Page 26 of The Lion

“What are ye doing in my bedchamber?”

Darach.

Isobel snatched her hand away from what was most definitely not a place any maiden should ever touch on a man. Despite her alarm, she wondered why it had felt much harder than at any time she’d been in bed with Ian.

“I-I… Oh, dear. I cannot breathe.” Isobel hurried to a chair and fell back into it. “I do not know why things have become so complicated since coming here.”

The laird walked in and closed the door. He was immediately greeted by Albie, who happily barked and whined demanding attention.

“Darach,” someone knocked on the door. “Why is Albie barking so much?”

It was Ella.

After a pointed look, he went toward the door.

“No!” Isobel hissed.

But he ignored her, yanked his tunic off, and opened the door just wide enough to look out. “Why are ye up, Ella?”

“I was asleep, but this is twice I’ve heard Albie. The first time he whined, just making sure he is well.”

“He’s fine.” Darach opened the door wider so that his sister could see the bed. Thankfully, where Isobel sat was not in her line of vision, as the door blocked her.

Upon seeing Darach’s sister, Albie jumped from the bed and scurried out of the room.

“Keep him,” Darach told Ella and closed the door.

He turned to Isobel and crossed his arms, covering some of the bareness. “Why are ye here?”

“Why are ye half-naked?”

“To convince my sister I was preparing for bed, otherwise, she would have walked in.”

“Oh.” Isobel could think of nothing else to say.

Darach neared and took the candlestick from her hand. “Explain. I am very tired and need to sleep.”

Although she’d spent the last couple of hours practicing her dialog, words evaded her at him being so close. And so undressed.

“Can ye get dressed?”

“What. Do. Ye. Want?”

She gave up on him dressing when he added a log to the fire in the hearth, giving her a full view of his wide back, and leaned his shoulder against the mantel. He faced her and waited.

“I wish to speak to ye about a grave matter. This must stay between us. It has to do with why I cannot marry ye.”

He nodded for her to continue.

“If ye are half undressed and we are found out, the worst could happen,” Isobel started. In truth, his nakedness was most distracting. For whatever reason, it was hard to catch her breath, and her pulse raced.

“What is worse than having to marry?”

Isobel could have been insulted by the fact, he considered marriage to her horrible, if not for the fact she found it distasteful as well. Since she could not come up with an example of a worse fate, she gave up. “I will tell ye what I have to say and go.”

“Go on,” Darach prodded.

“Well, ye see.” It was harder than she thought to tell someone about her shameful past. “I was…I was… betrothed before. Handfasted actually.” The last two words seemed to burst from her and float in the air between them.