have to monitor medicines and other basic needs. ”
A chuckle rumbled through him as he realized her point. “ In other words, I will need a chatelaine. ”
“ Exactly. ”
He took her hand in his marveling at the soft warmth of her skin and lightly kissed it. “ Then my bonnie lass, mayhap I can impose upon ye. Unless ye spent too much of yer youth hunting in the forests, yer mother would have guided yer knowledge. ”
“ Aye, ” she said with a laugh. “ I nearly drove my mother to distraction , but I did learn all she had to teach me. As you know, she was a very good chatelaine. ”
“ So ye will help me? ”
“ I’d love to Branan. ”
He squeezed her hand gratefully , enjoying the blush that highlighted her c+0"ighted heeks. Their heads close together and their shoulders touching, they poured over all the details in the journals.
Branan wasn’t sure exactly how much time had passed , but he knew he was tired. H e and Catriona had developed a list of all the things they needed right away, items they would need shortly, and projections for a pair of months.
Through it all, Catriona had been delightful. Branan had always known she had a sharp intelligence as a child , but now he saw just how strong it had grown. Thanks to her, he was confident in all aspects of planning the rebuilding of Thistlewood.
“ Well, ” she said , tilting her head to stretch the muscles in the back of her neck. “ I think that’s about everything. ”
“ Aye, ” he replied, again looking at the list he had made. Instinctively, he reached out and rubbed her neck with his fingers. Catriona groaned and nearly melted under his hand.
“ Thank ye again for yer help. ”
She smiled , but did not move. “ I enjoyed it. ”
“ Enjoyed what? ” Courcy’s voice asked flatly.
Branan looked up in surprise. Courcy stood at the door, his dark eyes glittering in animosity. Although he had done nothing wrong, Branan automatically moved his hand away from Catriona.
Catriona, a slight frown blurring her brown, gazed at Courcy. “ I was just helping Branan with a few things. ”
“ Helping? ” he asked , stepping forward. “ And what, pray tell, could you help him with? ”
Branan did not appreciate the tone of his voice.
“ We were just going over some of the records. Branan has need of a chatelaine. ”
“ Then he should have requested the aid of my steward. ”
“ Oh, there was no reaso n to bother him, I was able to — ”
“ Get above-stairs, ” Courcy snapped. “ Your assistance is not necessary. ”
Catriona rose, bristling like a little cat. “ Not n ecessary? I’m perfectly capable — ”
“ I am aware of what females are capable of and I will not have it happening here with my betrothed, ” Courcy said as he strode toward her, his boot-heels slamming against the stone floor.
Anger at Courcy’s poorly veiled comment shot through Branan. He clenched his fists and rose, but said nothing.
Catriona turned bright red. “ So not only are you questioning my intelligence , but my integrity as well, sir? ” she spat.
As Branan gazed at Courcy’s cruel expression, a warning shiver crawled down his spine. The man stood over Catriona, trying to cow her with his larger stature. His body bowed, every muscle coiled, the veins in his neck stood out , and his face turned florid. His eyes gleamed with a primal fury. In a heartbeat, Branan was twelve - yearsyearst> - old again , watching Strickland’s fist descend on his mother.
Courcy’s weight shifted and Branan saw muscles contract as he lifted his arm. Sh eer terror coiled through him . “ Nay! ” he bellowed, stepping forward , his actions no longer under his control. In his memory, he so clearly saw his mother , but before him stood Catriona, he could not allow the same to happen to her. The black rage possessed him, red tinting his vision.
He stepped in front of Catriona and launched his fist into Courcy’s jaw with a savage cry. Courcy flew
A chuckle rumbled through him as he realized her point. “ In other words, I will need a chatelaine. ”
“ Exactly. ”
He took her hand in his marveling at the soft warmth of her skin and lightly kissed it. “ Then my bonnie lass, mayhap I can impose upon ye. Unless ye spent too much of yer youth hunting in the forests, yer mother would have guided yer knowledge. ”
“ Aye, ” she said with a laugh. “ I nearly drove my mother to distraction , but I did learn all she had to teach me. As you know, she was a very good chatelaine. ”
“ So ye will help me? ”
“ I’d love to Branan. ”
He squeezed her hand gratefully , enjoying the blush that highlighted her c+0"ighted heeks. Their heads close together and their shoulders touching, they poured over all the details in the journals.
Branan wasn’t sure exactly how much time had passed , but he knew he was tired. H e and Catriona had developed a list of all the things they needed right away, items they would need shortly, and projections for a pair of months.
Through it all, Catriona had been delightful. Branan had always known she had a sharp intelligence as a child , but now he saw just how strong it had grown. Thanks to her, he was confident in all aspects of planning the rebuilding of Thistlewood.
“ Well, ” she said , tilting her head to stretch the muscles in the back of her neck. “ I think that’s about everything. ”
“ Aye, ” he replied, again looking at the list he had made. Instinctively, he reached out and rubbed her neck with his fingers. Catriona groaned and nearly melted under his hand.
“ Thank ye again for yer help. ”
She smiled , but did not move. “ I enjoyed it. ”
“ Enjoyed what? ” Courcy’s voice asked flatly.
Branan looked up in surprise. Courcy stood at the door, his dark eyes glittering in animosity. Although he had done nothing wrong, Branan automatically moved his hand away from Catriona.
Catriona, a slight frown blurring her brown, gazed at Courcy. “ I was just helping Branan with a few things. ”
“ Helping? ” he asked , stepping forward. “ And what, pray tell, could you help him with? ”
Branan did not appreciate the tone of his voice.
“ We were just going over some of the records. Branan has need of a chatelaine. ”
“ Then he should have requested the aid of my steward. ”
“ Oh, there was no reaso n to bother him, I was able to — ”
“ Get above-stairs, ” Courcy snapped. “ Your assistance is not necessary. ”
Catriona rose, bristling like a little cat. “ Not n ecessary? I’m perfectly capable — ”
“ I am aware of what females are capable of and I will not have it happening here with my betrothed, ” Courcy said as he strode toward her, his boot-heels slamming against the stone floor.
Anger at Courcy’s poorly veiled comment shot through Branan. He clenched his fists and rose, but said nothing.
Catriona turned bright red. “ So not only are you questioning my intelligence , but my integrity as well, sir? ” she spat.
As Branan gazed at Courcy’s cruel expression, a warning shiver crawled down his spine. The man stood over Catriona, trying to cow her with his larger stature. His body bowed, every muscle coiled, the veins in his neck stood out , and his face turned florid. His eyes gleamed with a primal fury. In a heartbeat, Branan was twelve - yearsyearst> - old again , watching Strickland’s fist descend on his mother.
Courcy’s weight shifted and Branan saw muscles contract as he lifted his arm. Sh eer terror coiled through him . “ Nay! ” he bellowed, stepping forward , his actions no longer under his control. In his memory, he so clearly saw his mother , but before him stood Catriona, he could not allow the same to happen to her. The black rage possessed him, red tinting his vision.
He stepped in front of Catriona and launched his fist into Courcy’s jaw with a savage cry. Courcy flew
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