The hound immediately quit the low, menacing sound.
Johanna was looking ready to faint again. Nicholas knew she needed a bit of time to get her courage back. He took a step forward. “Why didn’t you allow my men and Father MacKechnie past Rush Creek?” he asked.
“Your sister and I must come to terms before the priest is allowed here. Your men won’t ever be allowed on our land, Nicholas. Have you forgotten my terms? We went over the details when you were last here.”
Nicholas agreed with a nod. He couldn’t think of anything further to ask.
“Father MacKechnie was very upset over your command to wait below,” Johanna said.
MacBain didn’t appear to be overly concerned about alienating a man of God. He shrugged. Her eyes widened in reaction. During the three years of her marriage to Raulf, she’d learned to fear priests; the ones she had known were powerful and unforgiving men. Yet MacKechnie wasn’t like the others. He was a kind-hearted man who had risked his life to come to England so that he could plead for the Maclaurins.
She wouldn’t have him insulted now. “Father MacKechnie is weary from the long journey, m’lord, and would surely appreciate food and drink. Please show him your hospitality.”
MacBain nodded. He turned to Calum. “See to it,” he commanded.
He thought his agreement over her request would ease her fears about him. He had just proven he could be an accommodating man, after all. Yet she still appeared ready to bolt. Damn but she was a timid thing. His pet wasn’t helping matters much. She kept worriedly glancing down at the dog, and every time she stared at him, the hound growled at her.
MacBain considered grabbing hold of her, tossing her over his shoulder, and carrying her inside, then changed his mind. The thought amused him, but he didn’t smile. He held his patience, put his hand out to her, and simply waited to see what she would do.
From the look in his eyes, she knew he had guessed she was afraid of him and that he was finding her timidity amusing, too. She forced herself to take a deep breath, then put her hand in his.
He was huge everywhere. His hand was at least twice the size of her own, and he certainly must have felt her trembling. He was a laird, however, and she assumed he would never have attained that position of power without gaining a few gentlemanly manners along the way, and she therefore assumed he wouldn’t mention her shameful condition.
“Why are you shaking?”
She tried to pull her hand away. He wouldn’t let go. He had her now, and he wasn’t about to let her get away.
Before Johanna could come up with a suitable explanation to his question, he turned and pulled her along up the steps and through the doorway.
“Because of your unusual weather,” she blurted out.
“Our what?” He looked confused.
“Never mind, Laird.”
“Explain what you meant,” he commanded.
She sighed. “Nicholas explained that the weather here is warm all year around . . . I thought he’d told you about his . . .” She started to say lie, then changed her mind. The laird might not understand how amused she’d been over her brother’s outrageous fabrication about the Highlands.
“His what?” MacBain asked, curious over her sudden blush.
“He said it was unusual to have such cold winds here,” she said.
MacBain almost burst into laughter. He caught himself in time. The weather was actually unusually warm for this time of year.
He didn’t even smile. The lass had already shown she had tender feelings, and he didn’t suppose laughing at her naïveté would soften her attitude toward him.
“And you believe everything your brother tells you?” he asked.
“Yes, of course,” she answered so that he would know she was thoroughly loyal to her brother.
“I see.”
“The cold is the reason I am trembling,” she said for lack of a better lie to tell.
“No, it isn’t.”
“It isn’t?”
“You’re afraid of me.”
He waited for her to
Johanna was looking ready to faint again. Nicholas knew she needed a bit of time to get her courage back. He took a step forward. “Why didn’t you allow my men and Father MacKechnie past Rush Creek?” he asked.
“Your sister and I must come to terms before the priest is allowed here. Your men won’t ever be allowed on our land, Nicholas. Have you forgotten my terms? We went over the details when you were last here.”
Nicholas agreed with a nod. He couldn’t think of anything further to ask.
“Father MacKechnie was very upset over your command to wait below,” Johanna said.
MacBain didn’t appear to be overly concerned about alienating a man of God. He shrugged. Her eyes widened in reaction. During the three years of her marriage to Raulf, she’d learned to fear priests; the ones she had known were powerful and unforgiving men. Yet MacKechnie wasn’t like the others. He was a kind-hearted man who had risked his life to come to England so that he could plead for the Maclaurins.
She wouldn’t have him insulted now. “Father MacKechnie is weary from the long journey, m’lord, and would surely appreciate food and drink. Please show him your hospitality.”
MacBain nodded. He turned to Calum. “See to it,” he commanded.
He thought his agreement over her request would ease her fears about him. He had just proven he could be an accommodating man, after all. Yet she still appeared ready to bolt. Damn but she was a timid thing. His pet wasn’t helping matters much. She kept worriedly glancing down at the dog, and every time she stared at him, the hound growled at her.
MacBain considered grabbing hold of her, tossing her over his shoulder, and carrying her inside, then changed his mind. The thought amused him, but he didn’t smile. He held his patience, put his hand out to her, and simply waited to see what she would do.
From the look in his eyes, she knew he had guessed she was afraid of him and that he was finding her timidity amusing, too. She forced herself to take a deep breath, then put her hand in his.
He was huge everywhere. His hand was at least twice the size of her own, and he certainly must have felt her trembling. He was a laird, however, and she assumed he would never have attained that position of power without gaining a few gentlemanly manners along the way, and she therefore assumed he wouldn’t mention her shameful condition.
“Why are you shaking?”
She tried to pull her hand away. He wouldn’t let go. He had her now, and he wasn’t about to let her get away.
Before Johanna could come up with a suitable explanation to his question, he turned and pulled her along up the steps and through the doorway.
“Because of your unusual weather,” she blurted out.
“Our what?” He looked confused.
“Never mind, Laird.”
“Explain what you meant,” he commanded.
She sighed. “Nicholas explained that the weather here is warm all year around . . . I thought he’d told you about his . . .” She started to say lie, then changed her mind. The laird might not understand how amused she’d been over her brother’s outrageous fabrication about the Highlands.
“His what?” MacBain asked, curious over her sudden blush.
“He said it was unusual to have such cold winds here,” she said.
MacBain almost burst into laughter. He caught himself in time. The weather was actually unusually warm for this time of year.
He didn’t even smile. The lass had already shown she had tender feelings, and he didn’t suppose laughing at her naïveté would soften her attitude toward him.
“And you believe everything your brother tells you?” he asked.
“Yes, of course,” she answered so that he would know she was thoroughly loyal to her brother.
“I see.”
“The cold is the reason I am trembling,” she said for lack of a better lie to tell.
“No, it isn’t.”
“It isn’t?”
“You’re afraid of me.”
He waited for her to
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