“And do what? Cry and complain that the lass doesn’t want anything to do with ye? Have ye no pride, mon?”
Richard’s face grew pale as new milk, then red as strawberries. He waved his fist at Evan. “She won’t get away with this.”
Before Evan could react, the man turned on his heel and left the hall, the door to the outside slamming behind him.
“Do ye think he can do something by going to the magistrate?” Katie took a sip of the tea a young serving girl had placed before her.
Evan waved his hand in dismissal. “Nay. Even if he has the boldness to do such a thing, there isnnae anything the magistrate can do for him.” He picked up the platter of eggs, bacon, sausage, and beans and filled his plate. “And if the magistrate is half-witted enough to take up his cause, we will be married before he can do anything.”
“Oh aye. That is something I want to discuss.”
Ev
an grunted and dove into his breakfast.
Katie put her fork down and placed her hands in her lap. “I am serious. There are many issues that need to be addressed before we talk about marriage.”
Evan swallowed a sip of coffee and wiped his mouth. “We are not talking about marriage, lass. We are locating a mon of the cloth and getting married. Today. As soon as I finish my breakfast.”
Katie jumped from her seat. “Nay!” Before he could say anything else, Katie tossed her napkin onto the table and hurried from the room.
“Katie!”
She ignored Evan’s summons and raced up the stairs to her bedchamber. The dolt man could holler all he wanted, but she would not stop to listen. In fact, she’d done nothing but listen since they’d woken up wrapped in each other’s arms.
Thinking about it and what they’d done the night before brought a heated flush to her body. Whatever had she been thinking? Nothing, that’s what. She hadn’t been thinking at all. Evan’s kisses and caresses had pushed all common sense and rational thought from her mind. And now he was demanding marriage without even asking her in a proper manner. So typical of the man, to just order her about. Well, she might be his employee, but she would not be ordered about in anything else.
He was so busy telling her he would marry her, he hadn’t even asked her if she wished to marry him. Didn’t the muttonhead ken a woman wanted her proposal of marriage to be romantic? Or at least more than “We’ll find a mon of the cloth and get married. Now let’s eat.”
She was horrified to find tears standing on the edge of her eyelids. Was it too much for a woman to want her first, and probably only, marriage proposal to be more than that?
She sighed, collapsed on the bed, and yawned. What she really needed was a few more hours of sleep. She closed her eyes, but a pounding on her door loud enough to rouse the entire castle jolted her up. “Who is it?”
The door opened and Evan stepped in. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it. “I apologize, lass. I think I was a wee bit harsh with ye just now.”
“Harsh? I believe the word is arrogant. Or perhaps overbearing. Maybe even high-handed. Also pigheaded, bossy, and opinionated.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.
A sheepish look crossed his face, and he walked slowly to where she sat. As he got closer to the bed, he didn’t appear to be stopping, so she backed up against the headboard. He climbed onto the bed and joined her, taking her hand in his, linking their fingers.
Raising her hand to his lips, he kissed her softly on her knuckles and said, “Mistress Katie Stirling, will ye do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
She should say nay. She should say she would like to think it over. She should say she wanted to talk about what would come next. She should climb off the bed and leave him sitting there. Instead, she left the bed but turned and stared at him.
“What about my clan. Am I to stay here as land steward when you leave and have a marriage in name only? Or am I to abandon my clan after I dragged them all here?”
He drew back, his brows raised. “Nay. Ye and yer brother will come with me and Alasdair back to Argyll. I need a wife to help run my household. Yer clan can take care of itself.”
She skipped over that last remark and jumped on the first. “Ah, so the only reason yer offering marriage is to gain a nonpaid employee.”
“Ach, lass. Ye ken that’s not the reason.”
“What is, then?”
He ran his palm down his face. “We get on verra well. Ye are bonnie, smart, funny, and have a great deal of loyalty in ye.”
“And?” Would he confess his feelings for her? Did he have the sort of feelings she had always wanted if she succumbed to marriage? On the other hand, what of her feelings for him?
“And I care for ye, lass. I willnae lie and say I love ye. We haven’t kenned each other long enough.”