Laying his cheek on the top of her head, he stroked her hair, just once.
Angus came puffing up next to him. He was bare-chested, his own kilt wet. “Now see here. You canna be holdin’ her like ye own her. If marryin’ her is the way to lumber contract, it should be fair game for us all.”
Gavin narrowed his eyes at the other man who had sat and laughed as Isla near drowned. “She’s recovering.”
Angus ignored the warning in Gavin’s voice. “Hand her to me then. I’ll see―”
Gavin leaned his face into Angus’. “You’ll keep yer hands to yerself. And don’t be forgetting it.” Gavin rarely lost his temper, but he would fight Angus tooth and nail before he handed over Isla. He’d known Angus as a child, and had never liked him. Always taking other children’s toys, wrecking their games. He found the man no more agreeable.
“I can walk myself.” Isla spoke as she lifted her head and slowly pushed out of his arms.
A strange feeling filled Gavin. He searched for the word to describe it. It was… emptiness. Gavin had enjoyed the company of his fair share of women before he married, and he had been proud of Emily, particularly when they were newlywed. She had been from a good family and it had been an excellent match for him, or so he thought. But he had never felt particularly possessive of any of them, including his wife. But Isla stirred something deep inside of him, untouched before now. A need to protect and a desire to be close. I don't want another wife. And anything other than marriage was out of the question. Whatever this feeling was, it needed to leave him because his future did not include marriage to Isla Maddox or anyone else.
Isla walked over to Tom, in his dripping coat, and reached her hand down. “Get up, you ninny. There’s going to be hell to pay.”
Both Fergal and Angus gave a chuckle, though Gavin tried to look stern, a smile was tugging at the corner of his lips. “Ladies do not curse.” Gavin tried not to laugh as he spoke.
“As it would seem, my father sees you as a perspective suitor, so you may as well know what the others already do. I’m not a lady.” Standing defiantly before him, her chin notched a little farther up, as if she were daring him to disagree. Then she turned to her brother and reached her hand down to deftly pull him up.
His blood, which had just begun to cool, started heating again. Gavin attempted to calm his breathing. A strange need to pull her back into his arms filled him again. Once there, he wanted to touch every part of her unladylike body. What was happening to him? “I’ll take that under advisement.”
Tom was now standing, but his face was pale and shaky. “Don’t tell father what happened.” He cleared his throat and then leaned in to keep the others from hearing. “Please, Isla, he’ll whip me for sure.”
Gavin opened his mouth to tell the boy that he needed to take responsibility for his actions, but Isla was already agreeing. “Fine, but you’ll owe me a favor.”
Tom nodded happily and Gavin had to blink. How could she defend him so?
The group trudged back to the house, Gavin collecting up her discarded clothing. The water had carried them farther than he had expected, but within ten minutes, they had trudged along the bank back to the swimming hole. While the trees covered their view, the sound of several people talking caught Gavin’s attention. Next to him, Isla gave an audible groan.
The rest of the Maddox family waited along the path. “What the dickens happened?” Her father’s voice boomed as soon as he caught sight of her.
“Papa, I was too close and… I fell in.” Isla straightened, squaring her shoulders.
Gavin’s eyes narrowed. She was going to fall on her sword for her brother, and he was going to let her. Emily had taught him all too well that a wife was a dependent. She may or may not give affection. She might provide children. But she required a man to care for her. It was an arrangement that suited many just fine unless a wife wanted to spend beyond her husband’s means and was angry at her husband when he refused. But Isla was something else entirely. Here she was caring for her brother.
Lord Maddox assessed his two children, “What happened to your head, Tom?”
“Oh, I, um I fell when I was racing after Isla, I mean Isabelle,” he stuttered.
William Maddox gave his children a long stare. To Gavin, it was obvious they were lying and the other man knew it. The question remained: what would he do about it? Gavin’s muscles tensed. Isla would not be punished for her brother’s crime. That much he was certain of. He wouldn’t let her. The need to protect her curled in his stomach.
Finally, Lord Maddox spoke. “Isla, go to your room. You’re to stay there while I attempt to repair the damage done. No dinner, and none of you are to bring it to her.”
Gavin heard Lady Maddox give a cry of protest, “William, you know this isn’t―”
“Every guest was there to witness it. Someone needs to be punished.”
Gavin looked at Tom, waiting for the boy to speak up, but he kept quiet. He would talk to Tom later about what it meant to be a man. While he hadn’t always relished the job of caregiver and he wasn’t sure he wanted to take it on again, it was a man’s duty, and one Tom needed to learn.
4
TAMING A LAIRD’S WILD LADY
Isla sighed with relief. If her father thought sending her to a room was a punishment, he couldn’t have been more wrong. She’d find something to eat later. But for now, taking a nap and avoiding their guests sounded perfect.
Looking back at Gavin, his gaze was fixed on Tom, his brow furrowed. Her heart began thumping wildly again. She wasn’t afraid anymore. Why was her heart beating so?
“Miss Maddox, you should rest. With your permission, Lord Maddox, I’ll escort her to the house.” Gavin’s deep voiced rumbled right through her.
