Page 41 of A Bride for the Kilted Beast

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Suddenly, he was standing in front of her, towering over her, staring down into her eyes, as if wishing to intimidate her. She refused to let him have his way. “Well? What is so urgent?” she asked, returning his stony glare and mirthless expression despite the nervous fluttering of her heart.

“What exactly were ye doing with the healer?” he ground out ferociously, taking her so completely by surprise she stepped back a pace or two.

“What?” she asked in confusion.

“Was I nae plain enough the first time? I wish tae ken what ye were doing with the healer earlier?”

“But-but how d’ye ken I went tae see Finian?” She was truly mystified until something occurred to her that made her own ire rise. “Ach! Yer wee spies, the guards have been reporting back tae ye, have they?”

He appeared a little taken aback by her response, but he soon rallied.

“Nae. I saw ye, with me own two eyes. And I want tae ken what ye thought ye were doing.”

“I dinnae ken what ye’re fussin’ about. Are ye sayin’ I am nae allowed tae visit the healer now?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

He scoffed bitterly. “Visit? ’T’was more than a visit, madam. Ye were in there a couple o’ hours at least.”

“So what if I was? What business is it of yers?” she demanded, her anger taking hold.

His eyes flashed with fury. “Everything ye dae is me business. I’m yer husband, and I demand ye tell me exactly what it was that had the pair of ye laughing and chatting together in the healing room fer so long,” he told her, his voice gravel.

“I beg yer pardon? What are ye on about?” Lillie replied, confused as well as angry.

He closed the gap she had put between them. “Aye, giggling, or whatever it was ye thought ye were up tae. I told ye, I saw ye in there, sitting so close, smiling at him and laughing, flirting like some… some harlot!” he shouted in her face, his fists clenched at his sides.

Lillie’s mouth fell open, and she stared at him in shocked amazement as the slur sank in. She drew herself up, ready to give him the rough edge of her tongue in reply when light suddenly dawned in her mind.

“I ken what this is all about,” she told him with a nod.

“Ach, so ye admit it, dae ye?” he growled.

“Aye, I can see ye’re jealous.”

“I am nae jealous!” he exploded, shifting from foot to foot, his fists clenching convulsively, clearly agitated by her accusation.

“Dinnae bother tae deny it. ’Tis obvious,” she told him, deciding to take full advantage of the situation to pay him back for calling her a whore. “The laird is jealous… because I dared tae smile at the healer.”

“I’m nae jealous! I’ve never been jealous in me life, certainly nae over a wench.”

“Well, I’m nae a wench. I’m yer wife since ye forced me tae be so. And yer jealousy is as obvious as the nose on yer face.”

He let out a guttural growl of inexpressible rage. “’Tis nae that at all,” he snapped back.

“Then what is it then? How else d’ye explain yer behavior?” she riposted, beginning to enjoy tormenting him.

He came even closer and bent down so they were virtually nose to nose. Defiant, Lillie inclined her head backwards, facing him down.

“D’ye nae remember what happened between us last night?” he hissed.

Lillie’s stomach clenched as shameful visions arose in her mind’s eye of how he had pleasured her and her own wanton behavior. But she refused to let him see he had touched a nerve.

“Aye, I remember,” she admitted, her gaze locked with his.

“And ye think that after that ye can just go around flirtin’ with the healer as ye please, dae ye?” he demanded.

“I dinnae what ye think ye saw, but I was nae flirtin’ with anyone.”