Page 30 of The Laird's Wicked Game

“Well, it was definitely worth the effort,” she replied, lowering her gaze.

Silence swelled between them before he cleared his throat. “Is something amiss, Lady Grant?”

“No,” she said quickly, glancing up once more. Maclean was watching her closely, his green eyes shadowed now. “I’m sorry ye had to see that earlier,” he said, lowering his voice. Four of his men had joined them on their trip up to the top of the nearby mountain, but they were both standing far enough away to give the two of them some privacy.

Kylie swallowed. “Then why did ye insist I did?” She paused then, her brow furrowing. “Surely, yer sons could have been spared?”

The laird sighed before raking a hand through his short hair, leaving it in spiky disarray. “Ailean will rule Dounarwyse one day … and Lyle is likely to step into Jack’s role eventually. Shielding them from what it means to be chieftain or a captain of Dounarwyse will only make the reality of it all the harsher.” He grimaced then. “In truth, I must take some blame for what happened. If I’d gotten rid of MacDougall a month ago … yer sister would never have been attacked.”

The roughness to his voice made Kylie’s chest constrict. She didn’t want him to take responsibility for MacDougall’s actions. Indeed, he was the sort of man to shoulder such blame. “Ye weren’t to know where things would lead,” she answered with a shake of her head.

Their gazes met and held.

“Has yer opinion of me lowered then … after witnessing me flog MacDougall?” he asked quietly.

Kylie’s breathing caught. She was surprised her opinion mattered. “Of course not.”

“Ye aren’t afraid of me now, are ye?”

Her chest constricted. What a contradiction this man was. He was as strong as an oak, yet there was also vulnerability to him. “No,” she replied softly.

And she wasn’t.

Their stare drew out until the laird severed it. He swung his attention east, his jaw tightening as if he was waging an internal battle. However, when he spoke once more, his tone was subdued. “How is Lady Makenna faring?”

Kylie swallowed a sigh. Her sister had begged off joining them on this trip, saying she wished to rest instead. “It’s hard to tell,” she admitted. “At present, whenever I ask how she is, she brushes me off.”

“She’s proud.”

Kylie’s pulse quickened.Aren’t we all?“Aye, and tough too … but this has shaken her. I know my sister well enough to see it.”

An excited squeal intruded then, and her gaze traveled to where Lyle had found a shiny piece of quartz and was showing his brother. Their eagerness made her smile.

“I’m relieved my sons seem to have rallied after seeing MacDougall flogged,” Maclean admitted.

Kylie gave a soft snort. “Aye, well, fortunately, bairns live very much in the moment.” She paused then before calling down to the lads. “Choose a few stones, and we shall study them at home.”

The boys flashed her a grin at this before they started to fill their pockets.

“Ye are good with them,” the laird noted.

“Am I?” Warmth filtered through her at his compliment. “I have no bairns of my own … so must confess I was nervous about how they’d react to me.”

He gave a soft snort. “I didn’t make building a rapport with them any easier, did I?”

“No … but Ailean and Lyle are starting to trust me now. I’d say the worst is over. They’re both good lads.”

“They are.” Something in his voice made her glance his way. He was watching his sons with a shadowed gaze. “Do they remind ye of yer wife?” she asked gently.

He tensed at this question, and she immediately regretted being so bold. Her nosiness was getting the better of her. She was about to apologize when he replied, “Lyle more than Ailean. He has her looks.” He gave a rueful shake of his head then. “Their characters are Maclean through and through though.”

She arched an eyebrow. “How so?”

“Both fiery, pigheaded, and stubborn … no different to Jack and me at the same age.”

Kylie smiled. “So, ye too were full of mischief once?”

A laugh rumbled up from his chest, and it warmed Kylie to hear it. The laird of Dounarwyse showed far too little mirth. “I was. If there was a prank to be made … or a trick to be played … I was likely at the center of it.”