Read Online Highland Jewel (Highland Brides) by Lois Greiman - Free Book Online
Authors: Lois Greiman
Tags: Fiction, Historical fiction, Romance, Historical, Scotland, scottish romance, highland romance, highland historical
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gaze to the woman beside him. "What is yer desire, Devona Millet?"
Her eyes were dark and sincere, her expression solemn. "I would have a man to love me," she said honestly. "A man to care for."
Leith saw sadness on her face and having no wish to add more, admitted, "I am not that man."
"No." She shook her head in agreement. "You are not."
Leith nodded, knowing now that he truly understood her words and actions. "Jealousy can mayhap be harnessed."
"Mayhap," she agreed softly. “Tell me of your brother."
His eyes held hers. "He is a good man. And one to make a fine husband."
"I believed it from the first," she admitted. "Felt it in my heart, despite his aggravating belief that he could have me at will. And you?" She did not remove her gaze from his. "Why do you pursue Rose Gunther?"
For a moment Leith was surprised by her perceptiveness and considered not answering, but Devona was risking much to travel with them. " ‘Tis for a worthy cause, Widow Millet," he said evenly. "I will na harm her."
She watched him solemnly before nodding. "Then we are agreed."
"Aye." He too nodded. "We are," he said, and, leaning from his great steed, kissed her full on the mouth.
Colin watched the pair kiss, feeling an emotion that melded anger and jealousy. He'd deduced that Leith did not care for the widow. And the widow? She was not capable of caring or surely she'd see that she had the wrong broth—
A movement caught his eye and he turned in his saddle—just in time to see Rose's pale-robed body plop to the earth. His brows rose in astonishment. Now this was an interesting twist, he thought. Dropping the packhorse's rope, he stepped from his mount. Striding forward, he scooped the girl's flaccid form into his arms.
Her lovely eyes were shut, her skin pale, but she still breathed. He touched his hand to her brow. No fever, but she was so very delicate, like a fine work of art. But stubborn to a fault—starving herself. And for what? For her religious beliefs? Suddenly he doubted it. Did she fast then simply to torment Leith? Colin touched her cheek, liking her more with each new thought. The lass had enough spunk to trouble Leith for a lifetime. He smiled. But the girl moaned now and so he subdued his cheerful expression with wise self-control and called, "Brother! We have a wee problem here. If ye can scrape yer eyeballs from the widow's bonny bosom, ye might come have a look."
Jerking away from the kiss, Leith snapped his gaze to the bundle in his brother's arms. Sweet Jesu, he swore in silence and in a moment was before them.
"What happened?" he questioned, his eyes pinned to the girl's pale face.
"Methinks she fainted," declared Colin.
"I know she fainted, God damn it!" snarled Leith in return.
"Then why did ye ask?" queried Colin, snuggling Rose a bit closer to his chest.
Leith's scowl darkened at his brother's actions. "Did ye na see her fall?"
"Aye, I did," Colin assured him blithely.
"And ye didna catch her?"
Colin's brows shot up as he watched his laird's face. It looked nearly as pale as the girl's, he noticed with avid interest. "Ye are right," he said, nodding gravely. “It be entirely me own fault. Thus I will care for her." He pulled Rose nearer yet and shifted to move away, but Leith's hand was on his arm.
"Think ye that I trust ye with a woman of God? Give her to me!"
"Think ye that I trust ye?" retorted Colin, intrigued by the intensity in his brother's face. "I will keep her."
"Ye willna!" Leith's tone was deadly flat, brooking no argument. "I will take her." Silence settled about them, punctuating each unspoken thought. "Now!"
Colin shrugged finally, fighting down a grin and extending his burden toward the other. "As ye wish."
Leith gathered Rose's limp body into his arms, keeping his expression impassive. But still Colin could read the worry there, stamped hard upon his rugged features.
"We will stop for the night," Leith commanded, his tone tight. "Make camp in the woods and see to the
Her eyes were dark and sincere, her expression solemn. "I would have a man to love me," she said honestly. "A man to care for."
Leith saw sadness on her face and having no wish to add more, admitted, "I am not that man."
"No." She shook her head in agreement. "You are not."
Leith nodded, knowing now that he truly understood her words and actions. "Jealousy can mayhap be harnessed."
"Mayhap," she agreed softly. “Tell me of your brother."
His eyes held hers. "He is a good man. And one to make a fine husband."
"I believed it from the first," she admitted. "Felt it in my heart, despite his aggravating belief that he could have me at will. And you?" She did not remove her gaze from his. "Why do you pursue Rose Gunther?"
For a moment Leith was surprised by her perceptiveness and considered not answering, but Devona was risking much to travel with them. " ‘Tis for a worthy cause, Widow Millet," he said evenly. "I will na harm her."
She watched him solemnly before nodding. "Then we are agreed."
"Aye." He too nodded. "We are," he said, and, leaning from his great steed, kissed her full on the mouth.
Colin watched the pair kiss, feeling an emotion that melded anger and jealousy. He'd deduced that Leith did not care for the widow. And the widow? She was not capable of caring or surely she'd see that she had the wrong broth—
A movement caught his eye and he turned in his saddle—just in time to see Rose's pale-robed body plop to the earth. His brows rose in astonishment. Now this was an interesting twist, he thought. Dropping the packhorse's rope, he stepped from his mount. Striding forward, he scooped the girl's flaccid form into his arms.
Her lovely eyes were shut, her skin pale, but she still breathed. He touched his hand to her brow. No fever, but she was so very delicate, like a fine work of art. But stubborn to a fault—starving herself. And for what? For her religious beliefs? Suddenly he doubted it. Did she fast then simply to torment Leith? Colin touched her cheek, liking her more with each new thought. The lass had enough spunk to trouble Leith for a lifetime. He smiled. But the girl moaned now and so he subdued his cheerful expression with wise self-control and called, "Brother! We have a wee problem here. If ye can scrape yer eyeballs from the widow's bonny bosom, ye might come have a look."
Jerking away from the kiss, Leith snapped his gaze to the bundle in his brother's arms. Sweet Jesu, he swore in silence and in a moment was before them.
"What happened?" he questioned, his eyes pinned to the girl's pale face.
"Methinks she fainted," declared Colin.
"I know she fainted, God damn it!" snarled Leith in return.
"Then why did ye ask?" queried Colin, snuggling Rose a bit closer to his chest.
Leith's scowl darkened at his brother's actions. "Did ye na see her fall?"
"Aye, I did," Colin assured him blithely.
"And ye didna catch her?"
Colin's brows shot up as he watched his laird's face. It looked nearly as pale as the girl's, he noticed with avid interest. "Ye are right," he said, nodding gravely. “It be entirely me own fault. Thus I will care for her." He pulled Rose nearer yet and shifted to move away, but Leith's hand was on his arm.
"Think ye that I trust ye with a woman of God? Give her to me!"
"Think ye that I trust ye?" retorted Colin, intrigued by the intensity in his brother's face. "I will keep her."
"Ye willna!" Leith's tone was deadly flat, brooking no argument. "I will take her." Silence settled about them, punctuating each unspoken thought. "Now!"
Colin shrugged finally, fighting down a grin and extending his burden toward the other. "As ye wish."
Leith gathered Rose's limp body into his arms, keeping his expression impassive. But still Colin could read the worry there, stamped hard upon his rugged features.
"We will stop for the night," Leith commanded, his tone tight. "Make camp in the woods and see to the
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