AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Then…?”
“I wanted tae think,” he replied. “And what of ye? What brings ye out in the middle of the night?”
“I… I wanted some buttermilk. From the kitchens.”
“Ah, buttermilk. I confess, I am partial to a wee drop of the stuff myself, though if ye tell anyone I shall be forced to turn ye across my knee and spank ye.”
Katherine gaped at him. Had he really, truly, said such a thing? To her? It was beyond outrageous. It was… It was…
“Close your mouth, Lady Katherine. Unless ye would like me tae kiss it for ye.”
The fool was still grinning. Katherine found herself rendered speechless, though not for long.
“How dare you?” she spluttered. “You are…you are quite…”
“I dare many things, Katherine. What, specifically, is it that you object to? The kiss? The spanking? Or the possibility that I might make off with your buttermilk?”
“I do not care about the buttermilk!”
“Ah, well, now we have that straightened out, I shall accompany you for a wee drink. The kitchens are this way, I believe?” He had been wearing his tartan over his shoulders, but he removed the plaid and draped it around her. “There, that is better. ’Tis a wee bit cold this evening, d’ye not think?” He strode off in the direction of the kitchens.
Katherine remained where she was.
The earl paused and glanced back. “Will ye not join me? A man should not drink buttermilk in the middle of the night alone.”
“You must not…say things like that.”
“Things like what?” He returned to where she stood and took her hand. “I am sure I am correct, about the buttermilk.”
“You know exactly what I am talking about. It is unseemly. Impolite…”
He took both her hands in his and lowered his head to look into her eyes. “Then, I apologise. It was not my intention to upset you, Lady Katherine. Will you forgive me?”
“Forgive you?” The man was beyond deranged.
“Please?”
“I… I…” What on earth was a respectable lady supposed to do in such a circumstance? Katherine settled for the only course which made any real sense. “Very well. I shall endeavour to overlook the matter, just this once. But do not speak so again.”
“You have my word. However…”
He tugged her forward, towards the kitchens.
Katherine stiffened. “However what, Sir Robert?”
He smiled at her and opened the door which led back inside, to the kitchens and sculleries. “However, I confess I would very much like to kiss you, if you would permit it.”
“Well, I will not.” Katherine marched past him with what she hoped was a sufficiently haughty air. “Please, close the door.”
“What did you want to think about?” Katherine sat in the chair normally occupied by their cook and stretched out her feet towards the dying embers of the huge fire. Soon, in less than an hour, she supposed, the young lad whose job it was to tend to the hearths would stagger in, his head still fogged from sleep, to rekindle a fierce blaze in readiness for the day’s cooking.
Robert MacKinnon lounged against the large table, his mug of buttermilk in his hand. He quirked his lip at her. “I have much to consider.”
“I suppose you do,” Katherine agreed. “Do you suppose that…? I mean, if Stephen and Flora truly love each other…”
“If?” His brow arched.
Katherine shook her head. “No, I did not mean that. They do. He saved her. She would have died in that place.”
