Jamie ignored him, fixing his golden eyes on Mari before turning back to Maddie. “Aye, lass. All the faeries ask is that ye believe.”
Curled up once more on the window seat in Mari’s bedchamber the next day, Maddie hugged her knees. “Did you know the MacLeods have an actual faerie flag?”
Mari smiled at her. “I think you take Jamie much too seriously. Faeries do not really exist.”
“Maybe not, but thereisa flag. Mr. MacLeod says it is quite old, of yellow silk and kept at Dunvegan Castle on Skye.”
“Probably a flag used in some early battle. Those northern isles were invaded by Vikings, for goodness’ sake. Highlanders have been feuding for centuries.”
Maddie shook her head. “According to the legend, the MacLeod chief met a faerie with whom he fell in love. The King of the Faeries only allowed the maiden to spend one year in the human world. During that time, she and the MacLeod chief had a son. When it came time for her to return to the realm of faerie, she left her faerie shawl with the baby to protect him and the clan as well. If ever the clan had need, they would wave the flag three times and the Knights of the Faerie Raide would ride to their rescue.” Maddie stopped as if remembering the rest. “Mr. MacLeod said it could only be used three times and has been used twice—once when Clan Donald besieged the MacLeods, and another time when a terrible plague nearly killed all the cattle, leaving the clan to starve. There is still one wish left.”
“Jamie certainly tells a fine tale,” Mari said drily.
Maddie turned to watch Jamie practicing swordplay in the small courtyard below, a dreamy expression in her eyes. “Mr. MacLeod makes it look so effortless. I can almost see him as one of King Arthur’s knights.”
Mari made an unladylike snort and moved to look over her friend’s shoulder at the scene below. Jamie was putting both Joseph and Robin through their paces, side-stepping and circling like a wolf playing with its prey. The young footmen were red-faced, although whether from embarrassment or the exertion of jumping away from Jamie’s sword, she didn’t know. She watched as Robin lunged at the same time Joseph attempted a cut to the left. Jamie parried and spun, knocking the sword from Robin’s hand and stopping with his sword pointed at Robin’s throat. Robin’s face blanched, and Jamie lowered the sword.
Mari did have to admit there was a certain grace to Jamie’s movements.
“I would wager Mr. MacLeod will be an excellent dancer,” Maddie said as he walked away from the footmen and she turned back to Mari. “Have you taken him to Miss Berry’s dance studio yet?”
“Not yet, although I suppose I should. If the girls would get him to sign their dance cards, he would be kept busy instead of hovering over me.”
Maddie gave Mari a strange look. “You really want Mr. MacLeod to take an interest in the other girls?”
“Of course. How else will I ever be able to be alone with Nicholas?”
“Your aunt would not allow that, Marissa Barclay, and you know it.”
“Well, maybe notcompletelyalone, but you have to admit Jamie hulking over my shoulder does put a damper on things. Nicholas and I barely had a conversation last night.”
“Mama thinks Mr. MacLeod is a nice man.”
Mari groaned inwardly. Jamie had managed to win over yet another woman. How did he manage to do so? Of course, he didn’t persist in following anyone else around, managing to interject his opinions and give orders like he did to her. “Nice? I suppose if you have not seen his annoying side, you might think so.”
Maddie was quiet for a moment. “You really do not like Mr. MacLeod?” she finally asked.
“I—” Mari stopped to consider. “It is not that I do not like him. I do not like him ordering me about and telling me what I can—or cannot—do. Neither do I like the fact that he believes in violence. To Jamie, things get settled with a weapon or fists. You know how I feel about men who use brute force. I never want to have the encounters Jillian had to endure.”
Maddie grimaced. “The old marquess was horrible. Rumors abounded about what happened to his first wife. You cannot truly believe Mr. MacLeod would strike you?”
“No.” Mari remembered how light Jamie’s touch had been when he’d wiped away her tears while they were at Newburn, and how gentle his hand had been when he made her eat. “No, I do not think he would. He is just not a refined, elegantgentlemanlike Nicholas.”
“What is really important to you?” Maddie asked. “How does Nicholas make youfeel?”
Feel. Mari frowned slightly. She had not felt anything when she laid her hand on Nicholas’s arm last night, nor had her butterflies fluttered the one time he’d managed to brush his thigh against her skirts before Jamie leaned forward to ask a question, forcing Nicholas to move back. Jamie’s breath on her nape had made her skin tingle and sent a delightful shiver down her spine. Gads. How could she be so physically attracted to a man whose core beliefs about violence were so opposite of hers?
She was so confused.
Mari watched Jamie eyeing the fourteen-year-olds at Miss Berry’s dance studio warily and bit her lip to keep from laughing. Truthfully, she had thought he would come up with some excuse not to take a dancing lesson, but he had only sighed and nodded when she reminded him of their agreement.
At least he’d left his weapons at home. She narrowed her eyes as she caught the tip of something black and shiny protruding from the top of his boot. Well, he’d leftmostof his weapons at home anyway.
The girls were studying him curiously, no doubt wondering why he wore no waistcoat or cravat. The boys simply seemed to be in awe at his sheer size.
Miss Berry clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “We shall begin with thequadrille de contredanses. Please form your squares.” She glanced at Jamie. “Perhaps you would like to observe the first set,monsieur?”
Relief flooded Jamie’s face and Mari bit her lip again. The Highlander was always so sure of himself. It really was amusing to see him somewhat disconcerted.
