Page 61 of Captured By the Cruel Highlander
“Where’s Theo?” Doughall asked thoughtfully. “I’m sure he can persuade ye away from yer desk.”
“Thank ye, Laird MacGordon,” came Theo’s drawl as he appeared in the doorway, bowing to them both. “I was just comin’ to enquire if ye intended to use the archery range today.”
“Aye, why else do ye think it has been set up?” Doughall asked.
“I had rather wondered whether it was for the ladies, M’Laird. They have just commandeered the range for shootin’ practice.”
Doughall and Adam looked at one another in consternation, and then, without further discussion, they both left the study and headed outside.
Freya and Emily were standing in the courtyard where the targets had been set up, choosing their bows as though they had been arranged for their use alone.
“This wasnae set up for ye!” Doughall shouted as he descended the steps with Adam right behind him.
Freya took a deep breath, and without turning to look at them, she replied, “Ye didnae come to use it, so we are havin’ a try. It isnae just for ye to use.”
“That is for the Laird to decide!” Doughall shot back.
“Och, that’s quite right.”
Adam’s whole body stiffened at Emily’s voice as she stepped out from behind Freya. She was wearing the golden dress he had bought her, which perfectly contrasted her dark hair.
He shivered as he remembered how she had looked in just his léine and wished there was less fabric covering that beautiful body.
“The Lairdshoulddecide,” Emily continued. “Laird MacNiall,whoshould use the range? Ye or us?”
Her eyes were glinting with anger now, and Adam felt guilt and arousal warring inside him.
Alright, test yer power, Emily—we’ll see who wins this round.
“I dinnae think we need to choose between the two,” he said casually, even as his heart rate quickened in her presence. “Why dinnae we have a competition? Go on, pick yer teams.”
Doughall grunted, clearly not interested in a game.
Emily glanced at him in a way that set Adam’s blood on fire.
She shouldnae be lookin’ at any man except for me.
“I think we should play in pairs,” Emily said. “I’ll play with Laird MacGordon. Freya, ye can play with yer braither.”
Adam saw the challenge in her eyes as Doughall walked up to her. She looked tiny against him, and it occurred to Adam that in other circumstances, they would have made a handsome couple. He hated to see it.
He wanted her to be onhisteam. And he didn’t want Doughall to look at her ever again.
Emily felt a flutter of nerves as she stepped up to the mark. She could see how angry Adam was that she had chosen to play with MacGordon.
It would be necessary for her to tread a fine line with both men. She didn’t want to make MacGordon think she was in any way interested in him—her main purpose was to elicit a reaction from Adam.
As soon as he had walked out of the castle toward them, her heart had started to beat wildly in her chest. Every time she saw him, it was as though her brain had misremembered how big he was. He looked like a mountain made of flesh.
He was leaning on his bow now and watching her intently. It was putting her off her game. She swallowed, focusing on the target—it would be interesting to see how things progressed.
She was still angry with him for his treatment of her the day before, but she was also intrigued. A competition was a good way to see someone’s true character.
Over the years, she had seen a few lairds compete in certain tournaments. She had once seen Stewart do so, but his methods were quite different from Adam’s and MacGordon’s.
For one, they respected each other—any gloating was done in a friendly manner. When James Stewart had taken part in the games at her father’s castle many years before, he had gloated over his win for years.
Having loosed her arrow, hitting close to the center of their target, Emily returned to the back of the range to watch Adam and Doughall take their turns.
