Taming the Scotsman Read Online Free Page A

hesitating before he sought her.
    It hadn’t sounded so daft when her maid had helped her come up with the plan.
    Och, this was a bad idea all around now thatshe thought it over again. But she’d been desperate, and as her mother said, desperate people do desperate things. Not to mention her maid had encouraged her to seek out Ewan.
    Surely such a man as a MacAllister wouldn’t leave a lady in such dire distress. ’Tis said they have each sworn to protect all those downtrodden, and I can think of no one more downtrodden than a lady married to Lord Ryan. Seek him out, my lady, and whatever you do, don’t let him sway you from this course .
    And so here she was on top of a mountain with a man who looked as if he’d rather have his head pried apart than tolerate her company for another moment.
    Nora watched Ewan move about angrily. He was a fearsome beastie, and yet she wasn’t truly afraid of him. There was a deep sadness to his eyes and an air of ill humor. Still, other than being gruff, he didn’t appear mean or abusive.
    At least he listened to her.
    Somewhat, anyway.
    He moved to stand beside her, and she had to crane her neck to look up at him. “Whatever did they feed you to make you grow so large?”
    An amused gleam came to his glacial eyes. “A great deal of breast milk.”
    Nora gasped at his response. “You take great delight in shocking people, don’t you?”
    His softened features made him appear almost boyish. Charming. But it didn’t last long before his face settled back into the frown shewas getting used to. “What I delight in is people leaving me alone. I find that by being shocking it often causes them to flee my presence post-haste.”
    “I offered to leave.”
    He growled at her. “Come, we might as well get started. The sooner I get you to Lochlan, the sooner I can come back here.”
    “And mope?”
    He stiffened at that. “I’m not moping.”
    “Oh, forgive me. See, where I come from an upside-down smile means you’re frowning, and if you’re frowning while withdrawn from everyone and everything, it means you’re moping. I guess here in your cave, the world is backward and a frown means you’re happy.”
    “Do you always talk this much?”
    “Aye, especially when people, usually men, try to ignore me.”
    He gave her a droll stare. “What a wonderful trait to possess.”
    She ignored his sarcasm. “I personally think so. My aunt calls me charming.”
    “Your Aunt Eleanor?”
    “Aye.”
    “And when, pray tell, did you journey to England to meet with her?”
    “Oh, never. My mother doesn’t travel well, so Eleanor has come to us several times over the years to visit and catch up.”
    “And no one else in Scotland knows of this?”
    “My father always knows, as do our servants, but Eleanor prefers to travel in disguise. Seems something happened once when she was traveling as queen, and now she makes sure no one knows who she is or when she travels.”
    “I see.”
    He said the words, but she could tell he didn’t mean them. He thought she was insane. Well, she had been called worse. Mayhap if he thought her a bit light in the head, he might be swayed to turn his back while she went on her way.
    It was a thought…
    He led her from the cave.
    “Have you ever been to England?” she asked as she hastened her steps to keep up with his long, dangerous stride. “My mother says London is a dirty place that is hot in the summer and very crowded.”
    Ewan groaned aloud as he secured the door to his home. This was going to be a long trip if she insisted on prattling the whole way there. Already his head felt as though it would splinter.
    He turned and found her so close to him that he almost ran her over.
    She blushed rather prettily, then moved aside. “Will we be off then?”
    Grimacing, he rubbed his forehead with his hand.
    “Have you an ache in your head?”
    He paused and opened one eye to look at her. “Aye.”
    “Here,” she said, taking his arm and leading him to