Julie Garwood - The Bride

She was getting weary of chasing after him. "If you'll stand still long enough, I'll try to explain what happened," she promised.

Philip continued to look suspicious, but he did finally stop his retreat.

"I certainly didn't mean to strike you down," she repeated again. "I don't even know you, sir. Why would I want to harm you?"

Her speech seemed to placate Philip, but he reversed his decision to forgive her when she added in a casual voice, "I meant to fell your brother, of course."

"Of course? You were going to hit Justin?" Philip was back to shouting.

Actually, she'd meant to give Justin several good hits. She decided it wouldn't do her cause a bit of good if she told his brother that, though. Philip looked as if he'd take exception to such honesty. He obviously didn't know what a spoiled boy Justin was. He was protective, too. Jamie couldn't fault that admirable trait, though she believed it was misplaced.

She decided to use diplomacy. "Yes, I was going to hit your brother. Philip, surely you've realized by now that Justin has the manners of a pig."

"Bring Justin to me."

Alec's roar turned her attention back to him. "You told me to take care of this matter, Alec, and I would-"

"I'll take care of it," Alec told her.

"How?" she asked, worried about the look in his eyes now. "You won't truly hurt the boy, will you, husband?"

"Did he touch you, Jamie?"

"Well, yes," Jamie replied before she saw how furious he was. "But just a little touch, Alec. It was only a quick grab and a small kiss-"

"I'm going to kill the bastard," Alec interrupted. He hadn't shouted, but his cold tone of voice sent shivers down her spine.

Jamie started wringing the rest of the pleats out of her plaid.

A few minutes later, she found herself in the most ludicrous position. She was actually standing in front of Justin, defending his life. "Now, Alec, he's just a boy. The Kincaids don't kill children. Do be quiet, Justin," she ordered when he tried to protest her choice of words. "You are a boy or you would have known better than to challenge Alec. Please, Alec? Let him live long enough to learn some manners."

She looked as if she was about to burst into tears. That fact swayed Alec's intentions. He finally nodded agreement.

Jamie became weak with relief. That feeling didn't last long, however. The second she moved away from Justin, Alec moved forward. He had the young man off the ground and flying through the air like an arrow before she could stop him.

Justin landed on his backside in a cloud of dust.

"Alec, you promised me."

"I won't kill him, love," Alec answered. "I'm just going to beat some manners into him."

There were several grunts of approval over that horrid statement. Colin, Jamie noticed, had also nodded his agreement.

"If you beat him into a bloody pulp, I'll have to spend the rest of the day patching him up, Alec. Would you completely ruin my day by making me stand so close to Justin?"

Alec had Justin by the nape of his neck now. He held him high off the ground but turned his gaze to her and asked, "Did you mean it, Jamie?"

"Mean what?" she replied, wondering why in God's name he could be smiling now.

"That you loved me."

She suddenly realized they'd both been speaking Gaelic.

"You ruined my surprise," she told Justin, ignoring the fact that the boy could barely breathe, let alone give her a proper apology.

"You shouted your love in front of everyone, wife. Don't deny it now," Alec demanded.

"You'll put that boy down first," she countered.

"You'll answer me first."

"Yes, I love you. There, are you happy?"

He tossed Justin to the ground with a quick flick of his wrist. His casual strength didn't upset her, she realized. The opposite was really the truth. She not only liked his strength, she depended upon it. Jamie gave Alec a smile, just because she'd finally sorted it all out in her mind.

"I'm very happy," Alec told her.

"I'm saying Justin didn't touch her," Philip shouted, drawing everyone's attention.

Jamie let out a loud gasp, then reached for the club.

Alec hauled her up against his side. The rest of her pleats gave up the battle.

The plaid would have fallen to the ground if she hadn't grabbed hold of it.

"Did anyone else see this attack?" Alec asked the crowd.

The two soldiers who'd been ordered to follow Jamie stepped forward.

"We both were witnesses," one of the soldiers stated.

"Yet neither of you interfered?" Alec asked, scowling intently.

"We were about to intervene," the younger soldier stated. "But you told us to stay ten paces away from your wife so she wouldn't know we were following her, and by the time we'd rushed forward, it was too late."

"Alec, why would you have your men follow…"

Jamie quit her question when her husband squeezed her shoulders. She guessed he didn't want to go into his reasons now.

"I saw Justin grab her when she came around the corner," the first soldier continued.

"And?"

Alec's jaw was clenched tight with suppressed fury. "Justin proclaimed his admiration for your wife," the soldier related. "I heard him tell Lady Kincaid that her violet eyes had the power to make his knees weak. Since Harold's our ally, I thought one of us should go get you, but-"

"Was your ally," Philip shouted.

"Philip, you needn't get so upset," Jamie interjected. "I was only going to bring Alec outside to have a firm talk with your brother." She glanced up at her husband and said, "You were too busy."

"And so you used a club."

She thought she detected a spark of amusement in his eyes, but she couldn't be sure. "Alec, the only way I could get Justin to unhand me was to promise to give him something that would really make his knees weak. It was plain trickery. The foolish boy thought I meant to return his advances, but I really meant to have you shout at him. 'Tis the truth your voice can make anyone's knees go weak."

"You've disgraced me and humiliated my brother," Philip stated, once again demanding their attention.

"Nay," Jamie countered. "You've both done that all by yourselves."

If Philip's face turned any darker, his skin would surely ignite. "My father will hear about these insults, Kincaid. I promise you."

The laird's two sons turned and ran toward the stables. The crowd made a wide path for them.

Colin, Harold's trusted soldier, didn't follow the young men. He stopped by Alec's side. "Your conditions, Kincaid?"

"He has one week."

Colin nodded.

Jamie waited until the soldier had left, then asked Alec, "Who has one week?"

"Justin's father."

"What is he supposed to do during this week?" she asked, trying to understand.

"He'll try to allay my anger."

"And if he fails?"

"War."

She knew he was going to say that God-awful word, but she was still stunned.

This was all somehow, some way, her fault. It had to be. Father Murdock wasn't a lying man, and he'd told her just the day before that he thought the Highlands were a very peaceful place to live. Until I came along, Jamie qualified. Now the Kincaids were fighting with the McPhersons, thanks to her interference with the sick babe, and the Kincaids were only an insult away from taking up arms against the Fergusons because Daniel was being as cold as sleet since she'd given Mary sanctuary. Added to those worries were Mary Kathleen's relatives. They were probably marching toward Kincaid land now.

And now Justin's father would join the list of enemies. If things continued along this broken path, there wouldn't be a Kincaid warrior left alive in another week's time.

It all suddenly overwhelmed her. For the first time in her life, Jamie needed a good, long, loud cry. "I'm going to find Mary Kathleen," she whispered.