“Och aye, I’m sure ye do,” Hamish scoffed. “I believe it already has looking at ma daughter’s red chin. I’d say it looks an awful lot like a beard rubbed against it.”
“Da, if you’ve someone else in mind, please don’t move forward with it. Give us more time.”
Hamish looked at the young couple and remembered a situation similar to this one, except it involved himself and his wife when he fell in love with her at first sight.
“For starters, I dinna care for ye sounding like a bluidy Lowlander. I hope this manner of speaking dinna stick. Second, yer cousin says the young laird is quite attached to ye. Apparently, he was ready to come to blows with a priest over ye. That must be an awfully powerful connection to risk yer soul within a sennight of meeting one another.”
Maude shot out of her chair but sank back into it just as abruptly. Kieran didn’t care for how she looked, as though she might cry. Despite the discomfort of being found together, he recognized it delighted Maude to see her father, at least until she realized he was already aware of the secret she kept from him. Kieran shifted toward Hamish and watched him as the back of his fingers skimmed Maude’s shoulder blades.
“Enough, damn it! I told ye I dinna harm ma bairns!” Hamish glared at Kieran. “Ye dinna need to be ready to spring at me as though I might attack her. I might go after ye, but never Maude.”
Maude’s brow furrowed at her father’s unexpected outburst. She leaned her head forward as though she might study her father better if she were closer. The dim light from the fireplace made it more difficult for her to see.
“Yer mon is positioning himself between ye and me in case I should try to strike ye.”
“He is?” Maude asked her father before turning toward Kieran. “You are?”
“Your father didn’t gain his reputation by sitting at home and going to fat.”
Hamish chuckled and eased back in his chair before crossing his arms over his chest and his ankles as he stretched out his legs. “As long as ye ken that, lad, we may get along.”
“Are you saying you might consider Kieran’s suit?”
“Aye. Between seeing ye together, which I amnae pleased aboot mind ye, and Michael’s missive, I feel better than I did when I was ready to run Kieran through a few minutes ago. Just because I agree that ye may court ma daughter dinna mean ye’re allowed back here. I shall post Donald or Tomas at yer door, lass, if I canna trust yer mon.
“Laird Sutherland, I returned only this evening. You might be able to tell I came here directly from leaving my horse at the stables. I’ve not visited Lady Maude here before, and I will not return. But I promised her I would be back before the new moon began, and I refuse to break my word. I feared I’d wake her, or she would sleep through my knocking if I waited any longer.”
“Ye look surprisingly clean for a mon fresh off a sennight of travel.”
Kieran grinned at Hamish as the older man gave him a pointed look.
“I may have pulled a clean leine from my satchel and used a freshwater trough in the stables to clean up a mite before seeking Lady Maude’s company.”
“Aye well,” Hamish’s lips pulled tight before he grinned at Maude and stood. “Come ‘ere, lass. I didna get a proper hug.”
Maude sank into her father’s arms. It was like having an enormous bear wrap her in a cocoon. She closed her eyes as the heat seeped from his larger frame into hers, and it reminded her of being a child. She had never felt as safe as she did with her father until she met Kieran.
“Thank ye, Da,” she murmured as she squeezed him. Hamish dropped a kiss on the crown of her head before easing his arms away. His heart expanded when she didn’t pull away. His little girl still appreciated his affection.
“I suppose we can do away with the formalities.” Hamish stuck his arm out to Kieran, who grasped it around the forearm. “I’m Hamish to ye now. And ye dinna need to keep up the pretense of calling ma lass ‘Lady’ when we are together. I ken ye dinna use titles between the two of ye.”
“Thank you. Hamish. And I’m Kieran.”
“I ken, lad. I met ye for the first time when ye were in raggies. Handsome even then. All the ladies cooed over him.” Kieran recognized the test for what it was.
“There’s only one lady I’ll let coo over me, and it isn’t my ma. Hamish, I speak the truth when I say Maude is the only woman I want.” Kieran placed his hands on Maude’s shoulders as he stepped behind her. Hamish watched his self-conscious daughter blossom at the mere touch of the man claiming to care for her. He prayed Kieran didn’t disappoint Maude or there would be a clan war after he killed Kieran.
“It grows late. I shall await ye in the passageway, Kieran. Dinna dillydally.” Hamish walked to the door and looked back. Maude was already in Kieran’s arms, his head resting on top of hers as they held one another. Neither noticed as Hamish slipped out of the chamber.
Maude inhaled the fresh pine and sandalwood scent once again. She’d wondered how he smelled so clean when he arrived. He cupped her face in his large hands and kissed the tip of her nose before drawing her into a searing kiss that left them both groaning as they pulled apart.
“Will you allow me to escort you on a walk tomorrow morn?”
Maude bit her bottom lip, and Kieran pounced. His tongue pressed her lips apart before he nipped at the bottom lip she’d sunk her own teeth into. Their tongues dueled once again before a singular knock came at the door, warning them that her father’s patience was dwindling.
“I’d very much like that, but if we go in the morning, the queen and ladies will be there.”
“Do you fear I won’t want people to realize I came to join you? Or would you rather people not see you’re linked to me?”
