Duty of the Chieftain - a Highland 'Lord's Right of the First Night' novella (Clan MacKrannan's Secret Traditions #3) Read Online Free Page A
understand, milord, and if ye please, will Dougall be coming with us?"
The brightness of Ginny's hope was enough to soften Ranald's temper. "He will, lass. Ye'll be looking forward to yer wedding, aye?"
" Oh aye! Dougall says he is the luckiest man in all of Scotland," she said with some pride.
"He has told me that himself more than once. Ye'll have a good life together, I am sure."
The change in tone of their exchange led her to a bigger question. "Am I to come to ye for the Lord's Right, milord?"
The sodding Lord's Right had Ranald in enough sodding trouble this minute, and he felt disinclined to do duty again for it anytime soon. But Dougall was his steward, and had been courting Ginny for some time. He'd known the wedding was coming. Crying off this duty was impossible without giving great insult.
" I would think so, lass. Away now and find the Swordmaker and tell him what I have said. I'll see ye on the boat."
A swift scrape of his face with a blade, a long talk with his astonished parents, and he was ready. Dougall pointed him to a flat rock at the sea's edge where Elinor sat like a mermaid, hair flying loose in the morning breeze and her eyes closed.
He was about to destroy whatever inner peace she'd gotten from the ocean, and it would be upon the ocean he did it.
Ranald sent his guards and her own few to a distance with their backs turned, and appeared at her side. Elinor near jumped out her skin. She scrambled off the rock and tried to sidestep him, yet still found her way barred.
" Forgive me, chieftain, but my journey is long today, and your company unsought."
The fight for control of the situation had begun, and Ranald intended to win. "We go by boat."
" I go by horse, and must take leave of Sir Thommas and Lady Agatha. Let me pass."
"My parents already know ye're coming with me – by yer own will or by mine."
Elinor 's head came back high and haughty. "Do not dare to lay one finger upon me!"
" A finger, is it?" he leaned down to hiss in her face. "Ye had my cock up yer crack no’ half a day ago and I'll be hearing yer purpose to while away the sail."
" Hush!" she squeaked, looking to the guards on the hillock above them. "Keep your foul mouth for your wenches and let me pass!"
" Ye found my mouth syrup enough atween yer legs yestreen," he quipped. "And I would no' insult any wench with such vulgarity."
Lady Elinor was demeaned into speechlessness.
Turning to the hillock, Ranald whistled one long and three short bursts. Four guards ran down to him, including his steward.
" Dougall, man, have ye coin ready?"
The brief nod was all the reply expected .
Ranald snatched Elinor's hand and tucked it firmly under his left forearm, while giving instruction under his breath. "Dougall, see to the compensation of the Lady Elinor's men and maid, then join us all again."
Elinor tried to pull away, only to find her fingers clamped all the tighter by the chieftain's immense paw.
" You cannot expect me to leave without my guard!"
" I will be guarding ye, madam," said Ranald, grimly. "Take comfort in the sureness of that."
" My maid... I need my maid!"
" Share mine. Ye are acquaint with Ginny already, I believe." A smirk split his face as he walked her towards the village. "Come. I would show ye the MacKrannan village and some of our trades."
Woodsmoke drifted in a lazy fug above the heather-thatched cottages, all newly built in whinstone from the same quarry as the castle.
All through the village, people toiled in open-doored workshops and outside their homes. Women sang waulking songs while they cleaned briars and burrs off wool fleeces. Ranald introduced Elinor to the carpenters and masons, the fletchers, the sailmaker and the saddler, according her the basic civility of saying her name first. Some of the faces were familiar to her from her brief times at Hall with Thommas and Agatha.
Ranald watched how they greeted her – and
The brightness of Ginny's hope was enough to soften Ranald's temper. "He will, lass. Ye'll be looking forward to yer wedding, aye?"
" Oh aye! Dougall says he is the luckiest man in all of Scotland," she said with some pride.
"He has told me that himself more than once. Ye'll have a good life together, I am sure."
The change in tone of their exchange led her to a bigger question. "Am I to come to ye for the Lord's Right, milord?"
The sodding Lord's Right had Ranald in enough sodding trouble this minute, and he felt disinclined to do duty again for it anytime soon. But Dougall was his steward, and had been courting Ginny for some time. He'd known the wedding was coming. Crying off this duty was impossible without giving great insult.
" I would think so, lass. Away now and find the Swordmaker and tell him what I have said. I'll see ye on the boat."
A swift scrape of his face with a blade, a long talk with his astonished parents, and he was ready. Dougall pointed him to a flat rock at the sea's edge where Elinor sat like a mermaid, hair flying loose in the morning breeze and her eyes closed.
He was about to destroy whatever inner peace she'd gotten from the ocean, and it would be upon the ocean he did it.
Ranald sent his guards and her own few to a distance with their backs turned, and appeared at her side. Elinor near jumped out her skin. She scrambled off the rock and tried to sidestep him, yet still found her way barred.
" Forgive me, chieftain, but my journey is long today, and your company unsought."
The fight for control of the situation had begun, and Ranald intended to win. "We go by boat."
" I go by horse, and must take leave of Sir Thommas and Lady Agatha. Let me pass."
"My parents already know ye're coming with me – by yer own will or by mine."
Elinor 's head came back high and haughty. "Do not dare to lay one finger upon me!"
" A finger, is it?" he leaned down to hiss in her face. "Ye had my cock up yer crack no’ half a day ago and I'll be hearing yer purpose to while away the sail."
" Hush!" she squeaked, looking to the guards on the hillock above them. "Keep your foul mouth for your wenches and let me pass!"
" Ye found my mouth syrup enough atween yer legs yestreen," he quipped. "And I would no' insult any wench with such vulgarity."
Lady Elinor was demeaned into speechlessness.
Turning to the hillock, Ranald whistled one long and three short bursts. Four guards ran down to him, including his steward.
" Dougall, man, have ye coin ready?"
The brief nod was all the reply expected .
Ranald snatched Elinor's hand and tucked it firmly under his left forearm, while giving instruction under his breath. "Dougall, see to the compensation of the Lady Elinor's men and maid, then join us all again."
Elinor tried to pull away, only to find her fingers clamped all the tighter by the chieftain's immense paw.
" You cannot expect me to leave without my guard!"
" I will be guarding ye, madam," said Ranald, grimly. "Take comfort in the sureness of that."
" My maid... I need my maid!"
" Share mine. Ye are acquaint with Ginny already, I believe." A smirk split his face as he walked her towards the village. "Come. I would show ye the MacKrannan village and some of our trades."
Woodsmoke drifted in a lazy fug above the heather-thatched cottages, all newly built in whinstone from the same quarry as the castle.
All through the village, people toiled in open-doored workshops and outside their homes. Women sang waulking songs while they cleaned briars and burrs off wool fleeces. Ranald introduced Elinor to the carpenters and masons, the fletchers, the sailmaker and the saddler, according her the basic civility of saying her name first. Some of the faces were familiar to her from her brief times at Hall with Thommas and Agatha.
Ranald watched how they greeted her – and
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