Seducing the Laird Read Online Free

and many other herbs. His stepbrother Andreu was convinced hopped beer would win the debate and encouraged him to plant a field of the stuff. It was interesting that this woman was of a like mind.
    "Did I hurt you?"
    "It matters naught. You were fevered."
    "Still, I apologize."
    He sought to make amends, but Verena remembered his strength when he held her wrist and approached him warily. No doubt she intended to dump the steaming soup on him should Cairn reach for her again. When he didn’t stir she carefully brought the soup to her lips to blow on before feeding to him. Cairn turned his head away.
    "I can feed myself," he declared.
    It required all of Cairn’s concentration to lift the small bowl to his mouth. To his chagrin Cairn’s hands shook, spilling soup onto the blankets. He swallowed the contents quickly before handing Verena the bowl.
    She was a spectacular cook, doing wonders with only a few ingredients. It was a shame he couldn’t bring her back to Scotland. The overly seasoned food his stepmother loved gave Cairn indigestion.
    "Is this your cottage?" he asked looking around. There was nothing strange about the inside of the place except for the curious lack of personal items. There was only one cloak hanging beside the door. Two sets of boots were placed in a corner. The cottage was clean and well-cared for, but spartan.
    "This is an old hunting lodge," Verena replied. "Few know of it."
    Would Lord Gundy remember it? Cairn felt vulnerable in this place without his sword and armor. Verena said he lay there for several days, but the danger might not have passed. Cairn wouldn’t feel secure until he left England far behind.
    "You know if it."
    "My husband often brought me here."
    Cairn studied the woman in silence. The cynical part of him didn’t want to believe her. His rescue was too easy; this woman was too beautiful, too perfect. And he certainly didn’t like the idea of her in a cozy lover’s tryst with anyone—even her deceased husband.
    "I will leave tomorrow," he announced.
    Cairn knew he would be a fool to trust an Englishwoman. If she knew the truth she would immediately turn him over to Gundy. Tomorrow he would sort everything out. For now Cairn needed to rest and recover his strength.
    •
    Verena silently watched Cairn until she was sure he slept. Then she gathered her cloak and stepped out into the frigid air. It seemed winter would come early this year. For many that would be both a blessing and a curse. Winter ensured peace the way no overlord could. Across the land men would be more preoccupied with keeping themselves warm and fed than fighting battles. Yet it would also strain resources and tempers as people were forced to stretch their reserved grain through the cold months.
    All of Scotland suffered after King James IV’s unsuccessful invasion of England in support of the pretender to the throne Perkin Warbek. Cairn’s clan, the McPhersons, suffered more than most. While Cairn was squired in France with his brother Andreu, his father lay ill for years. Hadran’s sources couldn’t say why Cairn refused to return to his homeland during those years. Now it was too late. The mysterious illness had claimed Cairn’s father forcing him to return to a home he barely knew to take control of a land decimated by warfare and famine.
    The peasants were always the first to suffer during any conflict. What would happen to the common people once her assignment was complete?
    Verena waved for Owen to follow as she walked to the edge of the clearing. She knew he was watching for the first sign of commotion, ever vigilant, the way Hadran taught him.
    "How fares the inquisition?"
    He materialized as if by magic beside her and not for the first time Verena whispered thanks that he was part of her team.
    "Excellent. The Scot has been remarkably forthcoming with information considering what he went through in Gundy’s dungeon."
    "He merely needed the proper persuasion. Has he confirmed his identity?"
    "He