Dare, Lydia - Tall, Dark and Wolfish

Elspeth's eyes flashed to Ben's. He was sure she'd have questions by the time this conversation ended. He'd have to explain all of it to her later. When Will wasn't around. "I've been occupied, you may have noticed. You'll have to ask them to forgive me."

Will glanced at Elspeth. "Buying property and getting yourself married?"

"Property?" Elspeth echoed.

He was going to kill his brother. Was it possible for Will to keep his bloody mouth closed? Ben tilted his head to one side, looking at his wife. "That might be part of my surprise."

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting the conversation. Elspeth frowned at him but rose from her seat while Ben avoided his brother's questioning gaze.

A gasp sounded at the door, and Ben looked toward Elspeth. Sorcha Ferguson's eyes seared him as she stood on the threshold and looked in. "So ye've come back, have ye? Do ye have any idea—"

"Sorcha!" Elspeth hissed. "No' now. We have a guest."

The young witch's eyes grew wide when they landed on Will. "Oh, I see that." She didn't wait for an invitation, but stepped inside and went straight to the table. "Ye're one of the brothers?"

Will nodded, a look of confusion on his face.

"Will," Ben began, "this is Miss Sorcha Ferguson. Sorcha, this is my brother, Lord William."

With a charming smile, Will rose from his seat. "Ah, Miss Ferguson, I believe my brother mentioned you this morning. It is indeed a pleasure."

Sorcha sighed and Ben cringed. All he needed was the rest of the coven losing their hearts to Will. "Ellie, it appears I do need to have a conversation alone with my brother after all. Do you mind terribly?"

His wife shook her head, though a look of worry marred her brow. "Will ye be here when I get back?"

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'm not going anywhere without you, love." Though she deserved much better than him, he wasn't about to let her go.

Elspeth's hands settled on his chest. "Good. I'm no' through with ye, Ben Westfield."

"Sorcha," Ben called, "Ellie needs your help with some

plant

thing."

"Some

plant

thing?" the dark-haired witch echoed. "Are ye tryin' ta get rid of me, my lord?"

He couldn't resist winking at the lass. "Pretty

and

smart, Sorcha."

"Come along," Elspeth said, draping her plaid around her shoulders and towing her friend toward the door. "I

do

need yer help with somethin'."

As soon as the women were gone, Ben noticed the look of dismay on his brother's face. "What have you gotten yourself into, Benjamin? I admit when mother and Prisca were worried about you, I thought this was a fool's errand. But now—"

"But now?" Ben asked, sinking onto the old settee.

"Are you honestly married to that girl?"

Ben felt anger roil inside him. He didn't like the arrogant tone of Will's voice. "Yes, she's wonderful," he snarled.

"She's lovely," Will agreed, taking a seat opposite him. "But, Ben, MacQuarrie says you bought property here. You're talking to John Burton about building a house?"

"Elspeth wants to stay here. It's all she knows." And with everything he'd done to her, giving her that happiness was the least he could do.

Will shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you're serious. At least the two of you would get a fresh start in London, where no one knows the circumstances of her birth."

He was going to kill Alec MacQuarrie at the first available opportunity. "Her father was a Lycan, Will. It's not Ellie's fault he abandoned her mother before she was born."

"A Lycan?" Will echoed. "Are you certain?"

"She has the mark."

Will seemed to think about that and rubbed his brow. "Who was he?"

Ben shrugged. "She's not sure. But we intend to find out."

"So, then, she knows about you? About us?"

More than Ben liked. She knew all about what Lycan men were capable of. Yet she

loved

him anyway. The idea warmed him from the inside out. "Yes, she knows everything."

"Well, you're more fortunate than Simon, then."

"Simon?"

Will took a sip of tea. "Blueberry?"

"Don't ask. What about Simon?"

"I left his wedding breakfast to seek you out."

Ben sat up quickly. Wedding breakfast? Simon? He didn't believe it. Not for a minute. "You're joking."

Will shrugged. "Heard the vows myself."

"Simon?" Ben repeated, dumbfounded. "Our brother who keeps respectable women at arm's length? Our brother who would never let a woman near him during a full moon?

That

Simon?"

Will chuckled. "He didn't plan it. He sort of got tangled up in one of Prissy's machinations."

"Not Prisca?" Ben couldn't think of two people less suited than his oldest brother and their pretty young neighbor.

Will scowled at him. "Lily Rutledge. Now, Benjamin, I am waiting for you to tell me the nature of your letters to Prisca."

Which he wouldn't get from Ben. He was not about to admit to keeping the girl appraised of Will's exploits. His brother would kill him on the spot. "You can bare your teeth at me all you want. I won't break her confidence. If she wants you to know, she'll tell you herself."

Will's frown darkened. "Does your wife know the nature of your relationship with Prisca?"

His brother was definitely reaching. "The only woman in my life is Elspeth."

"I have half a mind to tear your head off, you disloyal mutt."

He might welcome the punishment at the moment. "If you spent half of that energy talking to Prissy, you might be a whole lot happier, Will."

"Go to hell."

"You first, brother." Ben rose from his seat and started toward the stove. He looked in the abandoned pot. It

was

porridge. Yuck.

"So what is your plan, Ben?" Will called from his seat. "You just going to stay in Edinburgh and play house? Forget you have family and a life in England?"

He didn't have anything to return home to. "When I want your advice, William, I will ask you for it."

Will scoffed. "As well thought out as always, I see." He rose from his seat. "I'll be at Alec's if you decide your older and wiser brother may actually be of help."

Elspeth groaned and stuck her fingers in her ears as she walked down the lane beside Sorcha. She said loudly, "I'll no' hear another word about Lord William, Sorcha. No' one more word." Then she hummed a tune to block the rest of her friend's gushing.

Sorcha finally tugged violently on her arm. She removed her fingers from her ears and said, "Aye, Sorcha?"

"Nothin'," the youngest witch sighed. "I'll find out for myself." Her eyes lit with mischief.

Elspeth shook a finger at the girl. "Ye'll no' find out anythin' about that man. Ye're much too young for him." The girl just skipped along. "Keep it up and I'll tell yer papa that ye've set yer sights on him."

That finally got the young witch's attention. "Ye wouldna dare!" she gasped.

"Aye, I would."

"Marriage doesna set well with ye, Elspeth. It makes

ye grumpy," the girl muttered. "What did ye want with me this mornin'? I'm sure ye dinna need me for a walk in the woods."

Elspeth reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of foolscap. Inside lay several small seeds. "I need ye ta make these grow for me. Right away."

Sorcha shook the seeds into her hand and brought them to her nose to smell them. "Hyssop?" she asked. When Elspeth just nodded, she continued. "What need do ye have for hyssop? Ye have nothin' ta be sorry for."

"It's no' for me, Sorcha. It's for someone else."

"It's pretty powerful," Sorcha hedged.

"I ken that it's powerful. That's why I need it."

"What does Ben have ta be sorry for?" Her gaze rose sharply. "He dinna hurt ye, did he?" She clutched Elspeth's arm, her nails digging into the skin.