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“My mother told me the story of the Moerae, Fates, they weaved the destiny of the humans.” A wistful smile shadowed her lips.
And now she was trying to weave the destiny of her clan, he mused.
“And the kittens and puppies?”
“Haven’t chosen their names yet.”
Ever active, she busied herself with replenishing food and water in the occupied pens. “I’m sure you did not come here to meet up with a bunch of sorry orphans,” she said. With her back to him, she bent to place a bucket of water where the cats had been lounging.
And presented him with a full view of her shapely hips. Godamnit! Did no one tell the infernal waif she was too tempting by half?
Her frame turned to him and he quickly had to lift his eyes to her. “You requested Caitlin to come talk to you.” They needed to have more details on how the fire started. “She’s waiting in the drawing room,” he completed.
“Oh, I’ll go meet her.” With a wide berth, she passed by him towards the exit.
“We’ll do it,” he determined, accompanying her.
“Why you think you have the right to order me about is a mystery,” she spat over her shoulder.
One corner of his mouth lifted in a playful grin. “I’m having a lot of fun vexing you.”
She turned from him again, not bothering to produce a reply.
Outside, the fresh weather hinted at rain, a cool breeze soothed her flushed skin.
Unnerving as it might be, having the McKendrick around in such a dire situation did not feel bad at all. Moira washed her hands and face in the backyard before she met her friend. Not that she would confess the sin to any soul. But she feared she may get used to the man being around, and that would not do. The McKendrick monument would remain in her life in a very temporary fashion.
The downside of it was how the man unsettled her to no end. Well, unsettle seemed too mild a word. He completely churned her insides. And foolishly, she barely could take her eyes off the giant. It became progressively more difficult to hide the powerful pull he had on her.
She should have abducted his cousin Alistair.
Except the dandy lived in London with no intention of ever returning to his home country. Apart from short visits that is.
As Moira sped towards the drawing room, she sensed his presence behind her. The need to burrow in his sinewy form was so strong it hurt. Larger than life, he compelled her to do things she would never dare in her life. His nearness made the most ludicr
ous fantasies sprout in her out-of-control mind. Like just now, he displayed his usual goose-bumps-inducing half-smile. Her outlaw fantasies imagined her nibbling at those lips to taste him even if for a few seconds. She so wished she were immune to the man. Wished she were capable of ignoring him. She feared that would not be the case. Ever.
Stifling a sigh, she entered the drawing room. She saw Caitlin as she stood by the window. Her posture tense.
“My lady,” she greeted, nearing Moira. Her gaze then focused on the giant. “My laird.” She gave a clumsy curtsy.
“Caitlin. How’s Duncan?” Moira asked worried as the women held hands.
“Thanks to Laird McKendrick, he wilna have more than a few scars.” Gratitude written on the woman’s weary face. She dressed clothes that seemed too large for her, certainly lent by the other clan women. They had lost everything but their lives.
Moira had a fairly clear notion that Lachlan’s swift action had saved Caitlin’s family from a deep sorrow. One that would have followed Moira to the last of her days. She owed this to Lachlan. There was no saying if she would have been able to do what he did had she gone inside the cottage on fire. Lachlan’s exuberant muscles and height certainly gave him an advantage in physical challenges.
“Excellent news, Mrs. Darroch,” he said truthfully.
The two women sat as Lachlan stood by the unlit fireplace.
At Moira’s call, Murray offered tea. “Would you care for something stronger, my laird?”
“Later, perhaps, Murray. Thank you,” Lachlan answered, before turning to the Duncan’s wife. “Caitlin, we need you to tell us every detail of what happened,” he coaxed.
“After the ceremony, we walked back home and went to sleep.” Her features contorted with the bitter memory. “When we woke up, the fire had already taken most of the hoose. Duncan had time to put the three of us oot, but had trouble with oor wee bairn.”
“Did you see anything out of the normal or someone that does not belong to the Darrochs?”
