Fletcher held up his hands. “I need tae return tae the Mrs. She’ll be on me case again if I come home stinkin’ of ale and smoke.”
The two younger men laughed and clapped the older man on the shoulders. They walked with him for a bit back towards the castle, and then Fletcher moved towards the stable to saddle his horse. William and Jamie continued walking.
“So, lad, have ye thought any more about my provoking and inspiring words?” William made a grand sweeping gesture with his arms to display his superiority.
Jamie rubbed his neck and wiped the sweat from his brow once again. “Aye. I say we both complete part of the bet punishment and arrive only half naked at the next clan meeting.”
William grumbled, “Bloody hell, yer as bad as they come! I’d almost rather be spending me days with that leech, Donald.”
Jamie smirked at William’s frustration.
“Nay, I mean the words about ye being besotted like a lovesick dog with Amelia and not wantin’ tae admit it.”
Jamie rubbed his beard and nodded. “Och, those provoking and inspiring words.”
They walked slowly, their tall boots covered in mud, and the warmth of the afternoon drying the sweat on their faces. “Aye. I have...I plan on presenting Amelia with me grandmother’s ring.”
William stopped, and Jamie only noticed he’d lost pace with his friend after a few steps. He turned around to see a beaming and grinning William, arms crossed over his broad chest. “Bloody foking hell,” William said, “The womanizing laird gets made an honest man. I’ll hate tae tell all the lasses down at the gambling hall.” He winked.
He walked up to Jamie and shook his hand. “Excellent news. A laird needs a wife tae keep him in line. Ye willnae be gettin’ too cocky with a wife like her.” He hit Jamie on the shoulder. He sighed and walked on. “Well, I’ll miss ye when we go on our nights to gamble and carouse, but I confess, I’ll be happy tae have all the attention now.”
Jamie laughed heartily. “Aye, I’ll need to send another lad down with ye tae give ye a bit more competition.” He paused. “We donnae know if she’ll say yes, of course. She is unpredictable, that woman.”
“Have ye had any more of yer...romps?” William chuckled to see his friend’s discomfort.
“Nay, I’ve been avoiding her, tae be honest.”
“Doesnae sound like a man on the verge of proposal.” William looked at him, confused.
“I don’t know. Now that I knew I wanted tae ask her, I was afraid I’d…”
William laughed. “Lost yer touch in the realm of women, have ye? I like Amelia even more now, to make ye want tae cower at the threat of ‘battle’”.
“I’d never lose me touch, lad. Want me tae return tae the whorehouse with ye?” Jamie jokingly threatened.
William held his hands up in mock fear. “Fine, fine. Donnae get yer breeches twisted about it. What are ye afraid of?”
“Afraid I’ll somehow show her my feelings before I’m ready tae. I think I fear the rejection.”
“Good lord, this woman has ye spouting all kinds of rubbish. Donnae be afraid, ye idiot. What comes will come. And ye both should too.” William burst into a fit of laughter, and Jamie rolled his eyes.
Soon, they came upon Amelia at the bench by the castle, writing furiously. Jamie’s body tensed, worried about what to say to her. It had been a few days since their last kiss, and they had not really spoken.
William approached her first. “I see the poetess is hard at work. I think I’d prefer this type of work tae lifting heavy boulders with this bastard.”
Amelia looked up, squinting, and smiled at William. “I’d like to see what you would write, William. I bet that you’re secretly a romantic and have plenty of love poems in that mind of yours, simply waiting to be read to the right woman.”
She winked, and then turned her gaze to Jamie. The smile she was wearing dropped, and her lips opened slightly in surprise. She had only seen him lately in the dark of the evening. Now out in the sun, he was beautiful. His green eyes were greener than ever in the blaze of the warm afternoon, matching perfectly with the lush green at their feet. His shirt was open a few buttons, and Amelia could see his sweat glistening on his strong chest and his muscled forearms. His hair was back, but pieces had fallen out and were following the breeze’s direction. His beard had been clipped, and it also shone with sweat in the sun. His mouth was turned up in a beautiful smile, his teeth gleaming, looking directly at her.
“Right, well I’ll be off then and let ye two lovebirds have yer way with one another.”
Amelia flushed and turned towards William. “How does a woman keep her composure around such an impertinent ass as you, William?” Jamie started laughing and William followed suit.
“I don’t want women tae keep their composure. What’s the fun in that?” He smirked and turned and walked away towards the castle, leaving Jamie and Amelia alone.
There was a slight pause before Jamie sat down next to her on the bench. Amelia could feel the heat filling her the nearer he came. She started to breath quicker. She hoped he didn’t notice. She was worried he was about to tell her that he did not want a repeat of the events of last week. Something must be wrong with her.
“What are ye writin’ lass?” Jamie leaned back on the bench his elbows lifted to rest on the top of it.
“‘Tis none of your concern until it is finished and ready to be read.”
Jamie smirked and leaned in close to her ear, his lips touching the edge of the lobe slightly. “I want ye tae be my concern.”
Her whole body tingled at this surprise gesture. She felt frozen, locked to this position. He could do whatever he wanted at that moment.
