Alex nodded. “Good. We’ll hunttomorrow to salute our being together again.”
Iain smiled. Alex prided himself inbeing the best hunter, but the last time they’d hunted together, Iain hadkilled more animals. Iain chuckled. “Does it take yer sleep at night that Ishot more deer than ye last time?”
Alex grinned. “Aye, it does, andtomorrow I’ll take my rightful place back as the best hunter. Yer men arewelcome to come. I can leave Archibald to guard Marion, if ye’re worried. He’llbe annoyed, but it does good to remind him he’s nae laird.”
Iain frowned. “Does he try to actlike the laird?”
“Nae overtly but he does subtlethings, such as alter orders I’ve given.”
“Why do ye allow that?”
“I dunnae. Which is why he’s sooften in trouble. Do ye want me to tell him to stay with Marion tomorrow?”
“Nay. She’s like a daughter toAngus. I’ll leave him to guard her.”
Alex nodded and added, “I thinkI’ll leave Archibald anyway. He was insolent earlier.”
“That might be best,” Iain agreed,thinking of Marion. “Trouble does seem to find my wife.”
Alex chuckled. “Bridgette has aknack for finding trouble, too, so the two of them together likely needminding.”
“I’m nae worried about today,” Iainreplied. “I told Marion to stay in her bedchamber until I came for her, so I’mcertain she will.”
“Well, since ye’re nae worried,come to the training fields with me. Some of my men need a good lesson inhumility, and ye’re just the man to give it to them.”
What Iain really wanted to do wasgo see if Marion was bathing and possibly join her, but when Alex smileddevilishly and said, “Unless ye kinnae bear to be without yer new bride for afew hours.”
Iain shook his head. A strong pullto Marion already burned within him. Relinquishing the chance to see her nowwas the perfect opportunity to prove he was master over how he felt about her.“Seeing her at supper will be soon enough,” he said, willing himself to feel itdeep into his bones.
Ten
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Marion askedBridgette as the woman strode ahead of her and led them deeper and deeper intothe woods, and farther and farther away from the castle and bedchamber—whichshe’d yet to see—where Iain had ordered she await him.
Bridgette suddenly stopped andwhipped around to face Marion. “Do ye prefer I take ye to yer chamber to waitlike an obedient dog for Iain to come fetch ye, or do ye want to come with meto see the traveling seer? Since ye followed when I gave ye yer choices, Iguessed ye had a bit of courage and liked adventure. Perchance I was wrong.”
Nervous, Marion caught the insideof her cheek between her teeth. She didn’t think she believed anyone had theability to tell the future,yetsince she’dnever met a seer, she couldn’t say for sure whether she believed or not. Shewasn’t feeling very curious about it at the moment, though, as the shadows grewlong and the sunlight faded. And she desperately wanted to remove her grimygown and bathe.
But she’d allowed her anger atbeing ordered about to cause her to make a reckless decision. At least heranger seemed to be cooling, but unfortunately so did the temperature. It stillwould have been wiser to stay in her bedchamber until Iain returned and thentalk to him. If Iain discovered she had deliberately disobeyed him, she wascertain he’d be angry. The man seemed to be awfully concerned with her safety,and she doubted he’d consider it safe for two women to go traipsing alonethrough the woods. And he’d be right. They should go back.
She swallowed. “It’s just that—”
“Ye’re afeared?” Bridgetteinterrupted.
Marion hated to be called a coward.“No, but I am considering how angry this will make Iain if he comes to get meand we’ve not yet returned.”
Bridgette plunked her hands on herhips. “Do ye care if he’s angry? Do ye like being ordered about, then? Ye didnae seem to care for it when he did it. Yer eyes narrowed and yer face got allred.”
“That is insensible,” Marionsnapped, irritated that this woman who barely knew her was making judgmentsabout her character. “I don’t like being ordered about, but well, my marriagehas not started well,” she blurted, feeling suddenly overwhelmed.
Bridgette’s face, which had beenset in hard lines, suddenly softened, and her eyes widened. She rushed toMarion and threw an arm around her shoulder. “I could see that! That’s why I’mtrying to help ye! I ken Iain. He and my brother have been friends since beforeI was born. I could see that ye like him but that he’s still clinging to Catriona’sghost.”
Marion cringed that Bridgette haddiscerned so much from their short encounter. “What makes you think I likehim?” She didn’t bother to ask what made Bridgette think Iain was still in lovewith his dead wife. That was obvious enough by the things he’d said, but she’dthought she’d concealed that she wished her husband cared for her.
Bridgette rolled her eyes. “Yestare at him with the longing of one who desires to be seen, for one thing.”
Marion’s cheeks burned. “Oh,” wasall she managed to say. She was so embarrassed.
Bridgette patted Marion on theshoulder again. “For another, I saw the way yer face fell when the clot-heidtold me to get ye yer own chamber. Is he refusing to complete the marriage?”
