Page 46 of Saved By the Cruel Highlander
“Are ye sure?” Alice asked.
“Aye,” Holly replied. “I ken we… Well, we ken what happened, and there is nay changin’ it. Ye arenae the one who caused any pain in the past, and I dinnae harbor any ill will toward ye. I want ye to ken that we arenae enemies. Please, take the ribbon.”
Alice didn’t say anything and took the ribbon from Holly, bringing it to her lips.
Nothing more was said before Holly and Cole left the tavern.
“That lady was sad,” Cole noted.
“Aye, she lost her faither when she was young, just like me,” Holly told him.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“It needs somethin’ more,” Elias said.
He stood before the mirror in his room as his valet added the finishing touches to his clothing.
“Mayhap the silver thistle pin for yer cape, Me Laird?” the valet suggested.
Elias wore his riding breeches, woolen socks, and a linen shirt. His leather jerkin gave some padding—something he had no intention of needing. His boots were strong, and the plain riding cape showed off the colors of his clan.
“Aye, the silver pin will do just the job,” he said. “I believe we are done. Thank ye.”
“Ye’re welcome, Me Laird,” the valet replied. He had a wary look in his eyes.
The Laird strode out of his room and headed for the stairs. It was only as he was descending that he realized what the look was for. The valet was not used to such words from him; a grunt was usually the most he was offered.
And what of it? Should it be strange that I thank the man for a job well done?
The jobwaswell done, and the Laird looked good, ready for a day of riding. He walked down the long hallway toward the rear of the castle. As he approached the rear exit, he heard two people talking.
“… is why the cook willnae be here for long, and—” Eliza stopped talking, and her mouth dropped open when she saw him approaching.
“Off with ye both,” he ordered. “I willnae have gossip in me castle.”
“Aye, Me Laird,” both maids said with a curtsey.
They looked surprised, also, not to receive harsher words. It annoyed the Laird that gruffness and anger were expected of him. Why should he act a certain way? Why couldn’t he act as he pleased?
He walked out into the brisk morning air and took a deep breath. The day would eventually grow warmer, but there was a chill inthe air for now. He walked over the dew-covered grass, his boots becoming wet.
He spotted Holly before she spotted him. She stood with her back to the wall of the stables, and she looked up either toward the towers or the sky above. She had a small smile on her face and was playing with a flower.
She was a sight to behold. It was the smile on her lips that brought him the most joy. He supposed that her lips themselves had also brought him great joy, though that joy had been cut short on two occasions.
The plan was to take her out riding and get to know her better before the wedding, and take her somewhere they would not be disturbed so he could kiss her properly.
Holly wore a riding dress that clung to her body, leaving nothing to his imagination. He started at her calves and moved up, tracing a curve over her luscious rear and up to her breasts below her riding coat. The coat covered everything, but the shape of them was there. He had taken them in his hands over her dress, and it had left him wanting more. He could still feel the stiffness of her nipples as he had run his fingers over them.
Holly finally looked his way when he was ten paces from her. She smiled at him.
“I wasnae sure if ye would come,” she admitted.
“Why would I nae?” Elias asked. “I was the one who invited ye to ride last night, and I never break a promise.”
“Aye, I ken, but ye are often so busy with clan business,” Holly noted.
“Aye, but I cannae always deal with clan business. I need to have some time away from the castle, and I’m happy to share it with ye.”
