It was rather amusing to see Lachlan at a loss. “Well, Annie, I…um…you see…”
Venetia snorted. So much for his telling his beloved old nanny that the matter was “none of her concern.” The man could be such a dolt when it came to women. “Yes, do explain,”Venetia told him blithely. “We’re all waiting to hear.”
“It’s complicated,” Lachlan bit out, sparing a glare for Venetia . “She’s traveling with us, and that’s the end of it.”
That was more like the overbearing Lachlan she knew.
But apparently that worked no better on Annie. “She’s your fancy woman, is she?” Annie’s face clouded as she looked Venetia over, taking in her rumpled skirts and shamelessly unbound hair. “I suppose you thought I’d just look ‘t’other way since ye’ve been raised up from the dead and all?”
That put Venetia’s back up. “I beg your pardon. I am not his fancy woman.”
Annie’s eyes narrowed. “Well, aren’t we the la-di-da sort of mistress? Ye think because you’re English ye’re too good for the likes of a clean and decent—”
“First of all, I’m Scottish. Secondly, I’m not his mistress.” Without stopping to think, she spoke the only lie that would make sense. “I’m his wife.”
Chapter Twelve
Dear Charlotte,
You, of all people, should recognize that cynicism is necessary. Otherwise, your young ladies would head into each season like lambs to the slaughter…much as you yourself did all those years ago.
Your decidedly cynical friend,
Michael
Holy Christ,”Lachlan muttered under his breath. Now he was done for. As Annie gaped at the lass, that scamp Jamie was trying not to laugh.
What had possessed Venetia to say something like that? A wife was permanent, someone he couldn’t explain away once this was over, and she knew it.
The light dawned. That was the point, wasn’t it? Princess Machiavelli had found a new way to make trouble for him, devil take her.
She offered her hand to the astonished Annie. “Good afternoon, madam. I’m Lady Ross. And I’m delighted to meet any friend of my husband’s.”
Poor Annie hesitated, then took her hand, her entire manner changing. “Pleasure to meet you, my lady.” She made a quick curtsy. “Forgive me for misunderstanding.”
“Not at all,”Venetia said. “We’ve had quite a long stint in the coach, and I’m sure I look a fright.” She shot Lachlan a triumphant smile. “Besides, my husband should have introduced me properly from the first.”
“Indeed he should have.” Annie glared at him, apparently happy to blame him after he’d hid the truth from her. “So this is what you were doing while the rest of us were worrying about you, is it? You were going off to find you a bride?”
Venetia didn’t even bother to hide her smirk. Lachlan gritted his teeth. If he called Venetia a liar, then he’d have to explain why she would lie. And despite what he’d said, he wasn’t at all sure Annie would approve of his actions.
The lass had left him no choice, had she?
With a sigh, he slid an arm about Venetia’s waist. “It wasn’t planned, Annie.”That was certainly an understatement. “We met in London and…er…decided to marry, despite her family’s wishes. That’s why we were forced to elope. It was all very sudden.”
“Yes, very sudden,”Venetia chirped. “And now—”
“And now,” he broke in, tightening his arm on her waist, “we’re hurrying to the north, which is why we can’t stay. I want my wife to meet my mother before the news gets out. I don’t want Mother hearing of it from anyone but me.”
He was just congratulating himself on finding a way to keep Venetia’s little lie from moving beyond Annie when Venetia slumped against him with an exaggerated sigh.
“The man hasn’t given me a moment to breathe since we left,” she said plaintively. “I do hope you’ll convince him to let us rest here a bit.”
Mo chreach,so that was her plan: wangle an invitation so she could manage an escape. Well, not bloody likely. “We’re not staying.”
Turning her pretty face up to his, Venetia cast him a sugary smile. “Oh, but my darling, I don’t know how much longer I can endure that carriage.”
He snorted. She was putting on quite the show for Annie, wasn’t she? “Surely, princess, ” he said in a warning tone, “you don’t want to wound my mother’s feelings by letting her hear of the marriage before we arrive.”
