Page 25 of A Virgin for the Icy Laird
“Good morning, me Laird.” Elize’s crass tone broke the moment, and Emily found herself able to breathe again. “How can I help ye?”
They had never had privacy at the orphanage, nor had they felt the indignity of an invasion, so when Adair asked to be let in, Elize easily stepped aside, despite her obvious dislike of him.
“After ye’ve had yer breakfast, Mrs. Donnelly will take ye both to the parlor, where a seamstress awaits to take yer measurements. Ye are to have dresses made for Callum’s wedding.”
While Emily was wondering why he had come all the way instead of forwarding the message to Mrs. Donnelly, Elize asked, “What colors would ye have us choose, me Laird?” She stepped around him, crossing her arms.
Emily sensed the challenge in her sister’s tone and rushed to her side to stop her from making any more mistakes.
Adair’s younger brother was set to marry Lady Isla, the daughter of a neighboring laird. Since Elize had found out it was an arranged marriage, she had not hesitated to make her opinion clear. In her words, she did not understand why Callum would let himself be a pawn in a game he stood to benefit nothing from, and what she could not understand, she questioned.
Adair had been hospitable up until now, but Emily was not naïve enough to believe defiance wouldn’t be met with retribution. Elize shrugged off the arm she had put over her shoulders to quiet her.
“Blue, red, and yellow to complement the performance yer braither’s putting on for us, perhaps? It’s a circus, nae a wedding after all,” she drawled, and Emily cringed.
“Ye are quite bold, lass,” Adair noted curtly.
“I only aim to understand our position, me Laird,” Elize retorted.
Emily yanked her back. “Stop,” she hissed.
Then she turned to Adair. He had a stern look on his face as he regarded her.
She lowered her head. “I apologize, me Laird,” she was quick to say. “Me little sister is usually right…” Her words died in her throat when he let out a laugh.
Her heart thumped in her chest at the rich sound, her eyes widening at how his amusement made him even more handsome.
“Aye, it is true,” Elize insisted. “Yer braither is marrying a woman he doesnae love because her faither wants it!”
“Elize!” Emily scolded.
“Yer sister is brave, lass,” Adair said, half-smiling. “Braver than me whole council put together.”
“Me sister means no offense, me Laird,” she insisted, fearing the repercussions.
“She means a great deal of offense, lass, but that’s fine.”
Emily resisted the urge to sigh in relief, for he did not sound inclined to toss them out of the castle. She was definitely going to give Elize an earful once he took his leave.
“Ye can choose any colors ye wish,” he said politely. Then he added, as if to spite Elize, “It is a joyous occasion.”
She bristled, looking as though he had offended her by not arguing with her.
“I have instructed the seamstress to make the dresses exactly as ye desire.” With that, he turned and walked out of the room.
The sisters stood there for a moment, watching the space where his tall frame had been.
Elize was the first to break the silence. “I didnae think the man could laugh, but ye accomplished it. Ye made the Laird laugh.”
Emily felt a burst of pride at the incredulity in her tone.
“Perhaps he is easily amused.” She shrugged. She could not recall a moment when anything beyond a taunting smirk had curved Adair’s lips.
“When? With ye? Does he do other things, too? Has he tried other things?”
Her frustration flared. She could no longer stand her sister’s disparagement.
“Why do ye hold him in such contempt, when he has been nothing but generous to us?” she snapped.
