ordeal again made her uneasy. "I am shamed for my appearance. What will your brother think when he sees me?"
"He will think I've brought home a half-naked, frozen lass taken in a raid."
"Hmm, a raid...you still do that sort of thing?"
"Aye, 'tis still done, though not by me personally, ye ken."
She turned her face against his chest seeking his warmth, for her face felt as though it might crack. Her voice was muffled as she said, "That's the first good news I've heard since I met you."
"Och, lass, I dinna remember meeting you at all, for I don't even know yer name."
A moment later, he dismounted and held his hands up to lift her from the saddle. When her feet touched the ground, she found she did not have the strength to stand.
Her knees buckled and she dropped, as if the world had disappeared beneath her feet.
He barely caught her before she hit the ground. "I pegged ye for a troublesome lass," he said, "so I am no' surprised I will have to carry ye." He chuckled. "Although I carina say I am disappointed." He swept her into his arms and carried her up the steps. "Light as goose down ye are."
He called out his brother's name when he reached the top step. "Jamie! Open the door. I've got a lass half frozen to death."
While he waited for the door to open, he said. "Allow me to correct my bad manners. I am Tavish Graham. Tell me your name, lass."
She had her face tucked into the cove of his neck and shoulder, seeking warmth. "I must have a name, but I cannot remember it."
"Dinna ye worry about that, lass. I ken my brother can frighten it out of you afore long."
Two
A liar should have a good memory. —Quintilian (c.35-c.lOO), Roman rhetorician. De Institutione Oratoria (c.90)
If there was anything Jamie Graham detested more than being roused from sleep, it was being greeted with a surprise.
To have both happen in one night did little to sweeten his mood.
When he heard Tavish call out that he had a half-frozen lass in tow, Jamie knew his carefree brother had become enamored with some tavern doxy and was smitten enough to drag her here with him, when he should be on his way back to Edinburgh.
He grumbled as he climbed out of bed, wrapped his plaid around himself and went below stairs. "Must I be at everyone's beck and call...day and night?"
He jerked the door open.
"It comes with the title, Yer Earlship," Tavish said, and grinned up at his brother.
"Hang the title from the nearest gibbet." Jamie paused when he saw the girl in his brother's arms. "You better have a good explanation for this, or by the cross of St. Andrew..."
He paused midsentence, for whatever he expected, it was not the sight of the half-naked, shivering woman that greeted him. He looked from the girl to Tavish and asked, "What is this?"
Tavish glanced down at the girl lying silent and still in his arms and grinned up at his brother. "I believe they are called lasses."
"Is that all they have managed to teach you in Edinburgh? To be impudent when sincerity is called for?"
"I am being sincere. This lass sincerely needs help. Now, are ye going to keep me standing out here all night in this freezing drizzle, or can I come inside?"
Jamie opened the door wider. "Then by all means help her."
Tavish stepped into the room. "I think you are more equipped to handle this than I am. You're the chief."
Jamie barely took notice of the ragamuffin is his brother's arms. "Don't try to foist your ob-
Rations off on me. Our tastes were always different."
"I didn't bring her here for me."
"Well, I hope you didn't bring her for me. I came here to get away from one woman. I dinna need to replace her with another one."
"She won't be any trouble. She needs help. You willna believe where I found her."
"She's a woman. She will be trouble. And I dinna care where ye found her. Take her back."
"That might be harder than it sounds." Tavish lowered her to a chair in front of the fireplace.
Jamie observed her critically. She appeared to be naked
"He will think I've brought home a half-naked, frozen lass taken in a raid."
"Hmm, a raid...you still do that sort of thing?"
"Aye, 'tis still done, though not by me personally, ye ken."
She turned her face against his chest seeking his warmth, for her face felt as though it might crack. Her voice was muffled as she said, "That's the first good news I've heard since I met you."
"Och, lass, I dinna remember meeting you at all, for I don't even know yer name."
A moment later, he dismounted and held his hands up to lift her from the saddle. When her feet touched the ground, she found she did not have the strength to stand.
Her knees buckled and she dropped, as if the world had disappeared beneath her feet.
He barely caught her before she hit the ground. "I pegged ye for a troublesome lass," he said, "so I am no' surprised I will have to carry ye." He chuckled. "Although I carina say I am disappointed." He swept her into his arms and carried her up the steps. "Light as goose down ye are."
He called out his brother's name when he reached the top step. "Jamie! Open the door. I've got a lass half frozen to death."
While he waited for the door to open, he said. "Allow me to correct my bad manners. I am Tavish Graham. Tell me your name, lass."
She had her face tucked into the cove of his neck and shoulder, seeking warmth. "I must have a name, but I cannot remember it."
"Dinna ye worry about that, lass. I ken my brother can frighten it out of you afore long."
Two
A liar should have a good memory. —Quintilian (c.35-c.lOO), Roman rhetorician. De Institutione Oratoria (c.90)
If there was anything Jamie Graham detested more than being roused from sleep, it was being greeted with a surprise.
To have both happen in one night did little to sweeten his mood.
When he heard Tavish call out that he had a half-frozen lass in tow, Jamie knew his carefree brother had become enamored with some tavern doxy and was smitten enough to drag her here with him, when he should be on his way back to Edinburgh.
He grumbled as he climbed out of bed, wrapped his plaid around himself and went below stairs. "Must I be at everyone's beck and call...day and night?"
He jerked the door open.
"It comes with the title, Yer Earlship," Tavish said, and grinned up at his brother.
"Hang the title from the nearest gibbet." Jamie paused when he saw the girl in his brother's arms. "You better have a good explanation for this, or by the cross of St. Andrew..."
He paused midsentence, for whatever he expected, it was not the sight of the half-naked, shivering woman that greeted him. He looked from the girl to Tavish and asked, "What is this?"
Tavish glanced down at the girl lying silent and still in his arms and grinned up at his brother. "I believe they are called lasses."
"Is that all they have managed to teach you in Edinburgh? To be impudent when sincerity is called for?"
"I am being sincere. This lass sincerely needs help. Now, are ye going to keep me standing out here all night in this freezing drizzle, or can I come inside?"
Jamie opened the door wider. "Then by all means help her."
Tavish stepped into the room. "I think you are more equipped to handle this than I am. You're the chief."
Jamie barely took notice of the ragamuffin is his brother's arms. "Don't try to foist your ob-
Rations off on me. Our tastes were always different."
"I didn't bring her here for me."
"Well, I hope you didn't bring her for me. I came here to get away from one woman. I dinna need to replace her with another one."
"She won't be any trouble. She needs help. You willna believe where I found her."
"She's a woman. She will be trouble. And I dinna care where ye found her. Take her back."
"That might be harder than it sounds." Tavish lowered her to a chair in front of the fireplace.
Jamie observed her critically. She appeared to be naked
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