Page 34 of The Highlander’s Kilted Affair

Taking her in his arms, he swallowed a chuckle and lifted her onto the horse. She sat there for a moment, gazing down at him, her head slowly bobbing from side to side like it wasn’t attached to her neck.

“Ye’re a really handsome man. Dae ye ken that?” she rambled, taking hold of his cheeks with her hands.

Lowering her face towards him, Benedict knew what she wanted, but taking her hands gently in his, he shook his head slowly. “This isnae the time, Evelyn.”

“But why?” she whined.

“Because ye’re drunk. Now. Let’s get ye back tae the castle ‘afore yer faither discovers we’ve been missing.”

Yvaine opened the bedchamber door when they arrived back, and looking a little taken aback at her sister’s state, she gasped.

“Hello, Yvaine,” Evelyn exclaimed loudly with a grin.

“Shh, Evelyn,” Yvaine hissed. “Ye’re going tae wake the whole castle.”

“Ye cannae wake the castle, silly. It’s nae alive.”

Benedict grinned at Yvaine and shook his head. “Yer sister has had a good night.”

“Aye, I can see that,” Yvaine said, slipping herself under Evelyn’s other shoulder and helping him steer her towards her bed.

Once they sat her down, Evelyn swayed from side to side, while Yvaine gazed at her sister worriedly.

“She’ll be all right, Yvaine,” Benedict said. “Just let her sleep it off.”

“I dinnae need tae sleep it off,” Evelyn protested loudly. “What am I sleeping off at any rate? What are we talking about?”

Yvaine grinned widely up at Benedict. “She did have a good time.”

“We had a great time. In fact, it’s the happiest I’ve seen her since yer family arrived here.”

“Good,” Yvaine said. She gave him a strange look, and then, dropping her gaze, she turned to help her sister.

“Good night, Evelyn,” Benedict whispered as he slowly left the room.

“Night,” she drawled back, already sounding half asleep.

With a smile on his lips, Benedict slowly closed the door behind him and made his way to his own chamber.

A faint knocking disturbed him from his slumber, and upon waking, Benedict wondered if he was hearing things. Sitting up in bed, he cocked his head sideways and strained to listen.

Tap, tap, tap.

There’s someone at me door. But who the devil is it at this time o’ night?

Why dinnae ye get out o’ bed and find out, ye eedjit?!

Throwing the coverlets off, he padded across the wooden floor and warily opened the door. He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Evelyn stood there, wrapped in a shawl.

“What the devil are ye doing here?” he hissed.

“I had tae see ye.”

“Ye ken it’s the middle o’ the night, dinnae ye?”

The sound of voices echoed through the corridor from a little distance away, and, thinking it might be the guards, and fearing they would see her, Benedict grabbed Evelyn by the wrist and dragged her into the room.

“What are ye doing here, Evelyn?” Benedict repeated.