Chapter Twenty
Katie held her breath as Evan walked up to Richard, demanding he leave. Although Richard had always seemed large and intimidating to her, Evan towered over him.
She had still not recovered from the shock of seeing him standing on the doorstep. Although in the back of her mind she’d known there was a strong possibility of that happening—given his obsession with Gavin—she’d hoped it would not.
“I will not leave without my betrothed.” Richard’s voice was shaky, and he backed up a few steps.
“Mistress Stirling is not yer betrothed. She knew nothing of the document yer waving about, and since her da is deceased, and therefore unable to confirm its legitimacy, yer left with no proof.” Evan leaned in farther, causing Richard to take a few steps back.
“Furthermore, I’m ordering ye off my property.
Ye are not welcome, and I dinnae want to see ye here again. ”
“I can go to the local magistrate.”
“And do what? Cry and complain that the lass doesn’t want anything to do with ye? Have ye no pride, mon?”
Richard’s face grew pale as new milk, then red as strawberries. He waved his fist at Evan. “She won’t get away with this.”
Before Evan could react, the man turned on his heel and left the hall, the door to the outside slamming behind him.
“Do ye think he can do something by going to the magistrate?” Katie took a sip of the tea a young serving girl had placed before her.
Evan waved his hand in dismissal. “Nay. Even if he has the boldness to do such a thing, there isnnae anything the magistrate can do for him.” He picked up the platter of eggs, bacon, sausage, and beans and filled his plate.
“And if the magistrate is half-witted enough to take up his cause, we will be married before he can do anything.”
“Oh aye. That is something I want to discuss.”
Evan grunted and dove into his breakfast.
Katie put her fork down and placed her hands in her lap. “I am serious. There are many issues that need to be addressed before we talk about marriage.”
Evan swallowed a sip of coffee and wiped his mouth. “We are not talking about marriage, lass. We are locating a mon of the cloth and getting married. Today. As soon as I finish my breakfast.”
Katie jumped from her seat. “Nay!” Before he could say anything else, Katie tossed her napkin onto the table and hurried from the room.
“Katie!”
She ignored Evan’s summons and raced up the stairs to her bedchamber. The dolt man could holler all he wanted, but she would not stop to listen. In fact, she’d done nothing but listen since they’d woken up wrapped in each other’s arms.
Thinking about it and what they’d done the night before brought a heated flush to her body.
Whatever had she been thinking? Nothing, that’s what.
She hadn’t been thinking at all. Evan’s kisses and caresses had pushed all common sense and rational thought from her mind.
And now he was demanding marriage without even asking her in a proper manner.
So typical of the man, to just order her about.
Well, she might be his employee, but she would not be ordered about in anything else.
He was so busy telling her he would marry her, he hadn’t even asked her if she wished to marry him. Didn’t the muttonhead ken a woman wanted her proposal of marriage to be romantic? Or at least more than “We’ll find a mon of the cloth and get married. Now let’s eat.”
She was horrified to find tears standing on the edge of her eyelids. Was it too much for a woman to want her first, and probably only, marriage proposal to be more than that?
She sighed, collapsed on the bed, and yawned. What she really needed was a few more hours of sleep. She closed her eyes, but a pounding on her door loud enough to rouse the entire castle jolted her up. “Who is it?”
The door opened and Evan stepped in. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it. “I apologize, lass. I think I was a wee bit harsh with ye just now.”
“Harsh? I believe the word is arrogant. Or perhaps overbearing. Maybe even high-handed. Also pigheaded, bossy, and opinionated.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.
A sheepish look crossed his face, and he walked slowly to where she sat. As he got closer to the bed, he didn’t appear to be stopping, so she backed up against the headboard. He climbed onto the bed and joined her, taking her hand in his, linking their fingers.
Raising her hand to his lips, he kissed her softly on her knuckles and said, “Mistress Katie Stirling, will ye do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
She should say nay. She should say she would like to think it over. She should say she wanted to talk about what would come next. She should climb off the bed and leave him sitting there. Instead, she left the bed but turned and stared at him.
“What about my clan. Am I to stay here as land steward when you leave and have a marriage in name only? Or am I to abandon my clan after I dragged them all here?”
