“Tell me about him. Please,” she added, flushing.
Flora smiled faintly. “He’s a fine man. One of the best I’ve kent. Prickly and a wee bit difficult—maybe it’s nae right to say that about yer laird, but there it is—but a fine man, nonetheless. I have to say, I was surprised to hear that he was betrothed. Most people were, I imagine.”
Megan frowned. “Why? Had he nae shown much interest in women before?”
Flora sighed. “How can I say it? Well, the women lovehim, to be sure. I’m sure ye guessed that already, being a handsome young laird as he is. The women love him, but he never shows much interest in them in return. Nae for more than a night, at least.”
Megan flushed and cleared her throat. It wasn’t a surprise that Ryder had occasionally entertained himself with women, but hearing it so plainly put made her a little uncomfortable.
“I see,” she murmured.
Flora glanced up, meeting her eyes in the mirror. “I am sorry if I’ve spoken out of turn, me Lady. It’s just that everybody in Keep—heavens, everybody in theHighlandskens that our Laird MacCulloch was open and plain on nae wantin’ to marry. Most lairds would marry to secure an heir, but nae Ryder. And once he’s set his mind to somethin’, he’ll nae be turned. He’s famous for it.”
“So, he always refused to marry?”
Flora nodded. “There’s been pressure on him to marry, too. Most ladies in the Keep would have him, and a few other lairds had their eyes on him for their daughters. Ryder stood firm, though. I cannae say I’m surprised aboutthat. The man is as stubborn as a donkey.”
Megan allowed herself a faint smile.
“I believe ye, to be sure. Why did he nae want to be wed, then?”
“That sounds like the sort of question a bride should ask her groom herself,” came an amused voice from the doorway.
Megan and Flora both flinched, and Flora unintentionally pricked herself with the needle, causing Megan to yelp.
“Sorry, sorry,” Flora mumbled, shaking her head. “I am nearly done with the dress, Megan. Just a few more minutes. We didnae see ye there, me Laird.”
Megan twisted around to glare at him.
Ryder leaned in the doorway, arms tightly folded, grinning.
If he’d arrived a few minutes earlier,Megan thought, with equal parts excitement and horror,he might have walked straight in on me changin’.
She glared at him, and Ryder lifted his eyebrows mockingly. Flora glanced up briefly from her work, looking between them with a frown. It occurred to Megan then that she ought to act more like a loving betrothed and hastily turned her scowl into a chastising yet fond smile.
At least, shehopedit was a chastising yet fond smile, and not the grimace of a person with a stomachache.
“Now, now, me love, what sort of groom spies upon his bride?” she murmured, hoping that she sounded happy to see him.
Smitten. I should sound smitten.
“Spies? What a harsh word,” Ryder commented.
She kept a tight smile on her face. Now it looked as though shedidhave a stomachache.
“Do ye make a habit of eavesdroppin’, me…” she struggled to come up with a suitable endearment. “…me handsome warrior?”
Flora’s back was turned to Ryder, so she couldn’t see his face, only Megan’s reflection in the mirror. So, she didn’t see the way Ryder’s face creased as he held back his laughter.
“I daenae,” he answered, grinning. “Flora, are ye done with those repairs yet?”
“Nae exactly,” Flora answered, straightening up. “I’ve pinned the seams in place and added a few holdin’ stitches. It will take about half an hour to do all the proper sewing, I think.”
“Would ye mind givin’ me a moment alone with me betrothed, then?”
Flora paused, glancing between them.
“Well, I daenae ken… should ye nae have a chaperone?”
