The Knight's Temptress (Lairds of the Loch) (26 page)

Hearing a strange sound from Rob, Ian darted a glance at him to see that his friend had clapped a hand to his mouth. Above it, his eyes twinkled merrily.

“Did you just
laugh
?” Ian demanded.

Rob shook his head, lowered his hand, and eyes still atwinkle, said, “I choked.” Extending a hand to Andrew, he said, “It is an honor to know you, sir.”

“Aye, good, for I’ve one more daughter t’ marry off, ye ken—our Muriella. She’s a mite young yet, her mam says. But if ye’d be interested…”

Sobering instantly, Rob said, “You do me great honor, my lord, and I thank you. But I’ll not inflict myself so on any female at present.”

Andrew gave him a long look but said no more on the subject of Muriella.

Instead, he turned to Ian and said, “Shall we send for our Lina and tell her the good news, lad? Or d’ye need me to tell ye what a rare prize the lassie is, so ye can think more on the notion?”

Ian’s thoughts had flown to Lina’s likely reaction to the “good news.” She would scarcely receive it as such.

But Andrew’s suggestion that she was a rare prize gave him pause, because he knew that was true. She was as beautiful in her own way as Andrena was and much more comfortable to talk to. She was quick-witted, kind, thoughtful, and she possessed composure beyond her years, a quality that calmed and impressed him even when it stirred his ever-mischievous attempts to undo it.

Just the thought of taking her to his bed…

Before he could change his mind, he said, “By heaven, I’ll do it.”

“Art sure?” Andrew asked.

“I am, aye,” Ian said. Avoiding Rob’s gaze, he added firmly, “See you, sir, the Colquhoun name linked with yours should silence Dougal. But we cannot wait long if we are to disarm his threats. Forbye, I have a duty to which I soon must attend, and I rarely need much time or prolonged thought to know my own mind. If Lady Lina is willing, we should marry straightaway.”

“So I thought, m’self,” Andrew said.

Looking at Rob, Ian saw that he’d surprised him again. In truth, he was surprised himself at how deftly Andrew had manipulated him. He could see now that Andrew had, and gey easily, too. But Ian had let him, and he felt no remorse.

He did wonder, though, if the so-called magical properties of Tùr Meiloach included bewitching men to marry its women.

He would ask Mag for his opinion on that question.

Meantime, he heard Andrew order a gillie to fetch Lina.

Having indulged in a relaxing bath, Lina was back in the solar at her loom, working quietly and listening with half an ear to Murie and Lizzie, while Ansuz, her orange and white cat, lay curled near her feet, purring. The younger girls were comparing the merits of living on a cliff above the Loch of the Long Boats to those of living in a tower on an islet in Loch Lomond. The breeze drifting in through the open shutters had cooled. But the solar was not yet cool enough to warrant a fire.

Lady Aubrey and Lady Margaret stitched silently if companionably near the window, where the light was strongest.

“I love Tùr Meiloach,” Lizzie said. “You have more people around you here than we do on Inch Galbraith. Moreover, you have your sisters and mother to—”

Glancing up to see what had stopped her midsentence, Lina saw that the door had opened to admit Tibby, looking wide-eyed and wary.

Dropping a curtsy to Lady Aubrey, Tibby said, “Himself would see the lady Lina at once, m’lady. In his chamber below, he said.”

“Why, it is nearly time for supper,” Lady Margaret said, frowning.

“It is, aye, m’lady,” Tibby replied, bobbing another curtsy in her ladyship’s direction. “But Himself does want to see the lady Lina straightaway.” She cast Lina a sympathetic look.

Oblivious to it, Muriella said, “Prithee, Lina, make haste. We’re famished!”

Feeling only curiosity and an odd tremor or two, Lina looked at her mother.

Lady Aubrey smiled. “Go along, dearling. You must not keep him waiting.”

Setting down her shuttle, Lina followed Tibby out and closed the door. The orange cat slipped through the narrowing doorway at the last minute.

“Tib, did the laird say any more?” Lina asked.

“I dinna ken, m’lady. One o’ the lads told me tae fetch ye to him.”

That information increased the strange tremors Lina had felt when Tibby had entered the solar. Her father did not frighten her, although he could be loud in his anger and intolerant of misbehavior. But she had not misbehaved. Nor had she ever trembled before when summoned to his presence.

She was trembling now, though. At the door to Andrew’s privy chamber, she paused to draw a breath and let it out while Tibby scooped up the indignant cat.

As Tibby vanished round the next turn of the stairs, Lina rapped on the door.

Rob MacAulay opened it. He filled the doorway, but she knew that Ian was behind him in the room, with Andrew, and the knowledge did not reassure her.

