Niall heard Annie’s sharp intake of breath. Under any other circumstance, he would let her have the room, but she was supposed to be a lad. Giving her the room would seem strange to the innkeeper and Niall didn’t want to raise any suspicions. “We will take it.”
The older man arched a brow. “Plenty of room for your boy in the stables.”
Annie started to speak, but Niall cut her off with a sharp glance and she coughed instead. He knew she wasn’t happy with the way things were progressing. At least, the disguise was working. But it also created a dilemma. He couldn’t let her stay in the stables where she would be in danger of being discovered, but it would also seem strange if he ordered a bath if they were sharing a room. He couldn’t even say she was his brother since they looked nothing alike and she was dressed in English clothes. Niall gave the clerk a conspiratorial smile. “The lad tends to get himself into trouble when left to his own devices, if ye ken what I mean. I’ve found while traveling ’tis best to keep an eye on Alan.”
This time a noise which sounded like a muted growl came from Annie.
“Aye,” the innkeeper answered, “the young ones are always randy.”
“That they are.” Niall didn’t dare look at Annie. “The lasses will be safe if the lad stays with me.”
The innkeeper nodded and handed him a key. “Second floor. Last door on the right. I’ll have my wife bring up water.”
“Could ye have some stew brought up as well?” Niall asked. “We’ve had a hard day’s ride. The lad is about to fall asleep standing up.”
Annie cleared her throat rather loudly.
Niall ignored the sound and remembered, just in time, not to step aside for Annie to precede him. She seemed to understand since she followed him up the stairs without a word.
Her silence was short-lived. As soon as the door closed behind them, she folded her arms across her chest. “Falling asleep standing up?” Her hands went to her waist. “I get in trouble left to my own devices?”
Niall grinned at her indignation. “Well, ye can nae deny that part is true. Do ye want me to count the times in the past weeks?”
“Nae.” Annie frowned. “Did ye have to add that thelasseswill be safe from me?”
“Ye are supposed to be alad, remember?”
“But I am nae—”
“Ye doona need to remind me.” Niall sobered. “Even dressed as ye are, I am all too aware that ye are nae a lad.”
Annie gave him a startled glance, then shifted her gaze to the bed and quickly looked away from it. Niall followed her look. The bed, while not big, could certainly accommodate two, especially if they nestled… He turned his attention away. Now was not the time to think about sharing a nice, soft bed with Annie.
“Ye can have the bed. I will sleep on the floor.”
Her expression turned to consternation. “But the floor is hard.”
Niall shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”
Before Annie could respond, a knock sounded on the door, followed by the innkeeper’s wife opening it. A younger maid stood behind her holding a tray with a tureen that smelled deliciously of mutton stew.
“I’ve brought ye water to wash,” the older woman said, placing a pitcher and a bar of soap next to a tin basin already on the chest of drawers. She gestured toward the young maid. “Elsa has stew and ale as well.”
“Put it here,” Niall said, removing his saddlebag from the small table. “It smells wonderful.”
“Thank ye,” the girl said and cast a sideways glance at Annie. “I can take ye downstairs to where the men servants wash.” She smiled prettily when Annie blinked at her. “’Tis nae trouble at all.”
Niall quickly squelched a grin, since Annie eyes were flashing blue fire at him. Maybe the disguise was working a little too well. “’Tis nae need to put ye through that trouble,” Niall said to Elsa. “Alan can use my water when I am through.”
Elsa looked disappointed, but before she could say anything else, the innkeeper’s wife took hold of her arm and hustled her out the door. Niall could hear the woman scolding the girl as they went down the hall.
“Thank ye,” Annie said when the sounds faded away. “That…has never happened to me before.”
“’Tis good to hear.” Niall couldn’t help smiling. “I had nae given it much thought, but ye do make a rather handsome lad. I will have to make sure we doona stop in any taverns where the wenches are a bit more aggressive.”
Annie drew her brows down. “Will ye stop teasing me?”
He sobered. “I am sorry that ye will nae have that hot bath ye wanted. ’Twould look a bit awkward if I ordered one and then left the room while the water was still hot.”
