Mad, Bad, and Dangerous in Plaid by Enoch Suzanne

Author:Enoch, Suzanne [Enoch, Suzanne]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781466838437
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Today, this part of the Highlands no longer looked empty. The vast meadow at the base of Glengask Castle had become a living carpet of sound and color and scent.

Generally the MacLawry clan gatherings saw nearly five hundred people in attendance, but the unique circumstance of Ranulf’s wedding had drawn in even more—and that didn’t include the other two hundred men, women, and children who arrived with the chiefs and chieftains of other clans.

“Good heavens,” Charlotte breathed, as she descended the hill with Rowena and the Mayfair set.

All morning Rowena had been swinging from excitement to trepidation and back again, but the awe in Charlotte Hanover’s voice made her smile. “Most of them are your clan now, Charlotte,” she said. “Just remember what Ranulf told you; don’t go anywhere without Owen. It’s likely everyone will just be wanting to meet you, but it’s always better to be a little cautious.”

“Aye,” Owen agreed, and patted the bulge beneath his jacket, only partly obscured by the MacLawry plaid draped over his shoulder. “Me and this blunderbuss willnae be far away.”

“Ranulf has protection as well, doesn’t he?” Charlotte whispered, taking Rowena’s arm. “It seems he would be a more likely target for any trouble than I am.”

“We’ve all got clansmen watching over us,” she returned, warmed by her almost sister-in-law’s concern even as she looked over the crowd and pretended to herself that she wasn’t looking for Lachlan. He would be somewhere in the middle of everything with Bear and Ranulf this morning. And she had more pressing things to worry over right now than him. The cool mountain breeze ruffled past her, and for the thousandth time since he’d left her bedchamber the image of him naked, looking down at her from mere inches away, touched her. Dash it, why did everything make her think of Lachlan this morning?

“Ranulf has Fergus and Una with him, too,” Jane put in. “I saw him leaving the house this morning with them. And Bear.”

“I certainly wouldn’t want to anger those dogs,” Charlotte said, smiling again. “It’s just … there are so many people. And this isn’t even half the clan, from what he’s said. And they all look to him.”

Of course Charlotte would be more touched by this representation of Ranulf’s duties as clan chief than by the size of the crowd. That was one of the reasons Rowena was so glad the two of them had found each other. Ranulf needed someone who would look after him first, and the clan second, since he’d always put himself far to the back of everything else.

Holding Mary’s hand, Arran moved up beside them, a content smile on his face. “The clan is mostly farmers and fishermen, peat cutters, drovers, and cowherds,” he said. “A fierce lot when riled, but they’re nae riled today. And as I’ve been forbidden to try my hand at any of the games, I’ll be close by ye, as well.”

At the edge of the meadow they had to slow, with everyone

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