name is-'
'Lady Jamie.' The shorter of the two giants made that statement.
Jamie had been staring at the space between the two warriors and immediately turned to look at the one who'd just spoken.
He wasn't as mean-looking as the other one. Jamie came to that conclusion when he smiled at her. He had an appealing dent in the side of his cheek when he smiled, too, and his green eyes were alive with mischief.
Jamie was immediately suspicious. The man seemed to be entirely too happy for such dour circumstances, what with Alice and Agnes weeping like infants.
Perhaps, she decided, he was too simple-headed to understand the disruption he was causing. He was a Scotsman, after all.
'And your name, milord?' she asked, her voice cool.
'Daniel,' he answered. 'He's called Alec,' he drawled out with a nod toward his companion.
Daniel's smile was proving to be contagious. This one was definitely a charmer, Jamie thought. She couldn't help but smile back, either, for the man had such a ridiculous burr in his speech that she could barely understand him.
She didn't really want to talk to the other lord, but she knew she had to. Jamie kept smiling, then slowly turned to look up at the other warrior.
He'd been waiting for her to look at him. Jamie could feel her smile freeze on her face. His gaze, surely as hot as the midday sun, easily intimidated her.
He wasn't smiling.
Jamie was suddenly embarrassed and didn't know why. She'd never felt this vulnerable in all her days. She felt her cheeks grow warm and knew she'd started blushing. There was such possessiveness in his stare, a look of ownership she couldn't understand.
It suddenly dawned on her that Lord Alec wasn't looking at her the way a true lord would look at a gentle lady of breeding. No, it was an earthy lustful look he was giving her.
He was being outrageously insolent. He gave her a slow, thoroughly insulting inspection, starting at the top of her head and ending a long while later at the bottom of her gown. His gaze lingered on her mouth, her breasts and her hips.
She hated him.
He made her feel as though she were standing there without a stitch of clothing on. Jamie was infuriated with him. She wasn't about to let him get away with his behavior, either. No, she was going to give as good as she was getting. She couldn't control her blush, but she prayed she looked just as insolent as he had when she slowly gave him the same disgustingly thorough inspection.
Unfortunately, the warrior didn't seem the least bit offended by her imitation.
He looked amused. She thought his eyes warmed a little and noticed his eyebrow rose again in reaction to her appraisal.
There was something there, in his gaze, that tugged at her heart. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she was beginning to think that if he hadn't been so mean-looking, she might have found him handsome. That was ridiculous, of course.
She'd already made up her mind to hate him. The man was too hard for her liking.
He was in desperate need of a good hair trim, too. Why, the back of his reddish brown hair went way beyond the neckline of his black tunic. The hair curled a bit, reminding her of the Greek warriors she'd seen drawings of, but it certainly didn't soften his angular face or his square, unforgiving chin. His mouth looked as hard as the rest of him.
Oh, he was entirely too fierce-looking to please her. And why her heart was pounding such a wild beat was beyond her comprehension. The longer she met his gaze, the more breathless she became.
A single thought kept her from feeling like a complete fool. One of her poor sisters was going to have to marry this warlord from hell.
She started shivering.
He smiled.
Baron Jamison suddenly called out to both warriors to join him at the table for a taste of wine.
Daniel immediately moved away from the mantel and strolled over to the table. He paused on his way to wink at Mary.
Alec didn't move. Neither did Jamie. She couldn't make herself stop staring up at him.
He didn't want to stop looking at her.
'Do you have a priest in residence?'
His voice had sounded harsh. He couldn't help that, he decided, for he was still reacting to the amazingly beautiful woman standing so defiantly before him. Her eyes were the most brilliant shade of violet. She was quite magnificent, yet Alec was just as impressed with the rebellious streak he could easily see.
This one wouldn't be easily intimidated. He didn't think she'd ever cower away from him. And no other woman had ever been able to match his stare this long, this courageously.
Alec's smile widened. She was a worthy adversary, all right. He knew she was afraid of him; he had seen her tremble. Yet she valiantly tried to hide her fear from him.
She'd survive in the rugged Highlands, given care and attention, but he would have to take every precaution. She was so delicate looking. He'd have to quell the rebelliousness in her without breaking her spirit. It would be a chore, true, but Alec didn't mind. In truth, he was already looking forward to the taming.
And in the end, he would conquer and she would submit.
Jamie didn't have the faintest idea what the warrior was thinking. She finally found her voice and answered his question. 'We do have a priest in residence, milord.' Heaven help her, the shiver was now in her voice. 'You've chosen, then?'
'I have.'
'It must have been a most difficult decision for you to make.'
The smile reached his eyes. 'It wasn't difficult at all.'
She didn't care for the arrogance in his tone or the way he was looking at her now. 'I'm certain it was difficult for you,' she insisted. 'After all, my sisters are all very beautiful, and choosing one so quickly isn't really giving the matter your full consideration. For that reason, I would suggest you wait, perhaps return to our home in another month, after you've had time to mull this over. What think you of that idea, milord?'
He slowly shook his head.
'Then you're going to marry tomorrow?' Jamie asked.
'We'll be halfway home by then.'
'You will?'
'We will.'
'You plan to marry now?'
She looked horrified. Alec nodded. 'I do.'
'But you cannot mean-'
'We'll leave immediately after the ceremony,' Alec said, his voice hard.
Lord Daniel suddenly appeared at her side. He was holding two goblets of wine.
He handed one to Alec, then turned to the three sisters. 'Come and join us, Mary,' he called out, laughing. 'We won't bite.'
'I never thought you would,' Mary announced. She straightened her shoulders and hurried over to stand beside Jamie.
Both Daniel and Alec drank from their goblets. They nodded to each other, then offered the cups to Jamie and Mary.
The sisters denied the offer by shaking their heads.
'Take a sip, Mary,' Daniel suggested with a wink.
Alec wasn't as solicitous. 'Drink this, Jamie. Now.'
Perhaps it was some sort of primitive Scottish ritual, Jamie thought. As mistress of her home, she knew it was her duty to make their visitors welcome.
Alec looked determined, too. She shrugged her shoulders, then took the goblet, swallowed quickly, and
