Page 12 of In Bed with a Scot

“Nor had I. It was good tae see her. They are resting now before the evening meal, but I am looking forward tae spending time with her in the coming days,” Arran answered, giving Keelin a hug.

“How long will she be staying?”

“I dinnae ken, but I plan tae keep her here fer as long as she will allow.”

“Fer as long as her husband will allow,” Keelin grumbled under her breath.

“Aye,” Arran agreed with a frown. Sighing, he offered Keelin his arm.

“I see that me usual room is taken, since it was originally hers,” Keelin said with a smile.

“Dinnae fear. We will find ye a place tae rest,” Arran reassured her.

“I am nae afraid. I will simply take yer room from ye if I must,” she informed him with laughter in her eyes.

Arran laughed, shaking his head. “I would probably let ye, but I am certain that we have another room that ye can stay in.”

Madden watched this entire exchange with a smile. Keelin got along with everyone. She was at home no matter where she went. It never ceased to amaze him how she could wrap any man in the room around her finger in a matter of mere moments. In the excitement of the two cousins seeing each other once more, Madden had been forgotten in the shuffle. As if he suddenly realized this, Arran turned to Madden with an inquisitive look.

“Are ye going tae introduce me tae yer man?” Arran asked Keelin.

Keelin smiled. “He is nae me man. He is me friend. This is Madden Kinnaird. Madden is a warrior and advisor fer the Laird Hamilton. The two of ye have much in common.”

Arran looked Madden over, assessing him in a glance. “I have heard of ye. Ye had quite the reputation in France among the fighting men.”

“Keelin tells me that ye were in France fer some time,” Madden replied, brushing aside the mention of his reputation on the battlefield.

“Aye, I was. Perhaps we could share a dram, and reminisce together while ye are here,” Arran offered.

“Aye, perhaps,” Madden nodded, not committing to anything. He was not certain how long Keelin planned to stay and did not wish to make any promises that he could not keep.

“Dae ye mind sharing accommodations with me man Lorcan here?” Arran inquired, with a lifted brow.

“Nae, I dinnae mind.” Turning to Lorcan, he smiled. “How is yer snoring?”

“Exemplary,” Lorcan answered with pride, causing the four of them to dissolve into laughter.

“We should get along just fine,” Madden answered Arran as they moved further into the hall towards the stairs that led up to the bedchambers in question.

As they approached the stairs, Madden looked up in shock to see the woman from the inn descending the stairs in all of her beautiful glory. His mouth dropped open and he stopped in his tracks, stunned into silence. She did the same.

“Isabelle!” Keelin’s voice rang out with joy as she bounded up the remaining stairs to embrace her cousin. “It has been too long.”

“Aye, it has,” Isabelle agreed, returning Keelin’s embrace. She looked over the top of Keelin’s head at Madden. Their eyes met in question, but neither said a word.

“Isabelle, there is someone that I would like fer ye tae meet.” Keelin grabbed Isabelle’s hand and pulled her toward Madden. “This is me dearest friend in all of the world, Madden Kinnaird. Madden, this is me cousin, the Lady Isabelle Sutherland, wife tae the Laird Bain Sutherland.”

Madden’s heart thumped hard in his chest.

She is married.

He could not believe that it had happened again. Anger flared in his mind and heart. “Lady Sutherland,” he greeted through gritted teeth.

Isabelle inclined her head to his greeting but did not return it.

“Kinnaird,” the man standing next to her spoke, eyeing Madden. “I have heard of ye. Ye are a warrior of reputation.”

“Me husband, the Laird Bain Sutherland,” Isabelle introduced them, giving Madden an almost imperceptible shake of the head. Her eyes pleaded with him not to say anything about the night that they had spent together. Madden, still in too much shock to do much of anything else, said nothing.