Page 64 of Sinful Scottish Laird
“You will be astounded,” Lady Mackenzie assured her. “We’ll go down this afternoon to watch the games. You might have seen the tents on the edge of the village? That is where the games will be held. Tonight, there will be dancing here and card games if you like. Are you a gambler?”
“A poor one,” Daisy admitted. “I’ve surely lost more than I’ve won.”
They came to a closed door in the corridor. Lady Mackenzie knocked softly, opened the door and led Daisy into a room swathed in sunlight so bright it was almost blinding. But she did see a man who looked very much like Cailean, but with graying hair. He stood up from behind his desk and limped around it, heavily favoring his left leg.
“Mackenzie, may I introduce Lady Chatwick of Auchenard?” Lady Mackenzie said. To Daisy, “My husband, Laird Mackenzie of Balhaire.”
“How do you do,” Daisy said, sinking into a curtsy.
“Aye, what is said of you is true, is it no’?” Lord Mackenzie said, smiling broadly. “You are bonny, you are,” he said as he limped forward. Daisy reflexively held out her hand, and he took it, bowing over it. “I trust the travel was no’ too hard, then?”
“The roads are abitrough,” she said, smiling coyly. “But we’ve arrived in one piece. Thank you.”
“There is naugh’ but Auchenard and Arrandale in that direction, no one to pack down the road and make it hard, aye? Have you settled into Auchenard, then? I’ve no’ seen it in many years.”
“Yes, actually, I have. More happily than I expected.”
“Pardon, but I’ve no’ allowed my son a word,” he said and looked over Daisy’s shoulder.
Daisy turned slightly; her heart leaped at the sight of Cailean. He was standing across the room, his back to the wall, one ankle crossed over the other, his arms folded across his chest. And his blue-eyed gaze bored through her. “I, ah... I beg your pardon, my lord,” Daisy said. “I didn’t see you there.” Her pulse fluttered madly, and she wanted to grip her hands together to keep them from shaking. Were they shaking? They felt as if they were shaking.
“Madainn mhath,”he said, his voice low and calm. He did not share her nervousness, clearly.
“Cailean, will you not come forward and greet her properly?” Lady Mackenzie asked, sounding a bit perturbed.
Cailean responded to that in the Scotch tongue in a low voice.
Whatever he said caused his mother to smile. “I don’t speak Gaelic,” she said to Daisy. “Since my son was a wee lad, he has expressed his displeasure with me in Gaelic.”
“I could never be displeased with you,Mathair,” he said and insouciantly pushed away from the wall and ambled forward. When he reached her, he flicked his gaze to her hand, then to her face.
She supposed he thought she should offer it. But Daisy did not offer it to the popinjay. So he reached for it, without taking his eyes from hers, and lifted it up, bowing over it, kissing the back of it. “Welcome to Balhaire, Lady Chatwick.”
She snatched her hand free. Perhaps a little too forcefully. A little too obviously.
“Shall we sit?” Lady Mackenzie asked and showed Daisy to the settee.
Cailean, she noticed, remained standing.
“Perhaps you might pour our guest a whisky, Cailean,” his mother said.
Cailean moved lazily to the sideboard.
Lady Mackenzie sat beside Daisy. “Now, you must tell me what brings you all the way to Scotland. It is so very rare for an Englishwoman to appear in our little glen.”
“Auchenard is my son’s heritage,” Daisy said. “I wanted him to see it. Unfortunately, my husband was too ill to bring him.”
“And your friend?” Lady Mackenzie asked, still smiling.
Her friend? She thought of Belinda, then realized she meant her escort. “Captain Spivey?” She noticed how they all looked at her, very still, waiting for her answer. Warmth crept up her neck—she felt almost as if she’d done something wrong in bringing him. But the invitation had clearly been extended to him, as well. “He...he surprised us all,” she admitted, searching for the right thing to say. “I had known him a very long time ago. He went to London to call on me after resigning his naval commission, and when he discovered I had gone away for the summer, I suppose... I suppose he thought to follow.”
“What a dear friend,” Lady Mackenzie said, but she didn’t sound very sincere. “How did he know where to find you?” she asked. “Auchenard is not on any known road, is it?”
Lord Mackenzie watched her like she was a mouse and he a hawk. Cailean’s gaze was locked on her, too, as he leaned over to hand her a dram of whisky. Did they think Robert had come here for Cailean? “My friend Lady Beckinsal told him where I’d gone,” she said. “Pardon, but why do you ask?”
“Oh, no reason at all,” Lady Mackenzie said quickly and lightly. “We are not accustomed to strangers and it’s so very unusual to have a captain of the Royal Navyhere.”
“Yes, well, he’s no longer in the navy.”
