Page 26 of The Highlander's Fake Wife
She blinked, furiously wiping her face from stray specks of rain. “A-Aye! Sorry, I…was distracted.”
Arthur raised a brow, a smirk working its way across his face. “Were ye, now?”
Her face flushed further, gaze flittering about for a doable excuse. “I noticed the bow over there, ye spraggin’ eejit.” She crossed her arms, posture settling on one hip as she managedthe most deadpan expression she could manage. “Ye’re not as mesmerisin’ as ye think, m’laird.”
Arthur clutched his chin, sighing painfully. “Aye–the barbs, Olivia. An’ so early in the morning–give me a chance, wee sea goddess!”
The ‘goddess’ comment took her slightly by surprise. It was the same thing Nathan had called Flora yesterday evening, and now…and Arthur had genuinely…?
“But, I hope I can earn yer favor back through actions,” Arthur continued, seemingly unaware Olivia hand tuned him out for a few moments. “Go an’ snag that bow there, would ye?”
Olivia stood in place, still somewhat dazed.
“Aye, unless ye’ve forgotten how to hold one?” Arthur teased.
That snapped Olivia out of her stupor immediately. “I–I remember, I remember!” She let out an annoyed huff, crossing past the laird before taking the bow off of the weapon’s shelf. It had an impressive level of craftsmanship, the wood smoothed and lovingly tended to ensure longevity while its lightweight frame made it easy to carry. She holstered it around her chest, startled at a high-pitched whistle emitting from the laird. Before a curse could slip out, a pair of powerful stallions came bounding up the hill; a burly palomino and a sleek, silver dapple .
“Which do ye prefer?” Arthur asked, clearly pleased he’d brought out such a surprised reaction.
Olivia ignored his smug demeanor and immediately gravitated towards the dapple stallion. His ears twitched curiously, giving a gentle snort as she set her hands gently against his snout. “He’s so handsome,” she gasped. “As if he’d been made from starlight itself.”
Arthur chuckled lightly, stroking his beard as he spoke. “‘Tis exactly how Flora described it. Reminds me a bit of a seal, mehself.”
“Aye, but I would hazard quite a few things remind ye of seals,” Olivia teased. Though quietly to herself, she could absolutely see the resemblance between the two beasts.
“Ye’ll ride Airgiod, then, and I’ll wrestle wit Òr.”
Olivia’s brow rose slightly. “Yah called ‘em, ‘Silver and ‘Gold’?”
“Daenae make fun of it,” Arthur warned teasingly. “Flora was only a wee bairn when she got to name ‘em.”
“And yet, she came up with Maesie?”
“Nay; that was me.”
Olivia blinked, uncertain as to why that was such a surprise to her.Suppose I never saw the Laird o’Murder as someone who chose names well, she thought to herself.
Arthur stepped towards Olivia, but paused, taking great effort to show him tucking his hands behind his back.
“Och, nay; yer so dramatic, ye know that?” Olivia did her best not to smile at his antics, gesturing him closer as she grasped Airgiod’s reigns. “Ye’re allowed to help me up on to me horse.”
“Ye were very clear about this rule,” Arthur insisted, dramatically waving a hand as if giving a grand soliloquy. “I would act like a perfect gentleman, touch nae a single hair on ye head without yer express permission.”
“Ye already touched me hair without–!” A startled squeal slipped out of Olivia as Arthur’s hands easily fit around her waist, hoisting her up onto the saddle without so much as a labored breath. Her legs squeezed tightly around her stallion’s side, though it wasn’t in an attempt to keep her balance atop the beast.
“I did, aye,” Arthur admitted. “Though I didnae hear yer objection over the matter.”
Hot. Could a face truly, naturally, get this hot?! Olivia shook her head, tugging at her reins as she tested Airgiod’s temperament. The stallion was incredibly reactive, following each tug of direction and hardly offering any resistance in return. Shecouldn’t help but be impressed. “Are all MacDonnall animals so well trained?”
“Nathan insists on it,” Arthur beamed, urging his own stallion forward to saddle up beside Olivia’s. It took the palomino to consider the request, though with a sharp jab of the laird’s heel, the stubborn beast eventually trotted forward, joining beside Olivia so the pair could talk face-to-face.
“Well,” Olivia teased. “I supposed most o’ the animals are well-trained. Ye teach him that stubborn streak yerself?”
Arthur laughed dryly, his stallion pawing impatiently at the ground. “Very funny. Òr’s just competitive, ‘specially wit Airgiod. So, if yer startin’ to lag behind, I’ll make sure to–!” Now it was the laird’s turn to sputter as Olivia snapped her reins and suddenly took off down the hill.
“Aye! I’ll be sure to turn around fer ye if ye get to far behind!” she called behind her, a maniacal cackling following soon after.
Perhaps not her most ladylike moment, she admitted to herself, but it was the first time she genuinely felt free since her father and brother passed on. The gloom that hung over her kinsfolk, the expectations of finding a husband and birthing a replacement heir, the empty look in her mother’s eye when her own clan tried to break down their castle doors…
