disobey a direct order, not in public. The scandal would taint the entire Knyvett family.
Oh, but she wanted to.
Her gaze returned to the Scot. His eyes were dark as ink and just as solid as the written word. His lips curved slightly for her. The soft skin of her own tingled in response. Her cheeks burned hotter but a grumble from her brother sent her feet to moving.
Damn Edmund and his ambition….
Edmund waited until his sister complied before scoffing at Keir once more. It was almost too amusing to hold inside. But the way the man spoke to his sister was not entertaining. It reminded him of the way his own sister had lived under his father’s rule.
“My sister is a noblewoman of blue blood. Our family is one of the oldest in England, sir. You will keep your hands away from her.”
Keir grinned. It was a full curving of his lips that flashed his teeth at the whelp trying to impress him. He took one long step toward the man and was rewarded with a whitening of his pallor.
“Strange thing is, I do believe ye might have just been discussing a hunting bitch instead of yer own sister. It sounded that cold-blooded. If she’s the lady you proclaim her to be, why are ye talking to her like a dockside hussy?”
“How dare you…Scot! Do you know who I am?”
“Nay, but so far I’m nae impressed with the way ye treat yer sister. Titles are nothing but old words without honor.”
Keir turned and left. He did not need one of England’s nobles wrought with him, but he could not stomach the man without speaking his mind, either. He was drunk on his own power, exactly like his older brothers had been when his father was still laird of the McQuades. They did whatever pleased them and the suffering caused by that selfishness bothered them naught at all.
But that was not what he wanted to think about. He scanned the court, searching for her. Something in her eyes had drawn a response that baffled him. The moment that her hand had been moving toward his own was etched into his memory. It was as tantalizing as it was frustrating. The only thing he felt certain of was the fact that he wanted to see her again.
Without her scheming brother. He was not the first pompous man who had tried to step on him, but Keir was not planning on letting the man interfere with discovering if the lass could snare more of his attention.
“There’s nae a great deal of affection between yer brother and ye.”
Helena froze only halfway around the corner. For a moment she thought she imagined the Scottish brogue. It was the truth that she was dwelling on the man. But he stood in the hallway as large and real as might be.
“Do you often appear in front of ladies?”
He shrugged, drawing her eyes to his shoulders. For some unknown reason his body fascinated her. She simply enjoyed looking at him, tracing the bulges that pushed on his doublet, running her gaze along his arms and wondering what his skin looked like beneath the sleeves of his doublet. She had never been so interested in a man before, which made her curious.
“’Twas the best way to get back to the conversation yer brother interrupted.”
“I see.” She didn’t care for how soft her voice was. Lifting her chin, she stared straight at his face. Indeed, the man was large, but that was no reason to simper. “There was no need. My brother was truthful; I am expected by the queen. Yet I apologize for how rude he was.”
There was no disguising the lament in her tone.
“I’ll be the judge of whether or no I needed to find a way to place that kiss on the back of yer hand.”
He was a proud man; she heard it in his voice. But his words irritated her. He was quite sure of himself indeed.
“Nay sir, I shall be the keeper of my own hand.”
She wasn’t sure why she spoke so heatedly to him. Her heart was beating faster, making it hard to remain poised and in place. It was almost as if she needed to prove that she would not surrender to his will without due consideration.
“Good day, sir. I must be on my way now.”
She brushed by him, her knees feeling wobbly. Her eyes widened but he couldn’t see her face.
“Och well, I’ll be happy to meet yer challenge, lass.”