Jamie remained there for a moment, and then whispered, “May I return to yer room this evening, Miss Parker?”
Amelia was so surprised and relieved at the revelation, she could only nod.
In response. Jamie pressed a kiss to her ear, and then stood. Seeing her shocked expression, he laughed before turning away to walk back to the castle.
Amelia stared at his back for a long while, watching the broad shoulders move in his gait, seeing the muscles straining to be free from the white shirt which clung even tighter on him because of the sweat. She swallowed. He wanted to be with her again. A frisson of lovely anticipation trickled through her core. She sat back in the bench, simply letting the feelings wash over her. “He’s still a cad, but he makes it impossible for me to resist him.” She wanted to laugh, but then a new feeling threaded threw her, adding to the ache of physical need. She couldn’t quite put it into words, but then she looked down at the story poem she had been feverishly writing since morning.
Her character, Agnes, had left her homeland to find freedom and peace, and she met a man, Jerrard, in the green hills of her new land, who touched her in ways she never thought were possible. Amelia had been pondering for a long time trying to think of the next line to express Agnes’ thoughts and feelings, but her inspiration for the day had only gone so far. She closed her eyes and thought of Jamie. She smelled him in her mind, peppermint and rosemary. She thought of the way trickles of sweat made paths down his hard body. She thought of how much he loved his mother and missed his father. She thought back to their discussions of books and their love of stories. She remembered how the pairing of their lips felt like two coals ignited by fire.
She then moved her pencil across the page, filling in the last few lines of a stanza:
To be near him was bliss, every inch of her afire
Her heart was his, for too long she had been a liar.
She let the words swirl around her mind. This poem was about her. It was about Jamie. She was in love with Jamie Kinnaird.
Chapter Twenty-One
The next morning, Amelia awoke, curled into Jamie’s chest. She smiled lazily, letting the memory of yesterday evening, their bodies intertwined in the act of passion. It had been fiery, more urgent than before, and Amelia knew why, for herself. She had opened up more to him and f
elt a warmth in her heart at his touch. She never wanted it to end, but she knew it would eventually have to. That’s why she wanted to take him how she could. A Scottish laird would never want an impoverished, disgraced woman, whose father had gambled away their inheritance. What a disgrace. If this is how she could have Jamie, then this is what she must do.
She smoothed her hand on his chest, and Jamie slowly woke up, turning to place a kiss atop her head. “Good morning, lass.” Amelia was gifted with a bright smile. She leaned up to kiss him deeply. Their lips slanted across each other, their tongues vying for position between them. Amelia felt her core begin to heat again when she pulled away. “I must prepare for the day.”
Jamie moved his arms behind his head. Amelia moved a finger down and across the muscles there, not wanting to leave the bed.
“Ye are quite the minx, ye know? One-minute yer eyes and lips are full of passion and desire, and then the next, yer slipping away tae attend tae some task, leaving me bereft...and a little bit hard. ‘Tis not fair.”
Amelia chuckled. “Nothing is fair, Laird Jamie. We cannot all have what we want.” She smiled and moved the covers to leave the bed.
Jamie watched her naked form walk to the closet to retrieve a robe. He had turned up on his elbow to watch her. “Ye know, lass, I knew I would love the look of yer naked derriere the moment I grabbed it in my hands on that first day…”
She threw him a dark look after she put on a dressing gown. “Yer were quite the cad then, to be sure. Grabbing unsuspecting women! For shame!”
He laughed and stood up from the bed, walking over to her. Amelia watched his powerful figure padding towards her out of the corner of her eye, wanting to appear in control. He took her face in his hands and gave her one last deep kiss, lingering after it was done before pulling away. Amelia felt her knees weaken but gripped his shoulders to steady herself.
“Have a lovely day, lass.” He winked, and then bent down to pick up his clothes. He quickly donned them, watching her flushed face, and then he left.
Amelia sat by her fire, a languid delight filling her. She knew she must attend to Fiona today, but her mind was full of mixed emotions. She loved him, but there was Donald, and there was her father. She couldn’t let the love flow unbound. She must control it and tether it down, so that when the time came to leave, she could do so with some semblance of strength.
She decided to push it from her mind and dress for the day. As she was dressing, a maid came hurriedly in. It wasn’t unusual, as the maid arrived every morning, but her quick entrance made Amelia question her.
“Miss! There is a carriage just arrived downstairs. ‘Tis a lady and a maid. She said she is here tae see ye, miss!”
Amelia smiled excitedly. “Marianne! Here, Martha, please help me dress, so that I can greet her.”
The maid quickly bowed. “Of course, miss.”
Once Amelia was dressed and ready, she fled down the stairs as quickly as she could to find Fiona, Jamie, and Marianne sitting in the small parlor. Her heart nearly burst. Her dear friend, who had not rejected her after the incident. She practically leapt into the room to clasp Marianne into a tight hug.
“Amelia! So good to see you again!”
Amelia held on for a bit longer. “Marianne, what a surprise! Thank you for coming.”