Apparently the tone of voice that cowed his men didn’t work on Venetia . Her mouth drooped pitifully. “So your mother’s feelings matter more than your wife’s?” she said, sounding exactly like the pouting miss he’d expected her to be.
Except that she wasn’t.
But Annie didn’t know it. “I’m sure he doesn’t mean that.” The widow took Venetia’s arm to draw her away from him. “Pay him no mind, my dear. Men sometimes don’t think.”
“Annie…”Lachlan growled.
“Can’t you see that the poor woman is all done in?” Annie said. “Ye can’t be racing her across the country like one of yer horses.”
“Yes, darling, I’m not one of your horses,”Venetia cooed, throwing him a gleeful glance as she let the tenderhearted Annie lead her toward the house.
He stepped forward after them, and pain shot through his bad leg. Devil take the scheming wench! Bad enough that his leg plagued him something awful from having her resting on it for hours. Now she had to try this. Oh, he’d make her regret it when he got her alone. Just see if he didn’t.
“Besides, Lachlan ,” Annie was saying, “yer mother isn’t the sort to have her feelings hurt. She’ll be so delighted you found a wife that she’ll pay no mind to how she heard of it. She’s despaired of yer getting married ever since that silly twit Polly threw ye over.”
Venetia shot him a curious glance. “Polly? He never told me of any Polly.”
“She was a merchant’s daughter in Dingwall,” Annie explained. “They started courting after he returned from the war, but—”
“We didn’t suit,”Lachlan snapped. When Annie started to usher Venetia across the threshold, he caught the widow by the arm. “Now see here, my wife and I won’t be staying.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Annie snatched her arm free to push Venetia inside. “The lady needs a good night’s rest before you go on.”
Grinding his teeth, Lachlan followed them into Annie’s elegant little hall with its neat staircase and its costly Turkish rug. Unsurprisingly, Venetia gaped at it. He could well imagine what she’d expected after seeing the chickens in the yard.
“We just want a hot meal and a couple of horses,” he said tersely as he and Jamie crowded into the foyer.
“You mean, a change of horses, right?” Jamie put in.
“No.”Lachlan cast Jamie a warning glance. “Horses for my wife and me. We’re riding the rest of the way alone.” How else could he get rid of Jamie?
“The hell you are!” Jamie cried. Clearly Lachlan had made his decision not a moment too soon. “You can’t drag the poor lass over the mountains like that!”
“Of course he can’t,” Annie said with a stubborn lift of her chin. “Don’t be daft, Lachlan .” She pointed through the open door to where raindrops had begun splattering the chickens. “You can’t take her out in this weather. You’ll stay here the night, and then the three of you can go on in the coach in the morning.”
“Jamie and the coach are needed elsewhere, for the shipment in Aberdeen ,”Lachlan said, having already anticipated Jamie’s protests.
Jamie blinked. “That doesn’t arrive until next week!”
“And I want you there in case it comes in early. We need the barley, and my wife and I can manage without you.” Might as well use the lass’s lie to his advantage. “It is our honeymoon—surely you won’t mind giving us some privacy.”
He shot Venetia a gloating look, exulting in her clear panic at being alone with him. It served her right for concocting a story sure to complicate his li
fe.
Then her eyes narrowed. “Don’t worry, Jamie.” She edged closer to Annie, her new ally. “I’ll be fine.”
Before Lachlan could set her straight, the rain pelted down with a vengeance, forcing them to close the door.
“You’re not going out into that weather, any of you,” Annie announced. “You’ll have dinner here. Jamie will sleep in the barn and leave at first light.”
“Jamie will have dinner and go on tonight,”Lachlan countered. “And right now he’ll go see to the horses. Won’t you, Jamie?”
The young man glared daggers at him, but mumbled an “Aye, sir” before heading out into the rain.
With a disapproving cluck of her tongue, Annie bustled Lachlan and Venetia through the hall and into a parlor where she lit candles to banish the gloom. “You can wait in here while I find my maid-of-all-work to make us some tea. Then we’ll see what we have to feed you. I know you’ll want to be to bed early—”
“Damn it, Annie, we’re not staying the night!”Lachlan snapped.
