Page 109 of The Icy Highlander's Virgin
"But me laird?—"
"Out."
The single word carried such authority that even Frederick had no choice but to comply. The men filed out quickly, shooting curious glances at Erica as they passed. When the door closed behind them, the solar felt suddenly cavernous and charged with tension.
Erica moved forward with deliberate steps and dropped the letter in front of Lachlan with a sharp slap of parchment against wood.
"This," she said, her voice deadly quiet, "is a letter from Ewan updatin' me about McLaren affairs. In it, he mentions how grateful he is for the counsel of Laird Lachlan regardin' a farm dispute between two villages. How yer wisdom worked remarkably well to resolve the matter."
Lachlan glanced down at the letter, then back up at her face. "Aye. And?"
"And?" Her voice rose incredulously. "How dare ye make laird decisions about me clan without informin' me!"
"I damn well daenae have to tell ye every clan decision I make," Lachlan replied, his own temper beginning to flare as he rose from his chair.
"When it involves me own clan, ye well do!"
"Yer clan?" He stepped around the table to face her directly, his blue eyes flashing with anger. "Let me remind ye, wife, that when ye married me, ye made yerself, yer clan, and every other thin' ye own mine. That's how marriage works."
"I cannae believe the arrogance—" Erica flayed her arms. "If that's how we're playin' this game, then as lady, I claim ye and yer clan as me property now that we're married."
"Did I ever tell ye that Kinnaird didnae belong to ye as well?" he cut her off, his voice suddenly shiftin'. "Ye're free to makedecisions about this clan too. In fact, I've been waitin' for ye to start actin' like the lady of Kinnaird instead of just a guest."
The words stopped her cold. She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again, her mind reeling as the implications of what he'd just said crashed over her.
They were equal partner in both clans, not subordinate to either. But if that was true, then her fury at him making decisions about McLaren was...
For some reason, the room began to spin slightly. Erica was not sure if it was the shouting or that she needed air.
"I..." she started, then felt the blood drain from her face as dizziness washed over her.
The letter fluttered from her nerveless fingers as her knees buckled, and the last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was Lachlan's alarmed face as he lunged forward to catch her falling form.
Erica's eyes fluttered open to find herself lying in their bed, with Lachlan sitting beside her, gently wiping her face with a cool, damp cloth. His blue eyes were creased with worry, and she could see the tension in his jaw that spoke of barely controlled concern.
"There ye are," he said softly, his voice warm with relief. "How are ye feelin'?"
"Like I've been trampled by a Highland bull," she murmured, tryin' to sit up. "What happened?"
"Ye fainted in the solar. Right into me arms, though I suspect that wasnae part of yer dramatic entrance."
She managed a weak smile at his gentle teasing. "Did ye call for the healer?"
"Aye. She examined ye while ye were unconscious. Said he couldnae find anythin' obviously wrong—yer pulse is strong, nay fever, nay obvious signs of illness."
Erica frowned, touchin' her forehead where a dull ache lingered. "Then why did I swoon like some delicate flower?"
Lachlan's hand stilled on her face, and she saw something shift in his expression. "What if ye're with child?"
The question hung in the air between them, and Erica felt her heart skip. "I... I dinnae ken. Me courses are regular as clockwork, and they were just..." She paused, counting back in her mind, and her eyes widened slightly. "They're a few days late, but that's happened before when I've been under stress."
"The faintin', the emotional outburst in the solar—" Lachlan said gently.
"I'm sorry," she interrupted, reaching for his hand. "For stormin' in like that, for embarrassin' ye in front of yer councilmen. I daenae ken what came over me."
"I'm sorry too," he said, lifting her hand to his lips. "For the thin's I said about ownership and property. That wasnae... that wasnae how I meant it to sound."
"But ye were right about one thing," she admitted reluctantly. "I have been treatin' McLaren as if it were still completely separate from Kinnaird. I've never once involved meself in important decisions, never included meself in the plannin'."
