The Seduction of Elliot McBride (Mackenzies Series) by Jennifer Ashley Read Free Book Online

Juliana.
    “She says she’ll give you a charm. So you have many sons.”
    Juliana thought about Elliot wandering about the McGregor grounds in the dark, and wondered if she would have the opportunity to have sons at all. Channan must have understood her expression, because she said, “Do not worry. The sahib will be well. My husband takes care of him.”
    Elliot still had not returned when Channan tucked Juliana up in bed in a clean night rail, with a wrapped brick to warm the sheets. Channan and Komal made quite a lot of noise quieting each other, then they finally slipped out of the room, leaving Juliana alone.
    On her wedding night.
    The sky darkened, the open windows cooling the summer air. The house grew quiet, the walls thick enough that sound didn’t carry from the floors below. Outside, the silence was broken by frogs croaking frantically for mates and wind sighing in the trees. The quiet here, when Juliana was used to the noise of the city, was deafening.
    The moon rose, its silver disk broken by the trees, and shone on the bed where Juliana lay waiting. And still, Elliot did not come.

    Well past midnight, Elliot heard a branch break in the woods behind him. This was followed by a loud rustling and the voice of Mahindar. “Do not worry, sahib. It is me.”
    Elliot stood atop a rock that overlooked the rushing river below. Moonlight glittered on the water’s surfaceand also on the spires of his new house, a false castle built on the site of an ancient one.
    Mahindar slipped and slid on the path, flailing for balance. Elliot put out a hand and pulled the man up onto solid rock beside him.
    Of course Mahindar would come to find him. The man had made it his task in life to look after Elliot, ever since Elliot had taken Mahindar away from another planter who’d hired him as a valet then treated him little better than a slave. Elliot had visited the planter one day and found him beating Mahindar.
    The planter had apologized—to Elliot—for Mahindar’s behavior, and had gone on about Mahindar’s shortcomings, until Elliot had said, “If you don’t like him, he can come to work for me.” The planter had been surprised then looked grateful. Sikhs, the planter had said, couldn’t be taught proper humility, and he’d been a fool to take one on.
    Kindly Mahindar had looked upon Elliot as his savior forever after that.
    Mahindar peered up at him now. “You are all right, sahib?”
    “Better. How is the lad?”
    “Oh, you scared the piss out of him, no mistake. But he will recover.”
    “And Mrs. McBride?”
    “Put to bed. My wife looked in on her before I came out, and she is sleeping, as you say, like a baby.”
    “Good.” Elliot couldn’t forget the look on Juliana’s face when she’d walked into the kitchen and seen him with his knife at Hamish’s throat. Her bewilderment had turned into astonishment and then worry. But not fear. Juliana wasn’t afraid of him.
    “Will you join her, sahib?” Mahindar asked.
    He sounded eager. But then, Mahindar enjoyed weddings and marriages and the possibility of children. He and his wife had borne five sons, all of whom had married andnow started families of their own. Mahindar liked to take care of people, which was why he’d brought his mother and Nandita, Channan’s young sister from her father’s second marriage, to Scotland with him. Mahindar had saved Elliot’s life and believed it his duty to make sure Elliot was well so that his effort hadn’t been in vain.
    “You will have to share her bed in any case,” Mahindar said. “There is no other.”
    Elliot jumped down from the big rock, helped Mahindar scramble down, and started along the path to the house.
    When they reached Castle McGregor, all was silent within. Hamish and Mahindar’s family must have gone to their beds.
    Mahindar stopped Elliot before he could make his way out of the kitchen. “You must not go to her like that, sahib. You must be presentable.”
    He had a point. Elliot was dusted