Tender Feud by Nicole Jordan

Author:Nicole Jordan [Jordan, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, Historical, Scottish, Historical Romance, HISTORICAL ROMANCE NOVEL
ISBN: 9781937515027
Amazon: B005OKA5VU
Publisher: Spencerhill Associates, Ltd.
Published: 2011-09-19T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Katrine spent the remainder of the night tossing and turning on her pallet, hoping her wits had simply deserted her and that she would discover them in the morning. No doubt the strain of being kept prisoner for nearly three weeks had affected her reasoning, her perspective, her very mind.

But by light of day, even without the forceful presence of her Highland captor to reckon with, without his dark blue gaze smoldering at her so fiercely, her predicament was still the same. She was in love with Raith MacLean.

It was daft, it was terrifying, it was wonderful. She had found the man who could match her spirit and fire her blood. And she had no earthly notion what to do about it.

Katrine lay in bed long after the sun rose, her head buried under the covers, the memory of those blue eyes burning into her. Her cowardice, when she considered it, nearly made her squirm. She was afraid to face Raith. She was actually afraid—she who had always been able to hold her own with any man. But she couldn’t contemplate encountering him in the glen or coming across him by chance somewhere in the house, not until she had her feelings under better control, not until she at least could expect herself to respond to him with equanimity, without saying or doing something foolish.

Eventually, though, Katrine dragged herself out of bed to wash and dress, the urge to check on Meggie overcoming her desire to avoid Raith. The child was still sleeping, but by midmorning, after the lingering effects of the laudanum had worn off, Meggie was showing the remarkable resilience that children sometimes possessed. Her usual somberness was perhaps a bit more pronounced, but she seemed to have recovered from her tormented nightmares.

Even so, Katrine made a determined effort to keep the drawing lesson entertaining and cheerful. She was surprised and puzzled when the upstairs chambermaid interrupted the lesson to deliver a message.

“The laird wants ye to bring the lass to the stables,” the girl said with a disdainful sniff, her contemptuous glance making it very clear she didn’t approve of a Campbell being trusted with the MacLean’s ward.

Katrine scarcely noticed, however, for her pulse had begun an erratic hammering in her veins at the thought of having to face Raith. She straightened the ribbon in Meggie’s hair and nervously smoothed her own errant curls that were trying to escape from the coil at her nape, then took Meggie’s hand and made her way downstairs to the stable yard.

But it wasn’t Raith who was waiting for them, she discovered. Rather it was Lachlan.

“Ye’re to come wi’ me,” the red-haired Highlander told Katrine gruffly, though not unkindly.

“But why?” Katrine asked, puzzled.

“Raith said to find a pet for the lass.”

Lachlan led them across the yard, inside the stables, to a near stall, and disappeared within. Following with Meggie, Katrine cautiously peered inside the stall. The sight of the grizzled Hector MacLean, glaring at her beneath his bushy eyebrows, startled her.

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