Page 24 of Kilted Seduction
“Ye say that… but…” Her eyes drifted to his erect manhood, before she jerked her gaze away.
“’Tis a man’s natural reaction tae a beautiful woman. I cannae help it.” Aedan levered himself carefully off the floor, wincing slightly as the movement made him more aware of his aching groin. “Daesnae mean I intend tae act on it.”
Though I’ll either need tae attend tae it, or tak’ a short walk in Lachlan’s gardens afore the feast if I dinnae want tae embarrass meself.
He offered Thora his hand. “I promise ye lass, I’m nay threat tae yer virtue.” Then, because he couldn’t help teasing her, just a bit. “Nae unless ye want me tae be, that is.”
“That’s nae funny.” Thora glared, but she did take his hand and allow him to help her to her feet. “And I still need help with me dress.”
“And I’ll still help ye, nae need tae fret so much.” He offered her a smile and an upraised hand. “On me honor, lass, I’ll dae nay more than help ye with the laces. Any touch I give ye will be an accident, and nay plan o’ mine.”
“All right.” She nodded and turned her back to him.
Aedan noted with interest that the flush extended over her shoulders and down her back as well. He was almost curious tosee how far the blush could go, but he reined himself in and focused on his task.
He managed the corset and was halfway through lacing up the gown itself when a disquieting thought occurred to him.
Thora… it wasn’t unreasonable that a village lass would have difficulty with a gown like this. But wasn’t that the sort of thing she and Rhiannon would have spoken about, when arranging for her clothing? The seamstress could have repaired the matter with ease, had it been brought to her attention.
So why hadn’t one or both of them noticed the obvious concern?
And Thora’s reaction to his seeing her… it was true they weren’t actually lovers, but even so…
How was it that a village lass with, by her own account, several siblings, at least one or two of whom had spouses or lovers as well, maintained such a high degree of modesty? Most village maidens of Aedan’s acquaintance weren’t so shy - not even the ones thatwerestill maidens, rather than the more forward women who were known to give easily to men.
It was impractical, if not impossible, that a lass with a large family in a cottage would have reached her current age without being caught in various states of undress by accident. It was something that happened, even in so large a place as Cameron Castle.
For that matter, he’d rarely seen a village lass with such pale, soft skin. And her hands had few, if any, calluses.
Part of that might be explained by her role as a ‘seeress’. Presumably a woman the whole village credited with prophetic visions would be encouraged to engage in work that would support her ‘gift’. But surely, she hadn’t beenthatsheltered?
Then there was the slap, and the way she argued with him. Even the boldest of village girls would never slap a laird with so little provocation. The arguing was beneficial to their ruse, giving the appearances of comfortable familiarity that might otherwise be absent, but even so… she was far more comfortable arguing with him, defying him, and reacting to him, than he would have expected.
It was tempting to ignore it, to wave away the concerns, but Aedan had never been one to ignore warnings his mind gave him. A warrior and laird who ignored his own intuition didn’t last for very long.
His intuition was screaming that there was something wrong. Something about Thora’s story didn’t fit with the way she acted, the way she presented herself. However, try as he might, he didn’t know enough to understand what was wrong, or what it might mean.
It was a mystery, but not one he was going to solve immediately. However, thinking about the matter had cooled his arousal and allowed his erection to subside. With a sigh, Aedan finishedlacing up the dress. “Ye’re done. And we should be heading down to dinner.”
He offered her his arm and put his suspicions as far out of his mind as he could for the moment.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Great Hall of Ross Castle was full nearly to the brim with people, all dressed in elegant clothing. It was somewhat overwhelming, and Thora was content to let the feeling show. It was an appropriate feeling for Thora MacTavish, after all.
The steward led them to a place at the High Table - directly across from Laird Ross himself. The sight of the man made Thora clench her free hand in her skirt. She suddenly wished was closer, but he was seated at the far end of one of the long tables for retainers.
Lachlan Ross. She’d only seen him once before but being close only reinforced her first impressions of him - cold, calculating, and ruthless. Every inch of his tall, muscular frame exuded authority, and the harsh confidence of a man used to having his way, whatever the cost. His dark hair, threaded with gray, framed an angular face that would have been handsome, had it not been marked with so many lines of greed and ambition. Even his smile held an edge that bordered on malice.
He made Thora’s skin crawl but she dared not show it. After all, a simple village lass from Cameron territory would have no reason to be so wary of him. Even though she’d brought accusations against the clan, Ross was not the sort of leader who would have been at the head of the alleged ‘troop movements’.
After a moment, she settled on looking pensive, and shy, as if the unaccustomed glamor of her surroundings was what made her uneasy.
Laird Ross rose to greet them as they approached, bending his head over Thora’s hand for a kiss, before clasping Aedan’s hand in a strong grip. “Laird Cameron! I didnae expect tae see ye, nae after yer first response tae me invitation. And with a lovely lass such as this accompanying ye as well! I confess, I’m well pleased that ye changed yer mind - and curious as well.”
The last was said with a sharp smile, as he gestured them to their seats. Aedan, to his credit, only dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Aye. ‘Twas something o’ an unexpected change fer us as well. I’m grateful ye could make room fer us at such short notice.”
“Nay matter. There’s always room enough fer another guest, especially at a celebration such as this.” Lachlan waved a serving lad over with an offhand gesture and signaled for the lad to fill their cups with red wine. “But… I have tae say…” He leaned forward. “I could swear I’ve met yer lass somewhere afore. Was she visiting ye at the castle at some time when we met tae discuss business? Or… nay, I’ve seen ye elsewhere, I’m certain o’ it.”