Marianne pulled away and stared at Amelia with her soft, kind, brown eyes. “You are most welcome, dear friend. Thank you and thank you to Lady and Laird Kinnaird for allowing me to visit you.” She made a motion to them both as they stood next to the tea table. “I apologize for my early arrival, but I just couldn’t resist after the break in the snowstorm. Father and I weren’t far away, and I had heard more snow was to come, so Margrete and I made our way here.”
“Ah, you’ve brought your lady’s maid with you?” Amelia questioned her.
Marianne sat down again, and Amelia followed suit along with Jamie and Fiona. “Yes.” She smiled stiffly. “Father was hesitant to let me come on my own, so he sent me a chaperone to watch over all my comings and goings.” She rolled her eyes.
Fiona smiled next to her. “Fathers can be protective of their young, beautiful daughters. ‘Tis a normal occurrence.”
Marianne sighed, laying her hands in her lap. “I suppose so, and yet, I can’t deny my frustration at being so contained. I had hoped Scotland would bring me a sort of freedom.”
Jamie smiled at this, thinking of what William would say when he beheld this adorable creature. She had light brown hair that was tied back loosely with waves and curls lining her face. She wore a beautiful cream gown with a square neckline and a string of gold. She was a petite woman, but her womanly curves matched her size, and she was most definitely a wealthy lady. Jamie glanced at Amelia quickly, watching her pleased face at the sight of her dear friend. Perhaps, Amelia is a lady as well? He pondered the thought for a moment before excusing himself to begin the day’s work.
Fiona, Amelia, and Marianne chatted on for what seemed like hours. They breakfasted and took the daily stroll with Fiona about the grounds.
“Good lord, Amelia. This place is absolutely stunning. You did not do it justice in your letters.”
The three of them walked arm in arm, heading towards the woods. “Amelia and I walk daily for the fresh air and exercise. I confess it has done me very well. I am lucky to have such a companion.”
Marianne smiled. “My dear friend was always full of advice. She must have read this idea somewhere, I imagine. But yes, it was a great loss to us to have her leave London.”
Amelia tensed briefly, hoping Fiona would not question her as to why Amelia left London. “You both should go and visit your mother, Amelia. I’m sure she is lonely during this time.”
“Of course!” Marianne replied. “I have a few gifts for your mother. I would love to see her as soon as we can.”
Amelia looked at Fiona. “My dear, of course you may go and see your mother. But, do not forget that Donald has requested the clan gather together this evening. Marianne may enjoy meeting everyone.”
“Ah yes, “Amelia replied, a sense of uneasiness growing inside her at the reminder of Donald. He had sent her a note that alerted her to his arrival this afternoon before the meeting to retrieve his prize and for her to earn her next payment. Amelia hoped against hope that all was well, and that her duty to her family was enough to make her blind to everything else.
Fiona then halted her gait. “I will leave you two girls alone to discuss your plans. I have other business to attend to.”
Amelia attempted to disagree, but Fiona stopped her. “No, no, my dear, you two have not seen each other in a long while. Enjoy each other’s company. I will take myself to the gossip of Mrs. Fletcher.” She smiled, wrapped her plaid around her and walked off towards the Fletcher cabin.
Marianne moved to put her arm through Amelia’s, and they continued walking. “So, you must tell me everything of Kinnaird castle and your time here. I see the young laird is devilishly handsome.” Marianne grinned, looking at Amelia’s face for some reaction. “And you blush, I see. Do tell.”
Amelia looked down, trying to think of the words to tell her friend without shocking her too much. “Much has happened since we left London, some of it I fear is dangerous.”
“Oh?” Marianne prodded.
“Yes...I have found myself in love with that devilishly handsome laird you spoke of.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Marianne stopped and turned to her friend, her mouth agape. “Why, that’s wonderful news, Amelia!” Marianne hugged her. “I was so concerned you had not gotten Charles out of your head, and with his wedding...I thought it would crush you.” She smiled again, clasping Amelia’s hands. “I am so happy for you. But how did it all transpire?”
Amelia was about to begin to explain, when she was saved from the intimate details by the pounding of hooves. Both women turned to find Jamie and William approaching on horseback.
“Hello, ladies,” William called to them before halting b
efore them to dismount. Jamie dismounted next to him. Amelia held Marianne’s elbow before turning to smile at William. She said in a proud voice, “Mr. Fraser, this is my friend, Lady Marianne Browne. She has already met Jamie this morning. Marianne, this is Laird Jamie’s good friend, William Fraser.” William’s face was blank as he quickly glanced at Jamie before turning to Marianne to grasp her hand. He bent low over it, but he kept his eyes on her as he kissed it. “Lovely tae make yer acquaintance, me Lady.” He slowly rose and lingered on her hand before letting go. Amelia saw the slightest of flushes cross over Marianne’s face before she nodded and answered, “And you as well, Mr. Fraser.”
Jamie smiled at Amelia from across William’s and Marianne’s hands. He clapped his hands together. “Well, we would love tae show ye ladies around the grounds, but I’m afraid Donald has come early tae the gathering, so we will need tae return home quickly.”
Capturing The Highlander's Heart (Lasses 0f The Kinnaird Castle Book 1) Page 17