“Now wait just one bloody minute!” Mungo roared as he chased after her. “What do ye mean that I fathered a child with yer cousin?”
How could a man so large move so quickly? One minute, Brittania was striding down the hall, and the next, she was pinned against the stone, her heart in her throat. Mungo looked on with fury and something else in his eyes.
Confusion.
Genuine confusion.
“Ye really mean to act as though ye doonae know?” she scoffed although she wasn’t near as certain as she sounded. He had nothing to gain by denying it now. Cecily didn’t even live on Sinclair lands anymore.
“I doonae know. I had one night with yer cousin, a night I barely remember because I was so drunk, and I never saw her again. I asked after her a month later to make certain that she was all right, and I was told that she’d married. I had no idea that she was pregnant!”
“A month?” Brittania whispered. “Nay, that is not right. Cecily didnae marry for almost three months after. She was showing.”
Immediately, Mungo relaxed and stepped back. “My apologies for pushing ye like that. I didnae like the idea that another man was raising my child.”
“Another man is raising yer child!”
“Nay, he isnae. I can tell ye with certainty that Cecily’s child isnae mine. I spent the night with her because it was my first night back. Prior to that, I’d spent four months in an English prison. It took that long for Connor to free me.”
Gasping, she stared at him. “What did ye do?”
“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I was Scottish,” he said grimly. “So whatever yer cousin told ye, she was either lying, or she was wrong. In any case, ye have no reason to hate me. If ye doonae believe me, ye can ask Connor. He will vouch for me.”
“I doonae understand,” Brittania murmured. “Cecily told me that it was ye. She cried tears with worry of what would happen to her. My betrothed married her so she didnae have to deal with the shame!”
“Was he happy to do it?”
Memories of the kiss Cecily and Liam had shared surfaced, and she swallowed hard. The kiss had almost been indecent, but then, they had not realized that she was in the room when he announced that he would marry her. “I believe so,” she said tentatively.
“Then it sounds to me as if yer cousin concocted a story to woo yer betrothed away from ye,” he said callously. “Now if ye will excuse me, I need to bathe, and I certainly doonae need yer help getting the water.”
Distraught, she stared after him as he strode away. He’d just shattered something precious inside of her and then acted as if it meant nothing. Could he truly be so cold and callous?
“I already had to take care of one disgrace of a child. How will I ever get rid of ye?” her aunt had snapped when Brittania had gone to her for help after her parents had died. She was Cecily’s mother, and she and Cecily were so close. She thought surely her aunt would take her in.
Her aunt had known. She had known what Cecily had done and didn’t care.
Furious now, and with only one person to target that anger, she stomped down to the kitchens and grabbed one of the large pots of water heating over the fires. Careful not to burn herself, she marched directly to Mungo’s chambers and threw open the door without knocking.
“What are ye doing?” he spluttered as he stood stark naked outside the large wooden tub. He’d already gotten his water.
Deftly, she poured the hot water in and lifted her chin defiantly. “My job,” she snapped. “And perhaps the next time that ye decide to break a woman’s heart, ye should do it with more tact.”
“Me?” he said in a fury. “I wasnae the one who stole yer betrothed. All I did was open your eyes to the truth for I am tired of ye snapping at me whenever we are in the same room!”
“All the same, Cecily was my friend, and Liam, well, I thought Liam and I were in love. Instead, I discover that they both went behind my back, and ye tossed out the truth like ye were telling me the weather!”
As silence fell between them, her anger seeped out of her with the realization that Mungo was indeed naked, and she was alone in his room with him. Blushing from head to toe, she turned and presented her back. “I apologize for being harsh to ye earlier,” she managed. Was that her voice squeaking? Could this encounter get any more embarrassing?
“And I apologize for being callous. I was happy to know that ye no longer had a reason to hate me.”
“Happy? Why would that be?”
“Oh, my lovely Brittania. Surely I doonae have to be naked for ye to realize that.”
