Page 26 of The Highlander's Princess Bride
He flashed a rueful smile. “I know. Go back to bed, Victoria. I’ll deal with any more problems that might arise tonight. I promise.”
“Thank you.” She cast him a hesitant glance. “Alec, I hate to disappoint Dominic, and I know it will cause complications, but I don’t think I can accept this position.”
His gaze warmed with sympathy. “Why don’t we talk to Arnprior in the morning and see how things stand? I’m sure the situation won’t appear as dire after a good night’s sleep.”
She rolled her eyes. “As I said, you’re excessively optimistic.”
“True, but rest assured that I will support whatever decision you finally make. Now, see if you can get some sleep.”
“I’ll do my best.” Victoria closed the door and trudged back to bed, so weary she was convinced she might sleep through anything, even hideous bagpipe serenades.
Unfortunately, she was mistaken about that. A short time later, the twins decided to hold a carouse just below her window. After suffering through no fewer than three ribald drinking songs, she leapt out of bed and stormed over to the window. As she struggled to open the old casement, Arnprior erupted from a shadowy doorway and stalked across the courtyard toward his brothers.
The earl was wearing nothing but a kilt, and was in the process of securing it around his waist. With an almost full moon shining down, she got more than an eyeful of broad, muscular shoulders and an exceedingly brawny chest. In the moonlight, he seemed nothing like the civilized aristocrat who’d pulled out her chair at dinner. This man looked like a wild Highlander, ready to go on a rampage.
With a lamentable lack of feminine sensibility, she stared down at him, unable to avert her gaze.
Graeme and Grant quickly took to their heels in self-preservation. Given the ferocity of the earl’s demeanor, she had little doubt the twins would have emerged worse for wear from an encounter with their much-put-upon brother.
Arnprior came to a halt beneath Victoria’s window, staring after his younger half-siblings with obvious frustration. He propped his hands on his hips and glanced up at her window, appearing to meet her gaze.
She was transfixed. Moonlight gleamed over his half-nude body, lovingly highlighting his tall, muscular form and his imposing presence. In the shimmering light, out there in the cold and unforgiving night air, he didn’t seem quite real. Victoria was not a woman prone to excessive imaginings, but she could see Arnprior as a creature from a more primitive time—perhaps a fierce Celtic warrior, or even a pagan god come to claim a virgin sacrifice.
And here you are, gaping down at him like a henwit.
She glanced down at herself, suddenly aware that her nightdress had slipped off her shoulder and her cap had fallen from her head, exposing her tumbled-down hair.
Scrambling backward, she sank down to the chilly floorboards. Victoria pressed a hand to her heart, trying to catch her breath and think rationally. The earl couldn’t have seen her, since it was all-but pitch black in her room and she’d never managed to get the window open. And even in her nightdress she was covered from head to toe, which was a great deal more than she could say for him. Yes, it was his castle and his brothers were acting outrageous, but that was hardly a good excuse for a gentleman to run about half-naked.
No matter how handsome and well built that gentleman might happen to be.
She edged up and peered out the window to see that Alec had finally made his way to the courtyard, having taken the time to get properly dressed first. As he and Arnprior quietly conferred, she couldn’t help noticing that the frigid night air didn’t seem to bother the earl in the least, despite his unclothed state.
When they went back inside, Victoria stumbled back to bed, praying that the antics were over for the night. The morning was bound to be a tense affair, since she would have to inform the earl that she would not be accepting the position.
The final indignity of the night occurred a few hours later, when a rooster started crowing below her window. There was, of course, nothing unusual about roosters crowing at daybreak. Victoria refused to believe, however, that the Earl of Arnprior made a habit of housing barnyard animals right below the family bedrooms.
By the time the maid arrived an hour later to light the fire and bring a pot of tea, Victoria was up packing her bags. She’d spent that hour mentally rehearsing a speech in which she would tell the earl exactly what she thought of his deranged family. And once she finished, she would leave Castle Kinglas behind her forever.
* * *
Nick was bolting down his second cup of coffee, hoping to clear the mental cobwebs. Various irate persons would start showing up any minute, and he wanted to be prepared.
A rap sounded smartly on the library door.
Not even a minute.
“Enter.”
Alec stalked into the room, looking as tired and frustrated as Nick felt. His friend, however, would have the good fortune to escape this madhouse in just a few hours, whereas Nick would be an inmate for life.
“Before you take my head, sit down and have some coffee,” Nick said, waving to one of the leather club chairs.
Alec came to a halt in front of the large walnut desk and glared at him. “Hell, no. We’re going to have this out right now. Why the devil can’t you control your bloody household? In your regiment, no soldier in his right mind would have dared to defy you.”
“I believe the phrase ‘right mind’ captures the essence of the problem,” Nick said.
“Not good enough,” Alec snapped.
