In Scot Water - Caroline Lee Page 0,49
under the arms now and making faces at him. “When ye tickle him, Kiergan turns red, no’ pink.”
“ ’Tis true,” Lara offered seriously. “The man is devilishly ticklish.”
But Evelinde couldn’t be distracted this time. “What scheme? What do ye mean?”
“His scheme to be married.” Agatha sounded too nonchalant for what she was revealing. “He came up with it when his father laid down that ultimatum, and Kiergan teased him fiercely. Kiergan’s a rake, ye understand, and all the lassies love the way he woos.”
“Woos?” Evelinde blinked.
“If he were a woman,” Lara said under her breath, “they’d likely call him a slut.”
“Which is silly,” snapped Nessa, not looking at them, “because ‘twould just mean she was a strong, independent woman who wasnae afraid of her sexuality, and kenned what she liked and wasnae afraid of getting it—”
“Aye, aye, we’ve all heard yer rant on the modern woman, lass!” Agatha waved dismissively. “So Kiergan’s what his sister would call a modern woman, were he a woman.”
“He’s no’,” Lara offered. “So instead we call him a rake.”
“He sleeps with lots of women,” Nessa snapped bluntly.
“And apparently he’s good at it!” Agatha waggled her brows. “So when Malcolm announced his scheme, he claimed there was no wooing—”
“What scheme?” Evelinde snapped, determined not to be distracted.
The old woman clicked her tongue. “ ’Twas simple. When Willie—I ken I should call him the laird, but ‘tis hard to think of him that way when I changed his nappies—declared his sons had to get married, and the first one to present him with a grandson would become laird, Malcolm put that hulking great brain of his to use. He announced it’d be a simple matter of finding a lass who already had sons, thus proving a record of healthy male pregnancies—his words, no’ mine—and marry her.”
Evelinde’s breaths were coming faster, and her pulse was pounding in her temples, so loudly, she almost didn’t hear the rest of Agatha’s words.
“Kiergan declared that was nae way to woo a lass, and Malcolm said he didnae need to woo a lass, he merely had to find one in desperate enough straits she’d be pleased to marry him, and swoop in!” Agatha slapped her knee as she chuckled. “He convinced Alistair to leave his ledgers and letters long enough to do their research, and they found ye!”
Because I want ye, Evelinde Oliphant.
She remembered the way he and his brother—that had been Alistair, although she hadn’t known it at the time—had watched her on her trip to the market. Then, when he’d saved her from the river, and returned her home, he’d stayed. He’d come intending to stay.
Had he intended to seduce her? Had he known of her living situation?
Had he thought she was desperate enough to marry to get away from that croft and the danger the river and the coming winter posed?
He’d been right.
Nay! She clamped down on the traitorous voice.
She’d married Malcolm because of the way he made her feel, and because she’d seen he was a good man.
One who lied.
Oh, Blessed Mother!
Evelinde pulled her hand from Lara’s and lifted it to her lips.
She’d fallen in love with the man, and it was all part of his scheme?
Because he wanted to be laird?
Blessed Mother of Jesus, he’d used her. He was still using her. Her and her sons.
“Excuse me.” She shot to her feet, knowing her voice was hoarse. “I think I need…”
She glanced at Nessa, who nodded in understanding. “We’ll be right here, with this wee warrior.” Nessa patted Tomas’s bottom. “We might even try some of those mashed peaches, so he won’t need to nurse again so quickly. Ye look as if ye need the privacy.”
With a grateful nod, she lurched out of the room.
Privacy? Nay, she didn’t want to be alone.
For what she had in mind, she needed Malcolm. Needed to hear him tell her directly that not only had he lied, but he’d manipulated and used her as well.
And then she’d take her sons and leave.
Because they might be married now, thanks to Father Ambrose, but she wasn’t going to stay with a man like Malcolm.
No matter how much she loved him.
Chapter 9
Malcolm went to his chambers first to wash. He told himself it wasn’t because he was being cowardly and avoiding the confrontation, which was sure to come, but because he didn’t want to smell bad.
He wasn’t entirely sure it wasn’t a lie.
This was the chamber he’d lived in since he’d arrived at Oliphant Castle. Aye, the majority of the clan’s library was kept