couldn’t seem to match the lady’s tactics.
Angus chuckled, heating Malcolm’s blood. He had no intention of allowing the lady to say she’d prefer his younger brother to him. Somehow, he had to secure the truth from her. “Nay, I meant to say a man would know more how to woo a lady.” It wasn’t what he’d had on his mind, but mayhap it sounded better to a lady’s delicate sensibilities.
“I see. Well, when you put it that way...”
He smiled when he won the point.
“Pray tell, milaird, how would you woo a lady in such a manner that compared to that of a younger gentleman, such as your brother, you would win her hand more quickly?”
He was back in the trenches.
Then he thought of his earlier actions that day. Did the lady know he had carried her to her bedchambers in such a heroic manner? Certainly, his brother would not have done such a thing for fear his actions would have been frowned upon by the king and courtiers.
“You seek an example, milady?” he asked. He would win the battle this time.
“Aye, that I do.”
“Earlier this day—”
She narrowed her eyes.
He would not be dissuaded from making his point. “Earlier when I had upset you so—”
“I have told you already, Laird MacNeill, that it was not your telling me, but the fact that I had not known.”
“Aye, but ‘twas my folly to bring it up during the meal when I had nay right.”
She nodded. “Continue.”
“When you fainted, servants immediately came to your aid, but I could not allow them to attend to you.”
“Why not, milaird? It would have been perfectly acceptable.”
“Aye, milady. Had I been Angus, I wouldna have made the effort to carry you to your chamber. Not because he did not care...he was as much aghast at the situation as was I. But being a younger man, he wouldna have gone against what most consider proper protocol. I had upset you, and I wished to make amends. I had hoped you would come to while I was still in your chamber so I could then apologize. But you would not wake, and your lady-in-waiting warned me away, threatening to call the guards even.”
Anice’s mouth turned up.
Again, the desire to kiss her crossed his mind. He could not imagine her stiffening in his embrace. In fact, soft curves and the hint of lavender would be his to hold, and he knew she’d succumb to his charms.
The thought occurred to him, if she had been well supervised, she might never have felt a man’s lips touch hers. He smiled. The notion he would be the first pleased him.
She fingered her tankard. “I concede you have a point. Mayhap younger men are no’ as sure of themselves to act where they fear others might find folly. I thank you for assisting me as you did, milaird.” She bowed her head slightly.
Walking in the garden with the lady would be a pleasure. He raised his tankard for a refill.
Then she spoke again. “I must also remind you I still have nay interest in you as a prospective husband.”
“Because?” He drank his wine, dying to hear why the lady found him so objectionable, when others found him just the opposite. Scottish lasses that is. Most English ladies kept their distance.
She squirmed slightly on the bench. Mayhap she did not have a good reply because she spoke not the truth?
The king and his queen rose. The meal ended. Time for the garden walk with torches lighting their way. And the kiss he hoped he’d bestow upon her...just to show she was not so unaffected by him as she pretended to be.
But he did not wish her to avoid his question about what made him so...unworthy of being her husband. “A walk in the gardens, Lady Anice?” He motioned to the south entrance to the hall, hoping she had not changed her mind.
“A brief one, then Mai and I will retire to ensure we can rise at the break of dawn to leave.”
“Before you break fast, milady?”
“Aye, way before.”
“As you wish.” It bothered him that
Angus chuckled, heating Malcolm’s blood. He had no intention of allowing the lady to say she’d prefer his younger brother to him. Somehow, he had to secure the truth from her. “Nay, I meant to say a man would know more how to woo a lady.” It wasn’t what he’d had on his mind, but mayhap it sounded better to a lady’s delicate sensibilities.
“I see. Well, when you put it that way...”
He smiled when he won the point.
“Pray tell, milaird, how would you woo a lady in such a manner that compared to that of a younger gentleman, such as your brother, you would win her hand more quickly?”
He was back in the trenches.
Then he thought of his earlier actions that day. Did the lady know he had carried her to her bedchambers in such a heroic manner? Certainly, his brother would not have done such a thing for fear his actions would have been frowned upon by the king and courtiers.
“You seek an example, milady?” he asked. He would win the battle this time.
“Aye, that I do.”
“Earlier this day—”
She narrowed her eyes.
He would not be dissuaded from making his point. “Earlier when I had upset you so—”
“I have told you already, Laird MacNeill, that it was not your telling me, but the fact that I had not known.”
“Aye, but ‘twas my folly to bring it up during the meal when I had nay right.”
She nodded. “Continue.”
“When you fainted, servants immediately came to your aid, but I could not allow them to attend to you.”
“Why not, milaird? It would have been perfectly acceptable.”
“Aye, milady. Had I been Angus, I wouldna have made the effort to carry you to your chamber. Not because he did not care...he was as much aghast at the situation as was I. But being a younger man, he wouldna have gone against what most consider proper protocol. I had upset you, and I wished to make amends. I had hoped you would come to while I was still in your chamber so I could then apologize. But you would not wake, and your lady-in-waiting warned me away, threatening to call the guards even.”
Anice’s mouth turned up.
Again, the desire to kiss her crossed his mind. He could not imagine her stiffening in his embrace. In fact, soft curves and the hint of lavender would be his to hold, and he knew she’d succumb to his charms.
The thought occurred to him, if she had been well supervised, she might never have felt a man’s lips touch hers. He smiled. The notion he would be the first pleased him.
She fingered her tankard. “I concede you have a point. Mayhap younger men are no’ as sure of themselves to act where they fear others might find folly. I thank you for assisting me as you did, milaird.” She bowed her head slightly.
Walking in the garden with the lady would be a pleasure. He raised his tankard for a refill.
Then she spoke again. “I must also remind you I still have nay interest in you as a prospective husband.”
“Because?” He drank his wine, dying to hear why the lady found him so objectionable, when others found him just the opposite. Scottish lasses that is. Most English ladies kept their distance.
She squirmed slightly on the bench. Mayhap she did not have a good reply because she spoke not the truth?
The king and his queen rose. The meal ended. Time for the garden walk with torches lighting their way. And the kiss he hoped he’d bestow upon her...just to show she was not so unaffected by him as she pretended to be.
But he did not wish her to avoid his question about what made him so...unworthy of being her husband. “A walk in the gardens, Lady Anice?” He motioned to the south entrance to the hall, hoping she had not changed her mind.
“A brief one, then Mai and I will retire to ensure we can rise at the break of dawn to leave.”
“Before you break fast, milady?”
“Aye, way before.”
“As you wish.” It bothered him that
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