Her father looked as though he might refuse, but the house was in plain sight and Gavin still held her wet dress. “I’ll want a full accounting of what happened at the river this evening.”
Gavin nodded and then took her elbow with his free hand. Her dress was dripped a trail behind them. “It’s a pity that dress was ruined.” She fingered the fabric held in his hands. “I’ll get your coat back to you.” She didn’t know why she said it other than she had no idea what to say to him. For a moment at the creek, she thought he might kiss her. She must be mistaken, yet it had been so intimate. Giving her head a shake, she once again forced her breathing to slow. Gavin had told her father he wanted a contract for lumber without a marriage. Of course he hadn’t tried to kiss her.
“Do not worry about my coat. I shall find something else to wear.” He gave her elbow a little squeeze as he spoke.
“I’m sure Will has something. His shoulders are nearly as broad as―” She stopped speaking, heat filling her cheeks.
He smiled for the first time since she had met him and it was devastating. His features were hard and chiseled normally, but his smile softened him in ways that nearly made her toes curl in her soaked slippers. He cleared his throat. “Why did ye not tell your father that your brother pulled you in? He is a man, he should―”
She shook her head. “My Uncle Haggis always tells us that you keep to your own. If my brother wishes to tell my father because of his guilt, then so be it, but I’ll not be the one who tells him. Right or wrong, I stand by my family.”
Gavin halted and turned to look at her. “You’ll go without food to support your brother?”
He was giving her more credit than she deserved. “It’s just one meal. His punishment would be far worse.” She almost added that Tom would now have to escort her on a ride for as long as she wished, but she decided not to share that particular fact with Gavin. The admiration shining in his eyes made her feel warm inside, and she didn’t want it to go away.
He looked at her for a long time. “It has been my experience that women expect a man to care for them, provide for them. I would never expect one of them to protect me, I―”
“You’re not giving them enough credit. Many a woman has stood by her husband when h
e has needed her. It’s a partnership.”
His mouth turned down and his eyes crinkled. “Perhaps.” With that, he turned back toward the manor and began propelling them to the front door.
The admiration no longer filled his gaze, instead he creased his brow in thought. It was on the tip of her tongue to question him further, to ask what he was thinking. It was rude to do so, of course. She peeled her gaze from his face and took a deep breath to bring her wayward thoughts to heel.
They reached the large double doors that led into the massive entryway. “Thank you for saving me today. I hope I have a chance to return the favor.” She could hear servants rushing toward the door. She only had a few more moments. Standing on tiptoe, she gave him a small peck on the cheek.
* * *
****
* * *
GAVIN WATCHED as she was swept away along with her wet gown and corset. Once again he had the urge to call her back, and wrap her in his arms. It was a fool’s errand. Lord Maddox should have told him the contract came with a wife. Had he known, he wouldn’t have come, would have followed other possible business leads.
But the tiniest voice in the back of his mind urged that Isla might be different. A partner, not a dependent. The vision of her muscular legs today flitted through his thoughts, tightening his body. Were they strong enough to help carry the burden he faced? They certainly filled him with a longing he couldn’t control.
Will walked through the doors. “You’re dripping on the floor,” he teased with a grin. “Thank you for saving my sister.”
Gavin gave the other man a return grin. “I am and you’re welcome.”
“Do you need something else to wear?” Will slapped him on the back, sending a fine spray of water from his shirt, through the air and onto the foyer floor.
“I would appreciate it greatly.” Gavin shook some of the water from his hair, getting Will wet. He’d forgotten how much comradery could be found in the north. These people were genuine friends, unlike so many he’d met in the south.
“Follow me.” Will waved the other man on.
A boy about John’s age ran up to them and Will swung him into his arms. The boy had tears in his eyes. “Isla’s in trouble.”
“It is only a small amount of trouble.” Will gave the boy a hug.
“She was hurt. Uncle Tom did it.” The boy crossed his arms with a fierce expression.
Will glanced back at Gavin. Gavin cleared his throat and addressed the boy. “Isla is fine. I fished her out of the water myself.”
“Really?” The boy asked. “But will she be punished tonight?”
“No supper I hear.” Gavin gave the boy an encouraging smile. It was so like his own son, and his heart warmed a little. The Maddox family was genuinely nice to be with.
He appeared thoughtful as he rested his head on Will. “Papa, someone will have to bring her supper.”
Will chucked the boy’s chin. “Isla can take care of herself. Do not cause trouble.”
“Can she still read to me?” The boy looked at him hopefully.
“Willy, your mother can read to you.” Will took on a sterner tone.
“But she doesn’t do the voices that Aunt Isla does.” The boy’s cry of indignation tugged at the corners of Gavin’s lips. He clearly loved his aunt, and she spent real time with him. His own wife had hardly taken notice of their child. It was becoming more difficult to deny that the two women were completely different.
“It’s just one night. Now go play.”
The boy gave a nod and wiggled down from his father’s grasp. “Can I go fishing?”
“Not today. But tomorrow, I’ll take you.”
“Can John come too?” Willy looked at both of them hopefully.
