True Love Brides 02 - The Highlander’s Curse Read Online Free PDF Page A

him. “You are in a foul mood about all of this. What is the matter?”
    “I pledged to your brother that I would treat Annelise as my own sister. He asked me to find her a husband with all haste and I have tried. Not only has she shown no interest in the men who came here to see her, but now she would choose a man in the woods we have never seen!”
    “You do sound like Alexander.”
    “I come to understand why he finds his sisters so vexing.” Isabella smiled so brightly at that comment that Murdoch surveyed her warily. There could be only one reason for her delight. “What do I not know?”
    “Annelise has invited her champion to the board this night, so you will have a chance to meet him yourself.” She donned her circlet and spun in front of him so the hem of her kirtle flared. “You could even ask him his name.”
    Murdoch shook a finger at his wife. “If he has touched her, he will not leave this hall unharmed.”
    “Then you had best be warned that he has kissed her.” Isabella chose a wrap and tugged it over her shoulders.
    “More than that?” Murdoch demanded, his voice rising.
    Isabella smiled at him. “I do not believe there was time.”
    Murdoch was suddenly very glad that he did not have a sister—much less five of them, as did Alexander. He strode to the door before he paused, took a deep breath and offered Isabella his elbow.
    She smiled up at him as she slipped her hand into his arm and leaned against his shoulder. Pregnancy suited her very well. She looked rosy and hale, but there was no denying the growing curve beneath her gown nor the fact that she was more tired of late. He felt a surge of love for her that vastly improved his mood.
    “I like that you are protective of my sister,” she murmured to him, her eyes shining. “And I like that you would ensure she wed well. It bodes well for the futures of our own children.”
    Murdoch smiled. “Would you kindly ensure that you only bear us sons?” he asked, his tone teasing.
    Isabella laughed. “You are right, now that I think of it,” she said, her tone full of mischief. “I did meet you first in my brother’s hall, when you came to quarrel with him. So, since you would quarrel with Annelise’s hunter, I cannot help but think this a most auspicious beginning.”
    At that, Murdoch, despite himself, gave a wry laugh. “Very well. I will meet him.”
    “And you will be charming.”
    “And he will have the opportunity to prove himself worthy of courting her,” Murdoch concluded sternly. Isabella smiled, seemingly content with that, and they descended to the hall together.
    *
    Garrett was well aware that time was passing.
    The vivid blue of the afternoon sky had faded to twilight, the last light of the sun lingering on the western horizon. The first stars were visible in the eastern sky and the shadows were deeper within the forest. Creatures of the day had returned to their burrows and nests for the night, and the nocturnal residents of the forest were stirring. He saw a bat circle high above the clearing and heard mice scurry in the undergrowth.
    And with every passing moment, his own uncertainty increased.
    He should go to the hall.
    She would be waiting for him.
    He wanted to go. He wanted to be in her presence again. He could see her in his mind’s eye, her hair a rich auburn, her eyes filled with awe and merriment. He wanted to hear again the stillness of her thoughts, to feel the welcome she offered him and his touch. He wanted to feel as vital as he had when he had kissed her, when it seemed that her sweetness flooded him and made him whole.
    He had no real desire to live alone, much less to be an outcast.
    But in her absence, his optimism had faded. As the light of day dwindled, it was all too easy to recall what had happened the last time he had stepped into a nobleman’s holding. Three months was not sufficient to forget that humiliation.
    Much less to be certain it would not happen again.
    He had not been able to explain