responsibility simply did not suit him. How Bren carried such a load as Laird and Chief, he didn’t know, but he did not envy him the chore.
The guard returned to open the gate, and they walked together into the bailey, with Faith still looking around in absolute awe and disbelief. Dirc nudged her arm impatiently.
“Close yer mouth, lass, ye’re gaping like a fish. The laird will think ye’re daft! Ye must try to make a good impression, at least.”
She obligingly pressed her lips together, but her eyes were still wide. “I can’t believe it!” she said in a breathless whisper close to Dirc’s ear. He had taken her by the arm, drawing her closer and steering her unerringly towards the huge stone keep before she could escape and wander away to look at something else.
“It’s just like I imagined, even the smell!” Like horses and leather and stone dust and wood smoke, with a little bit of rotting vegetables and male sweat mixed in . She grinned at him, forgetting herself for a moment. “If my friend Brian knew where I was right now, he’d just die! You know, just before I got here he asked me…”
She stopped midsentence, the exuberant smile sliding abruptly from her face. For she had caught sight of the man who could only be the laird of the castle. Her hand grasped Dirc’s arm without her even realizing it, and she drew in a nervous little breath.
He held her arm tighter, steadying her as they walked the rest of the distance across the bailey. Dirc watched her face closely, nervously waiting to see what her reaction would be to the laird. He glanced at Bren, and frowned in annoyance. Could the man look any more large and forbidding? Bloody hell, he wouldn’t blame the lass if she turned and ran from him after the first look. He hoped Faith’s sudden silence didn’t mean she was about to faint or go into feminine hysterics of some kind. He didn’t think so, but then he didn’t know all that much about women. To his way of thinking, women were probably the greatest remaining mystery on earth, and the least likely to ever be solved. He was very glad that he didn’t need to worry about that, either.
Faith had as a rule never been one to look twice at a man, but she did now. In fact, she couldn’t stop looking. He was magnificent, even from this distance, and even more so as they came closer. He stood there in the castle yard like a king, arms crossed over his chest, head held high, waiting for them to come to him. He was not dressed in any particular finery, only a loose fitting white shirt and tight leather pants, but still she could never have thought him less than the leader of his people; it was in the very aura of energy and vitality surrounding him. In the confident steadiness of his gaze as he watched her. Power. Command. Strength. Danger.
She looked up from his tall leather boots, all the way to his dark brown, wavy hair, which hung just past his shoulders, with a few loose curls falling across his brow. His face… dear God. He was beautiful. Extraordinary brown eyes framed with dark lashes were narrowed on her in a piercing gaze as she approached, making her feel nervous and giddy all at the same time. His cheekbones were high, and his mouth wide with lips just the right fullness and curve to be incredibly sensuous, yet still all male. His chin was broad and square, with a very masculine cleft in the middle. Looking at him, she thought her knees might just buckle, and that was not like her at all. But to be fair he was by far the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. He even looked like he smelled good. He probably did.
Her eyes were still on him when Dirc pulled her to a halt, almost causing her to stumble.
“My laird”, he said with great solemnity, “may I introduce my ward, Faith.”
“My laird”, she repeated, figuring that must be the proper greeting. But Dirc was squeezing her arm.
“ Curtsy ”, he said under his breath.
“I don’t know how! I’ve never
The guard returned to open the gate, and they walked together into the bailey, with Faith still looking around in absolute awe and disbelief. Dirc nudged her arm impatiently.
“Close yer mouth, lass, ye’re gaping like a fish. The laird will think ye’re daft! Ye must try to make a good impression, at least.”
She obligingly pressed her lips together, but her eyes were still wide. “I can’t believe it!” she said in a breathless whisper close to Dirc’s ear. He had taken her by the arm, drawing her closer and steering her unerringly towards the huge stone keep before she could escape and wander away to look at something else.
“It’s just like I imagined, even the smell!” Like horses and leather and stone dust and wood smoke, with a little bit of rotting vegetables and male sweat mixed in . She grinned at him, forgetting herself for a moment. “If my friend Brian knew where I was right now, he’d just die! You know, just before I got here he asked me…”
She stopped midsentence, the exuberant smile sliding abruptly from her face. For she had caught sight of the man who could only be the laird of the castle. Her hand grasped Dirc’s arm without her even realizing it, and she drew in a nervous little breath.
He held her arm tighter, steadying her as they walked the rest of the distance across the bailey. Dirc watched her face closely, nervously waiting to see what her reaction would be to the laird. He glanced at Bren, and frowned in annoyance. Could the man look any more large and forbidding? Bloody hell, he wouldn’t blame the lass if she turned and ran from him after the first look. He hoped Faith’s sudden silence didn’t mean she was about to faint or go into feminine hysterics of some kind. He didn’t think so, but then he didn’t know all that much about women. To his way of thinking, women were probably the greatest remaining mystery on earth, and the least likely to ever be solved. He was very glad that he didn’t need to worry about that, either.
Faith had as a rule never been one to look twice at a man, but she did now. In fact, she couldn’t stop looking. He was magnificent, even from this distance, and even more so as they came closer. He stood there in the castle yard like a king, arms crossed over his chest, head held high, waiting for them to come to him. He was not dressed in any particular finery, only a loose fitting white shirt and tight leather pants, but still she could never have thought him less than the leader of his people; it was in the very aura of energy and vitality surrounding him. In the confident steadiness of his gaze as he watched her. Power. Command. Strength. Danger.
She looked up from his tall leather boots, all the way to his dark brown, wavy hair, which hung just past his shoulders, with a few loose curls falling across his brow. His face… dear God. He was beautiful. Extraordinary brown eyes framed with dark lashes were narrowed on her in a piercing gaze as she approached, making her feel nervous and giddy all at the same time. His cheekbones were high, and his mouth wide with lips just the right fullness and curve to be incredibly sensuous, yet still all male. His chin was broad and square, with a very masculine cleft in the middle. Looking at him, she thought her knees might just buckle, and that was not like her at all. But to be fair he was by far the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. He even looked like he smelled good. He probably did.
Her eyes were still on him when Dirc pulled her to a halt, almost causing her to stumble.
“My laird”, he said with great solemnity, “may I introduce my ward, Faith.”
“My laird”, she repeated, figuring that must be the proper greeting. But Dirc was squeezing her arm.
“ Curtsy ”, he said under his breath.
“I don’t know how! I’ve never
Similar Books
