Page 86 of Bride of Ice
“What if I promise to keep my eyes closed?” Isabel offered.
Hallie let out an all-suffering sigh. This was ridiculous. There was no way she was going to allow her virtuous little sister to bathe a naked, healthy, warm-blooded Highlander.
“Give me that,” she muttered, grabbing for the basket.
Isabel pulled it out of her reach. “But Hallie—”
“I’ll be damned if I’m going to leave you alone with a hostile hostage.”
She made another grab for the basket, catching one side of the handle.
But Isabel wouldn’t let go of it. “Didn’t you say you agreed to a pact of peace? So he’s not hostile.”
“Give me that basket,” Hallie warned, tugging harder.
“Be reasonable, Hallie,” Isabel argued, tugging back. “I know what I’m doing.”
“Nay.” She refused to put her little sister in harm’s way. It was too risky.
“But Hallie…”
“Nay. And that’s final.”
Isabel stamped her foot, but she still clung to the basket. “No one else is available for the task. And his bath is growin’ cold.”
Surelysomeonewas available. Hallie racked her brains.
At waging war, she was an expert. At managing the household, she was highly efficient. But mastering the fine details of hospitality had always seemed a pointless pursuit.
Nonetheless, as laird, it was up to her to solve the problem. And in the end, she resorted to what always happened when she was unable to get cooperation from others. She took matters into her own hands.
Seeing no other course of action and cursing herself for a fool, Hallie muttered, “I’ll do it.”
“What?”
“I’lldo it.”
Isabel stifled a laugh. “You?”
Her scorn seared Hallie like the kiss of a hot coal. She pinned Isabel with an icy glare. “Aye. Why not?”
“Oh Hallie,” Isabel argued, her patronizing voice full of pity, “you don’t have a woman’s touch. You might as well send Sir Rauve to do the task.”
That did it. That settled Hallie’s resolve. She would take no more ridicule from her meddling sister. She snatched the basket out of Isabel’s grip and nodded toward the door. “Go.”
Isabel pressed her lips into a pout. “You’re making a mistake.”
Hallie couldn’t agree more. But it would be a bigger mistake to cede to Isabel’s whims. “Out.”
“’Twill jeopardize the peace if you hurt him, you know.”
“I’m not going to hurt him.”
“Maybe not on purpose, but…”
“Go, Isabel.”
Isabel picked up her skirts and stomped out the door, angry that all her best laid plans had gone awry.
