Page 62 of The Highland Heir

She liked Arran. And was sure she just neededtime to fall in love with him.

“I believe we should take our meal in thehall this evening. Let us change and make our way up to thecastle.”

Ella nodded and rested her hand over herstomach, wondering if she would be able to eat a thing. Her stomachseemed to be tying itself into knots as she changed, and thoseknots became even more knotted as they walked toward thecastle.

“You are walking even slower than me, and I’man old woman.”

Ella laughed. “You are not old, auntie. Youonly have the tiniest of gray in your hair, and your eyes arebright with mischief.” There were some lines at her eyes from allthe time she spent smiling, but that was a sign to anyone she was awitty person.

“Now that I’ll be living here, I plan to finda man for ye,” Ella promised her aunt.

“Nay. I don’t want a man. I’m set in myways.” Jenny held up her hands.

“That’s the same excuse my father gave. Hedidn’t want a woman to come into our lives and change us. But Ithink such a change can be a good thing. I’ll see you bothhappy.”

“Mayhap you should see yourself happy first.”Jenny lifted a knowing brow.

Ella nodded and then stopped walking, causingher aunt to stop as well.

“If it should be that Arran does not ask formy hand, might I stay with you anyway?”

“You always have a home with me, niece.”

Feeling better, Ella continued on to thecastle . . . and a life she hoped she would come tolove.

*

The late morning air was heating up with noonapproaching. Kieran felt a trickle of sweat meander down his backunder his armor. All around him it was quiet but for the scrapingof metal, the subtle squeak of leather, and the panting ofhorses.

They had arrived.

Across the field from them, a handful of menwaited. Not an army. Three men stood apart from the other two. Theydidn’t even wear armor as they sat, in what appeared to be easycalm, upon their horses. Waiting.

“As I predicted, they wish to talk. They willbend to our wishes, and we will return home with my son’s bride,”Rolfe said to the men near enough to hear.

Kieran had kept his distance from his fathersince their heated discussion days before. To Kieran’s surprise,his father hadn’t sent for him or ordered him to sit beside him formeals.

“Teague and Kieran will join me. They havefive men. We will meet them with but three.” As if this proved theSinclairs to be fiercer in some way.

Kieran reined in his horse next to Teague,but as they traveled into the field, Rolfe moved ahead and towardthe center of their group.

They came to a stop in front of the threemen. Two of them older, while the last seemed to be the same age asKieran.

“Welcome to our lands, Laird Sinclair.”

“I did not come for a visit. I have come toget what was contracted to us.”

The younger blond warrior shifted in hissaddle, and Kieran saw his fist clench. This was the man who hadmarried Kieran’s intended. Kieran wasn’t surprised to see the mandidn’t like for his wife to be referred to as a thing.

Could his father have stated their claim in aworse way?

“She is my wife,” the blond man spoke.

Kieran waited for his father to rebuke theman’s claim and state his order that the woman be handed over tothem, but there was only silence from the place next to him.

Kieran turned to make sure his father wasstill there.

He was, but he appeared to be frozen as hestared at the man who had spoken.