over my knee.”
She wiped his mouth delicately with a napkin. “The last time you tried you walked with a limp for a week.”
He grinned at the memory. “Aye, right you are. Brig, the lass is a Trojan. Kicked me square in the—” he caught Serena’s furious look “—pride, so to speak.”
“I’ll remember that if I ever have occasion to wrestle with Miss MacGregor.”
“Beaned me with a pot once, too,” Coll said reminiscently. “Damn me if I didn’t see stars.” He was drowsy again, and his eyelids drooped. “Fire-eater,” he muttered. “You’ll never catch a husband that way.”
“If it was a husband I wanted to catch, so I would.”
“The prettiest girl in Glenroe.” Coll’s voice wavered as his eyes shut. “But the temper’s foul, Brig. Not like that pretty Frenchie with the gold hair.”
What pretty Frenchie? Serena wondered, sending Brigham a sidelong look. But he was only grinning and fiddling with the button of his jacket.
“I’ve had the pleasure of discovering that for myself,” Brigham murmured. “Rest now. I’ll be back.”
“Forced that gruel on me. Nasty stuff.”
“Aye, and there’s more where that came from. Ungrateful oaf.”
“I love you, Rena.”
She brushed the hair from his brow. “I know. Hush now, and sleep.” Serena tucked him up while Brigham stood back. “He’ll be quiet for a few hours now. Mother will feed him next, and he won’t argue with her.”
“I’d say the arguing did him as much good as the gruel.”
“That was the idea.” She lifted the tray with the empty bowl and started past him. Brigham had only to shift to block her way.
“Did you rest?”
“Well enough. Pardon me, Lord Ashburn, I have things to do.”
Instead of moving aside, he smiled at her. “When I spend the night with a woman, she usually calls meby my name.”
The lights of war came into her eyes, just as he’d hoped. “I’m not some golden-haired Frenchie or one of your loose London women, so keep your name,
Lord
Ashburn. I’ve no use for it.”
“I believe I have use for yours … Serena.” She delighted him by snarling. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.”
That flustered her. She knew how to handle
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