Page 40 of Tempting the Highland Devil
James lowered his head for a long moment, and Arran allowed him his thoughts before he rose to his feet. “As ye wish, me laird.”
Once the door closed behind James, Arran closed his eyes and sighed. He could still taste Yvaine on his lips, and her scent still clung to him. He wanted to focus on that instead of all the terrible ways he could hurt his people by involving himself in their affairs.
My father already did enough damage in his attempts to make their clan great.Arran could not undo what he did, but he could at least protect them from himself.
21
Yvaine walked around the castle to explore the grounds and learn of the MacGregor history. Jane offered her another berry as they made it to the garden.
“The laird has always been absent, me lady. It is nay news that the villagers think that he is incapable of leadin’ them. I dinnae believe what they say though. Everyone in the castle believes he is a good man, better than his faither.”
Jane was being really honest, and Yvaine liked that. She had not seen Arran since the start of the day, but James told her he had gone hunting with some of his personal guards.
Yvaine tried to keep her excitement subtle as she continued her walk. All she thought about was their first night together and how perfect it was. When she woke up, Arran was no longer in bed, and she had been disappointed. She had missed his warmth immediately.
Did it seem the same way for Arran? Did he enjoy it as much as I did?
She could not tell a thing until she saw him.
“I would like to see the villages too,” she said as they neared a path leading to the stables. “Do ye ride?”
“Nay, me lady,” Jane answered. “I have nay ridden on me own before.”
“Ye shall ride with me,” Yvaine said with a smile then they headed to the stables to find the perfect horse. “I will sit behind ye to keep ye from fallin’ off.”
Yvaine and Jane headed out of the castle to get to the village market where she could see the MacGregor people go about their activities.
Most of the villagers paid little attention to them as they walked around on the horse. Yvaine noticed that most of the stalls were empty, and the vast lands where the farmers tilled farther down the village were empty as well.
She stopped when they reached another property and saw some villagers gathered and struggling to be heard while some guards tried to keep them from storming out of the field.
“They protest all the time,” Jane said to Yvaine as they slowed in their walk and took in the scene. “Most of them need the laird to help them out. If the villagers dinnae find a way to trade, we might nay survive this comin’ harvest season.”
Yvaine’s heart pricked with pity for them. She knew Arran was a kind-hearted man who went out of his way to protect and care for people. She had seen him do it many times in MacLennan.So why would he neglect his own people?
Without thinking, Yvaine dismounted from her horse, picked up the long, flowing skirts of her dress, then headed towards the field.
“Me lady,” Jane called to stop her, but she ignored her hushed calls and continued down her path. The guards behind James saw her first and parted to make way for her.
“Me lady,” James called as soon as he saw her. Yvaine greeted him with a soft nod and smiled. “Ye shouldnae be here.”
“I will address the people. I believe they will feel a lot better if someone who understood them spoke to them. It is better than forcin’ them to stay quiet is it nay?”
James did not look convinced, and Yvaine smiled before stepping forward. “I understand what ye need,” she began in a soft voice. “I assure ye all that the laird will tend to all of yer concerns soon.”
“Who are ye?” one of the men in the crowd yelled. “We want the laird and nay some lass who kens naythin’ about us!”
The others agreed with him in a string of heated words. Their thick voices roared around them, and Yvaine tried speaking again to calm down their agitation.
“Please, everyone…” She did not complete her sentence as a thud to her head nearly knocked her off her feet. She staggered back and nearly fell to the ground, but James caught her quick.
The crowd grew angrier as the guards took charge again and stopped them from proceeding out of the field. James pulled Yvaine out of the circle and took her towards her horse.
“Ye are bleedin’, me lady. The laird willnae be pleased with this.”
Yvaine touched her forehead and stared at the stain of blood on her fingers. “It is just a scratch,” she answered him, forcing on a smile. “I was tryin’ to help.”
“The only one who can help the villagers right now is the laird. If ye want to help, then convince him to take charge and perform his duties. I have tried me very best, but he doesnae listen to me. I want to believe that he will listen to ye.”
