when she noticed him. Her face turned as pale as a shroud and her words came out in a rush.
“I… I was exploring the castle… looking for you.”
Her statement was false, of that he was certain. Her expression reflected the inner battle she waged to overcome her fear at being discovered. And she was winning. Most women, indeed many men, would not have recovered their composure as quickly.
The image of the Map of the Stars flashed before his eyes. His instincts told him he should not rule out the possibility that the chamber had been her destination. A rat scurried over his boot. He sidestepped out of the way.
Her laughter echoed through the tunnels, Wee a breath of fresh mountain air. He allowed himself to smile. “A disease-infested vermin attacks me, and you find it amusing?”
Her eyes sparkled with contained mischief. “Absolutely. It’s comforting to see a big, strong, handsome man like you, frightened by something so small. It makes you seem more… human.”
He raised his eyebrows. It had been a long time since he had felt human. He quickly swept the dark thoughts from his mind. “I would prefer to say that I was startled.”
“You jumped a foot.” Her laughing eyes challenged him. “Admit it. You almost dropped your torch.”
He could smell the jasmine she’d used in her bath. The heady scent made him a little dizzy. And she met him as an equal. To him, that was the most potent fragrance of all.
“You are a long way from my chamber.”
“You changed the subject, but I’ll let you get away with it, this time. There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
Lachlan suddenly felt as though he were a small child who had been caught taking a sweet from Una’s cookroom. “And what would that be?”
“It’s about the room. Would you mind if we went back now?”
Before he could answer, Amber walked past him toward the dungeons. He could not let her continue in that direction. Although, at present, they were uninhabited, the skeletal remains and the weapons of torture and death were in evidence in the dark cells. Lachlan had freed the prisoners after his father’s death, but that had not washed away the guilt he had felt at not being able to stop the killings sooner.
“My chamber is in the opposite direction, lass.”
“You keep referring to where I’m sleeping as ‘your chamber’.”
He followed her up a slight incline toward the stairs. The gentle sway of her gown and the outline of her form disturbed his concentration. “What did you say, lass?”
Amber turned so abruptly he stumbled back on the walkway. Her words came out in a rush. “If I’m going to stay here, I’d like to think that the room I’m sleeping in is mine.”
Lachlan cleared his throat. He wished she were not so eager to keep him from her bed. “The chamber is yours. I have already set up my quarters in the west wing. We are betrothed in name only.”
Amber relaxed visibly and he was aware of the gentle rise and fall of her breasts in the close fitting gown she wore. He doubted the waters of Loch Ness were cold enough to quench his growing desire. If she had asked, at this moment, for a bathing tub made from solid gold, he would have provided one.
MacDougal gnawed on a bone at Lachlan’s feet. Lachlan relaxed in the high-backed carved chair and waited. His new quarters were sparse, but he preferred it this way. The fewer distractions, the sharper his mind. He knew what his father would have done had he found Amber near the chamber of the Map of the Stars. But then, he was not his father.
Loud voices broke the silence and the dog raised its head. The door opened and Bartholomew was pushed forward.
The schoolmaster stumbled awkwardly before regaining his balance. “You sent for me, Lord?”
“Aye.” Lachlan allowed the anger he felt to be reflected in the tone of his voice. “Why is it that you are still here?”
Bartholomew bowed low with his arms outstretched. “I thought to plead for
“I… I was exploring the castle… looking for you.”
Her statement was false, of that he was certain. Her expression reflected the inner battle she waged to overcome her fear at being discovered. And she was winning. Most women, indeed many men, would not have recovered their composure as quickly.
The image of the Map of the Stars flashed before his eyes. His instincts told him he should not rule out the possibility that the chamber had been her destination. A rat scurried over his boot. He sidestepped out of the way.
Her laughter echoed through the tunnels, Wee a breath of fresh mountain air. He allowed himself to smile. “A disease-infested vermin attacks me, and you find it amusing?”
Her eyes sparkled with contained mischief. “Absolutely. It’s comforting to see a big, strong, handsome man like you, frightened by something so small. It makes you seem more… human.”
He raised his eyebrows. It had been a long time since he had felt human. He quickly swept the dark thoughts from his mind. “I would prefer to say that I was startled.”
“You jumped a foot.” Her laughing eyes challenged him. “Admit it. You almost dropped your torch.”
He could smell the jasmine she’d used in her bath. The heady scent made him a little dizzy. And she met him as an equal. To him, that was the most potent fragrance of all.
“You are a long way from my chamber.”
“You changed the subject, but I’ll let you get away with it, this time. There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
Lachlan suddenly felt as though he were a small child who had been caught taking a sweet from Una’s cookroom. “And what would that be?”
“It’s about the room. Would you mind if we went back now?”
Before he could answer, Amber walked past him toward the dungeons. He could not let her continue in that direction. Although, at present, they were uninhabited, the skeletal remains and the weapons of torture and death were in evidence in the dark cells. Lachlan had freed the prisoners after his father’s death, but that had not washed away the guilt he had felt at not being able to stop the killings sooner.
“My chamber is in the opposite direction, lass.”
“You keep referring to where I’m sleeping as ‘your chamber’.”
He followed her up a slight incline toward the stairs. The gentle sway of her gown and the outline of her form disturbed his concentration. “What did you say, lass?”
Amber turned so abruptly he stumbled back on the walkway. Her words came out in a rush. “If I’m going to stay here, I’d like to think that the room I’m sleeping in is mine.”
Lachlan cleared his throat. He wished she were not so eager to keep him from her bed. “The chamber is yours. I have already set up my quarters in the west wing. We are betrothed in name only.”
Amber relaxed visibly and he was aware of the gentle rise and fall of her breasts in the close fitting gown she wore. He doubted the waters of Loch Ness were cold enough to quench his growing desire. If she had asked, at this moment, for a bathing tub made from solid gold, he would have provided one.
MacDougal gnawed on a bone at Lachlan’s feet. Lachlan relaxed in the high-backed carved chair and waited. His new quarters were sparse, but he preferred it this way. The fewer distractions, the sharper his mind. He knew what his father would have done had he found Amber near the chamber of the Map of the Stars. But then, he was not his father.
Loud voices broke the silence and the dog raised its head. The door opened and Bartholomew was pushed forward.
The schoolmaster stumbled awkwardly before regaining his balance. “You sent for me, Lord?”
“Aye.” Lachlan allowed the anger he felt to be reflected in the tone of his voice. “Why is it that you are still here?”
Bartholomew bowed low with his arms outstretched. “I thought to plead for
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