The Highlander's Choice (Entangled Scandalous) (Marriage Mart Mayhem) Page 11

  Her mother had romped with her children, had taken them on picnics, and had organized games for them with the village urchins. Sybil had fallen from a tree, had her eye blackened, and had been thrown from her horse numerous times before she’d learned how to ride—straddling the animal and in breeches.

  Yes, if Lady MacBride thought to scare her off by making things difficult, she was ready for the challenge. The more time she spent with Liam, the more she’d come to believe he might very well be the man she had been waiting for. If that proved to be the case, Lady MacBride had just met her match.

  “Milady, you won’t believe this!” Bessie bustled into the room, her face a mask of disapproval.

  “What is it?”

  “The cook informed me there was no chocolate—in a castle this size! Lady MacBride met me coming from the kitchen and said breakfast was served in the dining room, and guests were not to be coddled. Her exact words were ‘if ye mistress is wanting to fill her belly, she’ll need to do it like the rest of us. At the table’.”

  Sybil threw her head back and laughed. Indeed, the battle had begun.

  Washed as best she could and dressed in a warm frock, Sybil descended the stairs and peeked into several rooms until she found the dining room. Apparently, everyone had already broken their fast because the room was empty. No food sat on the sideboard, and no pots of coffee or tea on the table.

  Just as she was pondering what to do, a young maid entered the room. “Oh, pray pardon miss. Can I help ye?”

  “Yes. I was looking for breakfast here in the dining room.”

  The girl looked a bit startled but then said, “Yes, miss. I’ll have Mrs. MacDougal do something up for ye.”

  Confused by the girl’s reaction, she attributed it to her arriving for breakfast after everyone else. She pulled out a chair and sat, gazing around the pleasant room. Two lengthy windows brought in sunshine, making the room much warmer than her bedchamber. The walls had been covered with wainscoting and a soft wallpaper with rows of small flowers.

  After a lengthy wait, the maid returned, and quickly laid items in front of Sybil, then made a quick curtsy before scurrying from the room.

  Sybil looked down at burnt toast and eggs that proved to be cold to the touch. The teapot was cold as well. She shrugged and took a bite of the toast. If she was going to do battle with Liam’s mother, she needed her strength.

  After eating she decided to investigate some of the rooms. Maybe she would find Liam and see if she could entice him to go on a picnic or ride. What surprised her during her quest to find Liam was how quiet the castle was. Most likely the girls were at their lessons, but Dundas had always had clan members roaming about, and a lot of loud and friendly conversation. She shivered at the somberness of Bedlay.

  “There you are.” Sybil opened a door to find Liam sitting behind a very large desk in what appeared to be a library. He grinned when he saw her and placed the pen in his hand on a holder in front of him.

  “Well, lass. I see yer finally up and about. We missed ye at breakfast.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you all ate so early. The dining room was empty when I arrived.”

  “The dining room?”

  “Yes. Where I went for breakfast.”

  “Ach, lass. I thought Mrs. MacDougal would tell yer lady’s maid when she went for your chocolate this morning. We always have breakfast in the morning room. I thought ye just needed some extra rest, or I would have sent one of my sisters to fetch ye.”

  “Chocolate?”

  “Aye. I had someone send it from the village for ye. I ken how much ye like it first thing in the morning.”

  Breakfast in the morning room. Chocolate in the kitchen that Cook was unaware of? Not bloody likely. Her temper rose, but she tamped it down. Getting mad and making a scene was most likely what the dreadful woman wanted. A way to show Liam that she was a princess. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screeching. “I will certainly tell Bessie about the chocolate so I can have it tomorrow.”

  Liam rose and took her by the hand and led her to a comfortable settee near the fire. “I have some duties each day, but I want to spend as much time with ye as I can. I thought mayhap a picnic today?”

  Sybil brightened. “Yes. I intended to suggest that myself.”

  He fingered the curls that had escaped her topknot, bringing goose bumps to her skin. “While I finish up what I need to do, why don’t ye go to the kitchen and ask Mrs. MacDougal to prepare a basket for us? ’Twill be a good thing for ye to get to know my people.”

