“I did.” He hopped off the bed and pointed at the tray with a couple of covered dishes on it. “I left ye some bacon.” He stopped next to her and gave her a quick, hard kiss. “Now I am going to wash up.”
He was annoyingly cheerful, she decided, and smiled sweetly as she asked, “Are they bringing your gown, too?”
She squealed in shock when he picked her up, walked over to the bed, and dropped her on it. Belle sat up just in time to see him shut the door behind him. She was about to indulge in a long litany of curses when the door opened and Emily stepped in, Mrs. O’Neal right behind her.
Emily held up a gown and spread it out on the bed. Then she and Mrs. O’Neal turned to face her, and Belle wondered why she had the urge to run—far, and fast. Which was silly, she decided. She wanted to marry Geordie and she liked the two women. Yet, she could not shake the feeling she was being pushed into something that might go badly.
“She has that look, Emily,” said Mrs. O’Neal.
“I can see that. I remember it. You know, Belle, you are allowed to say no. We would never push you to the altar. We just know it is where you want to be, and we want to be the ones to get you there.”
“All right.” She shook away her unease and smiled at them. “Then let us get started.”
Chapter Eighteen
Geordie tugged at his suit coat and glared at his brothers. “Ye ken, I never had a chance to propose to her.”
“Dinnae worry on that. Ye would have bungled it anyway,” said Matthew.
“Ye cannae be sure of that. I might have proven verra eloquent.” Geordie did not think his brothers should laugh so hard and loud at that. “Rude bastards,” he muttered.
“So where are ye going to live?” asked Lachlan.
“We will start by returning to her home,” said Geordie, and he could see that his brothers were not too pleased. “I gave it a lot of thought and I want to be near the ocean. She has a fine home and it has an interesting history. I know that I can come back here if it turns out to be no more than a whim.” They all murmured agreement with that. “I just like it there. Like the ocean. Like that her house is above and set back from the ocean. And remind me that I need to show ye all my drawings of a shower bath. She has one on her back porch. I like what I have met of her family. I even like her pets—Thor, Odin, and the cat, Loki.”
“Aye. Ye need to go back and see if it is a good fit,” said Iain. “I was hoping everyone would stay around here, but suspected some of ye would find something ye liked more. And she seems to be a good lass. Took in Morgan without a complaint, I am betting.”
“Och, aye. I was a little bruised by that as she was actually sent to me, yet she has taken to Belle. And Abel, too.”
“Aye. Um, why does she call him frog boy?”
“Belle called him that,” Geordie said and told them the story. He grinned as they all laughed. “He is a good lad. Smart, too, I think.”
“Aye, one of those ye will have to keep a keen eye on.” Iain stood up and stretched. “Best we wander down to the kitchen or wherever Mrs. O wants us to be. And dinnae worry, I will be wanting those drawings of the shower bath.”
As they all left the room, Geordie talked to Iain about the shower bath. As he had suspected, all his brothers were interested. When they reached the downstairs hall he saw Morgan standing in front of Abel, her hands on her hips, one hand gripping her wooden doll tightly.
“Something wrong, Morgan?” he asked as he moved to stand next to her.
“I was just trying to explain something to thisboy.He is being thick-headed.” She raised her doll and glared at Abel. “I was just going to fix that.”
“Och, nay, lass. Ye cannae hit him with your doll. Annoying as he may be, that could cause an injury ye will feel bad about later.” He almost laughed because the look she gave him told him she did not think she would regret it. “It is wood, after all.”
Iain bent to look closely at the doll. “Huh, it is oak. Must have taken a lot to make it.”
“My papa did it before he went to heaven.”
“And a verra good job he did, but, dearling, ye hit the boy with that and ye could do him some real harm. Ye dinnae really want to do that, do ye?”
As Morgan glared at the boy and considered that, Abel said, “Nope. You don’t.”
“Why don’t I?”
“Because I am Mehitabel’s brother. Her only brother, so I’m important to her.”
From what Geordie could see, Abel was in danger of being whacked just for the arrogant statement. Then he noticed Belle standing in the kitchen doorway. She was smiling and shaking her head, then assumed a stern expression.
“Mrs. O’Neal is making sweets for the wedding and there might be some spoons to lick for well-behaved children.”