Bloody hell, he was trying to tell her that he wanted her. For a moment, she was tempted to turn around to see the evidence between them. “I amnae my cousin,” she whispered, and then she fled
Connor gave Mungo a strange look as Mungo walked in last to the great hall. “My apologies,” he muttered before he took his seat near Clyde and Nathair. The whole scenario with Brittania had left him both confused and pulsing, and now he was late.
Down the long table, he noticed that Brittania had joined them. Connor allowed any and all who needed a meal into his great hall, whether they were family, warrior, advisors, servants, farmers, or merchants. To him, they all made up the great clan that was Sinclair.
“We were just about to make a toast to the first official meeting between Clan Sinclair and Clan Hamilton until Hamish’s leadership. May it be the start of a powerful alliance,” Connor said as he lifted his glass.
“Not bloody likely,” Grace muttered next to him. At first, Mungo thought he’d misheard, but Grace only sipped at her ale and smiled sweetly at Hamish.
Hamish was watching her as well, with a look of irritation on his face.
Was there something going on between them that he didn’t know?
After dinner, they took the festivities outside, lit several large bonfires, and celebrated. It didn’t take much for the Sinclairs to celebrate. They danced and drank for Connor’s wedding to Moira even though they didn’t like Moira. Most of them made fools of themselves when Moira announced that she was pregnant, and now they were celebrating simply because the Hamiltons were there to negotiate a treaty that needed no negotiating. Hamish was rumored to be a strong leader, and he understood the power behind the Sinclairs. They were favorites of the king, not out of sentimentality but because they were fair and just. It was why Alec, the second-born Sinclair son, now ruled the MacKays when they were in chaos.
Hamish would be a fool to not support the alliance already in place, and he was no fool.
As they danced around the bonfire, Mungo saw his opportunity and took it. Slipping into the ring, he grabbed Brittania’s hand just as she reached for another and whirled her around. “What are ye doing?” she said breathlessly as she braced her hands on his shoulders.
“Dancing,” he murmured as he pulled her close. Around and around, they followed the choreographed steps until they reached the edge of the large crowd that had gathered. Then, he circled his arm around her waist and danced her right out of the crowd.
“Mungo!” she gasped and glared at him. “If ye wanted to speak to me, ye could have done it while we were dancing.”
“Not with the conversation that we need to have. I doonae want to be overheard.”
Narrowing her eyes, she glared at him. “Honestly, I thought I already made it clear that I am not interested in what ye want from me.”
“And that is why we need to talk. Please, Brittania. I just want to talk,” he promised as he held out his hand to her. After a moment of hesitation, she accepted him, and he drew her away from the celebrations. The farther they walked, the more trepidation he could feel wafting off her. Not wanting to make her any tenser, he changed course and headed to the keep instead. Because everyone was outside celebrating, the meeting rooms inside the keep were empty. Gently, he drew her into one and shut the door behind him.
Folding her hands in front of her dress, she watched him carefully. For all of her bravado, he cou
ld see the broken woman beneath, the fear lurking in her eyes that he might hurt her, and that was something that he would never do.
“Brittania, when we spoke earlier, ye thought that I was asking ye to be a dalliance. ’Tis not what I want from ye, but given what ye just learned about yer previously betrothed, I doonae think that this is the time to have the conversation that I want to have with ye.”
“What do ye mean? My betrothal has been over for nearly six months.”
“Aye, but ye are just now learning that he may not have been faithful.” Remembering her anger before, he kept his voice tempered. She wasn’t fragile, but he could see that she had real feelings for the man, and the idiot had simply tossed her aside. She needed to be held, cherished, and loved.
Loved? Where in the world did that come from?
Clearing his throat, he refocused on the task at hand. “Ye may need to take time before ye are ready to move past it. When ye are, come find me, and we will talk more at length.”
He turned to leave, but she marched forward. “Hold on a moment! Talk at length about what? Ye cannae just say that and walk away!”