  If she was going to ask for a basket, it would be best to stand there and watch exactly what the woman put in there. After this morning’s debacle, she looked forward to meeting the cook.

  “I will do that. Just direct me to the kitchen.”

  After following Liam’s directions, she walked into a large, airy, well-lit kitchen. The aromas coming from the room had greeted her before she’d arrived. A stout red-faced woman stirred a pot over the fire, then turned when one of the young girls in the kitchen said, “Can I help ye with something, miss?”

  If possible, the cook’s face grew a deeper red. Her eyes darted from Sybil to the floor, all Sybil needed to know. Apparently it had not been the cook’s idea to sabotage her breakfast.

  “Yes. Your laird would like a picnic basket packed.” She smiled sweetly at the cook. “For two.”

  The woman raised her chin and said, “’Twill be a pleasure to pack a basket for ye, miss. Since ’tis for the laird, I will make sure all his favorites are in there.”

  “Thank you.” Sybil turned to leave, then stopped when the cook said, “And what can I pack for ye?”

  She waved her hand. “Whatever you pack for the laird will be fine for me.” She fixed her with a piercing look. “Despite what you might have been told, I am not difficult to please.”

  “Ach, miss, ’tis sorry I am for the mix-up at breakfast this morn. I dinna understand how ye was given the wrong information.”

  “Indeed? That is all behind us now. But since I am quite hungry, perhaps you can put a little extra food in the basket?” She winked and gave the cook a bright smile which the woman responded to with one of her own.

  “Aye, miss. I’ll make sure yer well fed.”

  Feeling as though she’d trumped Lady MacBride and turned a potential enemy into, if not a friend, at least an ally, mayhap she wouldn’t starve during her visit. The thought brought her up short. She wasn’t here merely for a visit, but to decide if she wanted to accept Liam’s proposal. She’d been so busy since she’d arrived trying to survive sleeping and eating that she’d lost sight of her task. Did she want to be wife to Laird Liam MacBride? Was he the true love she’d been waiting for? The familiar flutters started up in her stomach once again when she thought of him.

  …

  Despite the cool air, the sun warmed them as Liam led the way on Cadeym through the wooded area to his favorite picnic spot. Sybil rode behind him on the narrow path, once again in her breeches. ’Twas too bad his mum hadn’t seen them leave. The sight of the lass might have helped to convince her that Sybil was naught an English princess.

  Since they’d naught been able to ride side-by-side for most of the journey, the trip had been quiet, giving him a chance to think about how he intended to win his lady over. And win her over he would.

  The sky brightened as they left the heavy woods and entered a clearing. A green meadow bursting with small flowers greeted them, with a brook running through it. Scots pine, silver birch, and heather grew in abundance alongside the brook. The entire area offered a sense of magic. One expected to see wood sprites dashing about.

  “Oh, Liam, this is beautiful,” Sybil said, drawing her horse next to his.

  “Aye. One of my favorite spots. Many times after my da died and I was confused and frightened about leading the clan, I would come here just to think.” He turned to her. “I’ve never brought anyone else here.”

  She inhaled deeply and looked her
fill of the splendor he’d always loved. “Thank you for sharing it with me. There aren’t words to describe how lovely this spot is.”

  He swung his leg over the horse and jumped down. His feet hitting the ground crushed some of the flowers, releasing their fragrance into the air. Reaching up, he wrapped his hands around Sybil’s waist and lifted her. She rested her hands on his shoulders, staring into his eyes as he lowered her. Before he even let her feet touch the ground, he had taken her lips in a searing kiss.

  Ach, he wanted the lass. He’d bedded enough wenches in his day, but never had he wanted one this way. Besides the throbbing between his legs when she was near, he also wanted to hold her through the night, wake up alongside her for the rest of his life. His heart burst at the thought of seeing her wee body swollen with his bairn.

  He pulled away, loving the flush to her cheeks and her glassy eyes. The lass was as affected by his kiss as he was. “We had better unpack our luncheon before that growl in your stomach gets worse.”

