Page 87 of Claimed Highland Brides

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“Fiona, wait! Stop! Why are ye making such a stramash aboot this?” Jamesina hurried after her sister, who had rushed away before she could explain that what she had seen was…not what she had seen.

Fiona wheeled around. “Did ye really just ask me why I am fashit aboot ye kissing my husband’s steward? A Sassenach? One who we dinnae ken if’n we can trust? One ye aren’a marrit to?”

Jamesina sighed, looking away from Fiona as her cheeks heated. “It wasnae like tha’. It was just…” She stopped, helpless to explain it even to herself. Of all her sisters, she considered herself to be the most sensible. The one who made sure the others weren’t letting their emotions run away with them.

What she had done with Delwyn was in a word…inexplicable.

“Will ye tell Daividh?”

“He is my husband!” Fiona snapped. “I shall have tae.”

Jamesina shook her head. She wanted to say that she had been Fiona’s sister for a lot longer than she’d been married to Daividh but she knew exactly what Fiona meant. The relationship she had with her husband hinged on honesty and caring, sharing their troubles. She knew that this thing was too big for Fiona to keep to herself.

Still, she was not prepared to face the consequences should Daividh decide to call her to account.

“If I may?” a soft voice said from behind her and she jumped, not having realized that Delwyn had followed them. Fiona fixed him with a glare.

“If you may…wha’?”

“I would like to assure you, Mrs. Campbell, that I am not in any way toying with your sister. I fully intend to make an offer for her.”

Fiona blinked in surprise. Jamesina turned to Delwyn with wide eyes.

“I beg yer pardon?” Jamesina said.

Delwyn looked from one to the other as if waiting for one of them to spring at him. “I said, I fully intend to make an offer for you.”

Jamesina turned to Fiona, at a complete loss for anything to say. Fiona looked back, eyebrows raised. “Weel?”

“Weel, wha’?” Jamesina was ever more bewildered.

“Do ye accept his proposal?” Fiona asked, looking at her as if Jamesina was slow.

“I…” Jamesina’s throat clicked, suddenly very dry. “I dinnae ken.”

“Ye kissed him and ye dinnae ken if ye accept his proposal?” Fiona practically screeched. Jamesina winced at the sound although Delwyn seemed perfectly unperturbed.

“Who kissed who?” a deep voice asked from the end of the corridor and Jamesina’s shoulders slumped in defeat. Fiona turned to face her husband.

“Daividh, something has happened,” she said, sounding nervous.

“Och aye? And what is tha’?” He came into the light of the torches, his brow furrowed as he looked from Jamesina to Delwyn.

“Your steward kissed Jamesina,” Fiona said in exactly the same voice she used to tell on Jamesina to their father.

Daividh’s frown deepened.

“And I have offered for her hand,” Delwyn cut in.

Daividh’s midnight blue eyes flicked from Jamesina to Delwyn and then back to Jamesina. “Did he force ye?” he asked her.

Jamesina’s eyes widened further. “Wha’? No, he dinnae force me!” she squeaked.

“Alrigh’ then. Ye havenae any objection to be betrothed ti him do ye?”

Jamesina just blinked helplessly.