“I’m sorry if ye were frightened. The laird and I made some calls yesterday to find cottages for all the families who have arrived.” She knelt down to look into his face. “We were forced to spend the night in one of the cottages because of the terrible storm that struck last night. Did you hear it?”
“Aye, I did.” Gavin reached out and touched Katie’s hair. “I ken ye are afraid of the storms. Did Laird MacNeil keep ye from being scared?”
Katie smiled. “Aye. He was verra distracting.” No need to tell the boy how Evan had kept her distracted. She stood and drew him forward. They both sat on the bed. “There is something I need to tell ye.”
“What?” He looked up at her with his childish innocence, convincing her even more how right it was that she marry Evan. He would take them far away, and Richard would never get his hands on her beloved brother.
“Laird MacNeil and I are to be married.”
…
Evan spent almost the entire morning convincing the local minister to marry them the next day. The man had met them both when they had attended services since their arrival but didn’t know them very well. The minister attempted to persuade Evan to have the banns called for three weeks rather than a rushed wedding the next day.
Reverend MacDuff argued that since Evan and Katie had known each other such a short time, perhaps they would be better served by having a month or so to think it over. His reluctance had abruptly ended when Evan hinted that they had already anticipated the vows.
The rest of the day was taken up with making inquiries on a replacement for Katie as land steward when they left. It was his intention to hire someone quickly, get the rest of Katie’s clan settled, and then he, Katie, Gavin, and Alasdair would be on their way to Argyll. Winter loomed on the horizon, and he did not want to be in Fife—or on the way home—when it hit.
He interviewed two men who seemed bright enough to handle the job, and one of them was married, so Evan decided to hire Ian MacDuff. His wife could deal with the castle while he tended to the estate. Evan was confident they would do well. They had lived on the lands since birth and were kin to just about everyone for miles around.
It was nearing the supper hour when the couple he had hired departed the library, chatting excitedly about the job and their opportunity to reside in the castle. Evan tidied up the desk, quite pleased with his day’s work. So far, things were moving along reasonably well.
Until Katie knocked on the library door.
He was halfway across the room to find his brother so they could go over a few details about their departure while they ate their supper. He reached the door and opened it to find a surprised Katie on the other side, her fist still raised. “Oh.”
Her plump lips formed a perfect circle, bringing to mind what she could do with that lovely mouth of hers. He immediately considered pulling her into the library and locking the door so he could have his way with her. He grinned to himself. He would indulge one appetite before assuaging another.
He pulled her to him and was quite surprised when she placed her wee hands on his chest and pushed him away. Not that she could move him—he was much too large—but he let her go anyway. “What is it, lass?”
Katie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smoothed the front of her skirts, and looked up at him, her eyes snapping, her wee chin raised in the air. “I would have a word with ye, my laird.”
Evan didn’t know whether to groan or laugh. Deciding it would be in his best interest to do neither, he merely smiled. “And what would those words be?”
She swept past him like the queen and walked to the large wooden desk in the center of the room. She turned and regarded him with her arms crossed under her breasts. When she noticed his grin at where his eyes had landed, she huffed and dropped her arms to her side. “I just came from the kitchen.”
Since that was not a question, Evan felt no need to respond, but he did grant her the courtesy of raising his eyes up to her face.
“Cook tells me she is preparing a wedding breakfast for tomorrow morning.” Her foot began to tap a cadence on the floor.
“Aye.” Was the lass annoyed because he had taken it upon himself to instruct Mrs. MacDuff to begin her preparations? Perhaps he should have consulted with Katie first, allowing her to choose the menu. He had been passing through the kitchen on his way out the back door and thought it wise to take care of that matter. He had not seen Katie since he’d left her bedchamber that morning.
He had assumed she was speaking with her brother and doing whatever it was lasses did when they were about to be married. Weren’t there matters to tend to, like choosing a gown, rustling up some flowers, and chattering with the other women who would be verra interested in a wedding?
“I would like to ken who is being married that we require a wedding breakfast.” She stopped, and her eyes narrowed to slits. “Tomorrow.”
Evan ran his hand down his face. It appeared the lass was upset, and he didn’t have time to deal with female hysteria. On the other hand, if he wanted all to run without problems or difficulties so he could depart from Fife as quickly as possible, ’twould be wise for him to smooth her ruffled feathers.
“Now, Katie, darlin’, ye ken ’tis ye and I getting married. I was able to get the minister to perform the ceremony tomorrow.”
“Is that so? How verra interesting. And