  She tilted her lips in a slight smile, lips swollen from his kiss. He unbuckled the basket holding their food, then handed her a blanket. He gripped her hand, and they strolled the area, looking for the perfect place to stop. Crushed flowers under their feet gave the area a dizzying, fragrant aroma.

  “Let’s go by the brook. I have an urge to wade in the cool water.”

  “Ach, lass. You’ll find it more than cool. Even in summer the waters here in the Highlands never warm up.”

  “You know, when we were children my mother often took all six of us on picnics. The girls would tie up their skirts and splash in the water. Many times my mother would join us.” She laughed as they spread the blanket and took the food out of the basket. “For a duchess, my mother was quite, um, shall we say, different?”

  “I thought all duchesses were proper ladies who spent all their time taking tea and planning for the next ball.”

  Sybil slipped her shoes off, then rolled up the bottom of her breeches, causing his mouth to dry up as he watched her slim calves emerge. He tightened his fists to keep from reaching out to run his palms over the smooth skin.

  Apparently oblivious to what her actions were doing to his blood flow, she continued, “No, not my mother. She played with us, read to us, taught the girls how to sew.” She stopped her movements, one stocking dangling from her fingers. “Mother was the daughter of a third son, so her life as a child was not one of luxury. When her father died, he left his wife and only child in terrible straights. She told us if she and Papa had not married, despite his family’s objections, she would have spent her whole life as a companion to a string of irascible old ladies.”

  She swung the stocking to and fro as she spoke, leaving him unable to follow the conversation. Dry mouthed, he nodded and unwrapped cold meats, cheese, fresh bread and a jar of ale. Sybil drew her legs up, resting her chin on her knees. He held out a piece of bread to her, which she took and chewed. “What was your childhood like?”

  Liam swallowed a sip of ale. “I was sixteen years when Alanna was born, so I had my mum and da’s full attention for years. I think the only people who were more surprised than me when she, and then Catriona, were born, were my parents. Da was verra happy to have two lasses.

  “But I had the usual scrapes with my cousins. We got into enough trouble to turn my da’s hair white. There used to be many more MacBrides living at Bedlay Castle, but with times so hard, more than a few of my cousins left for America. Those that did stay live in crofters cottages and farm the land, grateful they haven’t been tossed off.”

  “Ah, the Clearances.”

  “Aye. A bad time.” He held out a piece of cheese that Sybil took and popped into her mouth. “’Tis the reason my mum does not favor the English.”

  “But it was so long ago.”

  “Resentment of the English runs deep.”

  After eating, Liam also removed his shoes and joined her in the brook. They did enough splashing that they were both soaked by the time they left the water and lay down on the soft grass to dry in the warm sun.

  “My sister-in-law would love this place,” Sybil said, glancing around at the bounty of florae.

  “She is a flower lover?”

  “Penelope is a botanist. My brother follows her around carrying her supplies when she does her work because she is a bit on the clumsy side.”

  “Yer brother, the duke? Ah, yes. I believe ye mentioned that.”

  Sybil turned to him. “I told you my family is different.”

  “Aye. Different.”

  Rolling to his side, he pulled Sybil close until her soft breasts pressed against his chest. He brushed the damp strands back from her face and stared into her eyes. “Ye are so beautiful, lass, ye take my breath away.”

  Her lips parted, and he covered her mouth with his. His hand slid down, cupping her bottom, massaging the tight muscles, pushing her lower parts against his. Sybil sighed softly into his mouth, and he swept his tongue in, tasting the honey nectar, sucking gently.

  The breeches she wore had been driving him baurmie all morning, wreaking havoc with his senses. He eased his hand up and cupped her breast, drawing a slight moan. The lass kissed with enthusiasm, but was obviously an innocent. ’Twas fine with him. He wanted to be the man to teach her all the wonders of the marriage bed. Something he hoped to do soon.

  He worked the buttons on her shirt and slid his hand inside. The feel of her silky warm skin on his fingers drove him over the edge. But a voice in the back of his head reminded him he was outdoors, and when he took Sybil for the first time, it would not be where they were liable to scare the animals.

