way.”
“Then why are ye here, alone in the gardens with him?”
“Why are ye here and nae in the hall?” she countered.
“The Lady Douglas needs yer assistance. I fear she will soon pass out in her soup.”
Sorcha inclined her head, the most thanks she would give him for rescuing her from an awkward, tense moment with Tomas merely because the Lady Douglas was falling into her soup and needed her maid. “I could ha’e handled Tomas on my own,” she said, walking quickly past him. He gripped her arm firmly and stopped her.
He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. He leaned even closer, his lips below her ear. “I’m glad he isna yer lover,” he breathed. “He isna a good match for a spirited lass such as yerself. Ye need a man who….”
She jerked her arm away. Who was he to tell her whom her lover should or shouldn’t be? “Any lover of mine is no concern of yers!”
He stared at her with an intensity that was unnerving.
“Ye’ll be leaving here soon, so why should ye care?”
“What makes ye think I will be leaving soon?” he said, his voice a low growl.
Sorcha nearly sighed in exasperation.
“Ye canna still wish to marry the Lady Douglas! Ye said yerself her manners are atrocious, her beauty is cold, and ye dunna like the way she talks to her servants. Ye canna be fond of our soggy Lowlands, so I assumed….”
“No matter how distasteful I find the Lady Douglas, it canna be undone. The marriage was decreed by a king. I canna defy a king’s order. I canna put my clan at risk, e’en if I dunna wish to marry her. In these times, no one can afford to make an enemy of the Scottish king.”
Sorcha clenched her fists at her sides. “Let me give ye some advice, Highlander, advice ye’d be wise to heed. Lady Douglas is as uncouth and selfish as they come. She isna a match for a spirited Highlander such as yerself. Ye should petition the Pope and ha’e the royal decree rescinded and sa’e yerself a lifetime of misery.”
A wolfish smile appeared on his face. “I thought ye cared for yer lady, yet ye speak so unkindly of her.”
“I do care for her. But ye’d ha’e to be daft nae to see her exasperating faults. And ye dunna belong here.”
“I’m afraid ‘tis nae that simple, Nessa. After I marry the Lady Douglas I will leave here, but I will divide my time between the Maclean keep and the Douglas keep. And I will insist that the lady take her maid with her where’er she goes.”
A mist had started to rise from the sea and Sorcha wished it would envelope her.
“This is my home,” she said, the catch in her voice betraying her emotions. “It is all I ha’e e’er kent. I couldna leave it, e’er. Nae for Lady Douglas, nae for ye, and nae for any king.”
“Ye will leave it. But we will return, at a time when I see fit. Where Lady Douglas goes, ye go.”
Sorcha did not trust herself to speak.
“A priest will arrive in two days’ time,” he said quietly. “So ye’d best prepare yerself, for ye will accompany me and yer lady to the Maclean keep.”
“And e’eryone must obey the Highlander, because he is e’en more o’erbearing and arrogant than a king!”
Sorcha hurried away, feeling his eyes on her as she disappeared down the familiar garden paths. He planned to take her with him, whether bride or maid!
She could not bear to think she would not be here when summer was in full bloom and the scent of mint, lavender, and thyme filled the air, when chamomile crept along the walkways and the roses opened their scented petals to the wind.
I still have two days, she thought, to
“Then why are ye here, alone in the gardens with him?”
“Why are ye here and nae in the hall?” she countered.
“The Lady Douglas needs yer assistance. I fear she will soon pass out in her soup.”
Sorcha inclined her head, the most thanks she would give him for rescuing her from an awkward, tense moment with Tomas merely because the Lady Douglas was falling into her soup and needed her maid. “I could ha’e handled Tomas on my own,” she said, walking quickly past him. He gripped her arm firmly and stopped her.
He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. He leaned even closer, his lips below her ear. “I’m glad he isna yer lover,” he breathed. “He isna a good match for a spirited lass such as yerself. Ye need a man who….”
She jerked her arm away. Who was he to tell her whom her lover should or shouldn’t be? “Any lover of mine is no concern of yers!”
He stared at her with an intensity that was unnerving.
“Ye’ll be leaving here soon, so why should ye care?”
“What makes ye think I will be leaving soon?” he said, his voice a low growl.
Sorcha nearly sighed in exasperation.
“Ye canna still wish to marry the Lady Douglas! Ye said yerself her manners are atrocious, her beauty is cold, and ye dunna like the way she talks to her servants. Ye canna be fond of our soggy Lowlands, so I assumed….”
“No matter how distasteful I find the Lady Douglas, it canna be undone. The marriage was decreed by a king. I canna defy a king’s order. I canna put my clan at risk, e’en if I dunna wish to marry her. In these times, no one can afford to make an enemy of the Scottish king.”
Sorcha clenched her fists at her sides. “Let me give ye some advice, Highlander, advice ye’d be wise to heed. Lady Douglas is as uncouth and selfish as they come. She isna a match for a spirited Highlander such as yerself. Ye should petition the Pope and ha’e the royal decree rescinded and sa’e yerself a lifetime of misery.”
A wolfish smile appeared on his face. “I thought ye cared for yer lady, yet ye speak so unkindly of her.”
“I do care for her. But ye’d ha’e to be daft nae to see her exasperating faults. And ye dunna belong here.”
“I’m afraid ‘tis nae that simple, Nessa. After I marry the Lady Douglas I will leave here, but I will divide my time between the Maclean keep and the Douglas keep. And I will insist that the lady take her maid with her where’er she goes.”
A mist had started to rise from the sea and Sorcha wished it would envelope her.
“This is my home,” she said, the catch in her voice betraying her emotions. “It is all I ha’e e’er kent. I couldna leave it, e’er. Nae for Lady Douglas, nae for ye, and nae for any king.”
“Ye will leave it. But we will return, at a time when I see fit. Where Lady Douglas goes, ye go.”
Sorcha did not trust herself to speak.
“A priest will arrive in two days’ time,” he said quietly. “So ye’d best prepare yerself, for ye will accompany me and yer lady to the Maclean keep.”
“And e’eryone must obey the Highlander, because he is e’en more o’erbearing and arrogant than a king!”
Sorcha hurried away, feeling his eyes on her as she disappeared down the familiar garden paths. He planned to take her with him, whether bride or maid!
She could not bear to think she would not be here when summer was in full bloom and the scent of mint, lavender, and thyme filled the air, when chamomile crept along the walkways and the roses opened their scented petals to the wind.
I still have two days, she thought, to
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