He drew back, his brows raised. “Nay. Ye and yer brother will come with me and Alasdair back to Argyll. I need a wife to help run my household. Yer clan can take care of itself.”
She skipped over that last remark and jumped on the first. “Ah, so the only reason yer offering marriage is to gain a nonpaid employee.”
“Ach, lass. Ye ken that’s not the reason.”
“What is, then?”
He ran his palm down his face. “We get on verra well. Ye are bonnie, smart, funny, and have a great deal of loyalty in ye.”
“And?” Would he confess his feelings for her? Did he have the sort of feelings she had always wanted if she succumbed to marriage? On the other hand, what of her feelings for him?
“And I care for ye, lass. I willnae lie and say I love ye. We haven’t kenned each other long enough.”
“What about yer arrogance?” She rested her hands on her hips and tapped her foot.
The daft man actually looked confused. “What?”
She moved closer and poked him in the chest. “Ye have a way about ye that makes everything ye say sound like an order.”
“Aye. That’s because everything I say is an order.”
She threw up her hands and invoked the powers above to give her patience. “I will not be ordered about like a servant. I have managed my clan for years.”
Evan studied her for a minute. “Aye. I will not order ye about like a servant.” He took her hand in his. “Aye or nay, lass?”
Why would she say nay? Marrying Evan would be the perfect detriment to Richard pursuing his claim about their so-called betrothal. She knew in her heart that Evan would protect Gavin and be a wonderful father-figure for him.
When he wasn’t blustering about, Evan was a kind, considerate, man. He was intelligent, verra nice looking, and if last night was an example of what she could expect from the marriage bed, well, that would be just fine.
Although she still had her doubts, she said, “Aye.”
“’Twill be an interesting marriage we will have.” He pulled her back down to the bed and placed his knuckle under her chin. Her eyes slid closed as he touched his warm lips to hers.
Another knock on the door made them spring apart. Katie scooted off the bed and shook her skirts out. “Ye need to leave,” she whispered. “’Twill be a disgrace if yer found in my bedchamber.”
Before Evan swung his legs over the side of the mattress, the door opened and Gavin stuck his head in. “Where were you?” He rushed to Katie’s side, either ignoring or not seeing Evan, who stood and made a quick exit while the lad was busy hugging her.
“I’m sorry if ye were frightened. The laird and I made some calls yesterday to find cottages for all the families who have arrived.
” She knelt down to look into his face. “We were forced to spend the night in one of the cottages because of the terrible storm that struck last night. Did you hear it?”
“Aye, I did.” Gavin reached out and touched Katie’s hair. “I ken ye are afraid of the storms. Did Laird MacNeil keep ye from being scared?”
Katie smiled. “Aye. He was verra distracting.” No need to tell the boy how Evan had kept her distracted. She stood and drew him forward. They both sat on the bed. “There is something I need to tell ye.”
“What?” He looked up at her with his childish innocence, convincing her even more how right it was that she marry Evan. He would take them far away, and Richard would never get his hands on her beloved brother.
“Laird MacNeil and I are to be married.”
…
Evan spent almost the entire morning convincing the local minister to marry them the next day.
The man had met them both when they had attended services since their arrival but didn’t know them very well.
The minister attempted to persuade Evan to have the banns called for three weeks rather than a rushed wedding the next day.
Reverend MacDuff argued that since Evan and Katie had known each other such a short time, perhaps they would be better served by having a month or so to think it over. His reluctance had abruptly ended when Evan hinted that they had already anticipated the vows.
The rest of the day was taken up with making inquiries on a replacement for Katie as land steward when they left.
It was his intention to hire someone quickly, get the rest of Katie’s clan settled, and then he, Katie, Gavin, and Alasdair would be on their way to Argyll.
Winter loomed on the horizon, and he did not want to be in Fife—or on the way home—when it hit.
He interviewed two men who seemed bright enough to handle the job, and one of them was married, so Evan decided to hire Ian MacDuff.
His wife could deal with the castle while he tended to the estate.
Evan was confident they would do well. They had lived on the lands since birth and were kin to just about everyone for miles around.
It was nearing the supper hour when the couple he had hired departed the library, chatting excitedly about the job and their opportunity to reside in the castle. Evan tidied up the desk, quite pleased with his day’s work. So far, things were moving along reasonably well.
Until Katie knocked on the library door.