Page 22 of Married for a Highland Debt
She frowned in puzzlement. “Interest in what?” she asked.
“Interestonwhat, you stupid woman!” he yelled, then he realized with a start that she had no idea what he was talking about. “The money that accrues to the debtor before the loan is paid. The longer the creditor has to wait, the more interest they are owed. Did you not know that?”
“No,” she answered. “I am sorry. Is there anything I can do?”
He looked up at her beautiful, helpless face. Even in the middle of an argument, he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her senselessly. Then he hardened his heart.
“Nothing,” he replied. “Nothing at all.”
“Then, since I can do absolutely nothing at all for you,” she said angrily, “I will go to see my father, and who knows? Perhaps I may decide not to come back. And then you can find yourself another walking womb!”
11
Kairstine was not behaving the way Angus Watson expected.She was unlike anyone else he had ever met, and she fascinated him. He flirted quite shamelessly with every maid in the castle regardless of her age, and most took his attention for what it was: harmless fun.
At six feet two inches tall, with a head of thick, wavy, reddish-blond hair and deep brown eyes, he was certainly a fine figure of a man. He was also respected for his skill as an archer, horseman, swordsman, and hand-to-hand fighter. It seemed that there was nothing he could not do except make Kairstine Hamilton submit to his charms as all the others had. She made no secret of the fact that she liked him, but she would not submit to his kisses the way the others did, and it made him all the more eager to win her over.
He was sitting on the floor with his back against one of the horse’s stalls, his eyes closed, dreaming of her when he felt a painful rap on his head from a sturdy set of knuckles. Thinking that it was one of the stable lads, he yelled: “Gordon, ya wee tyke! Oh—” He looked up into a pair of gray eyes and flushed to the roots of his bright hair. “Mistress Hamilton, I’m sorry! I didnae know it was you.” He scrambled to his feet and bowed.
“Obviously not,” she agreed dryly. “Now, are you going to take me riding or not?” She folded her arms over her chest and looked at him from under lowered brows.
“Aye, mistress!” he replied, grinning from ear to ear, then he reminded himself that he was behaving like a prize idiot.
“Then what are we waiting for?” she asked impatiently. “Do I have to hit you on the head again?”
“No, mistress,” he answered as he scurried away to saddle up her docile mare, a strawberry roan named Cherry.
Kairstine watched him, chuckling. She had kissed enough boys to know how to play this game, and she enjoyed it. She also knew who would win.
Bettina took little baggage with her to her old house. It was in the process of being transformed into a hospital, and the blossoms in the gardens around it had been uprooted and planted with medicinal herbs and vegetables. Since nothing had yet flowered, the bare red earth was a depressing sight.
William Hamilton came out to meet her as she descended from the carriage and immediately wrapped his arms around her. “Bettie, my darling, it is so good to see you,” he breathed thankfully. “I have missed you.”
“I thought you would be too busy working here.” She smiled at him. “Are your living arrangements suitable?”
“Indeed they are!” he replied, grinning. “As you know, the monks told me they would give me a small stipend, food, and a roof over my head, Bettie, but the stipend is a little more than I expected, so I am trying to save some of it, perhaps to do something worthwhile and make up for the trouble I have caused.”
Bettina looked at his sad, chastened face and felt a wave of love wash over her. Her father had lost his way for a while, but thank God it had not been too late. “Let me see where you live.”
He led her to the back of the house to where the servants’ quarters had been, but just as Bettina thought with horror that he was going to descend the stairs that led to their tiny rooms, he opened a sturdy door on the outside of the house and let her into a large parlor that combined a cozy sitting room and kitchen.
It was filled with plain but good quality furniture, consisting of two armchairs, a long couch, a dresser, and a table with four chairs, carpeted with thick woolen rugs and hung with heavy linen curtains at the windows.
“It is by no means a palace,” William observed, looking around, “but it is infinitely better than sleeping in the woods. Come and see the rest.” He led her into a small room that held a bed big enough for one, a chair, a cupboard, and a chest of drawers. It was cramped but very cozy, and as Bettina walked back into the other room and looked about herself, she saw a home, not just a place to stay. It was a great pity that it was not big enough for her to stay too.
“This is lovely, Da,” she said enthusiastically. “Here, I brought you a bottle of wine.”
“Thank you,” William said, eyeing the bottle appreciatively. “It has been an age since I tasted wine, Bettie.”
“I have to talk to you about something.” Bettina’s voice was calm—too calm, as it happened—because William picked up on her unease at once.
“What is it?” he asked sharply. “Have I caused more trouble, Bettie?”
She looked at him sadly and shook her head. “A man came to see Ninian today, Da,” she said, then explained the matter of the debt and the interest, which she could still barely understand herself. “So you see, we are still in a little trouble.”
He shook his head vehemently. “No. I made a deal with McDade that our debt had been settled in full, and that is what I told Ninian. He has dreamed this up to stir up more trouble for us for some nefarious reason of his own.” He growled. “Damn! This is all my fault!” He clenched his hands into fists and began to pound his thighs as if to punish himself.
Bettina grabbed his wrists. “McDade is a swindler, Da, andthatis not your fault. But Ninian is a powerful laird with a large garrison, and I think he is the wrong person to cross.”
