Page 10 of Betrayed by His Highland Wife

William looked at Fiona triumphantly. "So it might be a wee while," he said in a commanding tone.

Fiona looked at him for a minute, and William could not help wondering if she believed him. If she didn't, it did not show.

"Och, dinnae fash," she said, but without sounding pleased. "We will wait. The bairns will just have to play here for a wee while longer."

William opened his mouth to say that they needn't stay on his behalf—already, their greeting was trying his patience—but by then Fiona had gone.

Relieved, William turned to his advisor. "Och, Alasdair, where is the lassie, really? She is beyond tardy."

Alasdair smiled. "'Tis a woman's prerogative, sir," he said softly.

William, who had had a lifetime of female prerogatives, sighed. "Aye, well, she's made her point."

William was starting to feel aggrieved. Being kept waiting was just plain bad manners. But there was more. He feared rejection. Her rejection. In fact, what if he had already been rejected?

It was quite possible.

Hiding his consternation, he carried on. By now, righteous indignation, fueled by a few hearty drams, had stoked his fervor.

"Och, isnae it time the wee strumpet showed her face?" he said, as Alasdair appeared to be having some kind of conniption in front of him.

His mouth closed and then opened slowly as if caught by surprise. The room had fallen strangely silent, but William was so heated up he did not notice.

Instead, he pressed his point. "Hark! I mean, who does she think she is! I am the laird. Who is she?"

"The maid o' Douglas, at yer service..."

A quiet voice made him turn around. Standing in front of him was a woman. Her long red curls fell softly about her shoulders, illuminating the roses on her cheeks.

William instantly took a step back.

It would be fair to say his heart was in his mouth. Thinking fast, he stared at the beautiful young woman in front of him.

She could be no more than nineteen or twenty, and William was taken aback by her fresh looks.

"Well met," said William courteously, before kissing her hand. His face brushed against her skin, giving him a little thrill.

She was soft and smooth, and her perfume hovered in the air. Immediately, the girl folded into a curtsy, lowering her gaze and allowing him the chance to watch her.

She had a pleasing figure, curvy and sweet, with neither too much nor not enough flesh. Her skin was rosy and clear, and her complexion well suited to that of a redhead. But it was not until she glanced up again that he saw her eyes; two green lights that shone from her face, pretty and round. They held him in their beam, making it hard for him to look away or think.

"I am pleased to meet ye, also, M'Laird," said the lass formally, as William grinned.

"Please, mistress, have a seat," he said to his guest, urging her to get off her feet and sit down. Around them a crowd had formed, all of them—the sisters, the elders, the hangers-on—just watching.

Clearing his throat, William realized he needed to address the crowd. He was just about to announce her arrival, wondering why his marshal had not done so, when a voice behind him boomed out, "An' what about me, lad? Yer prospective father-in-law."

William looked to find a hulking mound of a man casting a giant shadow over the room. There in the doorway was a warrior, set for battle, plaid flung crazily over his shoulders, sgian dubh at his side, and a beard that looked as if a badger had got stuck in it. He all but poked William with his sword as he swaggered over to greet him.

Startled, the Duncan laird welcomed him in.

"Laird Douglas," said William respectfully. "Well met!"

But as he welcomed him, William's eyes flashed angrily. His advisors were meant to tell him when someone arrived. Now he had been made to look foolish. But if the laird of Douglas had picked up on William's annoyance, he did not show it. In fact, he smiled.

"An' I am pleased to meet ye, young fella. Please accept my apologies for oor late arrival. The wee lassie wanted to go the long way about. Ye ken how women are!"

The laird winked, making Fiona and the other lasses giggle, but William noted that his daughter did not return his smile. Instead, she looked embarrassed.