Page 46 of The Highlander's Alluring Spy
“It would be our pleasure, Me Laird,” Nathair told him.
Magnolia muttered her thanks, determined not to meet either Elaine or Nathair’s eyes as one of the maids approached. None of them said a word as the maid showed them to two rooms–one for Nathair, and one next to it for Elaine and Magnolia–before heading away.
When they were safely inside the girls’ room, Nathair chuckled to himself. “Well? What dae ye think o’ Laird Taylor?” he asked.
Elaine started to cackle. “That man is so silly!” she laughed. “He sounds so funny! Is he tryin’ to copy Maggie’s voice? He’s nae daein’ a good job.”
Magnolia chuckled at her amusement, but mostly she felt bewildered. “I was…not expectingthat,even with William’s warnings,” she confessed. “Goodness me, how does he command any respect from his men?”
“Tradition, a strong military commander, and a stronger wife,” Nathair told her with an easy grin. He walked to the door. “Ye two freshen up and get some shut-eye if ye need it. I ken it’s been a bit o’ a journey gettin’ here.”
It had been. They’d been on the road for two days, and this, the third day, meant they were almost at the end of the third week out of Magnolia’s four-week deadline.
No. I cannot think about that now.
“All right, Dadaidh!” Elaine said chirpily. “I’m gonnae take a nap!” “And a bath,” Magnolia told her, causing more giggles.
She felt the warmth in Nathair’s gaze but didn’t look at him directly. She wasn’t sure she could handle it if she did.
The door creaked as he went to exit and head into his own room. “Wait,” Magnolia said. Nathair turned his head, pausing where he was. “Wait. What do you mean about his wife?”
Nathair blinked at her for a second, then let out a hearty laugh. “Och, ye’ll see soon enough. I wouldnae want to ruin the surprise.”
* * *
Tony had been called a wee hen-heart since he was a child. At eleven years his senior, Nathair hadn’t had many occasions to interact with Tony as a child–or, as he was calling himself now,Anthony.Even still, he remembered the spoiled young lad, always crying and whimpering and avoiding conflict whenever possible, even in play or jest.
He had never been meant for the lairdship. The previous Laird Taylor, his much older brother, was around Nathair’s age. Unfortunately, he had died in the fighting alongside his soldiers. With no son to speak of, that put Anthony in charge of the clan–only fifteen at the time, just as Nathair had been.
Aye, but we handled it just a wee bit different. Thank God for Lady Taylor.
The grand, plump lady sat at the side of her husband at the head of the table now. She wore a stunning dress of deep purple and green, and her dark hair was elegantly knotted on top of her head.
Lady Eilidh had been married to Anthony’s brother, and she had served as a loyal and beautiful–not to mention formidable–Lady of Taylor. When her husband died, the clan had panicked at the idea of losing both their fierce Laird and cunning Lady.
Nathair had heard stories of how the clansmen, servants, and even Anthony’s mother had all plotted together to make Anthony feel like marrying his brother’s widow just made sense. Eilidh had played the demure widow for the acceptable year of grieving, and now here she sat, Lady once again.
“It’s just lovely to see ye again, Nathair,” she said enthusiastically. Eilidh was a big beautiful woman with a personality to match. “I am most glad that my Laird husband was good enough to give ye an audience.”
Aye, yer Laird husband indeed. As if he doesnae just dae what he’s told.
“It’s wonderful to see ye again too, Me Lady,” Nathair said courteously.
“Och, nonsense,” Eilidh said decisively, shaking her head. “We grew up together, ye and me and me late husband. Ye called me Eilidh when Michael was Laird, and my current husband doesnae have an issue wi’ ye daein’ the same now.” She turned, affecting a gentle smile and earnestly touching Tony’s cheek. “Dae ye, me love?”
Anthony blushed from the roots of his hair all the way down to his too-small toes. Every inch of skin was bright red at only the gentle brush of her skin against his. Nathair held his laugh in check.
Ye couldnae pay me enough to be a youth once more. Thank God I’m past a’ that.
He caught Magnolia watching the display and found some embarrassment whirling in his stomach as he considered how he acted around her when they were alone.
Well, aye. Mostly past it.
Anthony cleared his throat. “O’ course I dinnae,” he said, his voice cracking. Then he gathered himself and repeated, in the poncey accent that he kept affecting, “Of course I don’t. We are all friends here.”
Eilidh smiled, her full lips drawing the helpless young Laird’s attention as though they were a magnet. “Well, isnae that just so kind o’ ye, me love.”
That was when Elaine piped up. “You two are funny,” she said decisively. “I like Lady Eilidh. Can we be friends?”