“Vera well.” Turning, he smiled gently at her. “I am in need of a wife, Brittania, and I believe that ye and I would suit.”
Her jaw dropped open and she stared at him. When she didn’t say anything, he shifted from foot to foot. “Brittania? Shall I escort ye back to yer chambers?”
“Nay,” she said hoarsely. “I am tired. I think I may retire for the evening.”
“Then allow me to escort ye back to yer chambers.”
“Nay!” Then, before he could object, she fled from him once again.
Annoyed, Mungo stared after her. Just what would it take to get her to run toward him?
“A wife?” Moira chuckled as she rubbed her belly. “How romantic!”
“Mungo and romance doonae seem to fit well together,” Grace interjected. The two women were chatting in the breakfast room the next morning. They insisted Brittania join them, although she felt more comfortable serving them than dining with them. Despite the friendship that had developed between her and Moira, she was still in awe of the two of them. Not just because of their bloodline but also because of their strength. Moira had faced years of hatred and distrust until she learned to defend herself, and Grace practiced swordplay and raced on horseback. They were inspiring and intimidating.
“But then, Nathair married last month, and Clyde has been courting Maria. Mungo is one of the last unmarried guard members,” Moira mused. “It makes sense that he’d start looking for a wife.”
Sipping on her tea, Brittania tried not to wince. It didn’t feel wonderful to know that Mungo saw her as more of a position than a person. It tempered her own ardor toward him. “He should aim higher than a maid,” she muttered.
“Brittania, doonae be ridiculous. Ye are more than yer position,” Moira chided. “Besides, I believe that ’tis an excuse for him. Mungo likes you here, and who wouldnae? He doesnae know how to woo ye, so he goes for the most direct vein. By speaking frankly, he can hide behind his desire to marry rather than discuss how he really feels for ye.”
“How can he feel anything for me if he doesnae know me?” She’d deliberately kept herself from speaking to him, from spending time with him, because she thought the worst of him.
“What do ye know of him?” Grace asked.
“Nothing.”
Grace and Moira exchanged a look. “’Tis not possible that ye know nothing of him,” Grace pointed out. “Ye know that he is a member of the guard.”
“Head of the guard,” Brittania corrected before she grimaced. She’d walked right into their trap, and they smiled accordingly. “Oh, vera well. I know that he is a trusted friend of the laird and has the respect of his men. I know that he indulged Grace with her training and with her sneaking around at night. He often tails her, or has her tailed, although I doonae think she realizes.”
“No,” Grace frowned as she put her teacup down sharply. “I didnae.”
“I know that when the clan despised Moira, he defended her even though he didnae believe her innocence at first. He is loyal no matter what. He has a young brother that he dotes on and parents he loves. He visits some of the older folk when he has time, to make sure that they want for nothing. And once a week, he takes his brother and the other children of the clan, boys and girls, fishing in that special creek. I also know that before he takes them fishing, he and Clyde and Nathair make certain that the creek is stocked so the children doonae leave disappointed.”
Moira and Grace both stared at her, and she sipped at her tea. “Would ye like me to tell the two of ye what I know of ye?”
“Brittania,” Moira laughed. “We should use ye as a spy! Are ye that observant or is Mungo special?”
“Mungo has many friends, and they speak highly of him,” she said calmly. “I listen.”
“Brittania, ye cannae lie to me. I recognize a woman all too well who doesnae want the world to know that she is besotted. Mungo is a good man, and he is interested in ye. Why are ye holding back?”
“I thought he was putting on a show for the world. I believed my cousin’s lies, and I find it difficult now to think any different. And I am looking for affection in my marriage. There need not be love, not right away, but I want to know that the potential for love is there. Mungo doesnae look at me with affection.”
“Then ye arenae looking at the right time,” Moira muttered. “Brittania, if ye truly want to know how Mungo feels about ye, then ye do what I did.”
“And what did ye do?”
Grinning, Moira leaned and whispered in her ear. When she sat back, she looked pleased. “Believe me, it was a moment that I will never forget.”
