his eyes. "It wasn't difficult at all."
She didn't care for the arrogance in his tone or the way he was looking at her now. "I'm certain it was difficult for you," she insisted. "After all, my sisters are all very beautiful, and choosing one so quickly isn't really giving the matter your full consideration. For that reason, I would suggest you wait, perhaps return to our home in another month, after you've had time to mull this over. What think you of that idea, milord?"
He slowly shook his head.
"Then you're going to marry tomorrow?" Jamie asked.
"We'll be halfway home by then."
"You will?"
"We will."
"You plan to marry now?"
She looked horrified. Alec nodded. "I do."
"But you cannot mean—"
"We'll leave immediately after the ceremony," Alec said, his voice hard.
Lord Daniel suddenly appeared at her side. He was holding two goblets of wine. He handed one to Alec, then turned to the three sisters. "Come and join us, Mary," he called out, laughing. "We won't bite."
"I never thought you would," Mary announced. She straightened her shoulders and hurried over to stand beside Jamie.
Both Daniel and Alec drank from their goblets. They nodded to each other, then offered the cups to Jamie and Mary.
The sisters denied the offer by shaking their heads.
"Take a sip, Mary," Daniel suggested with a wink.
Alec wasn't as solicitous. "Drink this, Jamie. Now."
Perhaps it was some sort of primitive Scottish ritual, Jamie thought. As mistress of her home, she knew it was her duty to make their visitors welcome. Alec looked determined, too. She shrugged her shoulders, then took the goblet, swallowed quickly, and handed the cup back to him.
He captured her hand and wouldn't let go. His thumb brushed her palm. A frown settled on his face, and he slowly turned her hand over to look at the calluses and scars.
Mary emptied Daniel's cup. When she gave the goblet back to him, he also took hold of her hand and turned it over.
Jamie tried to pull her hand away, but it wasn't until the two men had compared Mary's smooth, unblemished skin with Jamie's flaws, that he finally let go.
It was a humiliation. She understood every damning word they said to each other in Gaelic. They didn't know she spoke their language and that fact gave Jamie a perverse spark of satisfaction.
Jamie hid her hands behind her back and waited for their next insult.
"Was sharing your drink some sort of ritual?" Mary asked. " 'Tis the truth we don't know anything about the Scots."
After blurting out that statement, she turned her attention to the floor.
"Mary, you've never heard of our special preferences, then?" Daniel asked in a soft burr.
Mary's head jerked up. She had the most startled expression on her face. "Preferences, milord?"
"Certain peculiarities," Daniel qualified with a grin.
"Peculiarities?" Mary gave Jamie a wild look before turning back to Daniel. "Nay, I've not heard of these preferences."
"Ah, then, I must enlighten you," he announced.
It was obvious that Lord Daniel was vastly amused. "I don't wish to be enlightened," Mary countered.
Alec was watching Jamie. Her eyes had widened when Daniel mentioned preferences. She'd obviously caught the drift of his friend's remarks.
Alec found Jamie incredibly appealing. Just looking at her made him ache to touch her, to take her. The smile faded from his eyes when he admitted to himself how much he wanted to bed her. Odd, but it didn't matter that she was English. No, it didn't matter at all.
"Mary, sweet," Daniel began, drawing Alec's attention back to him, "surely you've heard of our list of wants. Everyone knows the Scots like strong horses, fat sheep, and soft, willing women."
He'd drew out his list just like an old woman savoring the telling of fresh gossip. Alec mimicked his friend's tone when he added, "In that order, of course."
"Of course,"
She didn't care for the arrogance in his tone or the way he was looking at her now. "I'm certain it was difficult for you," she insisted. "After all, my sisters are all very beautiful, and choosing one so quickly isn't really giving the matter your full consideration. For that reason, I would suggest you wait, perhaps return to our home in another month, after you've had time to mull this over. What think you of that idea, milord?"
He slowly shook his head.
"Then you're going to marry tomorrow?" Jamie asked.
"We'll be halfway home by then."
"You will?"
"We will."
"You plan to marry now?"
She looked horrified. Alec nodded. "I do."
"But you cannot mean—"
"We'll leave immediately after the ceremony," Alec said, his voice hard.
Lord Daniel suddenly appeared at her side. He was holding two goblets of wine. He handed one to Alec, then turned to the three sisters. "Come and join us, Mary," he called out, laughing. "We won't bite."
"I never thought you would," Mary announced. She straightened her shoulders and hurried over to stand beside Jamie.
Both Daniel and Alec drank from their goblets. They nodded to each other, then offered the cups to Jamie and Mary.
The sisters denied the offer by shaking their heads.
"Take a sip, Mary," Daniel suggested with a wink.
Alec wasn't as solicitous. "Drink this, Jamie. Now."
Perhaps it was some sort of primitive Scottish ritual, Jamie thought. As mistress of her home, she knew it was her duty to make their visitors welcome. Alec looked determined, too. She shrugged her shoulders, then took the goblet, swallowed quickly, and handed the cup back to him.
He captured her hand and wouldn't let go. His thumb brushed her palm. A frown settled on his face, and he slowly turned her hand over to look at the calluses and scars.
Mary emptied Daniel's cup. When she gave the goblet back to him, he also took hold of her hand and turned it over.
Jamie tried to pull her hand away, but it wasn't until the two men had compared Mary's smooth, unblemished skin with Jamie's flaws, that he finally let go.
It was a humiliation. She understood every damning word they said to each other in Gaelic. They didn't know she spoke their language and that fact gave Jamie a perverse spark of satisfaction.
Jamie hid her hands behind her back and waited for their next insult.
"Was sharing your drink some sort of ritual?" Mary asked. " 'Tis the truth we don't know anything about the Scots."
After blurting out that statement, she turned her attention to the floor.
"Mary, you've never heard of our special preferences, then?" Daniel asked in a soft burr.
Mary's head jerked up. She had the most startled expression on her face. "Preferences, milord?"
"Certain peculiarities," Daniel qualified with a grin.
"Peculiarities?" Mary gave Jamie a wild look before turning back to Daniel. "Nay, I've not heard of these preferences."
"Ah, then, I must enlighten you," he announced.
It was obvious that Lord Daniel was vastly amused. "I don't wish to be enlightened," Mary countered.
Alec was watching Jamie. Her eyes had widened when Daniel mentioned preferences. She'd obviously caught the drift of his friend's remarks.
Alec found Jamie incredibly appealing. Just looking at her made him ache to touch her, to take her. The smile faded from his eyes when he admitted to himself how much he wanted to bed her. Odd, but it didn't matter that she was English. No, it didn't matter at all.
"Mary, sweet," Daniel began, drawing Alec's attention back to him, "surely you've heard of our list of wants. Everyone knows the Scots like strong horses, fat sheep, and soft, willing women."
He'd drew out his list just like an old woman savoring the telling of fresh gossip. Alec mimicked his friend's tone when he added, "In that order, of course."
"Of course,"
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