Highland Lover: Book 3 Scottish Knights Trilogy Read Online Free Page A

hers to question the earl. Her husband was another matter. At midday, during their meal, she asked if she might have a private word with him afterward.
    Niall nodded, but when Mungo asked him to spare him just a moment first, Alyson went on out with Ciara and the boys. Sending Ciara below, Alyson watched the boys run about on deck while she waited for Niall… and waited.
    Because it was unlike him to break his word, she believed that Mungo had intervened. Growing chilly, she rapped at the master-cabin door. When Mungo opened it, she did little to conceal her displeasure beneath her courteous request to have a word with her husband.
    “Sorry, lass,” Mungo said quietly. “His lordship has commanded that we get right to work. If this is important, I can relay your message to Niall.”
    “I would liefer speak to him,” Alyson said. “If Orkney can spare you to answer the door, surely he can spare Niall more easily.”
    To her surprise, Mungo smiled and said, “Aye, sure, but be quick. His lordship may
seem
always to be charming, but he does have a temper. And we have much still to discuss before we reach France.”
    He shut the door, making her wonder if he meant to leave her waiting again. But it opened moments later, and Niall said, “I thought you saw that I had work to do. What is so important that you could not wait to discuss it later, at supper?”
    “I apologize if I have vexed you,” she said. “You did agree to talk with me, though. Surely you will not count brief discourse at this open door as such.”
    “Nay, but if you are irked that I did not tell you about young James…”
    “I know that you were unaware that he’d be on the ship,” she said when he paused. “But I am your wife, Niall, and we have scarcely enjoyed an hour together since leaving Perth. Nor had I seen you for weeks before then. Come to that, sir, other than the two days you spent with my family last summer to ask for my hand and the few days you spent at MacGillivray House for our wedding,I’ve seen you only occasionally since our childhood. We did agree that this voyage would give us time to know each other better as husband and wife.”
    His cheeks reddened, but he said with his familiar twinkle, “Allie, I did not know Orkney would be traveling with us, either. Mungo told me only to look after our usual tasks whilst he was away and to meet him at Leith. But, as you just said,
we’ve
known each other since childhood. I doubt that we have much more to learn.”
    “Aye, sure, we do,” she said. “As children, we learned only as much about each other as children
can
learn with parents and families about. You ken fine how much my family demands of me now. You saw that for yourself when you stayed with us those few days after our wedding. We’d both be so tired by the end of a day that we could scarcely stay awake to bid each other goodnight.”
    “True,” he agreed. “We kept busy at Leith whilst we waited for Mungo and the ship to arrive, but I’ll admit I’d hoped for more time now to relax. We have work to do, though, before we reach France. This matter of James is delicate, lass. His grace trusts the French king to guard him. But Orkney must be able to make his grace’s expectations clear without offending the French king or his court. We’ve only begun to plan our strategy. In troth, I dare not linger now. Mayhap we can stroll on deck tonight and talk.”
    “If it’s too cold, Ciara could stay with the boys for an hour,” Alyson said.
    “Aye, she could. But I likewise expect that, after spending the whole afternoon below, as you will unless you and Ciara brave the winds up here, and mayhap rain this afternoon, you will be chafing to breathe fresh air.”
    Looking at the dark sky, she knew he was right. “Justdo not forget, sir. A gentleman should not neglect his lady wife as wickedly as you have neglected me.”
    Kissing her cheek, he said, “I’ll try to do better in future.”
    She heard Mungo’s voice in