Free The Highlander's Lady by Eliza Knight Page B

to me killing their leader.”
    “My men will have likely met up with them and sent them on their way.”
    “Let us pray, since ye do not appear to have your wits. Does kissing always affect ye so? ”
    The little twit… Daniel gripped her hands harder, stared at her with sudden seriousness and watched her eyes widen. “ Nay, it doesna, and ye’ll need to learn to treat your husband with a bit more respect.” Now he realized why her brother kept her hidden away. Understood why when Daniel asked about her, Byron had claimed she was unruly. She was a spritely woman with a fiery temper and he aimed to tame her.
    Come spring, she’d be the model wife, one he’d be proud to show off to his mother and cousins . But most of all, if she didn’t tone down her boldness , she’d likely get herself into trouble. Which she’d already done. Been forced to kill a man , and had seemingly recovered quite well after the initial shock. Daniel was puzzled. The woman made no sense to him.
    Perhaps he’d not given her enough credit.
    Myra yanked her h ands away. “I’ll not handfast with a brute. I’ve come this far, I can make my way, with or without ye.”
    Despite her words he could see the fear in her eyes, see her lip tremble. She was scared. Perhaps most of her bravado was from fear. Daniel had no sisters and while he did spend much time with his female cousins, women still mystified him. He’d need to be gentler with her. Especially if he was going to gain her agreement.
    Daniel needed a wife, and Myra offered up the perfect opportunity. She would save him from certain doom . Marriage to a complete stranger.
    “I’m sorry, lass. I didna mean to frighten ye. I promise ye, I’m not a brute.”
    She frowned. “Ye promised to control yourself too and yet ye’ve already kissed me.”
    Daniel reached for her hands once more, stroking his thumb over her knuckles. “Aye. If ’tis your wish, I’ll not kiss ye again.” Until the bedding …
    The way she hesitated showed him that she wanted him to kiss her again, that she wasn’t as opposed to it as she made out.
    Daniel smiled, trying for sweet to keep her calm and it worked. Myra smiled back, the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen.
    “Ye are beautiful, lass.”
    “Thank ye.”
    Ripping a small strip of cloth form his plaid he wrapped it around her hands. “I would take ye to be my wife. As God and his bounteous earth would be my witness, I wed with ye.”
    Myra swallowed and licked her lips several times before repeating his words.
    “Come spring we’ll make it official.”
    “Congratulations, my laird.” Leo and his men rode up just then, obviously witnessing their exchange.
    “And now we have witnesses,” Daniel said to Myra before turning to Leo. “Allow me to introduce Lady Myra —we’ve handfasted until spring.”
    “My lady,” Leo and the others said as they dismounted from their horses and knelt before her.
    Myra looked as shocked as Daniel felt. She took the strip of plaid from him, shoving it into her boot. His men were so quick to show her loyalty. They knew not who she was, only that she now belonged to him. ’Twas a good sign that his men were well and truly on their way to seeing Daniel for his true self, without the veil of his father’s scorn hanging between them.
    “Leo, a word,” Daniel said. Turning to Myra he motioned for her to remain where she was. “I’ll be but a moment.”
    Myra winged a brow, as though she wanted to retort, but to his surprise she kept her opinion or rejoinder to herself. Daniel smiled. He’d made the right choice.
    Several yards away, he came to a stop and met Leo’s eyes. “What did ye find?”
    “Found several men burying a dead man. We asked who he was and they said it was their leader, that a woman had killed him.”
    Daniel nodded. “Myra.”
    “Aye, we gathered that as soon as we came upon ye. There is blood covering the front of her gown.”
    Daniel had forgotten about that. They’d have to get