“Good morrow,” he said again, offering her a smile. “Whinnie, is it?”
Dwyn had just started to smile in response when he asked that and the expression died before it had fully formed. “Nay. Myname is Dwyn.”
“Oh. My apologies. I thought they were calling Whinnie.”
“They were,” she said grimly, but didn’t explain, and silence fell between them briefly. Dwyn did her best to pretend he wasn’tthere. Actually, she was mostly pretending she wasn’t there either, but was back home at Innes, walking the shores with herdogs, Angus and Barra.
“Dwyn.”
She turned reluctantly to peer at him.
“Who is yer clan?”
“Innes,” she murmured, turning away again. “Me father is Baron James Innes.”
“Innes is on the North Sea, is it no’?” he asked with interest.
“Aye, between the river Spey and the river Lossie. ’Tis beautiful lush green land,” she added with a faint smile. “Innes isreally situated on a large inlet off the North Sea called Moray Firth, and between that bordering it on the north, the Speyriver on the west and Lossie river on the east, but curving down around the bottom o’ Innes, ’tis nearly an island.”
“It sounds lovely,” he admitted.
“’Tis,” she assured him. “And as Da says, having the water nearly surrounding us aids greatly with defense. A good thing,since Da’s more a thinker than a warrior. Which is why we’re here, o’ course. For all the good ’twill do.”
Geordie’s eyebrows rose at that. “I do no’ understand. Just why are ye here at Buchanan?”
The question brought her gaze around with surprise, and then she scowled at the man. He’d seemed mostly nice up until thatpoint. “There is no need to be cruel, sir. I ken I’ve no’ a chance with all the other women here being so beautiful, but yeneed no’ point it out quite so boldly.”
He seemed confused by her words and said, “I did no’ realize I was being cruel. I’ve no idea why any o’ ye are here.”
She considered that briefly and then supposed it wasn’t perhaps something that Laird Buchanan would talk openly about. Still,gossip usually traveled quickly in keeps, and she was surprised that he didn’t know. Dwyn wished he did though. It was allrather embarrassing to have to explain. But it looked like she was going to have to. Dwyn drew in a deep breath to begin,and then paused when the action made her breasts rise perilously in the low-cut gown her sisters had insisted she wear. Grimacing,she pressed a hand to the tops of the round mounds to keep them down as she quickly blurted, “The other women are here hopingto catch the eye of one of the still-single Buchanan brothers and lure them into marriage.”
“What?” he barked, his eyes shifting swiftly up from her breasts to her face with disbelief.
There was no mistaking his reaction as anything but shock, she decided. He truly hadn’t known the purpose of the visitorspresently filling the Buchanan keep. Perhaps he was one of the soldiers who usually patrolled the Buchanan lands so didn’tspend much time at the keep to hear the gossip.
“Surely ye jest?” he asked now.
Dwyn smiled wryly as she shook her head. “Nay. There are at least seven beautiful women presently wandering the keep and grounds,waiting for the three still-single brothers to return to Buchanan and select a bride.”
“Seven?” he asked.
“And their escorts,” she added. “Of course, a new woman or two seems to arrive every day so there may be eight or nine bythe nooning, or sup.”
When he just sat there seeming lost in thought, Dwyn left him to it and turned to peer out at the hills again. He obviouslymeant her no harm, and it was nice to talk to someone who was not nattering at her to sit up straight, and stick out her chest,or alternately pointing out her faults and making fun of her. Honestly, she’d never realized women could be so cruel untilthis trip.
“Why would these women seek out the brothers for marriage?”
Dwyn glanced around at that question, and noted that the man appeared completely flummoxed by the news she’d imparted. Shrugging,she said, “Presumably because they’re all without a betrothed and their fathers wish to make an alliance with the Buchanans,”she said, and then frowned and added, “Although I do know at least one of the women is betrothed. Apparently, Laird Wallace is willing to break the contract in favor of a Buchanan son, should one of them be interested.”
“Why?” he asked again, this time sounding even more amazed, and she could understand his shock at this news. It was uncommonto break a betrothal. The family would lose the dower that had been promised in the contract.
“Because the Buchanans are becoming quite powerful what with the sons each marrying so advantageously. The siblings are allvery close, and each now has their own castle and warriors.” She shrugged. “What man wouldn’t want to be a part of that andhave that kind of power at his back?”
“Hmm.” He was silent for a minute, displeasure on his face, but then glanced at her and raised his eyebrows. “And yer oneo’ these seven beautiful women?”
Dwyn grinned with amusement. “Hardly.”
That made his eyebrows rise in question. “Then why are ye here?”
Dwyn drew in another breath that nearly dislodged her breasts from her gown and covered her chest again with irritation. Holdingthem down with one hand, she tugged her neckline up with the other as she reluctantly admitted, “Well, that is why me fatherbrought me. He has no sons to pass the title down to, and me own betrothed died ere coming to claim me. Father is hoping tomake a match to help protect us from our neighbors, the Brodies, who want to add Innes to their holdings, but . . .” Givingup on stuffing her breasts any farther back into the gown, she let her hands drop with disgruntlement as she finished, “Ifear he will be disappointed. The Buchanans are no’ likely to even notice me among so many beautiful women.”
“Why?” he asked, but she didn’t think he was really paying attention when he asked
