Page 13 of Married to the Icy Highlander
“So soon?” Ida turned sharply, nearly dropping the flowers and herbs that she had in her palms. “That willnae leave much time for plannin’, ye ken?”
“Well, I dinnae think it will be too difficult. I’m happy to help arrange things in whatever way is simplest. The castle is already in a happy uproar that the Laird is gettin’ married again,” Neil explained.
The back door of the cottage suddenly flew open, and an imposing figure walked in. Her face was familiar, but he couldn’t put a name to it right away.
However, it was the smaller woman behind her that he was interested in. Neil found himself sitting straighter when Ceana closed the door behind her. She brushed something off her hands as if she had not even noticed him sitting there.
Why did he want her to acknowledge him so badly? He wasn’t a small fellow, so there was no way that she didn’t see him.
“Ersie! Happy to see ye! Ye’re just in time for tea! Sit, sit. The Laird was just tellin’ me that he needs a new man-at-arms. Isnae that what ye do?”
Ersie. Right. He’d heard his guards speak about her many times. Rumor had it that she was a fine warrior, and damn good with a sword.
“Is that so? I would be happy to lend a hand until ye can find a more permanent solution. I’m stayin’ here anyway until Laird MacGordon summons me back home,” Ersie answered, sitting beside him and grabbing an apple from the small bowl on the table.
Neil’s eyes flicked to Ceana once more, taking in the hair plastered to her sweaty forehead and the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. When they met hers, she froze.
Silence fell over the room as he waited for her to speak, to voice her opinion or objection to the whole thing. When she did finally speak, it didn’t manage to quite break the tension in the room.
“I suppose it would be nice to have a familiar face around the castle…”
She phrased it in a way that wasn’t quite an answer but wasn’t quite a rejection either.
“Laird MacGordon willnae mind,” Ersie added, moving the conversation forward.
“I would be happy to have ye, Ersie,” Neil offered, not fully knowing what he was agreeing to. Ersie was known to be very gifted with swords and more than handy in a fight. “I’ll send word to Laird MacGordon nonetheless, just to observe the formalities.”
Ida placed a tea tray on the table, but since his business was technically concluded now that his main issue was resolved, he didn’t have any other reason to stay.
Ida poured a cup of tea and pushed it in his direction, but he lifted a hand and shook his head. So, she gave the cup to Ersie instead.
“Something wrong with me maither’s tea?” Ceana asked, sounding every bit like she wanted to start another argument. Or rather, like she wanted his attention and couldn’t think of any other way to get it.
Under normal circumstances, he would have been more than happy to indulge her. But certainly not at the risk of offending her mother.
“Did yer dress arrive?” he asked instead, knowing that refusing to answer her question would only irritate her further.
Something about getting under her skin was so appealing to him.
Ceana arched an eyebrow, refusing to answer his question. Such a stubborn, little creature, she was.
“Come and see for yerself,” she then said and walked out the door she had just come through.
He had no choice but to follow her.
She was waiting for him by a fence post a few paces down the path.
“Ye didnae have to buy me a dress,” she began. “I have a perfectly good wedding dress as it is.”
Neil scoffed. “Nay.”
“I wouldnae ask for anything—I said as much. I only want me family to be taken care of.” She pushed off the fence post and started down the path toward the distillery, giving him no choice but to follow her. “I dinnae need gifts or anything like that.”
She pushed open the barn-style doors to the distillery, and the scent of whiskey assaulted him. It was impressive how she was able to keep things running so smoothly. He could see the comfort this place provided in the set of her shoulders and the way she trailed her fingers over the barrels.
Here was a lass who took a great deal of pride in her work. He couldn’t fathom why she would bring him here, but perhaps she was just looking for a place where they could be alone together.
When she started to move again, he reached out and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back to him. Ceana gasped, her eyes widening as she braced her hands against his chest to keep from colliding with him. The moment she realized that she was touching him, she dropped her hands. She tried to pull out of his hold, but he didn’t let her go.