“Of course.” Gavin gave a nod. The boy ran off grinning again and Gavin smiled after him. “I hope you don’t mind us joining you. John loves being with boys his age and, after the death of his mother, he needs my attention.”
“I don’t mind at all. It’s you who may regret it. Willy is a handful to be sure. I don’t know if we were like that at his age, but my father keeps insisting I am getting my comeuppance.”
Gavin chuckled. “We were. I remember it well. The truth of the matter, I want some of that for John. He needs more fun, more zest for life.”
“Well, if you marry Isla, she will really help you with raising the boy, and zest―that she has in spades.”
Clearing his throat, Gavin contemplated his next words. “I’m sure she would.” His voice was flat, leaving no room for interpretation of any kind. He didn’t want to encourage Will, or give him false hope. He wasn’t marrying. But that little voice in the back of his head was getting louder, the one that had begun insisting Isla was different from his first wife and the rest of those ladies in London. That Isla would be a real mother and a partner.
Will looked back at him but said nothing as they turned down another hallway. “This is the family wing.”
His response was interrupted as several maids turned into a room toward the end of the hall, carrying buckets of water. “Who…” he began to wonder aloud as more female voices drifted from the room.
Will waved. “Isla must be taking a bath. Wouldn’t seem like she’d need one after the soak in the river.”
“I don’t think it was the most pleasant experience of her life.” Gavin’s anger at the teenager surfaced again along with several images of Isla in the bath. Running his hand through his still damp hair, he tried to curb his wayward thoughts. It was not helping his resolve.
“Was it really Tom’s fault?”
“Yes,” Gavin said simply.
Will gave a low growl of disapproval and Gavin relaxed a little. The family would take care of Tom, but he disliked the idea of Isla going without dinner. This new found protective streak was puzzling indeed.
* * *
BY DINNER, Gavin had decided he needed to leave the Maddox estate as quickly as possible. Both Collin and Angus had taken very quickly to the notion that Isla came with the lumber contract. Angus wanted to know how many children she could produce before he would surrender the number of acres of forest he had available for lumber. Collin was asking specific questions as to why she had yet to attend a season. He travelled to London often, and wanted a wife who could navigate the social tapestry of the ton.
Listening to these men barter about her future like she was cattle, he was ready to box all of them, including her father. Granted, it wasn’t his place to protect her, so he held his tongue, barely. In addition to the barbaric desire to beat both men and declare himself winner was the worry that she sat upstairs hungry and miserable.
Unable to stand another second, he scraped back his chair and grabbed his plate of untouched food. It was beyond rude, but he didn’t care.
Purposefully, he marched to the stairs and began the trek to the family wing. Maybe Lord Maddox would ask to him leave if he brought Isla the food. It would certainly end his torment.
As he turned into the families’ wing, two things became obvious. Isla’s door was wide open and it sounded as though a gathering was happening in the room. Laughter and screeching voices travelled down the hall.
Slowing his steps, Gavin peeked into the room. Isla sat in the center of the bed, reading a lively story to the children. He recognized the text. The Four Clever Brothers. She made dragon noises as the beast kidnapped the princess, and the children squealed with delight. That’s when Gavin saw John sitting next to Isla with his hands clapped over his mouth, his eyes dancing with delight.
On a table in the corner sat a buffet of food. Near as much as what graced the dining room. Willy bounced at her left elbow and a little girl of three laid in front of Isla.
“The dragon carried the poor maiden off, but the brothers knew just how to save her!” Isla sang as the children cheered for the heroes.
She looked up in time to catch his eye. Giving him a smile, she waved him into the room. Gavin hesitated. “I’ve only come to bring you food, but I see yo
u are occupied.”
“Come listen, Papa! It’s a wonderful story.” John clapped excitedly. Gavin experienced another pang. He had not seen John this happy since they had returned from London.
“It would not be proper for me―” he started, but Isla gave him a warm smile.
“Two maids and a nanny are here, along with four children. Thank you for the plate of food. It was most kind of you.”
“Unnecessary.” He grinned, walking in and setting the food with the rest.
She grinned back. Another girl toddled up to him looking as though she had recently learned to walk. She had Isla’s dark hair and blue eyes. “Not at all. Help yourself if you are hungry. That is my niece, Elizabeth. She will snitch any food you have, so watch out for her.”
The beautiful little imp raised her chubby hands to him, and not knowing what else to do, he picked her up. She fit snuggly against him, her hair smelling faintly of heather. “She’s adorable.” He reached for a crust of bread and she immediately held out her hand for some. Not knowing what to do, he gave it to her and got another piece for himself.
Isla shook her head and continued the story. A sense of peace filled Gavin as he watched her entertain the children, a little one tucked against him. Never had he felt like this in London. There was always competition there, a desire to get ahead and the feeling your friends might at any moment climb over you to get what they wanted. He and Emily were always moving to the next event, the next party. They had rarely spent time like this with John. Regret filled him. Life hadn’t been any better since he had returned to Scotland. He was trying to repair years of neglect from himself and his father. But here, in this room, a calm came over him like a warm blanket. Life could be like this.
Taming a Laird's Wild Lady: Taming the Heart Series Page 3