Page 50 of Taken By the Highland Villain

“I’ve begun it, but?—”

“Finish it. I expect to see ye wearing it tonight, when ye join me in the Great Hall.”

Her anger flared, a hot, bright spark in the center of her chest. “Ye cannae ignore me for days and then come here and demandI attend ye, as if I were some sort of puppet. I dinnae belong to ye, as yer servant or anythin’ else.”

Jude’s jaw clenched, and he stepped closer, his movement smooth and almost predatory, though there was no sense of menace behind it. “I told ye, lass—for as long as ye’re under my roof, serving as my seamstress, ye belong to me and ye serve at my desire. And it is my desire that ye join me in the Great Hall this evenin’, wearing yer new dress.”

She was tempted to refuse, but something in his eyes stayed her words. She looked back at the table she had been working at, her eyes landing on the blue-green silk. The design she’d begun was a simple one—it wouldn’t take more than a few hours to finish.

“As ye will.”

“Then I’ll see ye in the Great Hall in time for supper.” Jude bowed to her and then stepped back, and the door gently clicked shut.

Valerie stared after him, bemused by his behavior. Then, she turned back to her work table and set the curtains aside, pulling out the fabric for her dress.

She had no idea what Jude was planning, but it was clear he was making an effort—his clothes and the time he’d taken to shave his tangled beard spoke to that. She would feel ungrateful, perhaps even cruel, if she didn’t match his effort with her own.

He looks so handsome, more like the portrait in the gallery. I’ve never cared much for lookin’ like the part of a pretty lady, but seein’ Jude clean-shaven and dressed like that… I would like to match him, at least for tonight.

She was also curious, she had to admit. The look in Jude’s eyes, the warmth and desire on his face…

She wanted to know what he intended and what he had planned, especially given the care he had taken with his appearance before arriving at the gallery.

He looked and acted almost like a completely different person. I cannae help but want to see more of that man. Besides, I have been wanting to make and wear that dress since he bought me the fabric.

Valerie smiled a little to herself, then bent her head and began to work.

For the first time since she walked into this castle—or maybe the second, if she counted their more… intimate encounters—she would obey the Laird.

CHAPTER 22

Jude stoodat the door to the Great Hall, his gaze flicking down the corridor leading to the front doors. Everything was prepared for his plan—he could only pray it went as well as he hoped it would.

Craig had scoured the village for some pipers, offering them a silver for the evening. Moira had cooked a special meal, served with a bottle of wine that he’d acquired from traders some time ago.

The soft whisper of footsteps on stone caught his attention, and he turned to face the staircase. When he beheld the figure coming toward him, he felt his heart skip a beat and his mouth go dry.

Valerie was striding toward him, her dress flowing around her. The design was simple—a skirt that fell almost to her ankles and swirled around her legs enticingly with every step. The fabrichugged her hips and bosom, accentuating her narrow waist and full bodice.

The blue-green color enhanced the healthy glow of her skin and brought out the vivid green of her eyes. The soft, silken sheen of the fabric seemed echoed by the shine of her soft, raven-black hair, which fell down her back, unbound save for two thin braids that held it back from her face.

She looked like a fairy, come to walk among his halls and enchant his people.

His breath hitched, and he forced himself to inhale, then exhale, then breathe normally as she came to a stop beside him, gazing up at him with those shimmering, beautiful eyes.

“Ye look beautiful. As if an enchantress bestowed a blessing of beauty upon ye.”

“Ye look fair handsome yerself.” Valerie smiled, and the expression, so warm and generous, made her look even more glorious, almost angelic.

Jude offered her his arm and led her into the hall.

The new curtains were drawn, letting in the light of the setting sun, enhanced by a few torches in their brackets, burning gently. The middle of the hall had been cleared, and upon their entrance, the pipers in the corner began to play softly.

Valerie’s eyes widened at the sound. “What is this?”

“Did ye ever attend a cèilidh?”

There were things she’d said and rumors Craig had relayed to him over the past few days that made him wonder.