In Bed with a Highlander (McCabe Trilogy 1)

Her chin went up, which relieved him. He far preferred her belligerence to her tears.

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She pointed at Heath. “That … That idiot struck Christina.”

Ewan stiffened and jerked around to see Heath helped to his feet by Diormid.

“Is this true?” Ewan asked in a low voice.

“The bitch was impertinent,” Heath growled. “She deserved my reprimand.”

Mairin gasped in outrage. She would have flown at Heath again but Ewan caught her by the waist and yanked her to his chest. Her feet kicked at his ankles but he wouldn’t let her go. He turned to Alaric and thrust Mairin into his arms.

“Do not let her go,” Ewan ordered.

Alaric wrapped his arm around her waist and simply held her against his chest, her feet inches from the floor. Mairin looked outraged, but Ewan was more interested in Heath’s explanation.

He turned back to Heath once more and pinned him with the full force of his stare. “You will tell me everything.”

Mairin struggled in Alaric’s arms but he held her fast. “Ewan, please,” she pleaded. “I would tell you all that happened.”

She was beyond furious. She was so sickened by the men’s treatment of the serving women that she was ready to take Ewan’s sword and gut them all. If she could lift it, she’d do just that.

She turned to Alaric when Ewan continued to ignore her. “Alaric, may I borrow your sword?”

Alaric raised a startled brow. “Lass, you couldn’t lift my sword.”

“You could help me. Please, Alaric, I’ve a need to shed some blood.”

To her surprise, he laughed outright, the sound loud in the quiet room.

Tears of frustration pricked her eyes. “Please, Alaric, ’tis not right what he did. And now he’ll make excuses to Ewan for his disgraceful behavior, for all their behavior.”

Alaric’s gaze softened. “Ewan will take care of this, lass. He is a fair man.”

“But he’s a man,” she persisted.

Alaric shot her a puzzled look. “Aye, I just said so.”

Before Ewan could again demand an explanation from Heath, the hall erupted once more. Women poured into the room, their cries rivaling that of any warrior. To Mairin’s astonishment, they held an assortment of makeshift weapons, from pitchforks and sticks to rocks and daggers.

Ewan’s mouth gaped open just as Alaric finally let Mairin loose from his grasp. She landed with a thump on the floor and cast a disgruntled glare in Alaric’s direction. But he, like every other man, turned to stare in astonishment as the women converged on them.

“Lass, are you all right?” Bertha demanded from the front of the crowd of women.

Christina hurried over to Mairin, grabbed her hand, then gestured for Maddie before pulling Mairin to the assembled women.

Mairin squeezed Christina’s hand as she stared at the darkening bruise on Christina’s cheek. “Are you all right?” Mairin whispered.

Christina smiled. “Aye, thanks to you, my lady.”

“Laird, we be wanting a word from you,” Bertha bellowed.

She waved her pitchfork for emphasis as Ewan continued to stare at the women in astonishment.

“What the hell is going on?” Ewan demanded. “Has the entire world gone mad?”

“Your men behaved reprehensibly,” Mairin said.

The women voiced their agreement by waving their weapons and stomping their feet. Ewan’s men looked as if they didn’t know whether to be afraid or angry.

Ewan folded his arms over his chest and looked sternly at her. “What did they do, lass?”

Mairin glanced at the other women, drawing courage from their support. Then she jutted out her chin and pinned the laird with her best impression of his scowl. It must have been a worthy impression because he lifted an eyebrow as he stared back at her.

“The women were all doing their duties, just as you expect the men to do. That idiot over there decided to test his charms on Christina and the lass refused him. He was so furious over the rejection that he began to criticize her work. You see, she was serving the soldiers their afternoon meal. Thus began an effort to belittle and demean the work of every woman in this keep. They made jests and grew louder and louder in their criticism. They bellowed at Maddie when the food wasn’t served soon enough. They complained about Gertie’s preparation when they felt the food was not savory enough or it was too cold.”

She drew in a long breath before she spilled forth the rest of her ire.

“And when Christina sought to diffuse the situation, Heath tripped her. She spilled ale everywhere and then he had the nerve to chasten her for ruining his clothing. When she protested, he slapped her.”

Mairin’s hands curled in fury as she stepped forward, her entire body shaking with rage. She pointed at the group comprised of Heath, Robert, Corbin, Ian, and Matthew. “And not one, not one of them stepped in to help her. Not one! No one moved a finger to stop his abuse of Christina. They were too busy laughing and criticizing women’s work.”

She stopped in front of the laird and poked her finger into his chest. “Well, I say if ’tis so easy and the men are so critical, they can take over the women’s duties for the day and we’ll see how well they perform the women’s tasks.”

She held her breath and waited for Ewan to denounce her.

“I would speak, Laird!” Bertha yelled out, her voice so loud that more than one woman winced.

“You may speak,” Ewan said.

“I’ll not go overlong with my comments, but hear this. As of this moment, the women are not lifting a finger in this keep. And we’re keeping Lady McCabe!”