As if he could read her thoughts, he said, “This used to be Logan’s room when he spent time in the castle.” He closed the door behind him, startling her.
“This is to be a lady’s room. You do not simply step in without permission, even if you were the owner of the castle,” she protested.
“Well, ye are me betrothed,” he drawled, walking deeper into the room. “I need to speak with ye.”
Violet stepped towards the foot of the bed and sat before patting the space beside her, motioning for him to join her. She waited till he reluctantly complied before asking, “What did you want to discuss?”
“Yer list,” he said matter-of-factly, bringing a slight blush to her cheeks. “Ye insist on completing it before marrying me.”
“Yes,” she replied softly.
“Do tell me what this list entails,” he demanded, his gaze fixed on hers with rapt attention.
“Swimming, but ye have to be a good instructor. I also wish to learn how to ride a horse and flirt and dance,” she said in a rush.
Now that she said it aloud, it sounded a tad funny.
The Laird paused for a moment as he considered it.
“It doesnae seem too difficult,” he replied at last. “I will make sure to fulfill those wishes.” With that, he stood up to leave. “I will send ye a maid by evening, Daenae worry about clothing. I shall ask her to bring ye a light blue dress for dinner.”
Then, he stepped out of the room, leaving her with a new discovery—hecared.
When they had last spoken on the road, she had thought he was annoyed with her because of the blank look he had given her, but it seemed he was listening and kept track of her preferences. He was willing to make adjustments to make things easier for her.
Her heart fluttered.
For a lady who had been starved of attention from the people around her, Violet worried that the Laird might have hit at one of her weaknesses, and it was only a matter of time before her walls crumbled to dust around him.
6
“It looks like a very beautiful pony,” Ruaridh heard Violet say as he slowly made his way to the dining hall the next morning.
He was not feeling particularly cheery, not when he had had a long, restless night after the exhausting journey and a certain golden-haired lady had haunted his dreams.
Not that the girls cared. Their happiness was palpable, in no way reflective of his somber mood, even though he could guess that his daughter was simply regaling their guest about her night dreams, a habit she had developed in recent times.
Unfortunately, since he was not available early this morning, Violet had to bear the brunt of that habit. Not that she sounded reluctant. She seemed to adore Keira just as much as the girl did her.
“Aye, Da said he would buy one for me when I grow bigger,” Keira’s voice answered excitedly.
Ruaridh groaned inwardly, reminding himself not to make promises to children. His daughter had been telling that tidbit to anyone who cared to listen, and seeing that Violet seemed to be her newest favorite person in the castle, it was obvious she would want her to know.
“That is great,” he heard Violet tell her as he rounded the corner and entered the hall.
Violet was dressed simply today in a lilac dress that he suspected was borrowed from his sister’s older collections, as her breasts strained against the fabric, drawing his eye and taking him back to the heated dreams he had only just escaped.
With great effort, he dragged his eyes to her face. Not that it helped much. She was fresh-faced, probably just out of her bath, because her hair appeared darker where it rested in a long braid down her back.
Unfortunately, the thought of her in a bath brought back the naughty images, because now he was picturing her naked and wet in her bath, her hair loose around her shoulders. His member stiffened, such that he had even more trouble pulling his mind from the wanton thoughts he wasn’t supposed to be having.
Clearing his throat, he turned to his daughter.
“If ye want to grow bigger,” he said, motioning to the sprigs of green vegetables she had meticulously set aside from her meal, “ye will eat yer vegetables.”
Her face immediately twisted into a frown, and he suppressed a smile.
“Good morning, Miss Violet,” he greeted Violet with a bow, studiously avoiding her eyes so as not to lose his hard-won composure.
