Page 11 of The Mad Highlander
Cayden turned to her with a frown. “I dinnae ken what to tell ye. It’s a clan much like any other. We have a castle an’ lands, everyone works for their keep, an’ we stay out of the other clan’s ways.” He frowned at her as his eyes dipped to the swelling of her breasts and back to her face.
“I find that fascinatin’.” She leaned even further forward and batted her eyelashes at least five times while smiling at him. She was beginning to lose her nerve beneath his gaze, but she reassured herself that it was all for a good cause.
The frown creasing his brows deepened. “Why?”
“Why what?” She suddenly realized that she had sounded like a fool and sat back, placing her hands on her lap and interlacing her fingers. Heat flooded her cheeks when she realized that she had tried far too much too soon. She should have just startedwith a simple touch instead of bringing out her breasts. She opted to bat her eyelids again, determined not to give up.
“Ye grew up in a castle; why do ye find it fascinating? An’ is there something in yer eye?” He tilted his head to the side and observed her while drumming the tips of his fingers on the table.
“I think it’s a piece of dust from the journey.” Iris felt sheepish as she stopped batting her lashes and quickly rubbed her eyes. She wasn’t cut out for a life of flirting with men when she hadn’t even considered getting married anytime soon.
She looked to the side when a group of Cayden’s men burst into laughter at something the barmaid had said. She placed her arm over one of the men’s shoulders and whispered in his ear, eliciting a round of applause from the rest of the men.
How did the barmaid make it look so easy?
Cayden seemed to be puzzled by her antics as the barmaid came and placed the bowls of stew on the table along with the ale. She kept her gaze down as she approached Cayden again, keeping her distance when she gave him a mug of ale.
“Ye just let me know if ye need anythin’ else, Me Laird.” Her voice trembled as she spoke.
“I think ye had better ask Lady O’Brien if she needs anythin’ else.” He held her gaze with an intense stare without looking at the barmaid.
The barmaid looked at Iris and quickly nodded.
“Do ye need anything, Me Lady?”
“No, I am fi—aye! Maybe some more ale.” Iris didn’t know what came over her, but the Laird had suggested the barmaid attend to her, and she could not help but feel it was another test. She was not a fragile woman who remained quiet and stood behind her man.
Lady O’Brien? Her man?
She wondered if he was teasing her by referring to her as his wife when they weren’t married yet. He hadn’t mentioned anything about when their handfasting ceremony would be or if he intended to have one. He didn’t seem like the teasing type, but then again, she only knew him from the rumors she’d heard. The little conversation they had shared hadn’t helped much either.
Quiet set in again as they ate their meal, savoring the rich flavors of the mutton stew. Iris hadn’t realized how hungry she had been until she dug into some of the fresh bannocks that the barmaid had brought. The hot bread absorbed the stew and felt like heaven as it filled her stomach. All she needed now after finishing her ale was a warm bed and a good night’s sleep. There would be enough time in the morning to coax the Laird into a conversation.
“Give us a song!” One of Cayden’s men lifted his mug of ale in the air, sloshing drops of liquid over his arm.
The men joined in with another cheer as a man who had been seated in the corner of the inn stood along with his bagpipes and began to serenade the travelers with an old song.
Iris paid little attention to anything else that was happening as she ate and thought of her brother. If Tristan were right, Ashton would be kept as a bargaining chip with their clan rather than someone they senselessly killed. She felt almost guilty for thinking of her own needs when her brother was more than likely languishing in a dungeon.
“We will start making plans to get yer brother back as soon as I get back an’ ensure the safety of me own clan,” Cayden broke the silence that seemed to engulf their table.
Iris looked up in surprise. Had he been able to tell what she was thinking about? She pushed the bowl aside and swallowed the last bite. “That is kind of ye, Me Laird.”
He nodded while keeping his head low and shoveling another bite of bannock dipped in stew into his mouth.
Her stubbornness set in again when she noticed that one of the men had begun to dance with the barmaid. His hands practically roamed over her body as he swung her around.
He was interested in that, but he was not interested in letting her know the type of man he was. She had not spent much time with him, but she didn’t see him as the type to kill his own family. He cared for his men and his clan, and he had cared for her.
There had to be something that would make him want to open up to her. “Do ye like reeling, Me Laird?” She reached across the table and gently touched his arm, dragging the tips of her fingers over the skin of his wrist.
Pulling away with a puzzled expression, he held her gaze for a moment before pushing back his chair, causing the legs to scrape across the dingy floor. “We had better turn in for the night; there’s a long road ahead of us.” He gave her one last look before turning to leave.
What was that all about?
Iris felt her pulse quickening as he walked away from her without so much as a backward glance. She wondered if she had offended him with her flirting or if he was simply oblivious to what she was trying to do. Following his lead, Iris stood and made her way between the throng of tables and up the stairs, keeping her eyes on his back as he led the way. People laughed and continued to dance, ignoring them both as they left the music behind.
Laird O’Brien was an enigma to her; he was strong, silent, and threatening with his bulking figure, yet he had shown her the smallest glimpse of kindness. What kind of man was he if the stories about his father and brother were true? Had there been other circumstances, or was he trying to lure her into complacency with glimpses of kindness?
