“Gavin only became laird o’ MacLeod six weeks ago,” he explained. “Conran, his wife, Evina, and Gavin had to petition theking, and get him to hear his case. That took some time. Mostly because none of them, not even Gavin, wanted to sit aboutat court awaiting the king’s pleasure to see them. So, they wrote and requested an audience. Six months passed before theygot a response, and then the date for the audience was three months after that. Once he’d listened to their case, the kingsent one o’ his trusted men out to MacLeod to demand the will. Conran, Evina and Gavin had to wait at court for him to gothere and come back, which took longer than necessary because Gavin’s uncle insisted on riding back with the man, and he broughta slow-moving caravan of soldiers and wagons rather than ride alone. And then they had to wait a couple more weeks for theking to actually see the will.”
“Weeks?” she asked with dismay.
“When his man didn’t return in the expected length of time, the king thought he’d met with foul play and sent a garrison o’soldiers out to find him and get the will . . . and then he went on a hunting trip.”
“What?” Dwyn asked with disbelief.
“Aye,” he said dryly. “Apparently, it was planned ahead o’ time though, so . . .” He shrugged, jostling her a bit in his lap.“The worst part is they all arrived back at court—his man, the uncle and the garrison—the day after the king left. The garrisonran into their traveling party that morning, and rode back with them. But ’twas too late—the king was gone, so they had toawait his return to have the matter resolved.”
“Oh, dear,” Dwyn said with amusement. “I suspect yer brother would no’ have liked that. I would no’ have.”
“Nay, he didn’t,” Geordie admitted, and then asked, “But why would you no’ have liked it?” He suspected he knew the answer,but wanted to hear it anyway.
“Because I canno’ think of anything less pleasant than to be stuck at court for weeks on end, awaiting the king’s pleasure.No’ if ’tis full o’ lasses like—”
Geordie grinned when Dwyn cut herself off. He was quite sure the lasses whose names she was thinking of but wouldn’t say wereCatriona and Sasha. From what he’d heard, the two women were often at court, which perhaps explained their behavior. Courtwas a place of excess, where cruelty was common. He’d never cared for it himself either.
“Oh, look! There is Buchanan,” she said brightly.
It was such an obvious attempt to distract him from what she’d stopped herself from saying that Geordie found himself grinningdown at the top of her head and squeezing her affectionately with the arm around her waist. He only recalled the effect thatwould have on her neckline when he heard her mutter something under her breath and raised her hands to work at pushing herbreasts back into the top of her gown. He glanced down as she pushed at the round globes, and it made him think of Cook kneadingdough for some reason, which just struck him as ridiculous and made him laugh.
“’Tis no’ funny, m’laird,” Dwyn said, tossing an exasperated glance over her shoulder. “How would ye like it if yer brothersshortened all yer plaids so that yer pillicock kept showing?”
Geordie grinned at the fact that she would even refer to his cock, but was even more amused at the suggestion, and hopingto fluster her, he said, “Well, I guess that depends on whether ye’d be looking or no’.”
“Of course I’d be looking,” Dwyn said in somewhat distracted tones as she now tugged on the neckline of her gown, trying topull it up to cover what she couldn’t push in. “What lass with half a wit in her head would no’ take the opportunity to seeyer pillicock?”
Geordie burst out laughing anew at her honesty, and unthinkingly gave her another affectionate squeeze.
“Arggh!” she growled with frustration. “Do ye no’ stop doing that I’ll be giving the men on yer wall a fine show as we rideby.”
That ended his amusement rather quickly, and Geordie scowled toward the men posted on the wall ahead. He then released herto yank her top up himself. It didn’t really help much, he decided as he peered down over her shoulders at the tops of herbreasts on display in the pale blue gown she wore today, so he took the plaid from her and let it drop open, then tucked itaround and over her shoulders until she was fully covered up to her neck.
“Better,” Geordie judged then, and Dwyn sighed and nodded as she leaned back into him.
“Aye. Much better. I feel properly clothed fer the first time since coming here,” she admitted wryly, and then added, “I dolove me sisters, but truly, this was no’ their finest idea.”
Geordie merely smiled. To his mind, it had been a brilliant idea. While he didn’t care for everyone else being able to lookon what God had gifted this lovely lass with, putting her beautiful breasts on display had certainly caught his attention.Although it wasn’t the only thing that had caught his attention. There was much more of merit to the lovely Dwyn Innes thanjust her fine breasts. And he did find her lovely now. At first, he may have agreed that she was nothing special when it cameto her face, but that was before she’d smiled. When she did that, her blue eyes widened and sparkled, her whole face lit uplike a candle, and she was honestly and truly lovely.
One of the men on the wall hailed them as they rode across the bridge and Geordie slowed his horse to hear the news that hisbrothers were returned and in the keep. He thanked the man for the
