all smiling too.
She excused herself from his company as soon as she spotted Connor leading his horse across the clearing. She ran to her husband, put her arms around his neck, gave him an enthusiastic good morning kiss, and then remembered she shouldn't show him any affection in front of others. Surprisingly, he neither snapped nor growled at her. 'Twas a fact he kissed her back.
He did criticize her afterward, of course. It seemed to be a natural inclination of his, she decided and was, therefore, unperturbed.
'You are without discipline.' He then lifted her up onto his horse, swung up behind her, and settled her on his thighs. 'Aren't you going to argue with me?'
'It's too fine a day to argue. You are wrong, of course. I have as much discipline as you do.'
'I haven't seen any yet. Stop twisting about and lean back against me.'
'My rope's twisted.' After explaining her problem, she pulled the necklace up, straightened the rope, and then let the wooden disk drop back down under her plaid.
'What in God's name is that thing?'
'Have you only just noticed it?'
'No. I've only just decided to ask you about it.'
'The necklace is a gift from my father. I have my very own design to prove it belongs to me, and if I'm ever in trouble, I need only send the disk to one of my sisters or brothers for immediate assistance. Father had them made for all of his children.'
'Get rid of it.'
Her gasp was enough to upset the stallion. He reared his head up and let out a snort of indignation. She reached down and patted him. 'I'll do no such thing, Connor. I plan to have one made for you too.'
'You will not.'
'It's a tradition.'
'It's an insult to me, wife.'
'We shall discuss this matter when we are home.'
'We're through discussing it.'
She didn't disagree with him. He was wrong about that too, she thought to herself. The man was going to listen to reason and accept the tradition, even if it took her a good week of nagging. 'Why are we waiting?'
He knew she was deliberately changing the topic, but he went along just to get her to stop arguing with him. He wanted her cooperation today. She was about to meet Kincaid, and that would be unsettling for her. His brother did have a way of terrifying everyone he met. It was yet another reason why Connor so admired him.
'Owen went to the creek to collect whatever was left behind.'
'That was thoughtful of him,' she replied. 'Still, your men shouldn't leave their things about for anyone to take.'
He thought she was jesting, and he waited for her to laugh. She didn't, though, and once he realized she was sincere, he didn't explain it to her. A minute later Owen returned with his mistress's belongings. He put them in her satchel, then tied the baggage to Aeden's horse. She never noticed. Connor wasn't at all surprised, of course, for his wife seemed to walk around in a daze most of the time.
His thoughts returned to Alec then. 'You will meet my brother today. He won't hurt you.'
She thought his remark extremely peculiar. 'I would never worry about such a thing.'
'You will when you meet him. You'd best find some of this discipline you boast of having, Brenna. Do not disgrace me by crying or fainting.'
She rolled her eyes heavenward. 'I shall like him because he's your brother, and it's my duty to get along with all of your family. He won't intimidate me.'
'Yes, he will. He isn't as pleasant as I am.'
She burst into laughter. He gave up trying to caution her then and turned his attention to more important matters, such as learning how to be diplomatic before it was time to explain his actions to the man who ruled the Highlands.
A full hour passed in silence before she spoke again.
'Connor?'
'Yes?'
'Have you ever seen me cry or faint?'
'No.'
'Then please explain your reason for insulting me? I'm most curious to hear it.'
He didn't answer her.
If he wouldn't explain, the least he could do was apologize. She knew she would never get him to, though, because he was too stubborn to ever admit he might have misjudged her.
Proving him wrong would be enough to repair the damage he'd done to her pride. It would be easy to accomplish, for she had been properly trained and fully understood what was expected of her. She would let Connor see how unafraid she was when she greeted his brother. Surely, she would like him. He was part of her family now, after all, and God willing, if she could just remember not to speak until she was spoken to and behave with a little humility, he would like her too.
A few minutes later, the fortress came into view. Her breath caught in the back of her throat at first sight of the magnificent structure. A tall stone wall surrounded the fortress that must have taken half a century to build. Two soldiers, wearing expressions as cold and forbidding as the wall they guarded, watched them cross the drawbridge.
She thought it odd they didn't speak to Connor, then decided they were waiting for him to give them permission.
There were hundreds more of the frightening warriors inside the lower bailey. None of them welcomed Connor either.
'Is one of those men scowling at us your brother, perchance?'
'No.'
'Is it always so quiet here?'
'No.'
Connor wasn't in the mood to expound. She decided to follow his example and not say another word. She would have held to her decision too if she hadn't been taken by surprise when they reached the upper courtyard and she saw the beautiful flowers bordering the front of the castle.
'It's lovely here,' she whispered. 'Who planted the flowers?'
'Jamie.'
She vowed to keep quiet. 'I hope he was well rewarded for his efforts.'
'Not he, she,' Connor corrected. 'Don't step on them or you'll never hear the end of it.'
'Servants may voice their opinions then?'
'Jamie isn't a servant. She's mistress here.'
She would have fallen off the horse if Connor hadn't tightened his hold around her waist. 'Mistress?'
'You'll like her.'
She didn't even try to pray for patience. 'I will not like her. You're going to have to make her leave, Connor. There can only be one mistress in my home.'
'Jamie is mistress of Alec's home.'
'Then why did she plant flowers for you? It was of course very thoughtful of her, but I cannot help wondering why she went to such trouble.'
He finally understood what was at the root of her misconception. 'This isn't my land. It's Alec's. How could you think it was?'
She felt like screaming but didn't dare speak above a whisper because of the audience watching them like hawks. 'I'll tell you exactly why I thought it was your home. I was told we were going home, that's why, and since no one bothered to inform me you meant to pay a call on your brother, I naturally concluded this belonged to you.'
'It doesn't.'
'So I now understand,' she agreed. 'It would have been thoughtful of you to mention our destination.'
