Page 28 of Highland Vows of Betrayal

She is supposed to be infuriated, nae pleased!

“Well, that was invigorating!” she reported as she reached his side. “Ye have a wonderful horse here,” she patted the black steed’s neck appreciatively. “Why do ye frown?”

“Ye take command so easily, that’s all.” He was already anticipating the next challenge he had planned for her.

Leading her to the meadow, he hitched the horse to a fence post and retrieved the food basket tied to his saddle. Out of courtesy, he offered a hand to help her off the saddle, but she leapt down herselfas if he wasn’t even there. He couldn’t decide if he was impressed or annoyed.

They walked into the meadow where he spread a blanket and placed the basket on it.

“If ye like riding so much, why dae ye nae smile?” she asked, aware that he watched her closely.

“I thought ye wouldnae like it. Ye have surprised me, that is all.” He reached into the basket and began to unpack bread, cheese and fruit. He first tossed an apple to Eloise, who caught it easily, and he tossed a hunk of bread, too.

“Tell me then,” she said, pulling out the bread. “Why take me on a ride today?”

“If ye are tae be lady of the Chattans, ye need tae ken the land.” He nodded his head at the scenery and leaned back on one elbow as he tore into his own bread. “The lady I marry should be completely taken with the land, the people too. All of it.”

“Ye didnae check those things before ye offered marriage?”

“Nay,” he agreed slowly.

“I wonder what ye would have thought had ye every eligible lady of the clan lined up for ye tae choose from?” Eloise chuckled. “Would ye have walked past all of us with judgmental eyes? Perhaps ye would have eliminated us one by one to find the perfect lady for yersel.”

“Maybe I would have done so,” he smiled.

“Go on then. Describe yer perfect wife, please.”

“Demureness.” At his first word, Scarlett was already laughing. “I surprised ye?”

She nodded. “Ye realize I already failed at this?”

“I noticed,” he said mischievously as he bit into a chunk of bread. “Modesty is the next thing I wished for, and there’s the dowry, of course. She should be accomplished, well-read, educated, an excellent hostess, kind, good-hearted. She must be… well, perfect.”

“Ye describe a concept, nae a real flesh and blood woman.” Eloise frowned, pausing with bread in hand. “Ye see that impossibility, do ye nae?”

“Loyalty.” He added the word firmly and it startled her so much she sat up straight, her spine stiff. “Faithful. Some aspects matter more than others, but those two matter most to me.” Looking down, he busied himself tearing off another hunk of bread. He didn’t want Eloise to notice how much this bothered him.

“Does that mean ye willnae visit yer mistresses anymore?” she asked.

“What?”

“Well, if ye want yer bride tae be faithful…” She pointed to herself as if she realized she was the topic of discussion. “Surely it is fair tae ask loyalty of ye, is it nae?”

Stunned, Noah found himself nodding.

“Does that mean ye agree ‘tis fair tae ask, or ye agree tae do it?” she asked, leaning toward him and jabbing at him with her finger. He stayed silent, eating. “Ye avoid the question, Noah.”

“Perhaps, for now, Eloise.” He matched her tone. He didn’t welcome this questioning, not right now. “There is something more I hope for in a bride.”

“What’s that?” she asked, leaning into the basket to pull out wedges of cheese wrapped in muslin.

“Spirit.” He caught her attention. She dropped the cheese but put forth a hand in time to catch it in the air. In doing so, their fingers brushed together, and she almost yanked her hand back. “I startled ye.”

“Only because it is the first reasonable thing ye have asked,” she murmured. “Well, the second thing. A faithful wife is a given, I’d say.”

“’Tis so?” He almost laughed, knowing the absurdity of the idea. My mother wasnae faithful tae my father.

“Of course. Now, let us enjoy some good conversation, rather than all this negotiation.” She waved a hand through the air, as if to push away tedious details. “Ye are such an accomplished rider. Ye learned when ye were young?”