“Don’t be using that language around your lady wife, you big lout.” Annie made a fuss over settling Venetia into a comfortable armchair by the fire in her tiny parlor. “I taught you better than that.”
“You’re not listening to me, devil take you!”
“In the morning, you can rent a gig and horses from the inn in Kingussie. That’ll give you some protection from the weather.”
“Annie, I swear to God I am not—”
“You’re outnumbered, laddie, admit it.” She faced him down, every inch the nanny. “You’re staying here tonight, and that’s the end of it. Because if you don’t, I’ll send a letter by express to tell your mother of yer new wife. I’m sure it’ll get there before you. And you don’t want that, do ye?”
He swore under his breath. Mother wasn’t supposed to know about Venetia . He’d already planned to stash the lass at the deserted crofter’s cottage in the hills that he’d used as the Scourge. If Annie told his mother about her, Mother would throw herself into his battle with Duncannon, and he couldn’t have that.
He glanced from Annie to Venetia . “The two of you are determined to force my hand, are ye?” He stared at Venetia, who looked right pleased with herself. “Very well, we’ll stay.”
A triumphant expression passed over her face, but he didn’t allow her to enjoy it. So she wanted to play his wife, did she? Wreak havoc in his life?
Fine, then play his wife she would. He turned to Annie. “Do you still have that extra bedchamber upstairs?”
“I do indeed.”
Lachlan shot Venetia a mirthless smile. “As I recall, the bed’s not very big.”
He watched her gloating shift to alarm. She hadn’t thought that far, had she? This wasn’t England or the loftier home of a Scottish noble, where a lady could expect a room separate from her husband. This was the Highlands, where a man and his wife lay together in perfect matrimonial harmony.
“ ’Tis big enough for two people newly wed,” Annie said with a wink.
Venetia’s eyes were huge now, and he was having a damned fine time watching her recognize her mistake.
“Oh, I’m sure you’re right.” He taunted the lass with a smile. “I’m sure my wife and I can make do.”
Venetia leaped up to head for the door. “You know, Mrs. McCain, Lachlan is right. We probably should go on.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Annie said. “It’s pouring outside. And you mustn’t let the man bully you. Sometimes a woman has to stand strong against the big oafs.”
Lachlan barely restrained a laugh. Stand strong, eh? Little did Annie know.
“Now, you stay here with yer husband while I fetch you the tea. I’ll be only a minute.” Annie walked out, leaving Venetia to Lachlan’s not-so-tender mercies.
“Might as well sit down and make yerself comfortable, princess,” Lachlan said acidly. “You’ve won this round.”
“Lachlan, we cannot share a room tonight—”
“Oh yes we can.” He approached her slowly, favoring his right leg. “But dinna fash yerself, lassie—after sleeping half the day away, I won’t need much sleep.” He flashed her a rakish grin.
She groaned, then headed for the door. “I’ll tell her that I’m not your wife and we’re not staying—”
Lachlan blocked her way. “Ye’ll do no such thing. You made our bed, and now you’ll lie in it. Besides, the night’s rest will do us both some good, and renting the gig is a fine idea. Surely you can pretend to like me for one evening.”
As long as I can pretend not to desire you for one night.
“But try to take my advice for once,” he went on. “Let me do the talking. We don’t want Annie knowing you’re Duncannon’s daughter, or she might take a broom to you. ”
“Very well.” She twisted to face him. “But why are you sending Jamie away?”
He hesitated, then opted for honesty. “Because he likes you too much.” He searched her face, then cocked one eyebrow. “And because you know it. I can’t have you using his liking of you to manage an escape.”
“Don’t be absurd,” she said bitterly. “The man may have a soft spot for me, but he’s every bit as loyal to you as you said. He’d never help me thwart you.”
“You’d be surprised what a man might do for a woman he fancies, princess.”
