Mariota smiled at the praise. It was certainly something she was unused to. “Thank ye.”
“Let’s get her settled, aye?” Ian opened the door and gestured them inside.
Mariota stepped into the structure, dim save for shafts of light slanting through tightly spaced bars on a large window. Perches at different heights were occupied by hooded birds, but several stood empty. Ian led her to one away from the occupied perches. “’Twill do, I think.”
“It will do nicely,” Mariota agreed and shifted Valkyrie to the perch. She removed the hood long enough for her raptor to have a look around, and to see and sense the hawk master, then she replaced the hood.
“I’ll see her fed and watered while ye rest, lass,” Ian told her. “Dinna fashfor yer bird.”
“Thank ye.” Relieved, she turned to Stellan. “Valkyrie is in good hands, as ye said she would be.”
“Let’s get ye settled, too,” Stellan told her. “Thank ye, Ian,” he added before gesturing for Mariota and Nan to precede him out of the mews.
Nan took her hand, a gesture she found reassuring. It struck Mariota that everyone here seemed calm, even happy. She saw none of the tension or conflict that seemed a normal part of life at MacKay. Surely there had to be some here. She’d give Stellan time to show her the real Sutherland.
“Nan will take care of ye,” Stellan said after they’d gone a few paces. “I need to see to the horses and help with the buck before I come in.”
Mariota nodded, grateful for the attention he’d already given her. “Thank ye, Stellan,” she told him. “For everything.”
She and Nan headed across the bailey toward the keep’s door just as another man came out— one who looked exactly like Stellan.
Mariota stopped dead, twisted around to make sure Stellan had not somehow gotten around her and into the keep and back out again. Nay, he was still with the horses and his men. Fighting to keep her mouth from falling open, she hissed, “Dear God, there are two of them?”
Nan laughed and called out. “Anders, come meet Mariota. Mariota, this is Stellan’s twin.”
“What a lovely lass ye have brought me,” Anders said, stopping to take her hand and bow over it. “Mariota?” He looked her up and down and grinned.
“MacKay,” she managed to say without stammering.
“Stellan just returned from the hunt with her,” Nan told him. “Lass, I ken ye have a story to tell, but perhaps it should wait until after ye have a chance to rest.”
And have time to absorb the fact that there were two devastatingly handsome Sutherland men for her to feast her eyes on. “Aye,” she managed to say. “Thank ye.”
“I look forward to seeing more of ye,” Anders said with a grin. Mariota glanced back as Nan led her away. Anders stood watching them walk away. So did Stellan, visible beyond his brother’s shoulder. She whipped her head forward and took a breath.
“One of them is good looking enough, but two? More than a lass can take, aye?” Nan teased.
“Much more,” Mariota agreed and put a hand over her heart.
CHAPTER 4
By the time Stellan and his men delivered the butchered buck to the kitchen, he was again covered in blood, and still had to explain Mariota to the laird. But first, he needed to clean up. He enlisted Cook’s help. Rather than have the lasses carry hot water up to his chamber, he used the tub in the screened-off nook off the kitchen, stripped and slid in with a satisfied groan. Cook had left soap and towels. He was content to stay until the water cooled, but the laird awaited. So did Mariota.
Anders shouting his name woke him from the doze brought on by warm comfort and exhaustion. Moss green eyes and the feel of Mariota’s slim waist under his hands tormented him. He was glad of the growing chill of the water.
“Ah, there ye are. So Cook is stewing ye for our supper?”
“No’ likely,” Stellan answered, stood and let the water run down his torso before grabbing the top bath sheet from the stack and wrapping it around his waist. “What’s so urgent ye have to come find me here?” He stepped out of the tub and frowned at his twin.
“I ken ye picked up a stray. And this will interest ye. ’Tis good, I think. I felt yer surprise and attraction to her long before ye got back.”
“Did ye? That hasna happened in, well, I dinna recall the last time.”
“At least six months. I’ve seen her, by the way. Lovely. Nan introduced us. Now the bad news. Da wants us. Now.”
Stellan grimaced. “Now, of course.” He grabbed the next bath sheet and rubbed his hair as dry as he could. “I have to dress.”
“Best hurry, then. I’ll go stall him,” Anders said and left before Stellan could ask him to bring down some clothes.
