of Aedan dancing with Aline, the young girl laughing up at him with large doe eyes. He, too, seemed to be enjoying himself, and he was actually smiling, not scowling at everyone.
A young man, one of the guards she’d seen outside the castle, bowed before her. “Would ye dance with me, Abigail, lass?”
Abby nodded. “I would love to. Thank you.” He took her hand and helped her down the dais. The dancing seemed to be going from large circles and then back into lines, the women weaving in and out of the men. She tried to copy, and managed not to embarrass herself most of the time, but for most of the dance it was a pretty mess.
“Yer doing wonderfully well, lass,” her dance partner said, laughing as she went to move in the opposite direction to everyone else. “Yer making me look the veritable expert. I’ll have to dance with ye again, me thinks.”
Abby laughed at his attempt to shade light on her dreadful dancing skills. “I do apologize. I’m not used to these sorts of dances.” And she wasn’t. The dances she was used to happened in nightclubs. Lots of people grouped together, grinding against each other, getting wasted with friends, hoping to find someone to get their rocks off with.
Dancing like she was now, with meaning behind the music’s tune, and the clans coming together in celebration in a form that hadn’t changed in centuries, made the ways of partying in the twenty-first century seem ridiculous. How stupid these people would think them should they see how they carried on. Like a bunch of drunken idiots, who were in competition to see who could vomit first.
“Ye doing fine, lass. Perfect, in fact.”
She smiled and laughed as he pulled her against him, dancing down a line of people. They turned at the end and went back the way they came. The music seemed to grow in volume with people almost yelling the lyrics. The atmosphere became unlike anything she’d ever known.
These people knew how to have fun, to enjoy themselves. “Thank you, but without your expert help I fear I would’ve failed miserably,” she yelled over the noise.
“Och, never. I don’t let any lass fail.”
“Stop flirting, Kyle. You’ll make Abigail blush.”
Abby stopped dancing and looked up at Aedan’s laughing gaze. “Kyle was merely being a good partner,” she said in his defense.
The young soldier clansmen laughed and bowed. “With a woman as handsome as ye are, I’d never do anything other than behave.”
He was flirting with her. Aedan clapped him on the back. “May I steal her away for a time? It’s only fair we all should have the pleasure of dancing with Abigail tonight.”
“Of course.” Kyle bowed. “Mistress.” He smiled and danced off toward a group of young kitchen servants who stood huddled near an arch beside a storeroom.
“I must warn you, I’m not the best at these types of dances,” Abby said, placing her hand in his. His skin was warm, and his hand much larger than hers. Aedan pulled her against him, and the scent of soap and something that was only him, assailed her senses. Taking a deep breath, she fought to calm her nerves at his nearness.
Why did he have such an impact on her? No one she’d ever met before had sent her into such a dizzying spiral of awareness. What’s more, his arrogance when they’d first met wasn’t something she’d forget. The instant dismissal of her as someone who was nothing but trouble for his well-planned life had annoyed her. But then, the worry he must have over the O’Cains and his other sister, would be a heavy burden to bear.
His hand skimmed down her back, and she bit her lip. “This dance seems to go for an awfully long time.” She was blabbering now, trying to think of anything to say that would take her mind off what his presence was doing to her body.
“Aye, ’tis.” He weaved them through the other couples and laughed when she made a mistake. “It’s one of the longest dances I know. Don’t tell me you’re already sick of dancing with yer laird.”
She met his gaze and raised her brow. “My laird?”
He grinned and again her stomach flipped at his physical charm. Who is this man? And what did he do with the surly, authoritative, and anal Laird MacLeod?
“You’re an intelligent woman, and I’ve been watching your conduct over the last week and I’ve come to a decision.”