“Ye didnae need to leave your business, did ye?”
“Weel, nay, and I had just as soon wait until the stench of the muck heap has left the hall.” He grinned when she grimaced.
Before she could stop herself, she murmured, “Ye were betrothed to Janet?”
“What?” He sat up straight and stared at her in surprise. “What did ye say?”
“Nothing,” she mumbled weakly, surprised by his violent reaction and hoping vainly that she could act as if the question had never been asked. “Mayhaps the hall smells better now.”
“Aimil, did Janet tell ye that she and I were betrothed?”
“Did I say that?”
He leaned over her, one hand palm down on either side of her head. “Aye, nearly. Did she say that?”
Parlan had known that Janet was pinching at Aimil but he admitted to himself that he had given little thought to the possible content of the woman’s words. Although he knew, to his increasing regret, that there were women in the keep who could rightfully claim to have known him very well indeed, he felt he had made Aimil understand that the women he had bedded in the past meant nothing to him and, if reassurance was needed, he could give it again. He did not, however, want any woman filling Aimil’s head with lies about promises never made or feelings never felt.
Aimil grimaced as she met his stare. She knew he would press her until she told him everything. She was not sure why it was of any importance to him, why he did not simply say no and leave the matter at that, but he clearly was not going to. Reluctantly, she decided that she might as well tell him the whole of it and save them both a great deal of annoyance.
“She said that, if I hadnae come along, your heir would have carried Dunmore blood, that her father spoke of such a match and”—she took a deep breath and watched him closely as she finished—“that ye said as much yourself.” Her eyes widened at the curse he spat.
“And no doubt I whispered these sweet words into her fair ears during some embrace.”
“Against her skin, she said. ‘Heated love words against her skin’ to quote her more exactly.” Aimil found the words bitter.
“And that is when ye came to blows?” He kissed her bruised cheek.
“Nay. I swear, Parlan, I sorely tried to rein in my temper. I swallowed her insults about me and about Lowlanders. I even swallowed the insults about why ye married me at all. I ken ye were no monk before we wed so I was willing to ignore all talk of what ye had done in the past and with whom but, when she struck me…” Aimil shrugged. “I couldnae stand still for that no matter how strongly I reminded myself that ye wanted no trouble nor upset.”
“And ye were within your rights, dearling. She had no call to strike ye, none at all.”
“Weel, I ken that my tongue can be sharp though I did try to temper my words.” She sighed. “I was fair pressed to control my temper too, there isnae any denying it, which is why I was leaving. I kenned that I would hear of lasses ye had bedded but I wasnae ready to hear that there had been more than that with any of them.”
“There wasnae, especially not with Janet Dunmore. Neither was there any ‘heated words of love.’ I have never even glimpsed Janet Dunmore’s skin though she has always been eager to show it to me. I have never bedded the fool woman. Not once.”
“Not even once?” She had never doubted that Parlan had bedded Janet just what feelings had been or had not been involved in the act.
“Nay. If naught else, I kenned weel that Lord Dunmore would cry for marriage if he discovered it.”
“And Janet would be sure that he did.”
“Aye, before we had caught our breath. Aimil”—he caught her face between his hands and kissed her gently—“I was never her lover and I never spoke love words to the silly woman. I have never been betrothed, or even near to it, with any lass.
“I kenned that Lord Dunmore would have liked such a mating but I never hinted that I would agree to it. Now, if ye hadnae come along, I may weel have ended wedded to the lass for a man has to wed sometime. I never even hinted that much to her.
“I kenned she was pinching at ye but felt it wouldnae help to meddle. I wish I had now for I dinnae want ye worried with these lies. They were lies, Aimil. I swear to that. I am also verra sorry that I didnae realize what sort of insults she would fling at your head.”
She sighed and shook her head. “I hadnae realized that the Highlanders hated the Lowlanders so much.”
“Not all of us, lass. There are some of us with the wisdom to like or to hate a man according to what sets in his heart not by the place he calls home.” He smiled crookedly and winked. “Though ’tis a trial to be so fair toward a Sassanach.” His smile grew wider when she laughed softly; then he kissed her again before nimbly getting off the bed. “Enough of that, lass. I have work to do.”
Before she could gasp out her outraged reply, he was gone. She shook her head, half-smiling over his nonsense then decided to rest until they all had to gather in the hall for a meal. It annoyed her that the incident with Janet should be enough to make her feel so weary, but she decided it was best for the child to heed her body’s urgings to rest. So too would a good rest make it a little easier to face Janet later.
To Aimil’s surprise, Janet never appeared for the meal. Since she was sure she had not really hurt the woman, Aimil found it difficult to understand Janet’s absence. To her added consternation, Lord Dunmore kept glancing toward her bruised cheek, and scowling. Aimil suspected that the powder and paint she had applied had not hidden the bruising as well as she had hoped. She decided it might be best to avoid the man only to be confronted by him as she started to retire for the night, leaving the men to discuss past glories and their hopes for more in the future.
“M’lady, I wish ye to accept my most humble apologies.” Lord Dunmore took her hand in his and raised it briefly to his lips.
A little confused, Aimil asked softly, “For what, m’lord?”
