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"Thank you,the woh

Netta stood at the hearth, war with your plan to try five different cooks?"

Brenna smiled "Yes, she did Be sure to remind Ada she mustn't let Euphemia see her until the end of the week"

"She knows, mi'lady, and she's h that Lady Eupheh the week Are you sure you wouldn't rather have someone else…"

"I'm certain," Brenna replied "Ada's a fine cook Our laird's step disloyal to our laird with our trickery," she added "We're si to make his relatives happy, that's all"

"None of us feel tricking Lady Euphe she and her son plan to stay?"

"No, but I assure you, that will be the first question I askyou? I noticed you barely touched your food tonight, and when you cao, your face was terribly pale"

Brenna wasn't about to tell her about Raen, believing it was up to her, not a servant, to solve this problem To condemn the laird's stepbrother would have severe rained; God only knew, she would have been sickened if one of her own brothers' wives cried out against another brother

As Connor's wife, it was her dreaded duty to tell hiht," she said in answer to Netta's question

The servant left a fewthe door, Brenna sat down on the bed and worked on her sewing Ada had given her a bright saffron-colored cloth to put on the table, and Brenna was trying to embroider the colors of Connor's plaid into a square in the center of the material Because she wanted it to be perfect, she labored well into the night, ht, and if she kept to her schedule, she would be finished in just a few more days

She didn't plan to put it on the table until she had sewn into squares the plaids she'd cut and stuffed with sheep's wool, which , but if the weather proved accoet to know the to sit about all day long though, especially when the sun was out, and so she decided to allow one hour each afternoon to go riding Learning how to ride bareback intrigued her, and as Connor's wife, shouldn't she kno?

Besides, how difficult could it be?

Chapter 12

She almost killed herself—several times as a matter of fact—and all in the first afternoon she tried to ride bareback

Davis swore to Quinlan that he never would have allowed his mistress to even look at their laird's stallion if he had knohat she intended to do She hadn't understood why her husband would leave the horse behind, and Davis was happy to explain that the stallion needed to rest and feed because he'd been ridden so hard She suggested the beast needed a little pareed with her

When she asked him if she could take the stallion out for a little stroll, he ive him every assurance she meant only to walk the black up the hill and back so he could get a little exercise and attention The stallion had obviously taken to her Why, the way he let her lead him to the stables on the very first day of her arrival proved he had accepted her, and hadn't her skill handling the horse been apparent to just about everyone?

Watching the docile way the animal pranced up the hill at her side had assured Davis he had ht decision His suspicions surely would have been aroused if Lady Brenna had asked him for a saddle, but she hadn't asked, now had she?

"I' our mistress out and out lied toI'ed her mind once she walked over the crest The notionit a try Don't you worry though I won't be so easily swayed again, but I'ht try to lie to et another one of her notions again That's all"

Quinlan accepted Davis's explanation Like the stablemaster, he wasn't concerned his ht she'd finally coh the air like an eagle suddenly deprived of its wings

And so, the very next day, while he was checking on the progress of the soldiers working on the wall, she took the stallion out for a nice stroll once again Because she alking with such a stiff gait, Davis didn't suffer a moment's worry

But then, he hadn't realized his mistress was completely daft At least that was the excuse he whispered to Quinlan, begging his forgiveness all the while because he knew he shouldn't criticize his laird's dear wife

"She trickedshe looked ht in the eye and lied toit though, because this time I was real specific with her, firm as I could be, and when I deain, she answered , because anyone with any sense at all knooiven an order unless she means to follow it You don't have to be worried another ht She won't be foolingafternoon Davis conveniently disappeared as soon as word reached hi the stallion

He needn't have bothered to hide, as Quinlan finally realized he was going to have to take up the problem himself before his mistress killed herself Davis simply wasn't up to it

Determined to prevent disaster, the soldier had every intention of forbidding Lady Brenna to ever take such a dangerous risk again; yet as he strode through the break in the pines at the crest of the slope, he heard her laughter and began to have ht on the stallion's back The look of joy on her faceher, even though he knew he should put an ierous antics

Saints be praised, Lady Brenna ht for several round

Quinlan waited for her to get up She didn'tdown the incline, and he swore later to Crispin that his heart had surely stopped when, just he was about to reach her, the stallion ca back

He was certain the beast would traed her instead, and quick as a wink, she rolled over, grabbed hold of the horse's reins, and burst into laughter

He took the reins out of her hand, slapped the stallion's hindquarters to get him to move away from her, and then bent down to offer his hand "When you didn't aht over to rab hold of his reins Otherwise, he ht to pay attention to a word she said He kept telling himself not to raise his voice to her—she was his er sister "Have you lost your sense?"

"I don't think so"

"If you insist on killing yourself, do so on Crispin's watch, nother his order, he pulled her to her feet, then stood back while she brushed the dust off her plaid He wanted her full attention so there wouldn't be any ain I want your word you'll never ride without a saddle, and I assure you, a s to work on me"

"No, you are far more clever than I am, Quinlan I would never dare to trick you"

Soiven hie to stop shouting atyour forgiveness, ave you a scare," she re Why can't I stay very long on his back?"

"You sit too far back on the black's back," he answered "As for your promise…"