the king had attempted to compromise her when she wished his attentions not. If he could have done so without gaining the king’s ire, he’d have taken the lady home this very eve. But the roads could be dangerous at night. Best they go at first light.
“I wish, milady, you had been upfront with me before. I would have—”
“I would not have discussed such a thing with a man nay relation to me.”
“Aye.” He thought this over as they stepped outside the keep with Mai following slightly behind, and Angus and Dougald wandering some distance back. No matter what, he wished to be the one to protect her, being the chivalrous Highlander he was. “Still, I beg of you, if such a thing does occur again with any gentleman who displeases you, you would allow me to speak on your behalf.”
Though he assumed the lady could take the matter in her own hands well enough. ‘Twas only the king she hadn’t the ability to say no to should he have pushed his intentions. But any other gentleman, considering she had rank of her own, would no doubt be careful not to upset her. Particularly as she was the king’s ward. Still, he wished to be the one—since she had no close living male relatives to watch out for her—to protect her while he served as her steward.
“Only say the word, milady.”
“I thank you for your offer. Though I doubt I would have need of it in my own castle, I appreciate your kind proposal.”
Yes, but what about the Norman fops the king sent her way? Would they try to kiss her as he wished to? What if she wished the Norman laird to engage her in such a business?
He could not allow it as a kinsman of hers. Mayhap not a relative, but of Scottish blood. No Norman would kiss the woman before he was wed to her.
With that firmly in mind, he puffed out his chest pleased with his decision. Then he had another thought. If she expressed interest in any Norman laird, he would show how incompetent the laird truly was. Should be an easy task. Not by deceit, of course, but he would prove to her the laird was truly not the man she’d choose to wed, like she insisted Malcolm was not.
She glanced at him as they walked in silence. She caught the silly grin on his face and returned the smile. “You seemed pleased about something. Pray tell what about?”
He nearly laughed. Would she not like to know? He shifted his thoughts to their earlier conversation. “You say you would not find me a suitable husband, milady. I still wait to hear how this is so.”
“Ah, why should it matter to you, milaird?”
“I have already told you why. You are stalling.”
Her cheeks reddened. He had her there.
She sighed heavily. “I am ready to take my leave. In the morning we depart early.”
“We will continue this conversation on the way to your castle, mayhap?”
“Mayhap.”
Yes, after she experienced a goodnight’s sleep and many hours to come up with reasons why she would not wed him. Would be well worth the wait to see what she thought up.
But what he would not have given to have a goodnight kiss. Not that he had any interest in the lass, but he wanted to prove to her before she retired to bed that she was not above wanting him. The wiggle of her soft curves, the way she licked her lips and wrung her hands, stirred his shaft into action as if he were some randy lad. ‘Twas not the way he reacted to most women, especially as coolly as the ladies of Arundel treated him. So why, when this lady espoused she was not interested in him, did his body react so interested in her?
Still, he could not just propose to kiss her without having a damned good reason. She turned and strolled back to the keep while he continued to walk beside her, trying to come up with a way to kiss her before they reached the castle doors or the prying eyes of too many of the courtiers. It would not bode well to get on the wrong side of the king again. Yet, he couldn’t
“I wish, milady, you had been upfront with me before. I would have—”
“I would not have discussed such a thing with a man nay relation to me.”
“Aye.” He thought this over as they stepped outside the keep with Mai following slightly behind, and Angus and Dougald wandering some distance back. No matter what, he wished to be the one to protect her, being the chivalrous Highlander he was. “Still, I beg of you, if such a thing does occur again with any gentleman who displeases you, you would allow me to speak on your behalf.”
Though he assumed the lady could take the matter in her own hands well enough. ‘Twas only the king she hadn’t the ability to say no to should he have pushed his intentions. But any other gentleman, considering she had rank of her own, would no doubt be careful not to upset her. Particularly as she was the king’s ward. Still, he wished to be the one—since she had no close living male relatives to watch out for her—to protect her while he served as her steward.
“Only say the word, milady.”
“I thank you for your offer. Though I doubt I would have need of it in my own castle, I appreciate your kind proposal.”
Yes, but what about the Norman fops the king sent her way? Would they try to kiss her as he wished to? What if she wished the Norman laird to engage her in such a business?
He could not allow it as a kinsman of hers. Mayhap not a relative, but of Scottish blood. No Norman would kiss the woman before he was wed to her.
With that firmly in mind, he puffed out his chest pleased with his decision. Then he had another thought. If she expressed interest in any Norman laird, he would show how incompetent the laird truly was. Should be an easy task. Not by deceit, of course, but he would prove to her the laird was truly not the man she’d choose to wed, like she insisted Malcolm was not.
She glanced at him as they walked in silence. She caught the silly grin on his face and returned the smile. “You seemed pleased about something. Pray tell what about?”
He nearly laughed. Would she not like to know? He shifted his thoughts to their earlier conversation. “You say you would not find me a suitable husband, milady. I still wait to hear how this is so.”
“Ah, why should it matter to you, milaird?”
“I have already told you why. You are stalling.”
Her cheeks reddened. He had her there.
She sighed heavily. “I am ready to take my leave. In the morning we depart early.”
“We will continue this conversation on the way to your castle, mayhap?”
“Mayhap.”
Yes, after she experienced a goodnight’s sleep and many hours to come up with reasons why she would not wed him. Would be well worth the wait to see what she thought up.
But what he would not have given to have a goodnight kiss. Not that he had any interest in the lass, but he wanted to prove to her before she retired to bed that she was not above wanting him. The wiggle of her soft curves, the way she licked her lips and wrung her hands, stirred his shaft into action as if he were some randy lad. ‘Twas not the way he reacted to most women, especially as coolly as the ladies of Arundel treated him. So why, when this lady espoused she was not interested in him, did his body react so interested in her?
Still, he could not just propose to kiss her without having a damned good reason. She turned and strolled back to the keep while he continued to walk beside her, trying to come up with a way to kiss her before they reached the castle doors or the prying eyes of too many of the courtiers. It would not bode well to get on the wrong side of the king again. Yet, he couldn’t
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