“Why? I did no’ pay her special attention at sup,” Geordie pointed out.
“Nay, but ye both disappeared from the table minutes apart, and the lass returned to the keep looking like she’d been tumbled,”he informed him dryly. “Her hair was mussed, her lips swollen, and though I did no’ notice it until seeing her in the lightof our room, her one cheek was pink from yer stubble, plus she had love bites on both her neck and the top o’ one breast.”He arched one eyebrow. “While her sisters did no’ seem to notice, I did, and ’tis possible others did as well.”
Geordie lowered his gaze, thinking he would have to be more careful in future. He hadn’t realized he’d marked Dwyn. A lovebite on her neck and the top of her breast? He had been a little enthusiastic, nibbling and sucking his way down her neckand across one breast before concentrating on her nipple.
“I shall ask around and see if anyone saw someone in the hall with glass, but other than that the best we can do is keep aneye on Dwyn and be sure she is no’ left alone,” Aulay said now.
“I shall keep watch over her,” Geordie assured him. “She needs someone to carry her around anyway, and I planned to do that.Speaking o’ which,” he added, raising his gaze again. “I’ll need a pallet so I can sleep outside her room should she needthe garderobe in the night.”
Aulay nodded. “Come. We’ll find one.”
Geordie followed him, but his mind was on the love bites he’d left on Dwyn, and how he could have missed seeing them himself.Probably because his gaze always went directly to her neckline to see how much nipple was peeking out, he acknowledged. Hereally had to be more careful in future with her. No more love bites, or mussed hair. Mayhap he should carry a brush aroundwith him. Geordie actually liked the idea of brushing her long hair. It would give him an excuse to touch it. Aye, he’d carrya brush around.
Chapter 6
“Come, join us, m’laird. Help us gather flowers.”
Dwyn turned as Geordie did to peer toward the woman who had called out. Lady Catriona Lockhart looked lovely in a gold gownthat set off her slim figure and pale complexion to perfection. She held a bouquet of bluebells to her lips and eyed him seductivelyover them. Dwyn sighed, sure he wouldn’t be able to resist the invitation. She was more than a little surprised when he shookhis head, and said, “I am only here today to carry Dwyn wherever she wishes to go, and aid the men with defending ye all shouldthe need arise.”
Catriona’s mouth pursed with displeasure at his words, and she scowled at Dwyn. “I do no’ ken why she came here anyway. ’Tisno’ as if she can help gather wildflowers. She should have stayed at the keep with yer uncle. Then ye could have helped us.Ye’d have had a better time.”
“Lady Innes came because she wished to enjoy the fresh air, and some o’ our rare sunshine,” Geordie growled at the woman withobvious anger. “And I go where she goes until she heals enough to walk on her own. So, had she stayed away, ye’d still no’have had me help. Besides,” he added heavily, “I am having a fine time talking to her, and would rather do that than pickflowers with ye anyway.”
Dwyn swallowed a sudden thickness in her throat at his defense of her, and smiled widely at Geordie when he turned back toface her. They had been talking the day before as he’d carted her about. Not at first. Both of them had been pretty quietas he’d carried her into the garderobe first thing that morning; Dwyn because she was embarrassed at his having to carry herto attend to such a personal duty, and he, she suspected, out of deference to her. But once he’d carried her below stairsand sat her at table next to him, they’d started chatting and just hadn’t seemed to be able to stop. After breaking theirfast, he’d carried her to sit by the fire and the talking had continued.
They’d soon been joined by the other women, who had quickly taken over the talking end of things. But Dwyn hadn’t minded somuch; she’d simply sat back and watched the way Geordie responded to the other women, noticing that he was extremely polite,but not nearly as relaxed as when she and he were alone. That had pleased her. Sadly, they had not got the chance to be aloneat all yesterday. With her needing to be carried, there had been no opportunity to slip out to the orchards or anywhere else.They’d spent the day in the company of others until Geordie had carried her up to her bed. She’d hoped he might kiss her againthen, but her sisters had followed them up and their presence was somewhat inhibiting.
Today had started the same way, with his being quiet and she embarrassed as he carried her to the garderobe, but once at thetable they’d begun to talk again. At first, it had been polite talk of the weather, and what time they thought his brothersmight arrive that day. But once they’d finished breaking their fast, Geordie had insisted she needed fresh air and he wastaking her outside. He’d carried her out to the gardens and to her tree. He hadn’t let her climb up, but they’d sat underit and she’d asked about his sister, and brothers, and before long he’d been telling her tales about his youth with them.The stories had been terribly amusing, and Dwyn didn’t think she’d ever laughed so much as she had at the naughty antics heand his siblings had got up to as children.
By the time Geordie carried her in to use the garderobe again, and to join everyone at the table for the nooning meal, hehad moved on to telling her how his sister, Saidh, had