Be brave, Brittania told herself while she waited outside of Mungo’s chambers. As a man who kept a strict schedule, he strode down the hall right when she expected of him. He looked as though a horse had dragged him through the woods. Dirt streaked his face and clothes, and he moved like a man on the edge of exhaustion. Tonight was the night he spent extra time with the younger guard members. He and Connor were often in competition on who was the better trainer.
“Brittania,” he said in surprise when he stopped. “What are ye doing here?”
“I drew yer bath for ye, and I willnae take up more time. Ye have been straightforward with me, so I will be straightforward with ye. I will welcome a discussion about being yer wife, but I will ask something of ye first. Perhaps tomorrow morning, when ye wake, ye can come find me.”
“Wait.” Echoing her sentiments from the other night, he stepped in her path to keep her from escaping. “Ye cannae say something like that and then walk away. What do ye want from me?”
“A kiss.”
Blinking, he took a step back. “A kiss?”
“Aye. Moira said that when she wanted to know how Connor truly felt about her before she married him, she asked for a kiss.”
“Ye want to know how I feel about ye?”
This was not when she wanted to have this conversation. He looked like he might fall asleep on his feet. “Mungo, I doonae want to be yer wife simply because ye want a wife. Ye deserve passion in yer marriage, as do I. To ask me to do without isnae fair.”
“Brittania,” he said hoarsely. “I would vera much like to continue this discussion in the morning when I doonae smell as though I have rolled in horse manure, but I cannae go the night thinking that ye question my feelings for ye. I doonae want ye for a wife simply because I want a wife. I want ye to be my wife. I see the strength shining through ye even when ye hang against the walls with yer head down hoping that no one will look at ye. I see the truth of yer heart when ye help the young lads of the keep swipe an extra biscuit from Agnes, even though the woman is terrifying. I see yer fighting spirit when ye argue with me even though ye hate confrontation, and I see yer tenderness when ye helped wrap Clyde’s wound when the healer was out. Ye are the most amazing woman I have ever laid eyes on. I am content to not marry
ye until ye well and truly understand how I feel about ye, but I needed ye to know my intent.”
Then, before she could protest, he drew her in and lowered his head to hers. She inhaled sharply as his lips touched hers, and he took full advantage, deepening the kiss and pulling her even tighter. Her whole body melted against him even as she felt him harden. His kiss was hot and full of that passion that she craved, but still gentle enough that she wasn’t afraid. No, her head reeled from the effect that he had on her.
When he pulled away, there was a twinkle in his eye. “Well?” he asked. “Will ye let me court ye?”
“Mungo.” Despite the dirt caked onto him, she closed her eyes and lowered her forehead against his chest. When he held her, she was not afraid. “Aye, I will let ye court me, but in truth, I think I fell in love with ye when I saw ye taking the kids fishing. ’Tis why I was so hard on ye. I was disappointed in myself for loving ye when I thought ye’d hurt my family.”
“And I love ye, Brittania. I have from the moment I laid eyes on ye, but I am not great with my emotions. I hope that ye will be patient with me.”
“We will have a lifetime to figure it out.”
“Aye, we will.” After kissing her again, he gently drew away. “I should let ye go, or I will be giving ye more than a kiss.”
He opened the door and stepped inside, and Brittania found that it took almost no courage at all to step in after him.
Highlander’s Hellion Bride
Prologue
Grace’s stomach was still in knots as she walked the lands outside her family’s ancestral home. The sweeping lush hills were vibrant under the afternoon sun, and the Sinclairs went about their business with a strange energy. There was tension in the air as everyone knew what was about to happen. Moira Hamilton was not only back, but she was going to marry Grace’s brother.
There was a time when Moira had been Grace’s best friend, a time when she couldn’t wait for them to be sisters, but then her family was attacked. Men stormed through the secret entrances of the keep—entrances that only Sinclairs knew about—and killed her parents.
Highlands’ Forbidden Deeds Page 36
