Love in the Time of a Highland Laird (A Laird for All Time Book 3) by Angeline Fortin (whitelam books .TXT) 📗

days when he wore little more than a simple linen shirt and a kilt, later adding a jacket and waistcoat for meals, Keir was once again dressed much as he’d been that first day she’d met him in the library. This time in a jacket of navy blue with a striped waistcoat beneath it. He wore a neckcloth tied in an intricate knot at the base of his throat and his thick black hair was once more bound at his nape. The only exception was instead of wearing stockings and shoes, he wore his shiny black knee boots and carried a tricorn hat tucked beneath his arm.

He did indeed appear ready to go out.

“I couldn’t wear that heavy thing,” she said. “It’s just too hot outside and even in here for that. Please don’t blame Peigi. She tried.”

“That thing was a riding habit. I planned on us traveling today,” he told her.

“Traveling on horseback?” she asked, lifting her brows in surprise.

He nodded crisply to one of the younger footman hovering nearby and spoke to him in rapid Gaelic. He ran off eagerly to do his master’s bidding.

“Let me guess,” he said after the man was gone. “Ye dinnae ride.”

“I’ve never been on a horse in my life.”

“Never?” he asked, offering his arm and leading her outside while Archie held the door open for them. The sun was already beating down on them, bouncing off the stone of the castle for enhanced solar effect.

He might not have approved of her choice of dresses, but she was glad for the lighter gown. Though she didn’t think he really minded much. He’d watched her entire descent of the stairs with hungry, hooded eyes. Though she’d never been much of a lace gal and sometimes felt silly in the overly decorative dresses Peigi plied her with, the way he watched her when she was dressed up made her feel beautiful. And wanted.

“Nae even the one on yer grandmother’s farm?”

“What? Oh, no. Especially not that one.”

Awaiting them were two saddled horses. One, the evil thing of Keir’s who she was so well-acquainted with. The other, dainty and brown, impatiently shaking out its long blondish mane.

“I picked her just for ye,” he said. “She’s mild of temper, I promise ye. Ye dinnae want tae gi’ it a try?”

“I don’t know.” Al tweaked at her earlobe and gnawed on her lip. She looked fairly nice. But… “Maybe. Someday.”

With a low chuckle, he stroked his horse’s head, scratching it affectionately behind the ears. “How do ye travel then?”

“You don’t really want me to go there, do you?”

But he did, she could see it. As usual, his curiosity was limitless, his desire to learn everything about her time attractive in its own right.

“Well, I can give you the long or short version. How long do we have?”

As she spoke, a black carriage pulled by four bay horses came around the corner of the castle and stopped in front of them. A groom rushed forward to lead the two saddled mounts away.

Keir opened the door and turned back to her with a broad grin. “It seems we’ll hae all day.”

“Great,” she drawled unenthusiastically, grimacing as she squinted up into the closed interior.

Archie shuffled forward to help her climb into the creaking contraption. She thanked him but he just clucked his tongue and shut the door on her.

Keir reopened it and grinned up at her. “Do ye suppose he thought I wisnae going wi’ ye?”

“Going where exactly?”

“’Tis a surprise.”

“You and your surprises. I think you’re doing this just to have a captive audience,” she grumbled.

“We might hae had a enjoyable day on horseback.”

“Don’t be a pain in my ass.”

His laughter echoed off the carriage walls as he climbed in and sat opposite her, tossing his hat to the side. “Grieg,” he called out the window at the footman as he returned. “Dinnae forget tae hae Peigi be on her way after us wi’in the hour.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Why that sneaky bitch,” she sighed.

“Bitch? Och, lass, if Peigi has been anything other than polite wi’ ye, I’ll hae her replaced immediately.”

“No! No, it’s just that she knew about this all along. She should have said something.”

“But I told her nae tae,” he said. “I wanted it tae be a…”

“A surprise. I know.” She glanced out the small window as the carriage jerked into motion. The sun was already high in the sky. Those little windows didn’t look like they’d provide any sort of real air flow. “Did it ever occur to you that I don’t like surprises?”

“’Tis only fair, wee lassie, that I hae a share of them for ye when ye provide me wi’ so many every day.”

“I can’t wait to tell you about the space shuttle,” she murmured under her breath. “There’s a surprise for you.”

“So, tell me aboot yer modes of travel,” he said, settling in his seat and lifting one leg so that his ankle rested comfortably on his knee.

“I should deny you the pleasure until you tell me where we’re going.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Do as ye will, lass. We can pass the hours instead wi’ me showing ye another way for a man and his lady tae while away the time in a closed carriage such as this.”

She colored at the innuendo. “I think you’d die from shock if I took you up on that.”

“From pleasure, lass. From pure pleasure. I can easily imagine how the day might pass.” He raked his warm gaze down her body. A shot of pure desire sent shivers down the same path. His eyes traveled up once more, and when he spoke, his voice had lowered in timber. “‘Twould be a most agreeable time indeed. Would ye like me tae elaborate?”

Her eyes widened. She’d hadn’t thought he would continue to pursue this. No, she imagined he would tempt and retreat just as he had been doing for the past few days. A little verbal allusion here, a stray touch or caress there. But that was it.

Could he tell she was tired of denying