A Laird for All Time by Angeline Fortin (room on the broom read aloud txt) 📗

denied it.  “What?  That’s ridiculous!”  Want her, yes.  Like her, no.  Nobody ever said the two had to go hand in hand.  There was certainly little else about her that he seemed to care for.   Indeed, all they had done so far was fight. “Not that I believe you, but why do you say that?”

“Oh, small comments he has made today,” Ian shrugged.  “He seems to admire your forthright commentary and new earthiness.”

Emmy’s eyes widened in surprise.  It was hard to imagine Connor voicing admiration though she had seen it in his eyes but assumed it was only admiration for her looks.  Other than that, his dark eyes had reflected either anger or need every time she had met his gaze the previous day and even just now.  He was angry with his wife and it showed.  He wanted her…and it showed it the deep turbulent heat of brown eyes.  He wanted her and it angered him more.  When he’d had her back up to the wall the night before, the want and need in his eyes had been so compelling she had almost lost her self-control.  “He does?” she tried for a nonchalant tone.

“Aye, you used to be much more like Dorcas.  More serious-minded.”

“Hmmm,” she shook the lustful thoughts off and tucked that all away to think about later. “Well, Dory is what I wanted to talk to you about.  But first, I am curious, how did you meet?”

“Dorcas arrived about ten months or so after you left…very well,” Ian sighed at her arch look, “after Heather left.  She had not been able to come for the wedding as their mother had been ill and then stayed home afterward to nurse their father through the illness that yo…Heather’s departure had prompted.  An illness of the heart, I understand.  When he died, the properties not entailed came into Connor’s possession as her sister’s husband since Heather was the elder daughter and there were no other heirs.  Dory was his responsibility at that point so, naturally, she came here to live.”

Another dependent here to live off the earl.  Emmy had much she wished to say about relatives who came to Duart to sponge off Connor but kept her opinions to herself.  “So she came here, met you and you married,” she summed it up.

“Aye, that’s about it.”

“What did Connor think of that?” she couldn’t resist asking.

“He was not here when she arrived,” Ian confessed looking a bit regretful.  “He had gone to London searching for…regardless, he was not here.  By the time he returned, I had already asked Dorcas to wed with me.”  He stared pensively off over the waters shoving his hands deep in his pockets.  “Ye should have seen him when he returned and first saw her here.  His rage was terrible as he naturally thought her to be Heather.  It was not for years that he would…could address her directly.  I confess they have never gotten on well as I am sure you can tell, but Dorcas…” he trailed off with a little sigh.

“You love her,” Emmy confirmed with some amazement for it seemed he loved her dearly despite her prickly manner.

“Very much,” he grinned sheepishly.  “She is not as stern on the inside as she portrays in public.  She is softhearted if somewhat proper.  She believes deeply in the rules of our society.  She simply likes things to be as they should.”

“We call that anal and neurotic where I come from,” she muttered.  “So you love her and she’s pregnant now,” she paused as Ian blushed himself. Obviously such talk wasn’t only taboo among the women of Duart. “But it seems that Dory has been risking her health and that of your child in an attempt to keep herself from appearing unattractive to you.”

“What?” he questioned in surprise.  “I don’t understand.”

“You haven’t had sex since she found out she was pregnant,” Emmy said matter-of-factly and had trouble hiding her amusement as Ian stammered and blushed.

“Connor said you were more forthright!” he choked in understatement unable to meet her gaze directly.

“Yea, well,” Emmy shrugged, “I’ve never really seen the point of beating around the bush.”  Plus it was sort of amusing to watch the shocked faces of those around her when she said something like that.  “The point is Dory feels that you don’t find her attractive in her pregnancy and thinks that she needs to camouflage it as much as possible by wearing a corset that does the baby no favors.”

“That woman!” Ian shook his head ruefully.  “I had no idea she felt that way.  She’s never been one to…well, she’s never been as forthright as you are.  That maddening woman!” he ran a hand threw his hair.  “Naturally I feel the same attractions toward her.  But she’s already lost three bairns…”

“I’m not saying that you’re not justified in your fears, Ian,” she went on as he trailed off, patting his arm.  “Given her history, you do need to be careful.  You are right to be cautious.  Without having examined her, I cannot say to what extent.  But I am pretty sure you’re a creative enough man to realize there are a whole load of activities that can take place in a bedroom that don’t involve actual intercourse.”  She shot him a wink and dimpled cheek.

He blushed and blustered again in a way she had never seen on a grown man and she laughed out loud.  “Oh!  You should see your face!”

“Your mouth, woman!  Tis almost too much to contend with!” he complained.

“Alright, alright!”  Emmy lifted her hands playfully to ward him off.  “I’ll try to lay off the shock factor with you.  Seriously though, I think I can get her to lay off the corset but her stress over this whole situation between the two of you isn’t good for her or the baby.  I’m sure a little extra affection and a big ‘O’ will go a long way toward mellowing her out a bit.”

She gave him a nudge towards the castle with