Nay, whatever happened, she would ensure he was not forced to marry her, Dwyn decided firmly. She knew he didn’t want to marry.She’d heard his brother Aulay telling his wife, Jetta, that the first afternoon when the laird had returned ahead of his brotherand uncle from swimming in the loch. They hadn’t realized she heard it. Dwyn had been approaching where they sat at the tableto ask if she might borrow the book of crusader poetry when she’d overheard their conversation. She’d moved away then untilthey finished talking before approaching again to make her request. When Geordie had begun hovering over her and keeping hercompany after she was injured, she’d assumed his desire not to marry was why. She’d thought he was doing so to avoid the otherwomen who were hunting for a husband. Dwyn was sure he’d felt comfortable keeping company with her because she’d already admittedshe didn’t expect him or his brothers to choose her, so he needn’t fear her expecting anything of him.
Nay, Dwyn thought. She would not see him punished for being kind to her. If word got out of what they’d done this afternoon,and her father, or Geordie’s brother Aulay, tried to force him to marry her, she’d refuse . . . she would protect GeordieBuchanan.
“Geordie!”
Feet slowing as he carried Dwyn around the front of the keep, Geordie glanced around at that call, relaxing when he spottedAlick ambling toward him, a wry smile on his youngest brother’s maturing face. Geordie had seen Alick as a stripling for solong, it was surprising to note that his face had hardened with age, and his body had filled out, gaining muscle that matchedhis own. How had he missed this? he wondered, and then forced himself to concentrate as his brother began to speak.
“Rory sent me out to fetch ye back.”
“Why?” Geordie asked with a frown. “Did ye run into trouble on yer journey?”
“Nay,” Alick assured him quickly. “’Tis just that Jetta told him about a certain beautiful young lass who had a mishap withglass in the upper hall and asked him to look at her injuries to be sure they were healing well.” His gaze drifted over Dwynthen, alighting on her bountiful breasts and pausing there briefly, before sliding on to the tops of her bare feet. Offeringher a charming grin, he added, “Pray tell me ye’re no’ the lovely lass who suffered so. Me heart breaks at the mere thoughto’ ye enduring such pain.”
Geordie noted the way Dwyn smiled at the flowery words, and found himself scowling at his brother. Turning abruptly away fromhim without even introducing her, he started toward the keep doors, growling, “Aye, this is the lass, and her name is DwynInnes. Lady Dwyn Innes, so stop ogling her like a pudding ye plan on eating and run ahead to get the door fer me, little brother.”
“My, someone is grumpy today,” Alick said with amusement as he moved past at a leisurely pace to mount the steps before him.
Geordie merely glowered at him in passing as Alick opened one of the keep doors for him to carry Dwyn inside. Pausing a couplefeet inside the door though, he glanced around, frowning when he didn’t see Rory or Jetta anywhere. “Where is he?”
“Probably gathering his medicinals,” Alick said with unconcern as he moved up beside him on the side where Dwyn’s bare feethung over his arm.
Geordie debated what to do. Aulay was at the table and he wanted to speak to him, but he had no idea where Rory would wantto look at Dwyn’s feet. It could be her room, or Jetta might suggest taking her to the master chamber to tend them there again.He was trying to decide whether to carry her to the table or take her directly above stairs when Dwyn gasped and gave a startledlaugh.
Glancing down he noted the way she was blushing.
“Ye’re ticklish,” Alick said with amusement, and Geordie glanced to his brother to see that he had lifted Dwyn’s foot by herbig toe so that he could look at her injuries. Alick then shifted his hold to clasp her by the back of her foot and liftedher leg higher. His smile immediately died, and he murmured, “My, ye did do yerself some damage. Is the other foot as bad?”
“Most o’ them are surface cuts,” Dwyn said quickly as he raised her second foot to examine it as well. “I did no’ even needstitches.”
Disliking Alick touching her so familiarly, Geordie glowered at him, and then started walking again, deciding the table woulddo for now. He was impatient to speak to Aulay and get the wedding arrangements in place. He wanted to marry her quickly,today even, and would not be talked into waiting to hold some grand celebration once every one of his siblings and their matescould travel here. He’d resort to handfasting with Dwyn, if necessary, and marry her later, but he was not waiting to bedher. He simply couldn’t. Not after tasting her passion in the orchard.
Geordie liked to think he was a good lover, but he’d never had a woman come apart under his attention as Dwyn had. The womanwas as open and honest with her passion as she was in everything else, and he was nearly rabid with the need to bed her. Buthe was determined she understand her worth to him. He wanted her married to him, or at least handfasted, so that she understoodhow much he valued her, how much he wanted her, but also how much he was coming to care for her.
Pausing as he reached the head of the trestle tables, Geordie
