That brought his thoughts right where he didn’t want them to be. Katie. His three attempts at marriage had put him off the idea of finding a wife. None of the lasses he’d taken to his bed had interested him in the way Mistress Katie Sterling did. But would he consider her for a wife?
The attraction was certainly there, and she was very receptive to his kisses. His blood warmed just thinking about their encounter in the stables. She was pretty, smart, and had a sharp tongue when riled. She was a healer, and confident enough to drag her entire clan across the country. After such a short spell, he was having a hard time keeping his hands off her. When she raised her saucy chin and challenged him, all he could think about was tossing her over his shoulder and finding the nearest room with any flat surface.
But with Mistress Sterling’s tendency to be a bit on the ornery side when it came to obeying his instructions, he didn’t need the headache of a woman who thwarted him at every turn, no matter how much he desired her warm, soft, and receptive body underneath him. He could wed and bed her only to lose her when she foolishly put herself into danger by ignoring his warnings.
Aye, marriage was not meant for him.
Pushing all of that to the back of his mind, he returned his attention once more to Gavin. At ten years there was so much more he should be doing. And sleeping with his sister was not one of them. He hoped the reason she had kept him so close was because of the threat by Richard Armstrong. That situation would make any lass nervous to leave her brother alone. But as long as the mon thought he had a plan to get to the lad by marrying Katie, Richard would not be too concerned.
However, now that Katie had made her escape, he would most likely be after her like a hound for a rabbit. Well, the mon was not going to get his hands on the lad, or the sister, either. He’d heard about those who preferred children in their bed, and it had always caused him to go from queasiness to pure rage.
“How familiar are ye with a dirk?” Now that the lad had relaxed a bit, it would be good to make conversation to keep his mind off where he was sitting.
“A dirk? I’m not sure what that is.”
He shouldn’t have been surprised, since he already kenned that the Stirling laird had certainly neglected his duties as a laird, landowner, and parent. ’Twas no wonder the Armstrong bloke thought he could show up at Katie’s door with a forged marriage contract. For as indifferent as the laird had been to his children, anyone could have stopped by and waved a paper at Katie.
Evan pulled a dirk from his boot. “This. This is a dirk.”
Gavin’s eyes grew wide. “Blimey. That’s òirdheirc!”
Evan threw his head back and laughed. “So ye think it’s wonderful, aye?”
The lad nodded. “Aye.” He glanced up at him, then down at his foot.
“What?”
Gavin raised his head but didn’t meet his eyes. “Can I…can I hold it?”
“Aye. Not only can ye hold it, but I’m going to teach ye how to use it.”
Most likely forgetting he was on a horse, Gavin hopped up and down on his seat. “Aye!” His demeanor immediately changed as his chin dropped to his chest. “Nay. I dinnae think Katie will allow it.”
“No worry, lad. I am yer laird, and for that matter, yer sister’s laird as well.”
Gavin continued to look glum. “My da was laird before he died, but Katie still did what she wanted. She never listened to him.”
Evan held in his laugh, certain Katie had ignored whatever her da wanted. She was truly a spirited lass, and he imagined she’d been a handful to manage. However, he didn’t want to say anything against the old laird, even though the lad had to learn the difference between a laird who took his leadership seriously and those who pushed it off onto someone else. His sister should never have been left with all the responsibilities.
“Aye. Yer sister said as much. However, with yer da getting on in years, he depended a lot on Katie, so she probably made more decisions than most lasses her age.”
“But yer not getting on in years? Are ye?”
Evan choked back a laugh, since the lad seemed verra serious. “Nay. I think I have a few good years left in me.”
“That’s good, ’cause I like ye. I like that ye are teaching me to ride; and when will ye teach me how to use the dirk?”
Evan laughed again. “Dinnae ye think ye learned enough today? Look at how well yer riding that horse.”
Almost as if he’d forgotten, the lad looked down at the horse, then back up at Evan. “Aye. I am riding a horse.”
After another ten minutes of easy companionship when Gavin pelted him with numerous questions, Evan turned them back toward the castle. Tomorrow when he took the lad out, they would do more than just walk the horses. Gavin had already gained a bit of confidence, and that was a good thing. He would make sure that before he left for Argyll, the lad would be on his way to becoming a mon.
Leave for Argyll? He’d wanted that ever since he’d learned about the inheritance. Get the MacDuff lands under the watchful eye of a competent and honest land steward and then back to his own clan who needed him. Now, the idea of leaving Katie behind made him a bit uncomfortable, especially in his trews. He shifted his position on the horse.
Not that he had any less confidence in
