Taming the Highland Bride Read Online Free PDF

after them. “But I should tell you that he is suf—Bollocks!”
    Merry glanced over her shoulder to see that the man had tripped over something in the rushes. He stopped to pick up whatever it was, and then her attention was drawn forward again when her fathersuddenly drew her to a halt. They’d reached the edge of the group, and her father was now tapping the nearest man on the shoulder. The fellow, as large as a small building, turned a glare on them for interrupting whatever was going on, but quickly killed the glare when her father announced in a bluff voice, “I am Laird Stewart and this is me daughter, Merry, soon to be yer lady. Where is her betrothed, Alexander d’Aumesbery?”
    The fellow’s eyes widened, slid to her, and crinkled slightly as he smiled, but he didn’t answer her father’s question. Instead he turned to nudge the man next to him. Once he’d gained his attention, he whispered something in the fellow’s ear, and that fellow peered around with surprise before nudging someone else. Within a moment every face in the crowd had turned to look at her. No one, however, was stepping forward and announcing that he was her betrothed.
    Merry was just growing uncomfortable under their stares when Gerhard caught up.
    “Really, Lord Stewart, I should explain—” he tried again, but paused as a sudden roar of fury sounded from the center of the group of men before them. It was followed by shuffling and shifting as the men whirled back to whatever had held their attention earlier. Merry stood on her tiptoes, trying to see what was happening, but couldn’t see a thing. Then Gerhard shifted past her and pushed his way through the crowd, Merry quickly following in his wake. When he paused, she stood up on tiptoes again to peer over his shoulder and this time was able to see what was happening. Two men were rolling abouton the floor, a slender, smaller man attempting to defend himself as a larger man appeared to be trying to throttle him to death. The sight had apparently startled Gerhard to a halt, but only briefly; he was already moving forward, barking at the others, “I told you to hold him down, dammit!”
    The rebuke had several men moving forward to help as Gerhard struggled to drag the one man off the other. It took a bit of effort, but eventually they were able to separate the two. Merry suspected it was only because the larger man had grown weary of the struggle, or perhaps he’d got over whatever it was that had made him attack the smaller fellow in the first place. It appeared to her that the larger man simply stopped fighting and allowed the others to pull him upright and away. The smaller man immediately scrambled out of reach and, shaking his head, Gerhard quickly stepped forward. He brushed down the larger man and straightened his clothes, saying, “Your betrothed is here.”
    Merry sucked in a breath as she realized that the man presently swaying in the grasp of the men still holding him upright was her betrothed. She was not the only one shocked. Alexander d’Aumesbery appeared absolutely appalled by them and gasped, “The Stewart Shrew? What the devil is she doing here?”
    The men surrounding them all turned wide and even apologetic eyes her way, and Merry felt herself flush with embarrassment, but lifted her chin as Gerhard hissed, “She’s right here, Alex, right in front of you.”
    He then urged his lord toward her, and Merry’seyes narrowed as she noted how unsteady her betrothed was on his feet. Gerhard was having to help him stay upright with the grasp he had on his upper arm.
    “My lord, your betrothed, Lady Merewen Stewart,” Gerhard introduced, drawing the other man to a halt before her. Or at least he tried to; while Gerhard’s hold on his lord’s arm should have stopped him, Alexander d’Aumesbery’s feet were slower to get the message, so that he nearly walked right into Merry before the hold on his arm made him swing in a clumsy half circle. Gerhard immediately