Ava was practicing with her sword again. There was a time when he never would have considered a warrior woman as a bride, but all that had now changed. Yes, she could be rough around the edges, challenging, the sort of fighter that didn’t entice him at all, but that was up until the last few days. There was a femininity to Ava that was quite intoxicating. She seemed to have made it her business to seduce him, and he was perfectly fine with that.
He had no doubt she would be a good lover. Her body was strong, she would take positions that other women might struggle with. He could have many fun hours with Ava, of that he was certain, even if it was not the main draw toward the marriage.
“The alliance,” Peter whispered nervously. “Ye think her faither would hold tae it if ye married her? Ye think the MacLeods would?”
“Aye, I dae.” Blair tapped the glass, urging his friend and advisor to look down into the training grounds. “What dae ye see, Peters? Ye see a daughter that is well cared fer, quite doted on by her faither. Wherever she goes, he will hold on to alliance with the family. Of that, I have nay doubt.”
“And the MacLeods?” Peters pressed the point with a grimace and ruffled the dark auburn hair at his temple. “It is only a friendship that holds the MacLeods and MacKinnons together. Friendships can be broken.”
“Aye, they can, but I dinnae see theirs breaking in a hurry. Those siblings, Thora and Kai, have been here fer days now. The MacKinnons welcome them as though they are family. Aye, marry intae one of the families and ye are effectively marrying intae both. The perfect solution tae finding an alliance may have perfectly fallen intae me lap, all because Ava MacKinnon set her eyes on me.” Blair couldn’t help smiling as he looked down at Ava.
He rather wished she would drop the sword. He preferred to watch her when she wasn’t fighting. The night before at dinner, she had sat close to him, her hand often touching his arm in a way that made him want to find her bedchamber that night. He would take her roughly the first time, of that he was certain. He wanted to hear her cry out how much she had been wanting him.
“Then ye’ll ask fer her faither’s blessing today?”
“Aye, I will. I’ll make him a gift and make Ava a gift too, once she says aye of course.”
“Then wait a minute afore ye go tae her faither.” Peters raised his hand. There was uneasiness in his eyes that Blair could always read.
“What is it ye havenae yet told me?”
“Something I have observed.” Peters cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Like me, ye must have observed a certain amount offriendshipbetween Ava and Kai MacLeod.”
“Aye, I have.”
“Well…” Peters halted and looked out of the window. There were others who had come out to train now and Kai MacLeod was among them. He took one look at Ava, perhaps a look that lingered too long on her, then he turned his attention on his sparring partner. “I saw him the other night. He was going tae Ava’s chamber, I believe.”
Blair stiffened. He’d seen a certain amount of partiality between the pair, but Blair had been so distracted by how obvious Ava was being with him, he never thought to consider for once that her head could have been turned elsewhere.
“She practically throws herself at me whenever she sees me,” Blair reminded his advisor, tapping the glass. “Did ye nae see her last night?”
“Aye, aye, I did.” Peters nodded. “I’m just telling ye what I saw, me laird. Aye, maybe Ava MacKinnon daes want tae marry ye. Maybe she has set her sights on that goal, but I wouldnae put her past taking a lover, and fer that lover tae be Kai MacLeod.”
Blair’s eyes narrowed on Kai. He was a good swordsman, quick footed, though perhaps not as strong and as broad shouldered as other fighters. What he lacked in strength he made up for in speed and canniness in battle.
Blair had an image of taking Ava for his bride, but as she stood at the altar with him, she looked elsewhere. She looked at Kai as he stood in the pews instead.
“I cannae afford fer her tae be distracted.” Blair shook his head. “We must be rid of him.”
“Rid?” Peters stood up straight. “Ye mean…”
“Aye. I willnae dally and waste time on a bride that could look elsewhere. And any wife of mine will go tae nay other’s bed but me own.” It made him more possessive of the idea of Ava. He longed now to pin her down to his bed, make her his own, make her forget the name Kai MacLeod.
“I’ll make a plan. It should be easy enough. Who will miss the lower braither of Laird MacLeod anywhere?” Blair saw how easy it would be as he looked at Kai again. There were flaws in the way he fought, flaws that Blair could easily take advantage of.
When Kai stopped his sparring battle to turn and looked at Ava as she did her own sparring, Blair felt the anger pique inside of him. He had not come all this way to the MacKinnon’s castle to have the woman who was throwing herself at him to be stolen from under his nose.
“I’ll go tae her faither now,” Blair said tightly, clapping Peters on the shoulder to reassure him. “Watch Kai MacLeod as he fights, study him. When I return, I want tae ken every weakness about the way he fights.”
“Ye mean when it comes tae it, ye want me tae dae it?”
“Nay, Peters.” Blair chuckled as he halted in the doorway of his chamber. “I willnae leave a man like Kai MacLeod tae another.” There was something deep in his gut against the idea. No, if he was to get rid of the man trying to seduce his future bride, then it was a death he would handle himself. “Study his weaknesses. When the time comes, I’ll be the one tae drive home the blade that gets rid of him.”
Blair closed the door as he walked away. The more he walked, the more he relaxed his stance. By the time he reached the room where Laird MacKinnon was taking a drink, Blair had adjusted his expression into an easy smile.
“I hope ye’ll forgive me disturbing ye, me laird, but I have something particular tae ask ye, about yer daughter, Ava.”
Laird MacKinnon smiled as if he had never heard anything so good in his life.
