Page 16 of A Wife for the Highland Wolf
Murdoch led her through the castle, pointing out various rooms: the Great Hall, the receiving room, the solarium, and the wingthat led to the servant’s quarters. He then led her into the private family wing.
She expected to get one of the rooms closer to the main hall where guests or extended family might be housed. She was surprised when he guided her to a set of well-appointed, comfortable-looking chambers, clearly meant for a laird or lady of the clan. “These rooms…”
“They’re me own. I had them prepared for ye.”
Lydia whipped around, startled and slightly affronted by the boldness of his statement, as well as what seemed like a blatant attempt to disregard the terms he’d previously agreed to. “Ye think to be so forward with me? How dare ye presume…” The rest of her words were cut short as his hand covered her mouth.
“I think to house ye in the most comfortable manner I can provide, including these rooms.” He gave her an inscrutable look. “But I think ye mistake me. I said these were me rooms, prepared for ye. I dinnae say I was intending to share them with ye. I’ve had another set of rooms prepared for meself.”
Lydia felt her face heat, color rising to her cheeks. “I…apologize. When ye said…I shouldnae have taken affront so easily.”
“Nay, ye shouldnae have. I’m a man of me word, Lydia Knox. I agreed to yer conditions, and I’ll keep to them. We’ll nae be sharing the rooms, or a bed, until ye wish for me to join ye.”
The last was said with a small leer that made her stomach clench and her cheeks heat in a renewed blush. “Ye think highly of yerself, to assume that I’ll be asking for that any time soon.”
“And ye dinnae think well enough of me, if ye're thinkin' that I’ll put any less thought into claimin’ yer affections than I did in choosin' yer quarters.”
His hand shifted to cup her chin, the grip light enough that Lydia could have pulled away, had she not been possessed by the intensity of his gaze. “I daenae ken everything ye’ve heard of me, Lydia Knox, but I told ye I’ve never lost a war. Did ye think I’d concede this one so easily, simply because the first engagement ended with terms ye favored?”
She wasn’t about to admit that she hadn’t considered the matter at all. She’d been too focused on protecting her sisters and their families to consider how he would respond to her demands.
Then again, all she knew of him was that he was rumored to be a bad-tempered man who had killed his first wife and alienated himself from many other clans as a result. Nothing she’d heard mentioned any details of what had happened, at least, not any hard facts that she could cling to, just speculations and whispers of dislike that might or might not have been true.
The rumors and speculations were worrying, yes, but then again, she’d heard similar stories about two of the men who were her kin-by-marriage. She also knew that Alex and Isobel sometimes fought, and so did Nora and Leo, as well as Hunter and Emma. With the exception of Emma, who was more of a peacekeeperthan anything, all of them had been known to fill the halls with their tempers.
Despite that, she was keenly aware that all three marriages were filled with love, and none of the three men would raise a hands to their wives in anger, no matter how vexing the argument.
This man before her, who made efforts to see to her comfort and had taken time out of his no doubt busy schedule to greet her; she wasn’t sure she knew anything of this Murdoch Nairn at all. He certainly wasn’t like the man the rumors had perpetually described.
Still, she wasn’t going to let him have his way so easily either. She stepped back, freeing herself from his grip. “I wouldnae care to say what ye might do, me Laird, but I’ll promise ye that ye’ll not find this match won with just a few polite gestures, a sweet or two, and a few words. I’m nae so simple to sway or easy to win.”
He made a sound that might have been a snort, or a smothered laugh. “Daenae fret, lass. I enjoy a challenge. And I’ll take victory where I can, including kenning that yer guard has been won over by me son.”
Lydia smiled at him offering him sweetness over an edge of teasing. “Tis true that Hector has a soft spot for small things, but I dinnae think ye were the sort to let a wee bairn win yer battles for ye.”
This time she was sure she saw a small smile break through his stony facade. “Yer nae wrong. But I’m nae fool enough to ignore the chance for a foot in the door to get past yer walls, either.”
She hadn’t expected such a frank response. Lydia stared at him, unable to find any words to say that would be a proper rebuff. She couldn’t deny that Finn had captured her attention as well as Hector’s, and she certainly wasn’t going to tell him that she liked Wilma already.
Murdoch’s smile widened just a fraction as he pushed open the door to the rooms and led her inside. “I ken ye must be tired from the journey, Miss Knox, so I’ll leave ye to freshen up and rest. The maid I’ve assigned to ye will be here soon, and ye can ask her for whatsoever ye need, including supper, if ye daenae wish to brave the Great Hall tonight.”
“I…thank ye.” She’d been expecting to have to meet the members of his clan with barely enough time to settle in and shake off the travel dust, and the thought had filled her with trepidation. A night’s reprieve, before facing them in the morning for breakfast, was a gift.
“Ye’re welcome. If ye will excuse me, I’ll see that yer escort and yer horses are also taken care of. If there’s something else that ye need me for, then ye can send a maid or a serving lad for mi. Someone will ken where I am.” He started to turn away.
His words reminded her of her luggage, still waiting to be unpacked. It also brought to mind one room he hadn’t shown her. “I…wait, I did have one question for ye, before ye leave.”
He paused, and Lydia took the chance. “Will I be permitted to enter yer library? Ye dinnae show me where it was.”
Silence fell. Murdoch blinked, and if she didn’t know better, she’d have thought he was genuinely confused by the question. “Library…ye mean ye want to see the books in me study?”
Lydia flushed, this time in awkwardness. She’d grown up with sisters who loved to read, at least, Emma and Nora did, and all her sisters and their spouses had been cheerfully indulgent of her own fascination with the written word. It hadn’t occurred to her that other clans might not have such a love for books, or the resources and time to indulge in them.
The idea of living in a place without a library sent a pang through her. Even so, she forced an abashed smile onto her face, “I…never mind. I was thinking…at home, well, I suppose it doesnae matter, as I’m here now. Apologies for the misunderstanding. I suppose I’m just a wee bit more tired than I thought.”
“Then I’ll let ye rest.” With that, Murdoch left, closing the door behind him as he went.
Lydia moved to the chair by the fire and sank into it. She knew she should start unpacking her things, but her mind was whirling with everything she’d seen of Lochlann Castle and Murdoch thus far.
