Page 13 of The Highlander's Inconvenient Wife
Hurrying down the stairs, Joan made her way out of the castle and quickly stepped into the fresh night air. The air was indeed warm as she made her way around the high walls and into the garden she had seen from her window.
Her breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of the gorgeous pond reflecting the silver light of the moon. The water was surrounded by thin birch trees with white bark and shrubs of heather.
The heavy scent of pine filled her senses as she caught sight of the fir trees in the distance.
Things were shaping up to be a great evening now that Martha was on her side. She would be saved by Avery before she knew it, and they would hopefully be able to come up with a plan to get away from that hideous baron.
The baron…Joan’s heart suddenly sank when she recalled the reason she had left London in the first place.
Hunkering down, she looked at the lilies floating across the surface of the dark water and ran her fingers over an ivory petal.
“I thought I told ye to nae leave yer chambers,” an ominous voice suddenly spoke up from behind.
8
“Well, I guess I don’t like following rules,” Joan laughed as she placed her hands on her knees and pushed herself up, dusting off the hem of her dress that had dragged in the sand.
“I can see ye daenae like following rules,” the Beastly Laird gave her a cautious glance.
Joan wondered if he would send her back to her chambers or lock her in the dungeon now that she had disobeyed a direct order from him. “Will you be locking me up again, my laird?” she asked him with one eyebrow raised. “If so, do you mind if I finish my walk first?”
The laird gave her a charming, lopsided grin as he looked at her. “Nae, there is nae use in locking ye up again; me maither will just fetch ye an’ scold me in the process. I’ve had enough telling off for one day.”
Her heart warmed at the glint in his eyes when he spoke of his mother; it was clear to anyone that listened to him speak that they were very close to one another.
“Care if I join ye?” he asked, catching her off guard. “I mean, ye were about to walk around the pond were ye nae?”
“I… I was,” she replied, feeling all flustered and hot. The man had suddenly become far more human to her. He still oozed the danger and arrogance that she’d found so alluring at first, but now, he seemed like someone she could relate to.
He continued to look at her until she finally realized that she hadn’t given him an answer. “Of course, it’s your estate, my laird; feel free to walk alongside me wherever you wish.”
“Thank ye,” he said and began to walk while she fell into step at his side. “I want to apologize for the way the guards treated ye when ye arrived,” he explained as he placed his hands behind his back and strolled at her side at a leisurely pace. “There are certain precautions that we have to take around here.”
“Just the guards?” She couldn’t help but get another jab in at him; there was something utterly satisfying about gaining the upper hand whenever they were together.
“Aye,” he rolled his eyes and smirked, “an’ the way that I treated ye; I’ve come to realize that ye are nae a spy.” He suppressed another smile as he stole a glance at her direction. “Just a lady with a terrible sense of direction... an’ humor.”
“I’ll have you know that it was the coachman who had the terrible sense of direction,” she retorted in a light-hearted manner. The conversation seemed easy between them now that he had let go of his suspicions. “And my sense of humor is impeccable.”
His deep chuckle made her look at him in a different light; there was indeed a different, if not softer side to the man who had threatened to hold her captive.
“What is it that made you change your mind?” she asked him when he’d finished laughing at her joke.
“Well, I realized that sending a helpless lass onto me lands may nae be the best way to gain information. That,” he conceded with a shrug of his shoulders, “an’ I daenae think ye would be a very good choice for a spy.”
“And why not?” She cocked her head to the side in a challenge and looked at him, slightly offended by the way he viewed her. “I think I would make a very good spy. I’ve gotten you out here on your own, have I not.” She gestured to the empty garden as they made their way around the lake.
The moon was high in the sky as frogs began to sing their evening chorus along with the crickets chirping in the distance as their backup.
“For one,” Jasper seemed to relax even further as he smiled, “yer sarcasm and smart mouth would get ye killed on the first day. I would never choose ye to be a spy if ye were in me army.”
“I…” Joan raised a finger to protest but stopped when she realized that he’d made a fair point.
“Aye,” he smirked at her. “Go on.”
“I concede that you are right,” she finally admitted with a laugh. “I don’t think I would make a very good spy. I would stand up to my captor and get myself killed within a few seconds of imprisonment.”
“It takes a great man to admit that he is wrong,” The laird sounded impressed as he glanced at her.