The minute the words left his mouth, he regretted them, for her eyes turned the wild green of the lochs and he suddenly became painfully aware of how near she was, how pretty…how irresistible. His head lowered of its own accord as his gaze fixed on that sweet, sensuous mouth of hers—
The door shot open, and Annie trotted in. As they sprang apart, the widow halted, then let out a short bark of laughter.
“None of that now, you two.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Plenty of time for that later.”
That was exactly what he was afraid of. Holy Christ, it was going to be a long night.
He wasn’t sure who he wanted to throttle more—Annie, for being her motherly self, or Venetia, for being so damned alluring that he had to tuck his tongue between his teeth just to keep from panting after her like a randy hound.
Following them to the kitchen, he ignored the throbbing pain in his leg. He ought to be glad of a night’s respite, but in truth he’d prefer the torture of travel to being alone in the dark with Venetia . If he made it through that, it would be a miracle.
Thank God Annie was eager to hear the gossip from Ross-shire or he would never even have survived tea. As Jamie joined them and Annie prepared a large dinner of bridies, cold ham, herrings in oatmeal, and cock-a-leekie soup, he was able to control the conversation by feeding her tidbits about the Ross clan. It kept the nosy female from finding out that she had Duncannon’s child in her kitchen.
Now he only had to refrain from calling Venetia by her Christian name. He couldn’t take the chance that Annie might remember it.
But he was glad they’d stayed. Sitting in the soft lantern light of Annie’s kitchen made him realize how bone-weary he was. And how hungry. He devoured everything she put in front of him, and so did Venetia, although she still kept up her laughably prim table manners.
After they’d eaten their fill, Annie held out a platter. “Will you have the last bridie, Lachlan ?”
“You trying to fatten me up?” he teased as he took it. “Because you’re going about it right, to be sure.”
With a frown, Annie brought the platter to the sink. “I wish I could. You’re not looking so well, lad.” when Venetia seemed startled by that comment, Annie told her, as if in confidence, “He hasn’t completely wasted away, mind you—he’s still got the shoulders and that brawny build—but he looks thinner and a good deal paler. He never had that stiffness in his limbs before, neither.”
“The war was hard on him, no doubt,”Venetia said.
“The war!” Annie snorted. “T’ain’t the war that’s done that, my lady. I saw him less than a year ago, and he was hale and hearty—”
“Jamie, me boy, why are you dawdling around here?”Lachlan broke in. “Ye’ve got to head out while the rain has let up.”
“Aye, sir.” Jamie rose from the table with a nod of understanding. “Will ye pack me up some food for later, Annie?”
With a quick glance at Lachlan, Annie reluctantly shifted her attention to Jamie. “I’ll pack ye anything ye want, lad.”
The young man rubbed his belly. “Well then, I could use some of yer fine oatcakes. Never could get enough of them.”
“I can see that,” Annie retorted, with a pointed look at the plate he’d wiped clean with one. “Don’t you worry—I’ve got plenty more. You go fetch the laird’s bags from the coach, and I’ll make up a basket.”
Jamie left as she bustled about the kitchen. When he returned with just Lachlan’s knapsack, she stared oddly at him. “Where’s the rest?”
“That’s all,”Lachlan put in. “My wife and I eloped, remember? No time for her to pack, and I wasn’t expecting to stop anywhere before we got home.”
Annie looked outraged as she handed Jamie a basket of food. “So you’ve forced the poor woman to wear the same gown for days? That’s downright cruel, especially for a fine lady like her.”
“You have no idea,”Venetia muttered under her breath.
“Well, there’s nothing for it but to wash her clothes tonight and dry them for the morrow.” Annie went to the door and called for Sally, then hurried to the back kitchen door and dragged in a large pot full of rainwater. “Meantime, I think Sally probably has a shift the lass can wear tonight.”
Venetia blushed a thousand shades of red as she jumped to her feet. “Really, you mustn’t go to any bother—”
“No bother, dearie,” she said with a wave of her hand. After hanging the pot on the massive hook above the roaring fire, she headed back to the door leading into the hall. “Sally! Sally? Oh, where has that girl got off to?”
“Shall I fetch her?”Venetia put in.
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