Highland Brides 03 - On Bended Knee Read Free

not know Alison well at all, she hadn’t missed the way others looked at the poor lass. For Alison, it was her crossed eyes that made everyone uncomfortable. For Seana it had been her twisted limb.
    And they had yet another thing in common… Colin Mac Brodie.
    Alison had been enamored with Colin for too long, and Seana, for one, was pleased to know that Leith Mac Brodie had enough good sense to look beyond those crossed eyes to the heart within. Seana hoped Colin would be sorry some day.
    For herself, she hoped Colin’s bloody balls would rot and fall off and he would find himself childless and without a wife to warm his bed at night. Wouldn’t that serve him right?
    A tiny smile crept to her lips.
    As she stood there, the voices of the two girls who had cast him longing glances carried to her ears. Seana couldn’t help but eavesdrop. It wasn’t her fault, of course. They were talking entirely too loud.
    “He’s so beautiful?” the more petite of the two exclaimed. Her beautiful golden curls framed a perfectly lovely face, one without freckles or the slightest discolor from the sun.
    “Aye!” said the taller of the two so excitedly that Seana thought she would choke. “Did you see him look at me—I know he did!”
    “Nay!” argued the other, her lovely face turning suddenly offensive, “It was me he smiled at!”
    Seana rolled her eyes. Were they truly going to fight over the knave? Silly wenches! He wasn’t worth it, didn’t they know?
    The most wicked thought suddenly entered her head.
    It was whispered behind her back that she was a child of the mischievous brownies, and perchance she was, because she could seldom resist temptation. A thief she was not, but mischievous, aye. Her da had said it too oft for her to deny it.
    Suppressing an impish grin she turned to the woman standing beside her as the two girls passed her by and said in the loudest voice she thought convincing, “Och, but isn’t it a shame about Colin Mac Brodie?”
    The woman standing beside her, whom Seana knew not at all, stopped an animated conversation with her neighbor at once, turned to Seana, and asked with narrowed brows, “What about Colin Mac Brodie?”
    Seana tried not to laugh when the two girls turned to listen as well. The smaller of the two made a point to stop and fret with her shoe, babbling some nonsense about an imaginary pebble pricking her toe. The other joined her, making a ridiculous fuss about her friend’s shoe.
    Seana had to refrain from laughing.
    “Och,” Seana said, in her most concerned tone. “didn’t you hear!”
    The older woman beside her shook her head, and the curiosity in her clear blue eyes nearly made Seana giggle. Whatever else Colin was, he certainly made interesting fodder for gossip. It seemed everyone wanted to know about Colin Brodie!
    “Oh my!” Seana said with feigned gravity, and shook her head. “I thought everyone knew! But now I should not speak out of turn.” She turned away from the older woman, her gaze returning to the happy bride and groom, pretending to politely dismiss the topic.
    Lyon Montgomerie’s heart was in his eyes, his adoration in every sweep of his gaze over his beloved Meghan.
    Seana sighed, thinking it would be wonderful to someday find someone to gaze at her like that. Her dream was that Broc would someday look at her just so and she dared to hope he would finally look at her and realize she was no longer that pitiful little lass she had been so long ago.
    The two girls at once began to whisper fervently to one another. “What do ye think she knows?” Seana heard one ask the other.
    “I dunno!”
    Seana pretended not to hear them, but it was all she could do not to burst into laughter.
    The older woman tapped Seana on the shoulder. “Tell me, what you’ve heard, lass. I have a daughter, you see…” She gave Seana a meaningful nod.
    Seana sighed.
    Yet another victim.
    Did no woman have the bloody good sense to stay away from Colin Mac Brodie?
    “Of