Page 23 of In Bed with a Highland Brute

“Welcome, welcome,” Fergus called across the room, continuing his eager greeting. Unable to sit still, Murdoch’s knee continued to bounce up and down as he stared at Avery across the room.

Already, Avery was marching toward the pair of them, circling the tables and the dancers. Behind him and hot on his heels were the other three, though they shared smiles, clearly amused at the turn of events.

“Forgive the unexpected arrivals, but when I discovered my son was tae be wed, I had tae invite his friends tae come and witness the ceremony.”

Murdoch jerked his head toward his father, realizing that one thing was quickly leading to another. If Fergus had invited them all, then he surely intended the celebration to take place very soon indeed.

“As Murdoch is me eldest son,” Fergus paused long enough to clap Murdoch on the shoulder again. Any hope Murdoch might have had of leaping from his chair and escaping the room before Avery reached him was gone. He was stuck to the spot. “We shall celebrate his wedding tae Eloise first. In the next two weeks, we shall see them wed.”

“Two weeks?” Eloise spluttered quietly beside Murdoch. Her hand reached for him under the table and gripped his bouncing thigh, making it fall still. The tightness of her touch was an unwelcome distraction at this time. His eyes shot down to her hold, for that touch was high on his thigh, again. “Murdoch! Dae something,” she hissed.

“What can I ddae?” he asked, his voice as quiet as her own.

The hall now erupted in applause, with many wishing them well.

“Hurrah!”

“Two weddings in a month, aye, what a celebration that will be.”

“All the laird’s sons married. What children there will be running around soon!”

Children!?

Murdoch’s eyes shot to Eloise. Everything was changing. Now he and Eloise were expected to produce bairns? This was only supposed to be for a few days!

“Murdoch?” Avery called to him through the commotion. Murdoch’s eyes darted to Avery and the redness of his cheeks. His wife, Callie, took his arm and tried to hold him back, still with the humor on her face. Plainly, Avery could not find the same humor that the others could in this situation.

“Now, for a celebratory dance,” Fergus took control of the room again, his voice booming across the crowd. “I’d like tae invite both of my sons and their betrotheds tae dance one more time for us all, so we may cheer their happy unions.”

Murdoch would have happily denied dancing, for he had little love for it, but with Avery marching toward him, practically pushing a tartan-clad guard out of the way to get to him, suddenly dancing seemed like a great idea. He snatched Eloise’s hand off his thigh and stood.

“What are ye doing?” she whispered in panic as he drew her around the table. Applause sounded louder as the pipers took up their places, all standing on a bench ready to begin the next song.

“Ye and I must talk before we speak tae Avery. We need tae ken what we are going tae tell him.”

“And ye think I can talk with ye throwing me in the air fer a volta!?”

“Try, Eloise,” he whispered with a challenging smile as they reached the dance floor. “We should behave if we are tae convince our friends as well as everyone else here.”

Eloise was clearly nervous, swallowing awkwardly as he led her toward the floor. When she didn’t object anymore, Murdoch turned to watch his brother and Harper take to the floor too. Harper appeared nervous, hanging her head with her hand not completely in Clyde’s own. Clyde was only too happy to be on the floor and smiled at those watching on, applauding him.

“Murdoch!” Avery called again, but his voice was half lost under the cheers.

Murdoch halted in the hall, releasing Eloise as they curtsied and bowed to one another. Over her shoulders, his eyes flicked to look at Avery. He was now not only being held back by Callie, but Ian too, who had a hand on his shoulder. It was rather like watching a feeble farmer try to hold back a raging bull, for Avery’s face was so red that the sinews in his neck had grown taut.

“Forget killing me with one look,” Murdoch muttered to Eloise. “He wants tae kill me with his bare hands for this.”

“He is my brother. Of course, he is going tae be protective,” Eloise murmured, stepping closer toward him. When she came so near, Murdoch’s eyes flicked down to meet hers. At this close proximity, he was lost in her sweet scent. It was a distraction with the liquor in his system and the difficulty of Avery being nearby.

“What dae we dae now?” he whispered.

“Well, ye wanted tae dance, did ye nae?”

Murdoch offered his hand to Eloise and pulled her in for another dance. His gaze dwelled on her as the music filled the air, far more dramatic than the last piece they had danced to. As he urged her from side to side, his other hand came up around her waist, and he could have sworn that the brush of his fingers made her gasp. Her lips parted, did they not? As if his touch did something to her.

“What are we going tae dae?” she whispered, as he turned her around to face the other way, so they danced opposite Harper and Clyde.

“I cannae face any questions, Eloise,” he murmured in her ear. By bending down toward her, he tried to affect the illusion of whispering loving things to her, rather than the panicked whispers that were ensuing.