Page 17 of A Highlander's Bride

Beth shook her head, her panic mounting. Things were getting out of hand. Laird Mackenzie was assuming too much. She had to stop this. “Nay. I can have a tray brought up.”

“Let the laird help ye, Beth,” her mam said with a look in her eyes that terrified her.

Before she could protest again, he had scooped her up and was heading toward the door.

She wiggled, trying to get out of his arms, almost throwing herself to the ground. “Ye doona have to do this, ye ken.”

He tightened his grip, telling her with his strong arms that he had no intention of letting her go. “Ye are my guest, I cannot have ye stuck in yer bedchamber.”

Full scale panic surging through her, she said, “Yer guests are going to get the wrong impression. Lady Chrisholm for example.”

The laird scowled. “Pssh.The lady drives me crazy. ’Tis my keep, and I am laird. If I wish to carry an injured guest, I shall do so.”

They arrived in the great hall just as food was being brought out. Since the warriors were already gone, it must have been the second serving. Lady and Laird Chisholm, along with Lady Alice, were chatting away in their seats when Laird Mackenzie and Beth entered the room.

“What is this!” Lady Chisholm rose halfway from her seat, her face red and eyes wide.

“As I told ye before, Lady Beth had an accident this morning,” Laird Mackenzie said. “She canno’ walk for a few days.”

Lady Chisholm raised her pointed chin. “Then the careless lass should remain in her bedchamber, instead of parading all around the keep in her bedclothes.”

Beth could feel the muscles in his arms tighten. “Lady Beth is no’in her bedclothes, and it ’twould be verra boring for her to lay in her bed. She is my guest, and therefore, my responsibility.” Before she could say anything else, he turned to her mam. “Mayhap once I place yer daughter in her seat, ye may help to get her settled.”

Taking her place again, Lady Chisholm sniffed. “That’s what comes from lasses no’ behaving like ladies and running around on horses and getting injured. My Alice rarely rides a horse, ’tis verra unladylike.” She wasn’t done. “And I find it verra improper for the laird to be carrying a young lass around the keep in her bedclothes, guest or no’.”

*

Daniel had neverwanted to toss a guest from his house more than he did Lady Chisholm. Even if he had been interested enough in Lady Alice to take her as his wife, the thought of having that woman as his mother-in-law would stop him cold.

Lady Munro glared at Lady Chisholm. “I doona think ye need to worry about my daughter, Lady Chisholm. She is a lady in all the ways that matter.”

Daniel stifled his laughter but gave Lady Munro a wink. She smiled back.

He put Beth in a seat as far from Lady Chisholm as possible. Her mam immediately settled her in. He took the seat next to her.

“Ye ken this doesna look good?” Beth said, her voice lowered.

He spoke softly as well. “Ye care what Lady Chisholm says?”

“Nay, but I doona trust the woman. She’s determined to push Lady Alice off on ye, and as much as I doona wish to be considered for yer choice I doona think having Lady Chisholm in yer life would be good.”

He grinned. “Well. ’Twould be easy to keep her out of my life.”

He loved watchingher squirm. “Are ye no’ going to ask me why?” he urged.

She shook her head, her cheeks turning red.

He lowered his voice. “I think ye ken.”

She ignored his statement, but shifted in her seat.

Lady Chisholm stared at them; her eyes narrowed.

Daniel had chosen to ignore the woman. He turned to Lady Beth. “Are ye uncomfortable? I can move ye to one of the chairs in front of the hearth and get a pillow for ye to sit on.”

“Nay.”

He glanced at Lady Chisholm who looked as though she was ready to stab Lady Beth with her eating knife.