“Ye ken better than te lie,” Anguschided. “And te force a servant te lie, as well.” Angus caught Iain’s eyequickly as if to say,Allow me. Iain nodded, relieved that someone elsewould prove the point. He was loath to cause Marion any further embarrassment.
Angus placed his hands on hershoulders. “Ye could cost the woman in there her position in this household ifthe MacLean decides she’s nay longer worthy.”
“Surely, he’d not do that!”
“He could,”Angusreplied.
A look of horror crossed Marion’sface, and she slipped from Angus’s hold and started past Iain. He snagged herby the elbow. “Where are ye going?”
“To talk to your friend and beg himnot to do such a thing.”
Iain met Angus’s gaze. “Leave us.”
“Likely wise.”Anguschuckled as he walked past them toward the stairs.
Iain expected Rory Mac to follow,but his friend just stood there with a look of amusement on his face.
“Why are ye still here?” Iaingrowled, his patience slipping away.
Rory Mac’s smile grew to a grin. “Ithought ye may need my counsel in speaking to yer wife since ye’ve nae had todo such things in so long.”
“Rory Mac,” Iain warned.
The Scot threw up his hands in agesture of surrender. “I can see ye nae want my help,” he said. “I’ll just gosee how Neil is faring.”
“Where is Neil?” Marion asked.
Rory Mac chuckled. “The healer hastold him he must stay abed, which has made him verra angry.”
Marion nodded. “The healer iswise.”
“Aye, but that does nae make iteasier for Neil,” Rory Mac replied, then turned and departed.
When the corridor fell silent, Iainfaced Marion. “Alex is a reasonable laird and would nae punish a servant forfollowing the command of his sister. But ye did nae ken that. Ye simply consentedto what Bridgette proposed.” When Marion opened her mouth to speak, Iain heldup a staying hand. Truly, he didn’t want to admonish his wife. He wanted totake her in his arms and bring her pleasure. Yet certain things had to be said forher own good. “Ye disobeyed me.”
Her chin jutted out. “I’m not adog.”
He frowned. That was the secondtime she’d mentioned this. Something needed to change, and he was willing toadmit it might be the way he was treating her. He was used to giving orders andsimply being obeyed. And the truth was, Catriona had done as he’d said, untilthe very end, and had never questioned him. It had not occurred to him untiljust now that he was interacting with Marion, who was headstrong and certainlynot meek, as he’d always interacted with Catriona. He’d told Marion that a wifemust listen, but he would try to listen, too.
He took Marion’s hand in his. “Idunnae think ye are a dog, but I see that I’ve been ordering ye about. I wantto explain and see if we can come to an understanding.”
Her eyes widened in clear shock.“You want to come to an understanding with me?”
“Aye,” he said simply.
Marion threw her arms around himand hugged him hard. “Thank you, Iain.”
He ran his hands up the length ofhis wife’s small back and pressed her close until her body molded to his. Hadhe known that simply telling his wife he wanted to understand her would pleaseher so—and get her in his arms—he would have told her the day they’d met.
“Why do ye thank me for wanting tounderstand you?” Really, he thought he knew, but he didn’t want to make assumptions.
Marion pulled back and traced herfinger along his chest. His muscles jumped to awareness under her tenderministrations. “My father never tried to understand me. He did not think meworthy enough of understanding, so it means a great deal to me that you aremaking an effort.” She offered him a sweet smile that made his breath hitch.
He cleared histhroatand forced himself to concentrate on what he wanted to say and not how nice shefelt pressed against him all womanly and soft. “Ye must understand that asleader of a clan of six hundred men, I kinnae have my wife openly defying me.Why would they think they need to follow my orders if my own wife does nae?”
She quirked her mouth. “I canunderstand what you mean, but do you never take the counsel of your men if theychallenge your orders?”
“They dunnae challenge me.”
