He’d caught her just before she started to topple over—toward the floor. So she’d swayed against his side instead, dropped one arm into his lap, snuggled her head halfway onto his chest, and, after a small sigh, she hadn’t made another sound since.
But Lachlan wasn’t going to explain all that to his cousin. “Be quiet,” he mouthed.
“What?”
“Shhh!”
Gilleonan blinked, then comprehended, “Oh, aye,” he said, reverting to a whisper. “But whatisshe doing in here? And for that matter, what’re those two braw Sassenachs doin’ outside yer door as if they be guardin’ it?”
“Perhaps guarding it?”
Gilleonan snorted at his dry tone, but finally happened to glance at Lachlan, and that prompted a sharply indrawn breath that was quickly followed by, “Faith, who took a mallet tae yer puir face?”
Lachlan winced, this time intentionally. “It looks that bad then, does it?”
“It doesna look good, mon. Did she—”
Lachlan tried again for a scowl. “Dinna be ridiculous.” He settled for scoffing. “’Twas our hot-tempered host—at least, Ithinkit was.”
“Think? How could ye no’ be sure aboot the worst beatin’ ye’ve ever taken? And believe me, Lachlan, ye’ve never looked this bad.”
Lachlan half hissed, “Because I was no’ quite awake when it began, or completely sober yet, for that matter. I was seeing double, triple—”
Gilleonan’s eyes widened. “So ye did go off and get foxed? I figured as much, as angry as ye was yesterday mornin’. Punching that puir lord, and for no good reason as I could see. Knew ye’d be regretting that—”
“Let’s no’ discuss that, if you please. I canna imagine what devil got into me either. But the condition I ended up in somewhere in the wee hours o’ the night bears no description that I know of,” Lachlan said in self-disgust. “I dinna remember half o’ it, if you mun know.”
“Dinna remember?”
Gilleonan started to chuckle, but Lachlan managed a scowl finally, despite the pain it caused him, and he sobered quick enough, coughed a bit, then asked, “So why was he beatin’ on ye—och, dinna tell me ye finally bedded his duchess and he found out?”
“I did not,” Lachlan said indignantly.
“Then why?”
“I’ve a wee vague memory that he’s thinking I stole some o’ his bonny horses.”
“Ah, did ye then?”
It was a bit hard to whisper and threaten at the same time, but Lachlan managed it with, “I’m going tae be murdering you for that, Gill.”
“Och, since when can ye no’ ken I be joshin’ ye?” Gilleonan demanded.
“I could say the same.”
Gilleonan blinked, then softly chuckled. “Oh, aye, I knew that.”
That being one of Ranald’s favorite phrases, rather than Gilleonan’s, Lachlan would have grinned if it wouldn’t have hurt to do so. “I’m no’ sure about any of it, Gill, but if I’ve got guards at my door, I’m sure I’ll be hearing about it all soon enough.”
“And the lass there?”
Lachlan glanced down at the dark golden head tucked carefully under his chin, his expression softening. “Lady Kimberly has been an angel, trying tae patch me up. But I’m thinking I may have disturbed her sleep a wee bit last night, since she couldna stay awake long enough tae finish wi’ me.”
“She wasna able to tell ye what this was all about, then?” Gilleonan questioned.
“I didna get around tae asking her ’afore she fell asleep on me.”
That wasn’t true at all. He’d asked her a number of times what she knew of the duke’s visit, but each time she’d put him off with a “Be still,” or “Shhh,” or “How can I tend you if you don’t keep your mouth shut?” So he’d stopped asking, figuring he’d get answers soon enough. But she’d fallen asleep instead. And his pleasure in holding her was far greater than his curiosity, so he’d had no thought to waking her for any more questioning.
