Bridgette scowled. “I ken how Imust sound, but having a pretty face has nae been to my benefit, as much as yemay think. No one pays me any heed when I speak, and what benefit is a prettyface if the only man ye want does nae seem affected by it?”
“I understand,” Marion replied. Shelinked her arm through Bridgette’s. “We will simply have to come up with a plotto get Lachlan to see you. But right now, I’m starving and I don’t want to missmy opportunity to eat supper.”
Bridgette’s eyes grew wide. “Wemust make haste! Once they put the food out, Scots—men and women both—tend tofall on the trenchers as if they’ve nae eaten in a year. If we’re fortunate,they’ve nae brought out the rest of the food yet.”
“And if we’re not fortunate?”Marion inquired.
“Then there will likely be nothingleft and we’ll have to either ask the kitchen women for more, or if it’s likemy home, we’ll go to the kitchen later and slip our own food out of thestocks.”
“If there’s none left, I’d ratherprocure my own food than put anyone to any more trouble,” Marion said.
“I feel the same way. Come.”Bridgette tugged her out the door and toward the stairs. “Let us hope thattonight we are fortunate.”
Marion nodded and hurried down thestairs with Bridgette to the great hall below.
With the general merriment in the great hall, combinedwith Iain’s growing concern that Marion had not yet shown for supper and thefact that he could see Fiona and Alanna whispering at the long table to theright of the dais, he missed what Lachlan had said to him. He only knew Lachlanhad addressed him at all when his brother gave Iain a half-exasperated,half-amused look.
Iain took a long drink of his wine,trying to force himself to attend to his surroundings as he usually did. “Whatdid ye say?”
“I asked if we should be expectingtrouble from the knight yer wife was supposed to marry.”
Iain didn’t need to ponder hisanswer. “Aye. And from her father, as well.”
“Her father?” Lachlan asked,incredulity saturating his words. “Should we nae call her father an ally nowthat ye married his daughter?”
Iain shook his head. “Baron de Lacywanted her to wed Froste and would have defied the orders of his king to makeit so.”
“But why?”
Iain sat back as a serving wenchappeared before him. “Laird, it’s good to have ye home,” she said.
“Thank ye.” He nodded as she setthe trencher of meat before him. She leaned forward, licked her lips, andbatted her eyes in invitation. Iain turned away only to find Lachlan eyeing thewench. Iain gave his brother a hard kick under the table.
“What was that for?” Lachlandemanded, his face flushing red.
“Do ye nae think it’s time tocommit yerself to one lass?” he hissed.
Lachlan’s jaw tensed. “I would ifthe right lass were willing.”
“I’m willing,” the serving girlsaid with a giggle.
“Return to the kitchen, Lillias,”Iain said evenly.
“Why’d ye do that?” Lachlandemanded, as Lillias walked off, swaying her hips. “Are ye jealous because sheturned her sights to me so quickly?”
“Nay. I dunnae wish for anyone butmy wife. And ye ken as well as I do that Lillias is nae the right lass for ye,so dunnae trifle with her emotions.”
Lachlan drummed his fingers on thetable and smiled devilishly. “If I trifle, I’ll make sure she knows I dunnaewish to marry her. Will that suffice,laird?”
Iain grunted. “I suppose. Why do yenae find a lass who ye could care for?”
Lachlan scowled. “Who says I havenae but that she’s nae willing?”
“What do ye mean?” Iain asked.
Lachlan scrubbed a hand over hisface and glanced to his side, where Graham sat in conversation with Cameron.When Lachlan turned back to Iain, he wore a guarded expression. “Nothing. Imean nothing.”
Iain was about to question hisbrother further when a frenzy at the entrance to the great hall captured hisattention. Whistles came from a table near the front, and one of the benchesscraped the floor as several of the younger, rowdier of Iain’s men seemed to begood-naturedly fighting among themselves to get to whomever was coming intosupper. Within seconds, Broch, one of the larger of his fighting men, walkedthrough the crowd, Bridgette on one arm and Marion on the other.
