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"And what o' you, Rory? Are ye ruined?"
"Don't be daft, Saidh," he said with a shake of the head.
"What of the rest o' ye? Dougall? Niels? Geordie? Alick? Are any o' ye ruined?" Before they could answer, she added, "Because I've seen e'eryone o' ye, save Aulay, backing giggling maids into corners and tossing up their skirts at Buchanan. So why am I ruined fer tossing up Greer's plaid?"
"She did no' toss up me plaid," Greer assured her brothers when they all turned to glower at him. Just as they began to relax, he added, "I took it off meself the minute I got back to her room."
"Ye really are trying to get us to kill ye," Alick said with wonder.
"Mayhap he hopes to escape marrying Saidh that way," Rory suggested grimly.
"I am no' marrying anyone," Saidh snapped.
Sighing, Aulay moved over to take her hands. Expression gentle, he peered into her eyes and said, "Love, if he ruined ye, ye'll ha'e to marry."
Saidh frowned. "Do you see me as ruined, Aulay?"
"Nay, o' course no', but--"
"Do any o' ye?" she asked turning her attention to her other brothers. "Do ye somehow see me as less because I did what ye all do?"
"Nay, o' course not," Alick said quickly.
"Ne'er, loving," Rory assured her.
"We do no' blame ye," Dougall added. " 'Tis all our fault fer treating ye like ye were just another brother."
"Aye, we should ha'e made ye watch from the sidelines while we played tag, hide-and-seek and Briton warriors," Conran decided.
"Or she could ha'e been the fair maiden we kidnapped and tied up," Niels suggested.
"And we should no' ha'e let ye climb trees."
"Or ride astride."
"And we definitely should no' ha'e taught ye how to fight and curse."
"Do ye dislike me that much?" she asked with dismay, and received seven blank stares in return. "Would ye wish me to be like Fenella? Weeping and whining all the time?"
"Nay, Saidh," Aulay said quietly. "We would no' change ye fer anything. The lads are jest trying to say that this is our fault, no' yers."
"There is no fault," Saidh insisted wearily. "I am unbetrothed, likely to spend the rest o' me life at Buchanan as an unmarried woman. What is so wrong with me seeking a little pleasure along the way?"
"Ye'll no' be at Buchanan as an unmarried woman," Greer said with a frown. "Ye'll be here at MacDonnell married to me."
"I'll no' marry ye jest because ye think ye've ruined me," Saidh said firmly.
"That is no'--I mean, I--"
When Greer paused with frustration, Alpin sighed and muttered, "He's murder with a sword and a fair hand at swearing, but can no' talk worth cow dung."
"Everyone out!" Greer growled.
"I really do no' think it would be good to move Alpin just now. He's a bit warm again," Aunt Tilda said when no one moved. "And I'd prefer to stay to watch o'er him."
"Well, I'm no' leaving," Aulay announced firmly.
The other brothers didn't speak, but merely crossed their arms as one and arched an eyebrow each as if challenging him to try to remove them.
"Ah, hell," Greer muttered and pushed through the men to catch Saidh by her wrist and draw her over to the side of the room to afford them at least a semblance of some privacy.
Pausing, he turned to face her and then scowled and gestured to the sword she still held in her hand. "Could ye put that away, lass? I'm no' armed and do no' want to be skewered if I say this wrong."
Saidh glanced down at her sword with surprise, then slid it quickly back into its sheath. She then crossed her arms and cocked one eyebrow, unconsciously imitating the stance her brothers had taken.
Greer shook his head, but then took her hands in his and said solemnly, "I am no' marrying ye because I ruined ye. As I mentioned, I wrote to yer brother about me intention to marry ye before I ruined ye. So ye see, the truth is, I really wanted to ruin ye."
Saidh stared at him blankly and Greer frowned.
"Nay, that's no' right. I meant to say, I really wanted to marry ye, no' ruin ye."
"Why?" Saidh asked, withdrawing her hands from his.
Greer hesitated. "Why what?"
"Why do ye want to marry me?" she explained and he groaned.
"Ah, lass. Are ye really goin' to make me--"
"Why?"
"I'm no good with this talking business," Greer said with disgust.
"Why?" Saidh repeated, not backing down.
"Yer a hard wench, Saidh Buchanan," Greer growled.
"Aye, she is," Rory agreed from across the room, proving they could hear everything.
" 'Tis part o' her charm, I think," Aunt Tilda commented lightly.
"Aye, 'tis," Greer agreed dryly and then told Saidh, "And I mean that."
"And that's why ye want to marry me?" Saidh asked with disgust. "Because I'm a hard wench?"
"Nay," he said solemnly. He paused to take a breath
, and then took her hands again and said, "I'm no' going to lie and claim I love ye, lass. We've no' known each other long enough fer that. But I like ye something fierce. And I want ye e'en worse. I think ye'd make me a fine wife and that we'd deal well with each other."
"Could ye no' tell her ye think she's beautiful or something nice like that?" Alick complained into the silence that followed.
"She kens I do," Greer said gruffly, meeting her gaze as he added, "I proved it to her last night, repeatedly . . . and I'll prove it to ye every night if ye'd just marry me," he added, squeezing her hands.
Saidh stared at him as she silently debated the matter. She was glad he wasn't claiming to love her. She wouldn't have believed that. She was glad that he liked her though, and was quite sure she liked him too. She definitely liked the things he'd done with her last night, and the promise of doing it every night was a tempting one indeed. More important, she too thought that they would deal well together. So long as he didn't try to change her.
"Ye'll no' fuss at me fer wearing braies and riding astride?" she asked.
"Nay," he assured her.
"Ye'll no' try to make me give up me sword?"
"Never," he assured her. "I like that ye can defend yerself. I'll worry about ye a little less."
"What about me cursing?" she asked.
"I'll teach ye a few I think ye may no' ken," he responded.
Saidh considered the matter briefly and then nodded. "All right then."
"Aye?" he asked with apparent surprise. "Ye'll marry me?"
"Aye," Saidh said and then gasped in surprise when he snatched her up in his arms and planted a kiss on her. He just as quickly set her down though, and turned to Bowie, who had remained safely by the door since entering. "The priest should be waiting below, go fetch him."
"The priest?" Saidh asked with dismay. "Surely we can wait to talk to him?"
"There's nothing to talk about. He's waiting to perform the ceremony," Greer told her.
"But--"
"Come along, dear. Me maid and I shall make ye pretty fer the ceremony," Aunt Tilda said cheerfully, appearing at her side and urging her toward the door.
"But--" Saidh repeated weakly and glanced back toward Greer as she was ushered out of the room. The last thing she saw, before the door closed, was her brothers moving to surround Greer.
