Page 144 of The Highlander's Princess Bride
Her hand shot up between them. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“Whatever it is, I don’t want to talk about it.”
He sighed. They were tired, cold, and both on the verge of losing their tempers. Any discussion about the future was probably best left to a time when they could discuss it without yelling at each other like fishwives. They should be able to sort it all out, as long as he didn’t get shot by irate fathers and she didn’t get hauled off to prison.
“Thank God,” she said as they drove through the arch and into Kinglas’s courtyard sometime later. “I don’t know when I’ve ever been happier to reach a place.”
Nick stopped the cart in front of the tower house. “Who knows what’s waiting for us, though,” he said, helping her down.
“At least we’ll be warm and you won’t be falling off a cliff.”
“Thanks to you,” he said, touching her cheek.
Her gaze softened, and she started to reply when the tower house door opened. Taffy rushed out with Andrew and two of the dogs in her wake.
“Thank the heavens,” she exclaimed. “When we heard about the avalanche . . .”
“We’re fine,” Nick said at they went into the entrance hall.
After giving the dogs a quick pat, Victoria pulled off her bonnet and gloves and handed them to Andrew. “Please tell me the young ladies are uninjured.”
“The lassies are all just fine,” Taffy said. “Miss MacBride and Miss Peyton are resting in one of the guest rooms.”
“What about Lady Ainsley?”
“She’s in Mr. Graeme’s bedroom, with the others.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Nick asked.
Taffy grimaced. “Mr. Graeme had a fall and broke his leg.”
“How the hell did that happen?”
“He was standing on the step of the carriage when that old fool—” Taffy grimaced and corrected herself. “When Mr. MacDonald set off the slide with his pipes. The horses bolted and the lad fell to the ground.”
Victoria lifted a hand to her mouth.
“Please tell me he didn’t get run over by a wheel,” Nick said, his gut clenching.
“No, thank the good Lord. The surgeon arrived a few minutes ago and is with Mr. Graeme now. Brody is there too.”
“Your head groom?” Victoria asked.
“He’s a dab hand at bone-setting, is our Brody,” said Taffy. “He can help the surgeon.”
Nick cocked an eyebrow at Victoria. “Can you check on the young ladies and get the lay of the land while I see to Graeme?”
“Of course. I’ll take care of it.”
“What would I do without you, lass? Thank you.”
When Victoria gave him a troubled glance, his heart sank. Clearly, he still had much ground to make up for, but he couldn’t worry about that now. He turned and headed for the staircase, impatience and anxiety driving him to see his brother.
“Your coat, sir,” Taffy called.
Nick wrestled out of his greatcoat as he took the stairs, dropping it over the bannister. It had some rips in it anyway after this afternoon’s adventures.
