Page 63 of Ruined By the Ruthless Highlander
“—ran into each other,” the maid finished.
Lachlan’s eyes narrowed. He instinctively glanced at Marian and then looked away, staring blankly at the ground.
Does she ken somethin’ I daenae?
He folded his arms across his chest, his expression turning neutral again as he observed them.
The lass rushed to Marian’s side, picking out the chaff he’d spotted earlier.
“My Lady, what have you been doing?” she asked, fussing over her like a prized jewel. Her eyes fell to Marian’s dusty sleeves and widened at once. “Your dress,” she gasped, touching the sleeves. “It is your only dress from your?—”
“Lilly!” Marian interrupted, her voice rising slightly. She blinked, seeming to compose herself. “The Laird and I were just heading to the fields. We are going to fix the fences.”
Lilly’s eyes narrowed. She moved closer to her mistress to whisper something in her ear, and Marian nodded. They both turned to face Lachlan.
“My Laird,” Lilly said, bowing her head slightly. “I would like to accompany Her Ladyship.” Her voice was surprisingly firm.
Lachlan contemplated her request for a moment before glancing at Finn. “All right, then,” he said, his eyes narrowing at the look on his face. “Finn will join us as well.”
The path narrowed as they moved further down the glen, the ground sloping unevenly beneath her feet.
Marian sighed as she stepped over a cluster of loose stones, careful not to slip as she had almost done during the inspection.
I never seem to have the proper boots on.
She lifted the hem of her dress slightly, keeping it from dragging through the mud as she followed behind Lachlan.
The sky was brighter now compared to the morning of the inspection, so she looked around, getting a feel for the land. Her brow furrowed slightly as she noticed the terrain.
“This is not the fastest route to the fields,” she said out loud, looking over her shoulder at Lilly and Finn to see if they agreed.
“Nay,” Lachlan replied without bothering to slow down, his tone matter-of-fact. “It is.”
Marian frowned, quickening her pace to keep up with him. “It most certainly is not,” she insisted. “The incline alone makes it inefficient.”
That caught his attention.
He stopped abruptly, turning just enough to look at her face.
“Inefficient?” he echoed, his eyebrow arching. “We arenae in one of yer London drawin’ rooms, Mairi.”
“And we are not on a battlefield either, my Laird,” Marian replied smoothly. “There is no need to make the journey harder for ourselves than it has to be.”
A small sound rose from behind them, almost like a laugh, and Marian turned slightly to see that it was Finn. He was walking a short distance away with Lilly, his lips curved into a smile he was clearly trying to hide. Lilly, on the other hand, looked more concerned.
“My Lady,” she called gently, “perhaps we should?—”
“Nay,” Lachlan cut in, continuing in the direction of the rocky, uphill path ahead. “Let her speak. I’m curious to hear how she’d lead us through a land she doesnae ken.”
Marian’s chin lifted. “I do not need to know every inch of the land to recognize a poor choice of direction,” she huffed, stepping past him before he could respond.
Lachlan stared at her with a hint of amusement on his face. Slowly, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
“Aye?” he said dryly, falling into step behind her. “Then lead the way, me Lady. Let us see what ye ken.”
Marian turned around, straightening her back as her eyes lit up in excitement.
“I have a better idea,” she announced. “How about we put it to the test? We can split into two groups. One group follows your course, and the other follows mine.”
