The Highlander's Accidental Marriage (Marriage Mart Mayhem) Read Free

said. She’d begun to shiver miles back and now she felt as if icicles dripped from her chin. Thankfully, the rain had turned to a light drizzle.
    Even though it was only late afternoon, the sky was dark, and the lights from the inn glowed brightly, already making her feel warmer as they approached. Her escort brought the horse to a halt and slid down, handing the reins to a young stableboy. He reached up for Sarah and lifted her off. She continued to shake and shiver, almost unable to walk.
    “Are ye all right, lass?”
    “I th-th-think so.”
    Professor Blackwood and Alice were already hurrying to the door. Sarah took one step and stumbled. With the cold, the extra clothes, and the long ride, her legs wouldn’t hold her, and she began to slide to the ground. He scooped her up and headed to the door.
    “Put me down. This is most improper.”
    “Aye, and I assume falling flat on yer face is the proper thing for an English lady to do?” His grin told her he wasn’t taking it at all seriously. If anyone she knew was in this inn, she would be ruined.
    He nudged the door open with his hip and entered the room. “’Tis always amazing to me what ladies think is important.”
    “Not just ladies, sir. All of Polite Society casts dispersions on a woman who is viewed as being easy with her reputation. I assure you, I have no desire to shame my family by having my virtue come into question.”
    Professor McKinnon came to an abrupt stop. “Yer virtue?”
    She raised her chin. “Indeed. Now put me down and kindly lower your voice.”
    Her feet landed on the floor with a thump. To her utter humiliation, her legs threatened to give way again. She shot him a grateful smile when he extended his arm so she could hold onto it. She tried hard to ignore his grin. Did the man not take anything seriously?
    “Professor! So nice to see you.” A barreled-chested man hurried down the stairs. “Are ye in need of a room?”
    “Yes, Barton, two rooms, in fact.”
    “Aye. Yer lucky I have two rooms left. One for ye and one for the other two?” He gestured with his head toward Alice and Professor Blackwood.
    “Nay. One for me and the other fellow, and one for the ladies.”
    Sarah felt the heat rise from her toes all the way to her face at the suggestion that she and this stranger would be sharing a room. At the same time, a previously unknown feeling settled in her middle at the thought of her and this handsome professor climbing into bed together.
    Well, I’ve finally done it. I’ve managed to shock myself.
    “I’d say by the look of ye that a warm fire and one of my wife’s meat pies would help ye out.”
    “May I have a bath sent up, please?” Sarah moved away from Professor McKinnon so the innkeeper would not think there was anything between them except a stranger helping a woman in trouble.
    “Certainly, my lady. My wife will take ye to yer room and get ye settled.”
    “Thank you.”
    “I would appreciate a bath myself, Barton. If ’tis not too much trouble. I seem to have landed in a bit of mud.” Mr. McKinnon grinned at Sarah, but then turned serious. “But first ye will need to send for the magistrate. It seems the ladies here were in a carriage that went over the Manfred cliff. Killed their driver and footman.”
    “ Ach . ’Tis a dangerous place on the road, for sure. I’ll have my boy go fetch him straightaway.”
    The innkeeper’s wife led them all upstairs. Sarah was never so happy to see a clean room with a nice bright fire keeping the space warm. “Alice, I’m sorry for the mess I’ve made of my clothes. I’m afraid it will take some time for you to set them to rights. We may need to stay here for a couple of days before we move on.”
    “Move on, my lady? Surely you don’t intend to continue? This is a cursed place.”
    “I do, indeed. You forget yourself, Alice. My sister lives in this ‘cursed place,’ and I had planned to see her and the new babe. That is precisely what I shall do. We’ll