  Reluctantly, he pulled back and stared at her. “Faith, lass. We need to stop before I lose all my sense and strip ye naked right here.”

  She blushed prettily and quickly buttoned her shirt. Rolling away from him, she hopped up and swept the grass clinging to her breeches. “You are right. What were we thinking?” Her voice sounded as though she had just run a race.

  Liam gave himself time to recover from the lust that had raged through his body only moments before, then stood and helped her gather up the remains of their picnic. He truly didn’t want to rush the lass, but if she didn’t say yes to his proposal soon, his brain would likely wither from lack of blood.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dinner was a reserved affair. Lady MacBride ate quietly, merely nodding or grunting when asked a question. Eventually, the group at the head table fell silent and concentrated on their food.

  Sybil used the time to dwell on her feelings for Liam and the proposal that still hung over her head. She peeked at him under her eyelashes. Goodness, the man gave her shivers. Why she’d ever thought Liam a barbarian amused her. Even in his Highland garb he’d worn for Duncan’s wedding he could only be called impressive. Dressed in shiny Hessian boots, snug fawn breeches, dark blue waistcoat and jacket, and fashionably tied cravat, he could pass for any English gentleman. But his shoulder length hair, pulled back and tied with a ribbon did not meet with the current English style.

  Her mind wandered back to the kisses they’d shared on the picnic earlier. Somehow, she couldn’t regret the liberties she’d allowed him. It didn’t seem wrong, and he certainly kissed her in a way that made it all seem very, very right. She looked up to find him slouching in his chair, his deep green eyes watching her carefully over the rim of his glass as he sipped. She shivered and somehow knew he was aware of where her thoughts were. Unbidden, a slow heat started in her stomach and moved to her face. He grinned. She wanted to kick him, but he was too far away.

  The family once again retired to the library for tea and after the cups had been cleared away, Lady MacBride stood and announced to no one in particular, “I am feeling verra tired, and will retire to my chambers.” With that, she turned and swept from the room.

  Liam’s lips tightened, and he moved to stand, the intention to go after her evident on his face. Sybil put her hand on his arm. “I think mayhap I will find a book we can both enj
oy and read aloud.”

  There was no point in trying to make Lady MacBride like her. Liam’s mother was determined to display her contempt for all things English, no matter what Sybil did or said. Unfortunately, she had to take the woman’s attitude toward her into consideration when she made her decision about Liam’s marriage proposal. She would need to live here for the rest of her life. Could she do that with a woman who disliked her so much?

  Catriona, Alanna, Liam, and Sybil remained in the library. The two girls played a game of chess while she and Liam browsed the shelves and settled in with a book. Despite being engrossed in their game, the girls would make a comment once in a while, which told Sybil they were following her reading of Miss Austen’s Mansfield Park. It was a very cozy domestic scene and one that Sybil knew she could grow accustomed to.

  She huffed. Except for the woman upstairs.

  Liam’s sisters both yawned at the same time and pushed away from the chess table. Sybil was surprised to see that she’d been reading for well over an hour. Liam’s eyes were closed, his fingers linked over his middle, his head leaning against the back of the chair.

  The girls whispered a good night and left the library. Sybil studied Liam for a bit, then closed the book and set it on the table next to her. She rose and smoothed her skirts, then headed to the door, only to be snatched back so quickly she stumbled and fell onto Liam’s lap.

  “Oomph. You scared me. I thought you were asleep.”

  “Ach, lass. I canna fall asleep with the sound of yer lovely voice reading from that book.” He wrapped his arms around her and sliding his hand up her back, eased her closer until he’d taken her lips in a soft kiss. His fingers stroked the skin on the back of her neck as the kiss turned into something very different. Pulling her closer, he plundered, seizing possession of her mouth like a conqueror’s spoils of war.

  She attempted to hold herself stiffly, trying very hard not to succumb to the fire raging through her body at his attentions. However, she was soon draped all over him like a harlot. The heat from their two bodies seared her. Reaching behind him, she undid the ribbon, allowing his hair to cascade forward. So captivated by its silkiness, she ran her fingers through it, fisting the strands as he continued the assault on her mouth.