Page 18 of A Highlander's Bride

“I doona want to call any more attention to myself,” she whispered to him, making furtive glances at the woman. He was just about finished with his meal when Lady Chisholm leaned forward and looked down the dais. “My Laird, since ye seem to be in charge of ill guests, Lady Alice is feeling a tad lightheaded. Will ye please take her for a walk in the garden so she can get some fresh air?”

He groaned under his breath, but as a good host, he stood. “Of course, I would be pleased to take Lady Alice to the garden.”

Lady Alice looked uncomfortable as he approached her. He got the impression the lass didn’t want him as much as he didn’t want her. Either that or she was extremely shy, which was even worse. He would never want a wife who blushed every time he spoke to her.

But the only way he was going to get rid of her—and her mother—would be to have Beth accept him. He could have the betrothal agreement done with her da already here at the castle, plan the wedding, say their vows, then drag her luscious body into his bed.

He couldn’t wait to run his hands over those very tempting curves, which he’d been admiring since she’d arrived and had the pleasure of feeling as he’d carried her.

The silence between him and Lady Alice as they strolled was growinguncomfortable. Finally he cleared his throat. “What are yer favorite activities, Lady Alice?”

She spoke to her shoes. “I am well-trained in running a keep, I can play the pianoforte. I can sew and deal with servants.”

Her words came out stilted as if she’d been taught to memorize them. There was no doubt in his mind who had pounded the words into her head.

Not exactly what he’d asked, however. “Do ye like to read?”

She shook her head. “Nay. I ne’er learned.”

How would she be expected to run a keep if she never learned to read? He tried another way. “Do ye like to play chess?”

“I ne’er learned how to play chess. My mam says ’tis no’ good for a lass to learn. She says it taxes the brain too much.”

He was growing desperate and decided if he was to get rid of Lady Alice he had to convince Beth to marry him. Were he not interested in her either, he would just go to the elders and tell them to notify the king that neither woman would be a good wife for him, and get his privacy back.

But he wanted Beth. He was determined to have her and cursed the fact that the one woman he wanted didn’t want marriage, and the one he didn’t want had a mother who was pushing her daughter at him.

He could probably seduce Beth since he’d never had trouble with the lasses lifting their skirts for him, but a forced marriage because he’d compromised her was not something he wanted for her. She would despise him for the rest of their lives.

After another ten or fifteen minutes with neither of them speaking, he led Lady Alice back to the keep.

She seemed relieved.

As was he.

Chapter Seven

Beth had beenamused when Lady Chisholm had asked the laird to walk Alice around the garden. Instead of looking “a tad lightheaded” the lass looked like the last thing in the world she wanted to do was take a walk with The Mackenzie.

Thinking about their time here, Beth had begun to realize that based on her behavior, Lady Alice was no more interested in being chosen for the bride than she was. It was most likely her mam who wanted her daughter to marry the laird. Poor Mackenzie. The king had presented him with two women to choose from who apparently didn’t wanted to be selected.

How very odd when one thought about it. A young handsome Clan Chief of a very powerful clan, and from what she’d seen, wealthy, with a caring way about him, and yet these two women were not interested in being chosen as his wife.

Once she’d started to tick off all Laird Daniel Mackenzie had to offer, she’d begun to feel foolish herself. Why was she so against marriage to this man when he had so much appeal?

Who will take care of ye in yer old age?

One of the young maids from the kitchen arrived at her side holding a wet cloth. “My lady, the laird asked the kitchen to replace the cold cloth ye have with a new one every half hour or so.”

“Well, thank ye verra much. The healer said it would help theswelling from my injury.”

The young lass smiled, dipped slightly and headed back to the kitchen.

“Ah, I see my orders are being followed.” The Mackenzie had walked up to her when she’d been speaking with the maid.

Beth turned and the flutters in her stomach that always occurred with the laird awakened with force. Yes, he was handsome. Yes, he had a warrior’s body that made her wonder what it would feel like for him to wrap those powerful arms around her, so much so that she had a hard time looking at him for long. Especially with the look in his blue eyes that had begun to darken.

“Are no’ yer orders always followed? Is that also a requirement for a wife?” She knew her voice was strained due to the dryness that had arrived with the fluttering.