She frowned at him. “It was the necklaceyougave me. Of course I was going to try to stop him.”
Bram raked a hand through his hair. “I dinna care if it was the Crown Jewels he was stealing. Yer life is more important than a thousand gems. Certainly more important than that necklace. I’ll buy ye all the silver hearts ye desire, if it means that much to ye.”
“I only wanted the one.Thatone. It was special.”
“Ye are surely daft, Miranda.” He took her back into his arms and carried her toward the building entrance, shielding her from the few stray rioters still being chased by the soldiers. “I thought I was seeing things when I peered out my window and saw ye on that thief’s back, smacking him about the head. Och, no. It couldn’t be, I said to myself. I rubbed my eyes, but ye were still before me, and then he pushed ye off him.”
“I know. I was there. You needn’t repeat what happened blow by blow.”
He groaned. “Dinna chide me. Ye’re the one who needs to have her ears boxed. What were ye thinking? Ye could have been killed.”
“Well, I wasn’t. You came to my rescue. Your lip is bleeding, Bram.”
“I dinna care. I need to get ye safely out of here.”
“Oh, this is all my fault. I’m so sorry. Do you hate me now? I cannot seem to do anything right.”
He sighed. “Of course I dinna hate ye. Nor was this yer fault. Ye couldn’t have known a riot would break out. Or that one of those knaves would try to steal yer necklace.”
“But you only ran out here to save me and got attacked for it because of me.”
“No’ yer fault either. Ye didna throw those punches at me. Besides, I’m fine.”
He hurried toward the nearest entrance as gunfire, roars, and screams resounded in the distance.
“Och, lass, I’ll take ye to my office and then we’ll finish this conversation.”
It took them another minute to be admitted inside, for there was a line of frantic people wanting admission. However, one of the soldiers standing guard recognized Bram and waved him forward. “Go straight in, Your Grace. It isn’t safe yet, and you had better remain inside until we disperse the last of the crowd and restore calm.”
Once inside, Bram would not allow her to walk on her own. She felt so foolish being carried in his arms in the halls of Parliament.
“Dinna be stubborn,” he said with another delicious growl. “My heart’s still pounding and I am no’ ready to let ye go. I know that bounder hurt ye when he pushed ye down.”
“It did hurt a little, but I am perfectly fine now. Let me down and I’ll prove it to you.”
“No, lass. Ye’re staying in my arms.”
He ignored her protests and shrugged off the curious stares of others they passed in the hall.
Once they were in his official chamber, he set her down on one of the chairs beside his desk. “Your office is nicely furnished,” she remarked, looking around and surprised by the quality of the desk and bookshelves, which were of the finest rosewood. The chairs, including the one she was presently seated upon, were of the softest leather.
“Did ye think I worked in some ancient mud hut?”
“No, I imagined you worked in a barn,” she gently teased.
He chuckled. “Well, how do ye like my barn?”
“I love it,” she said with a tender smile.
The room was decorated in Solway’s clan colors, crimson with an overlay of blues and greens.
Several clerks rushed forward to ask after him, for they had noticed his bruises and cut lip. “Your Grace, shall we seek a doctor for you?”
“Dinna be ridiculous.” He shooed them away and shut the door with orders that he and Miranda were not to be disturbed.
She was worried about him too. He’d taken a few hard punches while protecting her. “Let me see your lip.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted, striding to a cabinet and taking out a bottle of brandy. “But I’ll ask for yer handkerchief, if ye dinna mind.”
