Page 34 of The Highlander's Kilted Bride
When the lad vigorously nodded, his big brother cuffed him on the shoulder. “Now don’t ye be tellin’ fibs to Miss Charlotte. She won’t believe ye anyway.”
The littlest one tugged on the hem of Kade’s coat, his blue eyes in his snub-nosed face pleading with him. “Mister, can ye get Maisy down? She’s scared.”
Before Kade could reply, Charlie quickly marshaled the boys into a straight line.
“First, you will make a proper greeting to our guest,” she said. “Mr. Kendrick, this is Peter, the oldest son of our stable-master, and his brothers Tommy and Billy.”
“Guid day to ye, sir,” Peter said, respectfully tipping his cap. “I’m right sorry that we made a fuss and interrupted ye at yer work.”
Kade smiled at them. “No worries, lads. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Billy, the middle one, stared up at him with wide eyes. “Yer music, sir. We heard it earlier. It sounded right fancy. Almost as good as the curate playin’ the big organ at church.”
Charlie choked out a laugh, which she quickly covered with a cough.
“That’s very kind of you, Billy,” Kade said in a grave tone.
Another tug on his coat.
“Mister,” said Tommy with single-minded determination, “can ye get puir Maisy down? She’s right fashed.”
From the increasingly frantic meows coming from above, it would seem Tommy was correct.
Kade gazed up at the tree. The branches were sturdy, and there were plenty of good footholds, so he should have no trouble.
“I think so, as long as Maisy cooperates,” he said as he started to doff his coat.
“No, I’ll do it,” said Charlie. “You shouldn’t be straining your shoulder.”
Kade frowned. “How do you know about my shoulder?”
Instead of answering him, she leaned against the tree. “If you give me a leg up, I can catch that first branch. It’s an easy scramble from that point.”
“You cannot be serious,” Kade said. “You’re not properly dressed for it.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “I’ve climbed this tree any number of times, including while wearing a dress.”
“Aye,” Billy said. “Maisy got up there last week, and Miss Charlotte got her down.”
“And I do hope this will be the last time, Billy. I put a thundering rip in my dress the last time, and my maid was not best pleased.”
Billy grimaced. “Sorry, miss. Did ye tell her ye got it climbin’ the tree? My dad will give us a right paddlin’ if he finds out about gettin’ ye in trouble and all.”
She winked at him. “Since I wish to avoid a paddling from my mother, it will forever remain our secret, as will today’s adventure, all right?”
The boys vigorously nodded their heads.
“I’ll do it,” Kade said. “There’s no need for you to rip any more dresses, or scrape your hands, for that matter. The bark is quite rough.”
Charlie shook her head. “You’re the one who shouldn’t be scraping his hands. Besides, Maisy knows me, so she’s more likely to let me grab her. The last thing we need is her climbing higher to get away from you.”
“Miss Charlotte’s a champion climber, sir,” Billy said.
Kade glanced at the expectant faces of the lads, and then back at Charlie. She lifted her chin, her gaze determined and just a wee bit stubborn. In that moment, she looked much like the slip of a girl he used to know—feisty and fearless. And he had the feeling that if he insisted on climbing the tree, he would somehow let her down.
“Are your shoes up to the task?” he asked her.
She lifted up her skirts, displaying sturdy half boots and a nicely shaped calf.
