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“Not for long,” she threatened
He didn’t like hearing that He looked as if he was going to grab her, so she quickly backed away and put her hand out in a puny attempt to ward him off “You stay where you are,” she demanded “When you touch me, you know I can’t think, and I need to think clearly now so I can figure out what to do”
Ramsey handed the priest yet another drink
Father Laggan’s head was reeling fro it was his duty to look out for the poor lass, he mopped the sweat from his forehead with the cowl of his robe and stepped forward to take charge
“Has this e been consummated?” he demanded, unaware he’d shouted the question
Gillian wasme such a personal question in front of a crowd?”
“I’ve got to know,” the priest whispered loudly “Lord, it’s hot in here,” he added, his voice slurred He then wiped the back of his neck with his hood as he repeated his question “Was it consummated?”
Gillian answered in a bare whisper “No”
“Then it’s possible that I can undo this tangled mess”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Brodick commanded
The priest squinted up at the Buchanan laird and tried to bring the giant into focus “Good God Al his head in an effort to clear it, he said, “You used deception to catch this sweet lass”
Brodick didn’t deny the allegation but an turned to Gillian to console her in her darkest hour “You’ve got to stay away frohten this out Do you understand what I’ you? You can’t let hi out of this union You’ve just got to stay away froh,” he added as he patted her hand “Once he’sand you’ve beenwell, you see, don’t you, I can’t have it undone Do you understand what I’ you?”
“Yes, Father, I understand”
“All right, then Now you sleep on the probleether and decide what’s to be done I’ve never encountered a situation like this before, and it shocks me, yes it does, but I shouldn’t be shocked at all because it’s the Buchanans you see, and their laird’s the worst of the lot They’re all heathens,” he added with a nod “Tricking a man of the cloth Wait until ure out a way to re from this union I just may petition the pope to excommunicate every last one of them”
“Oh, Father, please don’t do that I don’t want the Buchanans to get into trouble with the Church”
Brodick heard every word of the exchange and was highly a toward Ramsey, he asked, “Where is it?”
His friend understood what he wanted to know and in a lohisper answered him
Gillian’s wrath was now directed at Dylan Poking him in the chest, she demanded, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You didn’t ask me, Lady Buchanan”
“I’m not your Lady Buchanan,” she cried out, so rattled her words tripped over each other
“Don’t you want to belong to us, milady?” Robert asked
“I don’t want to belong to anyone”
“Then why did you marry our laird?” Liam asked
“I didn’t knoashim”
“We knew,” Aaron cheerfully announced
“We want to keep you, milady,” Stephen interjected “You love our laird We all heard you say so”
“Aye, we heard you,” Robert agreed “And you belong to us, milady”
Perhaps it was because they were all pressing in on her looking so earnest and worried that she couldn’t hold on to her anger any longer She did love Brodick, and she did want to be married to him Now and forever Dear God, they’d all made her daft
Father Laggan sagged onto the bench and braced one hand on his knee “You’d best bolt your door tonight,” he suggested “Do you understand what I’ot to stay away from him”
“Gillian?”
“Yes, Brodick?”
“I want a word in private with you Now”
She wasn’t given ti her hand, hewith him
As soon as the doors closed behind thehly perplexed What in heaven’s name was there to cheer about?
Father Laggan had also watched the couple leave Shaking his head he cried out, “Didn’t the lass hear a word I said? Good Lord Alhty”
Raht he was crazy Hadn’t he been listening to the conversation? “Laird, I believe you should wait until Laird Brodick and Gillian coive a toast As to that, ould you toast theoing toWhy are you s?”
“Ah, Bridgid, I forgot how innocent and naïve you are,” Ramsey said
“I’m not so naïve”
“Are you waiting for Gillian to cohed “But you’re not naïve?”
“No, I’m not,” she insisted
“Then you understand”
“Understand what?”
He laughed again “They aren’t co back”
The priest continued to shake his head “Good Lord Alot her now”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
He swept her off her feet and carried her into the night She put her arms around his neck and patiently waited for hi her In truth, she had already come to terms with the inevitable She loved this man with all her heart, and at the moment that was all that mattered
She traced a line down the side of his face with her fingertip to get his attention “Brodick?”
“You will not argue with ht and every night for the rest of our lives Understand me?”
She didn’t protest or scream, which surprised him
A moment passed in silence and then she said, “I have just one question for you”
He warily glanced down at her “What is it?”
“What a to tell our children?”
He came to an abrupt stop “What?”
“You heardto tell our children? I refuse to tell the a horse, but then you’ll probably expect ive birth on a horse too, won’t you?”
His eyes were filled with tenderness when he replied to her outrageous question “I think we should concentrate onto tell him”
She kissed the side of his neck “Then I’m in trouble”
“Why?” he asked
“I can’t concentrate when I’m around you, but I’ll do my best”