days. Could he be falling in love? And what if he was? Would it be a tragedy? He thought not.
“Twould appear that ye may be correct, Robbie,” he replied as he set Amy on her feet. “I am certain that I am smitten by this Fae Princess so, why nae her mama?”
Amy spread her blue skirt as she twirled about. “Do ye like my new gown, Sir Robbie? Mama made it just for me. Tis ever so pretty!” Her cherub face beamed up at the mountainous highlander in pride.
Robbie bowed low, kissing her hand. “Aye, little mi s tress, tis wondrous indeed!”
She squealed with delight, clapping her hands as she bounced on her toes. “Did ye see Da? He kissed me! Now we be betrothed! I must tell Mama.” Amy skipped out of the hall in her excitement to find Brighde who had exited a few minutes before.
Connall glanced at Robbie’s astonished face. “B-but…b-b-but…all I did was kiss her hand.”
He gave him a stern, fatherly glare as he fought the laughter bubbling up in his chest. “Ye will nae trifle with my daughter’s affections! If she says ye are betrothed then…ye are betrothed!”
“B-but…b-b-but…I already have a wife! Ye ken this, Connall!” His panicked eyes shot to his laird.
“Then I suggest ye rid yourself of your current spouse or…figure a way out of this betrothal without hurting her tender heart.” Slapping him on the back heartily, he strode from the hall booming with laughter.
“Mama! Mama! I be betrothed!” Amy blurted out loudly as she entered the solar. She was so excited that she could not stand still. She gave Brighde a big squeeze in her exuberance. Brighde’s delicate brows arched in alarm. Surely, Connall was not planning her life already.
“Whatever are ye babbling about lass? Ye are too young to be betrothed.”
Amy pulled back as tears began filling her cyan eyes. She nodded slowly, her lips forming a pout. “Uh-huh! I am wedding Sir Robbie! He kissed me!”
“Be reasonable, Amy. Ye can nae wed Robbie. He has a —”
“An ailment!” Connall interrupted as he ventured into the solar. He gave his wife a warning look.
“He is ill?” Amy’s eyes rounded. “What is wrong with him?”
The laird’s face grew serious as he settled his gaze on the wee lass . “It is called ‘aging’, Poppit. He grows older every day. Why, by the time ye be old enough to wed, he will be too old for ye. I do hear that he has a handsome young son, though…if ye be interested. ”
Her thumb plopped into her mouth while she consi d ered her options. After a few moments of deep thought she bobbed her head vigorously. Puffing out her wee chest and straightening her spine, she replied. “I will nae make any promises but…I will meet him. Does he like puppies?”
Connall grinned at the fickleness of her emotions. “I do nae ken lass, but I will make inquiries if it suits ye.”
“Thank ye, Da. I best go tell Sir Robbie that our b e trothal is off.” She stalked from the chamber, determined to find her quarry.
Brighde and the laird had a good chuckle over the lass’ antics. He squeezed her hand affectionately.
“Thank ye, wife, for playing along. I did nae wish to see her heart broke. Twas best to allow her to call off the wedding since she announced it.” Connall shook his head and laughed. “Ye should have seen poor Robbie’s face! It was priceless! She reduced him to a stuttering terrified mass!”
“Oh my! Ye make me pity his poor son if that be the case. What hope does a ten-year-old have against the force called “Amy”?” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she joined in the fun .
Grabbing her hand, the Earl pulled her from her seat. “Come, my love. This will be too good to miss.” They hu r ried out together in search of Amy’s victim, not wishing to miss any of the amusement .
* * *
She was late! Brighde shook her head in disbelief. She was never late…until now. Placing her hand on her flat stomach, she wondered if it were true. A gentle smile crossed her lips
“Twould appear that ye may be correct, Robbie,” he replied as he set Amy on her feet. “I am certain that I am smitten by this Fae Princess so, why nae her mama?”
Amy spread her blue skirt as she twirled about. “Do ye like my new gown, Sir Robbie? Mama made it just for me. Tis ever so pretty!” Her cherub face beamed up at the mountainous highlander in pride.
Robbie bowed low, kissing her hand. “Aye, little mi s tress, tis wondrous indeed!”
She squealed with delight, clapping her hands as she bounced on her toes. “Did ye see Da? He kissed me! Now we be betrothed! I must tell Mama.” Amy skipped out of the hall in her excitement to find Brighde who had exited a few minutes before.
Connall glanced at Robbie’s astonished face. “B-but…b-b-but…all I did was kiss her hand.”
He gave him a stern, fatherly glare as he fought the laughter bubbling up in his chest. “Ye will nae trifle with my daughter’s affections! If she says ye are betrothed then…ye are betrothed!”
“B-but…b-b-but…I already have a wife! Ye ken this, Connall!” His panicked eyes shot to his laird.
“Then I suggest ye rid yourself of your current spouse or…figure a way out of this betrothal without hurting her tender heart.” Slapping him on the back heartily, he strode from the hall booming with laughter.
“Mama! Mama! I be betrothed!” Amy blurted out loudly as she entered the solar. She was so excited that she could not stand still. She gave Brighde a big squeeze in her exuberance. Brighde’s delicate brows arched in alarm. Surely, Connall was not planning her life already.
“Whatever are ye babbling about lass? Ye are too young to be betrothed.”
Amy pulled back as tears began filling her cyan eyes. She nodded slowly, her lips forming a pout. “Uh-huh! I am wedding Sir Robbie! He kissed me!”
“Be reasonable, Amy. Ye can nae wed Robbie. He has a —”
“An ailment!” Connall interrupted as he ventured into the solar. He gave his wife a warning look.
“He is ill?” Amy’s eyes rounded. “What is wrong with him?”
The laird’s face grew serious as he settled his gaze on the wee lass . “It is called ‘aging’, Poppit. He grows older every day. Why, by the time ye be old enough to wed, he will be too old for ye. I do hear that he has a handsome young son, though…if ye be interested. ”
Her thumb plopped into her mouth while she consi d ered her options. After a few moments of deep thought she bobbed her head vigorously. Puffing out her wee chest and straightening her spine, she replied. “I will nae make any promises but…I will meet him. Does he like puppies?”
Connall grinned at the fickleness of her emotions. “I do nae ken lass, but I will make inquiries if it suits ye.”
“Thank ye, Da. I best go tell Sir Robbie that our b e trothal is off.” She stalked from the chamber, determined to find her quarry.
Brighde and the laird had a good chuckle over the lass’ antics. He squeezed her hand affectionately.
“Thank ye, wife, for playing along. I did nae wish to see her heart broke. Twas best to allow her to call off the wedding since she announced it.” Connall shook his head and laughed. “Ye should have seen poor Robbie’s face! It was priceless! She reduced him to a stuttering terrified mass!”
“Oh my! Ye make me pity his poor son if that be the case. What hope does a ten-year-old have against the force called “Amy”?” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she joined in the fun .
Grabbing her hand, the Earl pulled her from her seat. “Come, my love. This will be too good to miss.” They hu r ried out together in search of Amy’s victim, not wishing to miss any of the amusement .
* * *
She was late! Brighde shook her head in disbelief. She was never late…until now. Placing her hand on her flat stomach, she wondered if it were true. A gentle smile crossed her lips
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