The cook’s booming voice rose above the melee as he directed his workers on how best to skin and then cut apart the carcass, which made Sheena hasten through the door to the great hall to attend to her own tasks.
She welcomed her role as a maidservant during meals because it gave her a chance to see Alec, and she hurried to the head table where he usually sat to ensure that all was in readiness.
Her heartbeat racing at the sight of his carved chair, her thoughts rushing back to filling his cup with ale the night before.
She had bent over in such a way that her ample breasts strained against her bodice, her effort rewarded when his appraising gaze skimmed over her…och, if only for an instant, but gratifying enough.
At least until that redheaded hoyden of a bride had called Alec a lecher, which had made Sheena’s cheeks flare hot and her heart go out to him to be addressed with so little respect by his new wife.
New wife, indeed; a bad-mannered pig was more the truth of it. Sheena had never seen such a sight, no, not even from the coarsest warriors, as Alec’s bride had stuffed her mouth with food and chewed with her mouth wide open, and then belched like a man would, only louder!
Yet she hadn’t stopped there, drinking cup after cup of ale until Sheena could see that Rowen—och, what sort of name was that for a woman?—had become drunk from how she slumped in her chair.
What had Alec’s new bride demanded of her so rudely? Sheena’s brow crinkled with disgust at the memory as she straightened the ale cup and platter where Alec would soon be seated for the midday meal.
Fill my cup, wench!
Sheena’s fingers tightened around the sharp serving knife set above the platter. It wasn’t hard for her to imagine the utensil sticking from Rowen’s throat—och, but that was too easy a death for so foul-mannered a young woman.
Anenemyyoung woman as well, and though not related by blood to Alec’s clan, Sheena and her brother were under their protection…and had been since their parents had been killed by a marauding band of Sutherlands eight years ago, leaving them orphans at only eleven years of age.
Thankfully the last laird who had sat upon that carved chair had taken pity on her and Kael and offered them a place in his household, and they had lived at the castle ever since.
Servants, aye, but from the moment Sheena had laid eyes upon Alec when he first rode through the castle gates, she had formed another plan.
She wanted him, and somehow, some way, she would have him.
She was comely enough to sit beside him at this head table one day after he was freed forever from the abomination that was his new wife.
She was clever enough to make it happen, too, as soon as the right moment came along…
Smiling to herself, Sheena traced her fingertips slowly across the knife and then hastened back toward the kitchen, humming.
* * *
“Aye,a fine view…if you’re partial tae seawater,” Rowen groused as she stared into the distance with Alec mounted on his lathered stallion beside her.
They had ridden hard and long together, Alec catching up with her only moments after she had set off without him, which proved their riding skills were well-matched no matter she would have preferred to discover otherwise.
Her mare bore a fine sheen of lather, too, so it was a good thing they had stopped to rest the horses for a while. Yet why did Alec insist upon asking her what she thought of the wide expanse of ocean at the northern border of his lands? Why did he seem to care about anything she had to say?
“I like tae swim, but not in the ocean with its nasty taste of salt,” she added with a sideways glance, Alec staring at her much as he had done when they had shared oakcakes and cider together. Not lustful at all, but as if he enjoyed looking at her, his slate blue eyes crinkled at the corners as if she continually amused him. “Och, Mackay, what did I say now that’s so funny?”
“It’s Alec, remember?”
She clamped her mouth shut and nodded, but she didn’t want to call him by his given name for the intimacy it could foster between them.
Instead she dismounted with a low curse and led her mare by the reins away from the rugged slope that overlooked the sea and toward an outcropping of moss-covered rocks that would provide some shelter from the wind.
The stiff sea breeze smelling of salt and whipping at her hair, which she usually didn’t mind, but today—och, everything seemed to be irritating her.
Alec forever staring at her and speaking to her so agreeably.
Her hunger appeased by those wonderful-tasting oatcakes and sweet-tart cider…thanks to Alec.
Alec never once trying to out-ride her or lead the way, though she knew her mare was no match for his stallion’s powerful strides if he really wanted to prove whose horse was faster.
Alec following her now and dropping the reins to settle himself upon a rock facing her, the wind ruffling his blond hair that glinted in the late morning sunlight.
