Page 16 of Kilted Hate

Kai halted and stared at each one of them as though they were mad.

“What? Lady de Beaumont asked,” he said, throwing a hand toward Katherine.

While the siblings now reprimanded their brother, Katherine gazed at the small oval offering on the plate with a sick feeling in her stomach.

A sheep’s stomach? Who on God’s good earth thought it a good idea to cook the insides of a sheep inside the insides of a sheep?

Still struggling to control her facial expression, Katherine thought of the normal delights she experienced at breakfast,far more refined foods than a sheep’s innards. Not wanting to appear ungrateful however, she pinned on a strained smile and placed a few items on her plate, though she avoided the haggis. There was only so far she was willing to go.

While the siblings continued to converse, she took the opportunity of them being distracted to taste the samples she had chosen, but after a few small bites, she sat back in her chair and concluded that she would simply have to skip breakfast. She only hoped what might be offered for supper would be more pleasing to her palate.

“Why are ye nae eating?” the laird asked, his voice lower than the other siblings who now appeared to be involved in a heated discussion over what was suitable to discuss at breakfast.

“Ordinarily, I skip breakfast,” Katherine lied.

The laird’s frown betrayed his disbelief, and thus Katherine knew she had to add to her untruth.

“Unless I am served my favorite breakfast,” she continued. “I am rather fond of manchet bread with butter and honey.”

She waited for the laird to mock her, given he had done little else since she had arrived, but she was mildly surprised when he nodded, as though actually interested. It was the first normal conversation they had shared, which Katherine found, actually pleased her.

“Perhaps Enya and Thora could show ye around the castle after breakfast,” Laird MacLeod said.

But his sisters clearly heard him for Enya replied. “I am helping Brianna this morning. She’s asked me tae gather herbs fer her tinctures.”

“And I’m teaching the bairns,” Thora added.

“I’m sure I can entertain myself very well,” Katherine replied, not wanting to be seen as a burden.

The laird gave her a strange look, but instead of arguing, he simply nodded.

After breakfast, Enya and Thora assured Katherine that they would spend the afternoon with her, when they had finished with their obligations. Katherine, in turn, assured them that she was fine, and that perhaps exploring the castle on her own might be beneficial, for then, she would find her way about far easier.

She had returned to her room and grabbed a shawl, for she wanted to discover the outside as well as inside the castle. As she wandered through the gardens, she couldn’t help but feel surprised at how beautiful the Highlands appeared, with tall faraway peaks entirely covered with a white blanket of snow. It was as she was admiring them, that she heard a great commotion. Swords clashed together, their definitive metallic sound echoing off the stone castle walls.

Intrigued, she rounded the corner of the castle and found herself gazing upon a group of clansmen sparring in an open area of the gardens. Despite the snow that they kicked up with their feet, the huge men battled with each other as though their life depended on it. Which, given the battles the Scots had been involved with, she supposed, it did.

Hardly thinking about what she was doing, she found herself moving closer, in part due to one particular swordsman that held her attention. He was stronger, and faster than the others, but as all of them wore helmets, she could not see his face. Even so, she could not help but feel mesmerized by him, for he fought with impressive agility and strength.

Completely captivated by his effortless movements and commanding presence, Katherine continued to move a little closer. She watched him battle several men, before one of them called a halt, and as the man took off his helmet, she gasped at the sight of her future husband.

CHAPTER SIX

When his sisters and Katherine had excused themselves and left the dining room after breakfast, Domhnall heaved a sigh and looked over at Kai.

“I really need tae gag ye at times, dae ye ken that?”

Kai looked mildly apologetic, and with a slight smile dancing on his lips, he said, “She asked.”

“Aye. And if she’d have asked ye tae drop yer trousers and run around the room naked, would ye have done that too?”

Kai smirked and shrugged playfully.

Domhnall shook his head at his brother. “For someone who can manipulate someone’s thoughts and emotions, yer nae very good at reading them.”

“Course nae. That’s his job,” Kai replied, jerking his head toward Magnus.

“Talking about reading thoughts,” Magnus said. “Ye need tae ken, Domhnall, that Lady de Beaumont is lying tae ye.”

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