Free Highlander Unchained by Monica McCarty Page A

a long bold look, one that was blatantly sensual. “You might.”
    “You promised.”
    He seemed unabashedly unconcerned. “So I did.”
    “You have no honor.”
    He quirked a brow, infuriatingly amused. “Obviously, or you wouldn’t be here.”
    “A prisoner,” she said forlornly.
    “Whether you are prisoner or guest is up to you.” His gaze narrowed. “Do not defy me and your stay here will be pleasant.”
    She stiffened, her deep-seated resentment of being told what to do flared. “And what am I supposed to do while I’m your guest ?” she asked, not bothering to hide her sarcasm.
    “Whatever it is that women do to keep themselves busy. Do what you like, as long as you do not try to leave the walls of the keep.”
    She spun around to hide the smile on her face, her mind swarming with all kinds of ideas. She would keep herself occupied all right.
    Lachlan Maclean had abducted the wrong woman. And she was going to make him sorry for it. Very sorry indeed.

 
    Chapter 4
    “I don’t know, Flora. Are you sure he won’t be angry?”
    I certainly hope he will be . Flora looked back and forth between the two girls. She’d caught the laird’s young sisters lurking in the shadows and watching her with unabashed curiosity a few days ago and had pretended to ignore them—which, of course, had the opposite effect of increasing their curiosity. Finally, they’d ventured out of the shadows to ask her what she was doing. When she’d told them, they’d offered to help, thereby becoming her unwitting accomplices.
    Which only served him right, since the poor darlings were bored to tears. Buried in this barren wilderness with nothing to do. And no female companionship to speak of.
    Mary, the elder at seven and ten, was a feminine version of her brother, possessing the same striking coloring—dark brown hair and light blue eyes. Her features were a tad too strong for true beauty, but her sweet disposition more than compensated. Gillian was two years younger and by far the more adventuresome of the two. She couldn’t look more different from her elder siblings. Red-haired and green-eyed, with the palest pink skin, she would be a true beauty in a few years. Gillian was also a kindred spirit, as Flora had discovered within minutes of meeting her. Mary, on the other hand, tended to need a wee bit of encouragement. Like now.
    “I’m simply keeping myself busy, just as your brother instructed,” Flora answered. “What else is there to do? He’s barred me from the kitchens and the aleroom.”
    “With good reason,” Mary said gently.
    Flora shrugged. “I was only trying to help.”
    Gilly wasn’t fooled. Her eyes lit with mischief. “By salting the food and sweetening the ale?”
    Flora smiled at the memory. Salting the food had been the first test. Despite her bold vow to torment him, she’d been a little worried—he was rather fierce and imposing and clearly not a man to be trifled with. So the day following their exchange, she’d visited the kitchens. Heart pounding, she’d watched nervously as he’d raised his spoon and filled his mouth with her special gruel, and then smiled when he’d nearly spat it right back out. His piercing eyes narrowed on her with understanding, and she could see him struggle to bite back the tongue-lashing he’d clearly wanted to give her. He was controlling himself. Flora didn’t know why, but it didn’t matter—he was.
    “It didn’t look to be too much going in,” Flora protested. And in this case, it might even have been an improvement. “I haven’t had much experience in the kitchens before.” At least not since her cousin Argyll had run her out of the kitchens at Inveraray for doing the same thing.
    “And don’t forget you are also barred from helping with the laundry and the mending,” Mary said.
    Flora pressed her lips together to keep from giggling. “It’s quite unfair. I thought his shirts smelled lovely.”
    “Oh, they did,” Gilly said, amusement