He sighed. “Perhaps we can find Alasdair. I dinnae ken what the mon is doing that he’s never around, but if he can help yer people, we can continue with our tenant visits.”
“Oh, nay.” She shook her head furiously as she wrapped her shawl around her body and followed the two men down the pathway, with Evan trailing behind her again, like a besotted puppy. “That wouldn’t work. The little ones will be scared unless I arrive to help them. There are so many of them, ’twould probably be better to ease their wee minds. ’Tis a strange place for them, remember.”
So many of them? That had him breaking into a sweat. “Exactly how many bairns do Archie and his wife have?”
“Eleven.”
Chapter Nine
Were Evan not a braw man, Katie was certain he would have fainted at her words. He did turn quite pale, and his eyes grew so wide, she thought they would pop from his head.
“Eleven, did ye say, lass? Eleven bairns?”
“Aye. But they’re not all wee ones. A few of them are older.” She held her breath, waiting for the inevitable command to march herself and everyone else back to Stirlingshire. That would not happen.
Instead, Evan ran his hand down his face. “Do what ye need to do, lass; I will be in the library waiting for ye so we can resume our visits.”
She didn’t have the heart—or nerve—to tell him the visits would probably not resume this day. Getting the large family settled, checking on wee Agnes and poor Mrs. MacDuff… She would have her hands full. Better to let him wait for her in the library before he realized she would not be joining him anytime soon.
“What’s this I found along the road?” A grinning Alasdair arrived at the front door with two little lads under his arms. They were laughing and joking and as lively as four-year-old twin boys could be. Katie couldn’t help but smile at the two Stirling sons.
“One of my families has arrived and are needing assistance getting to the castle. Where did ye find these two?”
Alasdair looked down at the wiggling boys. “They were chasing after me when I left the stable. There’s a stream of them following, bairns of all ages.”
“Aye. ’Tis one of the Stirling families. Archie and his wife, Glenda. The poor family is stuck a few miles away in a broken wagon.”
“Are there no means of transport for yer clan that would last the entire journey, then?” Alasdair smirked and set Lester and David down, the boys immediately whooping and hollering as they chased each other in a circle around Katie and Alasdair.
“Nay. I’m afraid not. Too many of our wagons and carts were in poor shape. But now I must assist Glenda and Archie in getting them settled here in the castle.”
“’Tis getting pretty crowded. Perhaps one of the cottages would be better?”
“Aye, but Evan and I just started checking with the tenants to see if any cottages were vacant when I had to tend to one of the MacDuff women who is suffering from an ague.”
“I’ll be happy to help ye, Mistress Stirling. I saw a fairly sturdy cart at the back of the stable. I can drive it to the unfortunate folks and get them settled.”
Katie loved everything about Alasdair: his thoughtfulness, kindness, and willingness to help. But he didn’t give her the shivers the way his brother did. A mere look from Evan’s deep-green eyes caused strange feelings to erupt in her middle and her breath to begin to catch. ’Twas not something she was happy about, but for whatever reason, there it was.
“Who are these two devils?” Evan stood in front of Katie, the Stirling twins dangling from his large hands. He had them both by the collar of their shirts. “I found them chasing the blasted kitten around the library.”
“They are Lester and David Stirling, my laird. Two of Archie and Glenda’s bairns.” Katie did not care for the look on Evan’s face and was concerned he was about to bang the lads’ heads together. The boys were treating the laird’s handling of them as a fine joke and no more than a bit of play.
“Boys!” Katie shouted. Instead of quieting, they managed to wiggle from Evan’s hands and dropped to the ground. They rolled around for a while giggling, then took off after the kitten, who had jumped on David’s chest, obviously ready for more fun.
“Mistress Stirling.” Evan leaned close to her ear, which was necessary, since more of the Stirling brood had started to enter the castle and the noise had become overwhelming. “I will give you one half hour to settle whatever it is you need to settle, then I will toss ye over my shoulder and deposit ye on the back of yer horse for us to continue our visits.”
Just the thought of him doing that made her heart pound and sweat break out on her forehead. Is that what the men in the Highlands did when they wanted a woman to do something? Merely sling them over their shoulder and walk away?
Oh my.
She raised her chin, hoping the flush on her face was not noticeable. “I shall do my best to be ready in one half hour, my laird. There will be no need for you to resort to violence.”
His grin was as evil as the look in his eyes as he bent once more, his warm breath brushing over her ear, bringing gooseflesh to her skin. “’Twas not violence I was thinking about, lass.” With those words, he touched her lightly on her cheek, turned on his heel, and, shaking his head at the twins who were rolling around on the floor punching each other, walked to the library and slammed the door.
Alasdair studied his brother as he made his exit. “Dinnae think I ever heard my brother promise to toss a lass over his shoulder.” He shook his head and
