Her mother burst into laughter before pulling her into a gentle embrace. “I agree, lass. Aye, I do. And trust me, I would rather marry the tree than him.”
Edna buried her face in her mother’s shoulder and allowed her to comfort her. At least she knew that her mother wouldn’t force her to do something as horrid as wed the laird.
“Never mind ye coming tae apologize,” her mother said a moment later. “I will handle this.”
“I’m sorry,” Edna responded, pulling back. “I didnae mean—”
Her mother cut her off with the wave of her hand. “I will just struggle tae keep a straight face now that ye have compared him tae a tree.”
Edna smiled as her mother walked off, muttering to herself. Could these past few weeks get any odder?
4
The next few days passed without any sort of interruption. Edna found herself spending more time with her sister, helping out her mum, and reflecting on not only her interaction with Malcolm but also the threat of Neacal’s impending proposal. She was warmed by the fact that her mother wasn’t going to make her wed the pompous laird, but if what he said was true, there might come a time that they have no choice. While the Belshes clan wasn’t a threat, they could easily go into an agreement with another clan, one that would push her father to do drastic things.
Edna could only hope that it wouldn’t come to that. She couldn’t imagine being a wife, a lady of the keep, to a Scot such as Neacal.
Huffing a breath, Edna picked up the heavy basket ladened with food that she would be delivering to the village. There was one of the elders that had fallen ill recently, and his wife was too busy caring for him to fix them a proper meal. Her mother had heard the plight and insisted that Edna take the basket, for which Edna was glad to do. She enjoyed this sort of work, caring for their clan, and there wasn’t another place that she would rather be than on McGregor land.
The bees buzzed merrily in the wildflowers amongst the path before her, the sun warming her bare face. Her sister would be telling her that she needed to refrain from tilting her face to the sun like that, but Edna didn’t mind the additional freckles that would be showing as a result.
“Do ye need help?”
Startled, Edna looked down the path at Malcolm, who was blocking her way to the village. He was wearing a tunic this time, though it did nothing to hide the firmness of his muscles under the fabric, his breeks molding to his legs like a second skin. Edna’s heart started a slow beat in her chest, and she swallowed. “I’ve got it.”
He arched a brow. “It looks heavy.”
Edna drew the basket closer to her chest. “Perhaps, but I can carry it nevertheless.”
Malcolm dropped his arms. “Well then, at least allow me tae escort ye then.”
Edna wanted to say no, but the mere thought of having him beside her sent her stomach fluttering. He was an infuriating Scot, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she was attracted to him.
Like every other lass in the clan.
She wouldn’t let him see that, though, so Edna gave him a little shrug. “’Tis yer choice.”
He waited until she passed him before he fell in step beside her. “I can carry that.”
“Och, ye dinnae give up, do ye?” she replied, thrusting the basket at him. He took the basket, their fingers brushing much like they had the night at the dinner table, and Edna felt the same shiver. “Here, take it.”
He chuckled as he took the basket effortlessly. “I’ve been known tae get mah way, aye.”
“As have I,” she replied.
“The laird that visited,” Malcolm said, abruptly changing the subject, “who was he?”
Surprised, Edna looked at him. “Neacal Belshes. Why?”
Malcolm’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t meet her eyes. “He offered for yer hand.”
Edna was surprised even more. Had Malcolm been in the hall that evening? She hadn’t seen him, but then again, she had been so taken aback by the turn of events that she hadn’t seen anything but red when Neacal had spoken. There was a good chance he could have stormed the manor then, and she wouldn’t have noticed him. “Why does it matter tae ye?” she shot back, wondering why this stranger would even dare bring up something that had nothing to do with him. He was a visitor in their clan, a visitor that she wished would leave so that she could get back to her life.
“So, he did,” Malcolm replied evenly as the village came into view. “Why dinnae ye take his offer? Doesnae every lass wish tae be a lady of the keep?”
Edna stopped in her tracks, placing her hands on her hips as she glared at him. “Dinnae pretend tae know wot I want! Ye dinnae even know me!” Malcolm was overstepping his bounds with his questioning!
His jaw worked as he glared at her. “I dinnae know ye, lass, but ye are a young lass. I would have thought ye would already been wed.”
