Read Online Saved by the Highlander by Emily Tilton - Free Book Online
Authors: Emily Tilton
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said evenly. “And it is time I told you why, though yesterday I had thought it best to avoid the subject. I told you that I am not a friend to the laird.”
“You did,” Alice replied, “though unless you plan to hold me for ransom, which I believe I can assure you would be a very foolish thing to do, knowing who my father is, I do not see how your dislike for my intended husband has anything to do with me. Surely despite your lack of friendship with him, you can return me to him. Indeed, I do not see the alternative.”
Niall felt his brow furrow at her tone, and at the way she clutched her cup in both hands and gazed steadily down at the milk in it. Could he detect a note of her own dislike of Lord Roderick Sperry in her voice?
“My lady,” Niall began, thinking furiously about what he had planned to say, rearranging it and adjusting it. If her beauty had dealt a blow to the plan, the possibility that Alice’s joy about her approaching wedding might be tempered—perhaps even mottled—with misgivings shook the plan to its core. “There are two matters that, I believe, I may be able to persuade you to look upon, as I do, as standing in the way of sending you to Lormoran.”
Alice looked sharply at him when he had delivered this formal little introduction. She had clearly not expected an argument to be put to her by a highlander with any rhetorical skill at all.
“And they are, sir?” she asked.
“First, before the leader of the men who attacked you died, he spoke to me with an accent that was clearly English to my ears. He and his men were wearing a tartan they should not have been wearing, but that does not trouble me nearly as much as the possible meaning that Englishmen were wearing plaids at all.”
Alice had bitten her lip. She said very hesitantly, “They were English. I had not even thought before, but they spoke like Englishmen, and not at all the way you do.”
“As I said. Now, I do not know—”
But Alice interrupted, “They had been told to kill me. I think they were supposed to… to do that thing before they did, but…”
Niall could hardly believe her bravery in speaking so forthrightly about her near-rape. He said, “My lady, pray do not speak—”
“I must, though, Mr. MacAlpin,” Alice said, interrupting again and now looking at him intently. “They said that they would take me to live with them as their whore, instead of killing me, and no one would know. That must mean that someone hired them to kill me, must it not?”
Niall nodded. “Yes,” he said, as gently as he could.
“And you think it was Lord Roderick.”
Now Niall felt his eyes go very wide. Lady Alice Lourcy had a very quick intelligence, he realized. “Yes,” he said again.
“And that is the first matter that stands in the way of sending me to Lormoran?” she said, her mouth suddenly twisting up at the side. “I should have thought it might be the only one necessary.”
“Truly, my lady, I had not thought you would see the matter from my perspective, for I had not heard of what the men said to you before we attacked. The English accent was indeed the first matter, but the other matter, which I hoped might prove more persuasive, but which is also very delicate, concerns the main reason I am no friend of the laird’s.”
Alice took a sip from her cup as she listened, and Niall suddenly had the strange urge to beg a sip of milk from her. He loved fresh milk, but he realized suddenly that it wasn’t a craving for the creamy sweetness of the milk on his tongue that he felt, but the wish to share something with Alice. He had not felt thus about a woman in many years, and now to feel it about this Sassenach girl?
He tried to push the feeling back, but somehow that loosed his tongue to begin foolishly, “My lady, I am descended from the Grant lords of Urquhart.”
Alice gratified Niall with a look of pleased surprise, which made him curse his heart for the delight that leapt in it. Niall MacAlpin
“You did,” Alice replied, “though unless you plan to hold me for ransom, which I believe I can assure you would be a very foolish thing to do, knowing who my father is, I do not see how your dislike for my intended husband has anything to do with me. Surely despite your lack of friendship with him, you can return me to him. Indeed, I do not see the alternative.”
Niall felt his brow furrow at her tone, and at the way she clutched her cup in both hands and gazed steadily down at the milk in it. Could he detect a note of her own dislike of Lord Roderick Sperry in her voice?
“My lady,” Niall began, thinking furiously about what he had planned to say, rearranging it and adjusting it. If her beauty had dealt a blow to the plan, the possibility that Alice’s joy about her approaching wedding might be tempered—perhaps even mottled—with misgivings shook the plan to its core. “There are two matters that, I believe, I may be able to persuade you to look upon, as I do, as standing in the way of sending you to Lormoran.”
Alice looked sharply at him when he had delivered this formal little introduction. She had clearly not expected an argument to be put to her by a highlander with any rhetorical skill at all.
“And they are, sir?” she asked.
“First, before the leader of the men who attacked you died, he spoke to me with an accent that was clearly English to my ears. He and his men were wearing a tartan they should not have been wearing, but that does not trouble me nearly as much as the possible meaning that Englishmen were wearing plaids at all.”
Alice had bitten her lip. She said very hesitantly, “They were English. I had not even thought before, but they spoke like Englishmen, and not at all the way you do.”
“As I said. Now, I do not know—”
But Alice interrupted, “They had been told to kill me. I think they were supposed to… to do that thing before they did, but…”
Niall could hardly believe her bravery in speaking so forthrightly about her near-rape. He said, “My lady, pray do not speak—”
“I must, though, Mr. MacAlpin,” Alice said, interrupting again and now looking at him intently. “They said that they would take me to live with them as their whore, instead of killing me, and no one would know. That must mean that someone hired them to kill me, must it not?”
Niall nodded. “Yes,” he said, as gently as he could.
“And you think it was Lord Roderick.”
Now Niall felt his eyes go very wide. Lady Alice Lourcy had a very quick intelligence, he realized. “Yes,” he said again.
“And that is the first matter that stands in the way of sending me to Lormoran?” she said, her mouth suddenly twisting up at the side. “I should have thought it might be the only one necessary.”
“Truly, my lady, I had not thought you would see the matter from my perspective, for I had not heard of what the men said to you before we attacked. The English accent was indeed the first matter, but the other matter, which I hoped might prove more persuasive, but which is also very delicate, concerns the main reason I am no friend of the laird’s.”
Alice took a sip from her cup as she listened, and Niall suddenly had the strange urge to beg a sip of milk from her. He loved fresh milk, but he realized suddenly that it wasn’t a craving for the creamy sweetness of the milk on his tongue that he felt, but the wish to share something with Alice. He had not felt thus about a woman in many years, and now to feel it about this Sassenach girl?
He tried to push the feeling back, but somehow that loosed his tongue to begin foolishly, “My lady, I am descended from the Grant lords of Urquhart.”
Alice gratified Niall with a look of pleased surprise, which made him curse his heart for the delight that leapt in it. Niall MacAlpin
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