“Aye, naked,” Graham said, smiling, his green eyes twinkling with mischief. “And Tam Lin was to hide him from the fae. Well, she did, and though the fae queen was furious at her loss, she accepted defeat and they lived happily ever after.”
Several people cheered while some lifted their glasses in honor of Tam Lin.
“That was a delightful story,” Grace said with a clap.
“But how does it relate to this stronghold?” Hope asked.
“Well, Tam Lin and her beau decided to leave the enchanted forest where the fae lived. They travelled far and wide until they came upon the mouth of the river. They followed it up into the highlands and came to a grove in the pines where a red calf grazed. Taking it as a sign, they built their own home and a stable for their calf. The rocks they pulled from the earth were all red sandstone, which,” he said, stretching his hand out towards the closest wall, “is the very stone that made this stronghold.”
A slow smile pulled at the corner of Hope's mouth.What an enchanting man, she thought as everyone clapped.
“That really was a wonderful story,” Hope said, taking a step towards Graham. “Thank you for sharing it.”
He stared at her for a moment and was just about to speak when Jared spoke, his eyes on Hope.
“It’s grand to have you and your sisters at Elk Manor, Miss Sharpe,” Jared said with a deep bow. “May I introduce you to the rest of my family?”
“Yes, please,” Hope said.
“You already know cousin Graham,” he said before he pivoted towards the red-heady woman. “This is my sister Jeanne, and those two,” he nodded his head towards twoidentical copper-haired men. “are Michael and Jamie.” Jeanne smiled and the other two grinned. “This is Miss Hope Sharpe and her sisters, Miss Faith and Miss Grace Sharpe.”
Hope's cheeks warmed. She was glad to make everyone’s acquaintance, but the scowl that appeared on Graham's face made her curious. Why did he look so cantankerous?
Just then, two sharp whacks caught everyone's attention. The group that had been listening to Graham’s story spun around and saw Belle waving her cane from several yards away. Apparently, the noise had been her banging it on the floor to get everyone’s attention. She pointed it at Graham. Though he appeared peeved to be summoned so, he took a deep breath.
“If you'll excuse me,” he said to everyone as he left.
“Of course.”
When he was out of earshot, Jared spoke.
“It amazes me that he lets the old bat order him around,” he said as he leaned closer to Hope.
Her smile faltered, displeased with the moniker he had used for Belle. She was about to defend her aunt when Rose spoke up. Hope had nearly forgotten she was with them.
“You'll watch your tongue regarding Lady Belle, Jared McTavish,” Rose said, a slight tremor to her voice. Her cheeks were bright red and while her words were loud and clear, she couldn't quite seem to face Jared as she spoke. “She's a right decent woman and you’ve no business calling her such names.”
Jared stared at Rose, giving her his full attention for the first time that evening.
“Aye, Miss Rose, I didn’t mean anything by it,” he tried. “Lady Belle wouldn’t be offended if she’d heard me, I promise. I call her much worse to her face during her visits when she insists on play cards with me and the lads.”
“She plays cards with you, Mr. McTavish?” Hope asked.
“Aye, sometimes. She’s a shark, that one, and I’ve told her as much.” He winked. “She’s not your average sort of lady, you know.”
“Yes, I do know that,” Hope said, making yet another personal note about her aunt. Rose however didn’t seem pleased with Jared’s explanation.
“Call her anything you’d like, but not behind her back,” Rose said stiffly.
“Don’t be angry,” Jared continued. “I only meant that say that she’s too heavy handed with ordering Graham about.”
“Are they not friends?” Hope asked. “From what Belle says, I was under the impression that she and Mr. MacKinnon have a very close friendship.”
“They are, but he gives that woman too much rein.” Jared said. “It's not healthy for a man to take orders from a woman.”
Hope tilted her head. That sounded like exactly what a man would think.
“Is that so? And I suppose your wife agrees with such sentiment?”
