Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #1)(65)

The sleeves covered much of her hands, a fact she was grateful for, because they were red and angry looking from the blisters and the places where she’d torn and scraped the skin. She looked at them with a grimace, thinking how horrified her mother would be over their appearance. They were not the hands of a gently bred lady.

Being a gently bred lady did nothing to gain her acceptance by Graeme’s clan. Clearly they valued hard work over grace and elegance, and Eveline couldn’t entirely blame them. A mistress of the keep who could work side by side with the other women was far preferable to a lady who could stitch a straight seam.

When she was satisfied that no fault could be found with her appearance, she braved the stairs again, groaning inwardly with every step down. Forcing a smile to her lips, she turned the corner to enter the hall and focused on the table where Graeme sat with his brothers.

Graeme looked her way and she could swear she saw relief and then pleasure in his eyes. It warmed her heart and alleviated some of the aching sadness that had been with her much of the day.

Her step became lighter and she was able to forget the pain and stiffness that accompanied her every movement.

As she drew near, Graeme rose and offered his hand to assist her onto the dais. Instead of taking his hand, she placed her fingertips on his arm, allowing him to aid her. She smiled at Bowen and Teague and then at Rorie, who beamed from ear to ear as she sat across from the priest. Then she gave another welcoming smile to Father Drummond and bade him welcome to their table.

Graeme surprised her by brushing a kiss over her forehead as he settled her down beside him. He started to take her hand, but she slipped it away, reaching for her goblet as if she hadn’t noticed his gesture.

Rorie was animated through the meal, keeping up a lively stream of chatter that Eveline had to concentrate hard on to understand. She was sure she missed some of what was said, because she kept looking from person to person to see who responded and said what.

By the time most of the food had been consumed, Eveline was exhausted and her head ached from trying to keep up with the pace of the conversation.

All she wanted to do was go to bed and remain there for an entire sennight.

She sighed in relief when the meal was finished and Graeme suggested that the men retire to the fire at the other end of the hall to enjoy some of the clan’s “finer” ale reserved for special occasions.

She was positively gleeful over the idea of being able to go up to bed until Graeme turned and extended his hand as the others stood. Confused and thinking he only meant to assist her down, she took his arm and allowed him to lead her away from the table.

When they reached the other end of the room, she smiled at the others and then tried to slip her hand from Graeme’s arm so she could take her leave, but he tugged her back and she had to keep from wincing when his fingers pressed into one of the sore areas on her palm. Thankfully he didn’t notice her grimace or the abrasions.

“Join us, Eveline,” Graeme said. “I’d enjoy your company this eve.”

Eveline blinked in surprise, but he took a seat in one of the grander chairs reserved for resting in front of the fire and then to her further befuddlement, he pulled her down to sit on his lap instead of offering her one of the nearby chairs.

But then by the time his brothers and Father Drummond took their seats and Rorie perched on another and a few of Graeme’s senior men took their seats, all the chairs were filled.

She felt entirely too conspicuous sitting across Graeme’s lap, even though there was nothing untoward or too intimate about his actions.

He rested his arm around her waist, holding her against his chest as the others conversed, drank ale, and laughed over jests and recounted tales of battle and training.

Graeme mostly remained quiet, though every once in a while, she could feel vibrations rumble from his chest and then the answering vibrations in her ears as his voice soothed her senses.

She loved listening to him, even if his words weren’t discernible sounds.

Thankfully none of the conversation was directed at her, because she was simply too tired to keep up with what every person was saying. After a while, she relaxed fully into Graeme’s embrace and enjoyed being held against his much larger body.

It was comfort at a time when she needed comforting the most. She was tired, heartsick, and lonely for her family. She was at a point when she feared never fitting in with her new clan, nor was she even sure she wanted to.

It was hard to be happy in a place where no one wanted her, no matter the effort she put into changing that fact.

Her head drooped more and more until finally Graeme tucked her underneath his chin and held her more firmly against him. She yawned broadly once and quickly clamped her mouth shut, determined not to show such rudeness in front of the others, but Graeme didn’t seem to mind.

His hand soothed up and down her back and then slid back around to hold her once more. She sighed in utter contentment, wishing the moment could last forever.

Fatigue won the battle she’d fought all day and her eyes grew so heavy, she could no longer keep them open. She nuzzled her face into Graeme’s neck and with one last sigh, she surrendered to the lure of sleep.

CHAPTER 31

Graeme stroked his fingers through Eveline’s hair and listened as her soft breathing filled his ears. She was asleep, warm and contented in his arms. He’d known how exhausted she was and that she wanted to go up to bed, but he’d wanted her to remain below stairs with him.