“Then ye can rideyer ownlater,” he said, a hint of annoyance leaking through. “Just get on.”
Margaret didn’t geta chance to argue. Ryan took hold of her waist and hoisted her into the saddle. It was all she could do to keep from yelping in surprise. Then, before she was able to adjust to her new vantage point, Ryan joined her.
His hands came aroundon either side of her, and the warmth of his chest seeped in through the layers of fabric between them. She felt his breath against her neck, the firmness of his bodypressed against her own. The sensations in her stomach came back in full force, and as Ryan dug his heels into the beast’s sides, she was pushed even closer.
As they rodeout of the castle grounds, she had no choice but to memorize the shape of him. He nearly dwarfed her, all hard muscle and hot flesh. She swallowed hard, telling herself to calm down. There was nothing about this that should have her body reacting the way it was.
Margaret washyperaware of every movement Ryan made. His body was sure and powerful. The horse beneath them obeyed his every move, seeming to anticipate what Ryan wanted it to do before being instructed.
She triedto watch the scenery passing them by, but he was distracting her behind her. His hips rolled against her backside as he guided the horse. She could feel each breath he drew.
It feltlike she’d had too many glasses of wine. Her head spun, and there was a pleasant warmth that inhabited her limbs. Even though he was the source of her unsteadiness, she was glad to have him there. Without his support, she was sure she’d fall off.
By the timethey arrived at the seamstress’ shop, Margaret was certain that she was going to burst from the tension that had built between them. It didn’t help that Ryan had pressed himself closer as they approached the village.
She could still feelhim against her backside when he dismounted. There was a blush permanently on her cheeks. She didn’t think it would ever go away.
“Down ye go,”Ryan said, grabbing onto her waist after his boots hit the ground.
This time,when she was lifted into the air, Margaret was prepared. She put her hands on his shoulders and let herself be placed gracefully onto the cobblestone street. Then, she stood by, eyes focused on anything but Ryan as he tied the horse to the post.
The village was still justas quaint as when she had first arrived. The people who inhabited the homes were milling about. It seemed most of them hadn’t noticed their Laird riding into town with a woman in front of him on his saddle.
When Ryan turned backto her, her heart had stopped beating so hard though her face still felt warm. He got in front of her with two quick steps and opened the door. As soon as Margaret stepped through, a familiar voice rang out, wrapping around her like a blanket.
“Ye’re back already, are ye?”it said, bright as a bell.
Agnes,loaded with bolts of fine fabric, grinned at Margaret. Then, she caught sight of the Laird. Immediately, she emptied her arms onto the counter and gave Ryan a curtsy.
“Me Laird,”she said, her respect for the man obvious. It bowled Margaret over. She’d been so flippant in her interactions with him. “I wasnae expectin’ ye. Had I kent ye were comin’, I’d have cleaned up.”
“Ye daenae haveto curtsey like that, Agnes,” Ryan said, not unkindly. When she stood straight, he gestured to Margaret. “Me Lady needs a complete wardrobe. And a weddin’ dress, too.”
“A weddin’!”Agnes exclaimed, clapping her hands together and looking between Margaret and Ryan. Her eyes sparkled. “How excitin’! And when’ll ye need the dress?”
“Within a sennight,”he said without looking at Margaret. “That’s when we’ll be wed.”
The two ofthem kept speaking, but the information unsettled Margaret. While she’d known that there might soon be a wedding, she hadn’t thought about when it would take place. She also hadn’t considered that if she were to be wed, she’d be doing so without her family here to witness it.
She wonderedif she should have demanded that she and the Laird make these plans together. It would have been fair, would it not? There were two people being wed, not just one. Her opinions should have mattered at least a bit.
I still needto write to Eva to let her know I’m safe. But do I tell her I’m getting married? Should I leave that out?
As Margaret was ledthrough the selection of fabrics in Agnes’ shop, she thought about her aunt, uncle, and Eva. She missed them dearly, and until now, she hadn’t allowed herself to think about what she’d left behind. It had been easy to get caught up in the energy of her new home.
Now,though, with her wedding hanging over her head, her family was all she could think about. She missed the familiarity of her home. She missed the conversations she and her cousin had. She missed the lessons with her aunt.
When Agnes pointedto a deep purple, soft-looking material that would be transformed into Margaret’s wedding dress, she wondered what her family would think about this situation. Eva would likely be thrilled and perhaps even a little jealous of Margaret’s adventure. Not only had Margaret explored a new world, but she was becoming part of it.
Her uncle…she wasn’t sure about him. He loved her and wanted nothing but the best for her, but his opinions of Highlanders were in line with her aunt’s, even if he rarely voiced them.
And her aunt…Margaret shuddered internally when she imagined her reaction. She could already see the horror on her face. Throughout her entire life, Margaret had been warned about how ruthless Scotsmen were. Her aunt would never give her blessing for this wedding, regardless of Margaret’s reasons.
She’d tellme to come back home and that we would just find a way to deal with Duke Cunningham because the Laird would surely treat me worse than he.
“Ye’re goingto be the bonniest bride we’ve ever had,” Agnes said next to Margaret’s ear, looking over her shoulder and into the mirror in front of them. “This color is darlin’ on ye. Look how it makes yer eyes sparkle.”
“Thank you,”Margaret whispered, her gaze locking on her husband-to-be.