But as far as Olivia could see, the ignoramus made no response. He merely picked up his tankard of ale and sipped from it.
What, is he so rude as to ignore his grandmaither now?
Annoyed by his rudeness, she turned her attention back to Greta for the moment.
It was impossible to ignore the stark change in Greta’s mood from the previous night. The anxiety had vanished, to be replaced by pure elation. She seemed to have grown younger in the space of a few hours. Olivia could understand how she felt. Edan was her only grandson, and she doted on him. She had been the only one never to give up hope that he was alive. Although Olivia had mixed feelings about Edan’s return, about her husband in general, she was pleased for Greta’s sake.
“Good mornin’, Greta dear,” she replied with feigned cheer. “Aye, what a lovely surprise for ye, eh? I’ll wager ye couldnae believe it when ye laid eyes on him.”
She cast a glance at her husband and met an impenetrable wall.
“I ken I couldnae,” she added under her breath.
“Och, aye, lassie, and I dinnae think I’ve ever been so pleased to see anyone in me life before,” Greta replied with a chuckle. “Everything will be all right now that he’s home.”
Olivia wondered if Greta had already told Edan that Laird Nurkirk was coming to propose to her that day.
Does he think I had something to do with arrangin’ it? Is that why he willnae acknowledge me?
Her senseof urgency rose. She had to make him understand that she had had no part in it, that it was all the council’s doing. Though why she felt so anxious for him to know that she was an innocent pawn in all of this, she had no idea. She chalked it down to fearing his angry reaction.
However, she was too afraid to bring up the topic just like that. So, she hid behind her teacup and covertly regarded him from under her lashes for a few minutes, choosing her moment and wondering how best to broach the subject.
Covertly, she took in his black-clad, powerful physique, the scars that covered his hands and neck as well as his face, and the expression that was as welcoming as flint.
He was a forbidding figure, to be sure. Yet, somehow, just as it had happened during their nighttime encounter, his presence stirred a response inside her that she had never felt before in the company of any man. It was deeply confusing, a visceral excitement that made her senses tingle and the blood heat up in her veins.
Thank Godhe has his shirt on this time.
Daunting as he was, Olivia summoned her courage and shifted in her seat to face him. She even managed a welcoming smile. “And a good mornin’ to ye as well, husband. I trust ye slept well,” she said pointedly.
There was no hint of a smile on his face as his eyes met hers across the table, pinning her to her seat. A shiver ran down Olivia’s spine, but she refused to be cowed and held his gaze. It was then that she realized she had forgotten his eyes were grey, the color of granite, and about as forgiving. His intense gaze bored into her in the cold daylight and only made him seem even more intimidating.
But he’s me husband, and I have to tell him!
So, mentally taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak. Only to shut it when a steward suddenly appeared at the table.
“Me Laird, Andrew Morrison, Laird of Clan Nurkirk is here,” he announced.
Olivia struggled to suppress the squeak of panic that threatened to burst from her lips upon hearing the news.
Blast him!Why has he come so early?Could he nae have at least the decency to wait until after breakfast? There’s nay time to tell Edan now… Och, Lord above!
At the same time, she felt a deep-seated disgust for Nurkirk, guessing the real reason why he was calling so early. It was because the faster he got her to agree to marry him, the faster he could take over as the leader of Clan Aberfeld, taking all of Edan’s wealth and power for himself, as well as his wife.
Although she had never met the man, in her eyes, his actions appeared blatantly self-serving, revealing him to be ambitious in the worst way possible. That alone told her he was not husband material—not that she had ever had any intention of accepting his proposal. Under the strange circumstances, despite Edan’s fearsomeness, she was glad he was alive and that she was Lady Aberfeld.
It was obvious from Edan’s mystified frown that he had no clue why Laird Nurkirk had come. Olivia trembled, imagining his furious reaction when he learned the reason, especially when caught off guard like this.
Would he feel humiliated? She cast a worried glance at Greta, hoping for some sign as to what she should do. But the old lady’s dark eyes were trained on her grandson as he turned to fix Olivia with a steely gaze.
“Do ye ken why he’s come?” he asked quietly, his voice deep and gruff.
“Um, aye, I-I do,” Olivia forced herself to admit, hating the way her voice shook.
“Good. So, explain it to me,” he commanded, folding his arms as he looked down at her, his harsh gaze searching her face.
Plucking up all her courage, Olivia took a deep breath and blurted out, “Laird Nurkirk has come… with a proposal of marriage… for me.”