Rob stepped aside for her to enter. Then, to Andrew, he said, “You do not require my presence, sir. I’ll find someplace to clean myself up for supper.”

“You and Ian can share the chamber just above us, opposite the ladies’ solar,” Andrew said. “Ye’ll ken which is which, because ye’ll hear our Muriella’s voice a-nattering
away behind the other one. Forbye, Peter Wylie will likely have taken that Hak chappie up there already.”

“Nodding, Rob went out and shut the door behind him.

Aware that her skin was prickling as if she had fallen into a patch of nettles, Lina strove to act as if she were merely curious and said, “You sent for me, sir.”

“I did, aye, for we ha’ good news for ye,” Andrew said. “Um… sithee, Sir Ian here has… That is to say,
I
have agreed to let ye marry Sir Ian Colquhoun.”

The voice at the back of her head shrieked,
“What?”
Forcing herself to ignore it, Lina gathered her dignity and said as mildly as she could, “This is a surprise, sir. You must have your reasons, but I doubt that Colquhoun or his lady kens aught of so sudden a decision. May I at least ask where you expect us to live?”

Raising his bushy eyebrows, Andrew looked at Ian.

Ian had been imagining ways to punish Rob for abandoning him, so he satisfied himself by shooting a look of irritation at Andrew.

Andrew met it blandly, and silently.

Marveling at Lina’s composure, despite the stress he sensed in her, Ian said, “Your father neglected to mention one important detail, my lady. You know that Dougal MacPharlain came here to speak to him. What you do not know is that Dougal requested your hand in marriage and made certain threats…” He paused, knowing that she could easily fill in the rest.

“The same as he made before, I expect,” she said. “To render me unworthy?”

“Aye,” he said. “As to where we might live, I believe
you are fond of Craggan Tower. If Craggan would suit you, we can live there. I ken fine that you would liefer stay near your family than be even as far away as the river Clyde.”

Lina stared at him. She had often imagined how pleasant it would be to live forever near her family after she had her own home with her children and her then-unidentified husband. She had never confided as much to anyone else, though.

And Sir Ian as that husband?
Never
had she imagined such a future as that. Nor did
he
want to marry anyone yet. He had said so without equivocation.

However, living at Craggan would make up for much if she did marry him, and Dougal’s actions and threats had left her little choice about that—if Ian was truly willing. Also, his duties to his father and the King would keep him busy and yet allow him to be home often enough to provide the children she wanted.

It occurred to her then that, despite the faults that occasionally stirred her annoyance, he also had many good qualities. He was handsome enough to suit the most particular female, and he possessed undeniable charm. He was an avid listener, he seemed to like her, and he had that unusual ability to excite her senses just by being near her. He could also make her laugh.

Andrew, sounding impatient, said, “Will ye do it, lassie?”

Blinking, Lina realized that she was still staring at Ian.

He smiled, and so compelling was his smile that her own lips twitched in response. “It is up to you, lass,” Ian said quietly. “I’d like it fine if you would.”

Warmth spread through her at those simple words.

The tremors and prickling sensations that she had felt earlier seemed to have bloomed into a single warming sensation that radiated through her. Her lips parted slightly. And, strangely, her breasts seemed to swell, their nipples tingling where they touched the fabric of her shift.

She felt heat in her cheeks but could not look away.

Andrew said again, “Well, lass,
will
ye?”

“I will, sir,” she said. The words no sooner left her tongue, though, than she felt another tremor and wondered if she’d just made the worst mistake of her life.

Aware that he had been holding his breath, Ian exhaled. The thing was done. He waited for the rush of regret, if not shock, that he’d expected to engulf him.

Instead, as he relaxed, his cock expressed utter elation with his decision. It had twitched when her lips parted. Then her blushes had stimulated it more. Now…

“I’ll send for a priest straightaway,” Andrew said, rubbing his hand together.

Diverted from incipient lust, Ian said, “Is not the nearest priest in Balloch?”

“Aye, but if I send a running gillie—”

“Sir, that could take days, and we cannot wait.” Looking hard at Andrew, he added, “Think, my lord. Our very reason for haste…”

Frowning, Andrew said, “ ’Tis true, aye. What d’ye suggest instead?”

“Marriage by declaration,” Ian said. “We can set things right with the Kirk afterward if you like, or if Lina does. But since there is little of property or—”

“There must be a settlement, lad,” Andrew said firmly. “Ye ken fine that Andrena and Mag will get most o’ what I leave. I must be sure that Lina—”

“Aye, sir, I can attend to that,” Ian said hastily. “My father has settled land on me already and my knighthood will entitle me to more when Jamie has his royal affairs sorted. Meantime, I will sign any agreement you suggest that can suit us both. I will eventually inherit nearly all of the Colquhoun properties, and—”