The Highlander's Accidental Marriage (Marriage Mart Mayhem) by Callie Hutton Read Free Book Online Page A

his head. “’Twas more than just nice. If ye don’t think so, I’ll need to try again.”
    “Not now, you won’t.” She bent and picked up the cup he’d dropped and swept past him to reach the creek. Gathering her gown in her fist, she scooped up water and turned. “Alice needs water.”
    Had the lass been so unmoved by something that had almost brought him to his knees? Nay, her face was flushed and her breathing as rapid as his. For some reason she refused to acknowledge how he’d affected her. “Aye. She does need the water.”
    He held out his hand and she placed hers there. He grinned when the delicate little hand she placed in his shook.
    Unaffected? Not bloody likely.
    Alice didn’t look any better and, in fact, looked worse when they returned. She took a few sips of the water from the cup, then Sarah dipped her handkerchief in the remainder and used it to pat the maid’s face and the back of her neck.
    Braeden paced and Sarah sat next to Alice, stroking her hand while they waited for the footman to return.
    After a couple of hours, Sarah asked, “From where did you hire the footman? Will he, in fact, even return?”
    “Aye. He is the innkeeper’s nephew. I paid him only half of what I promised. The rest he will receive when we arrive at Bedlay Castle.”
    Sarah sighed. “It seems such a long time since he left.”
    Braeden stopped pacing and looked down the road. “I think our footman has returned.”
    The young man halted the horse and swung down. He untied the wheel strapped to the second horse’s saddle. “The old one couldn’t be fixed, so they gave me a new one.”
    Within minutes the four men had the new wheel on the carriage. Sarah helped Alice from the tree stump back to the carriage. Braeden worried that the maid was looking worse with every minute. “I think we better stop at the next inn. Perhaps we can find a physician to look at yer maid.”
    “I agree.” Sarah accepted his hand and entered the carriage, sitting alongside Alice who seemed to be in a near delirium.
    By the time they’d reached the Applecross Inn, Alice appeared almost herself again. She said her fever was gone, along with whatever aches and pain she’d had. But, since it had been a long day, and nightfall was within the hour, Braeden suggested they stop for the night, anyway.
    “How far behind schedule are we now?” Sarah asked as the innkeeper led them upstairs to their rooms.
    “ Ach , lass. If we had a schedule—which we dinna—we would be a day or so behind.”
    “My sister will be quite worried.”
    “Dinna fash yerself. See to getting refreshed, and we will have a bit of supper. The smells coming from the kitchen are far better than the last inn.”

    S arah had to agree with Braeden’s comment. Because she’d eaten so little at tea time, her stomach let out with a most unladylike growl as the door to their room closed.
    “My lady, if it is all right with you, I believe I will skip supper and merely rest for the remainder of the evening.”
    Sarah touched her fingers to Alice’s forehead, which remained cool. “Are you sure? Maybe a bowl of soup would go down well?”
    “No thank you. My stomach is troubling me a bit, so I’d rather not eat. I’ll rest here, and when you return, you can awaken me to help you undress.”
    “No need to do that. I’m sure I can manage. Try to get some sleep, and I am sure you will be fine tomorrow.”
    Once the maid was settled under the covers, Sarah left the room to join Braeden for supper. The innkeeper’s daughter directed her to a private dining room where Braeden waited for her. One look at him and her heart took a tiny leap in her chest.
    She’d tried very hard to hide her reaction to his kiss in the woods. Aside from a slight peck that Lord Manning had given her when they’d walked in the garden during his mother’s house party, she’d never been kissed. Not for lack of gentlemen trying. But she’d always managed to duck just in time to avoid