Page 10 of Lady Len and the Mysterious Mac

The sister tilted her head, scrutinizing him, and Si tried to shrink down even smaller under her gaze.

“Are you going to shave before the day?” she asked.

Now Ellen ripped her eyes from Si to glare at her sister. Clearly they’d been discussing his rough and unappealing appearance, but the nice thing about facial hair was it hid his tendency to redden.

“Do you think I should, miss?” he asked the sister, forcing his voice into a friendly, teasing tone.

She tilted her head the other way. “I can’t decide.”

When the bride didn’t comment except to grip her sister’s forearm fiercely, Si searched her face for a clue to her opinion, but if there was one, he couldn’t interpret it. How long before he learned to? A year? Would he have that long?

“You’re hurting me,” the sister whined. “Come on, Wee Ellen, it’s time to finish pinning your dress. I promise not to prick you on purpose. This time,” she added, grinning at Si as though they shared some secret, but the notion of her deliberately needling his bride made him feel prickly himself.

“Take care you don’t,” he said darkly.

Her conspiratorial smirk vanished. “I said I wouldn’t. Let’s go, Wee Ellen. They’re all waiting,” she huffed, turning her sister and tossing Si another appraising look over her shoulder. This time there was no question of her disapproval.

She’d be trouble for the lads of Inverness one day soon.

“Miss,” Si nodded at her. “Milady Ellen,” he said, with a bow. He knew he should call her mistress until she actually was his lady, but for some reason he didn’t want to. Some long-buried part of him wanted to heft her up into the saddle and carry her off to the hot springs nestled deep in the forest.

The sister took Ellen’s hand, dragging her off, and Si sagged against the fence.

Here. What an absolute charmer he was. She must have known the brooch was old, was probably disappointed by some residual tarnish he’d missed, as well as his piss poor presentation. Here. Honestly. He would have to do better with the ring.

To reach the smithy on the outskirts of the village, Si must pass through the green, where a market was being set up to serve the many Mackintosh and MacKenzie guests who had descended upon the town.

“Si,” his cousin Cedrick acknowledged as he arranged a table full of tonics and herbs. “Beannachdan,” his cousin congratulated.

“Ced.”

“How long’s it been?”

“Too long. You’ll play the pipes on the day?”

Cedrick nodded, eyeing Si warily. “How’s Himself?”

“Grand,” Si lied. “Is your missus around? Wanted to ask her to pay him a visit with one of her tonics for cough.”

“Not so grand, then.”

Si shrugged. “Went a bit soft in France is all,” and Ced laughed, though they both knew it was another lie.

“Silas MacKenzie in the flesh,” a cocky voice called from across the green. “I wouldnae have recognized you were it not for the tales of Finn McCool which the folks hereabouts liken you to. You’re taller than I remember, even as a gangly youth.”

Turning, he saw Blair MacKenzie, the son of his father’s steward, walking towards him followed by Rabbie, the farrier, and a blonde lad shooting dark glances Si’s way. A good three years younger than Si himself, Blair had followed him around like a lost lamb before Si left for Aberdeen, nothing but mischief and torment.

“Blair,” Si nodded. “How’s your father?”

“Oh, he’s braw,” Blair replied, though his downturned lips suggested otherwise. “Never seen him more fit. Went to Greece last year.” His lip curled up in a pained sort of way. “Brought back so many olives.”

“And how did you find Greece?” Si asked, counting the minutes until he could politely continue on his way. Blair’s eyes looked empty, and it unnerved him.

“If I ever find myself in that locale, I shall tell ye.”

Rabbie snickered at that reply, until Blair cuffed him on the back of the head. Their third companion continued to glare at Si through narrowed eyes.

“I would ask who’s the mysterious lass that finally convinced you to give up your wanderlust and settle down, but I’ve just been making the acquaintance of her cousin Logan,” he said nodding to his glowering companion.