The Scottish Lord’s Secret Bride by Raven McAllan Page A

laird and a man if I let you speak on our, or anyone else’s behalf. Harsh, but true.’
    With a skill inherent in him, Fraser navigated the curricle around a cart, three urchins and a road sweeper before Morven replied.
    ‘Do you mean,’ she said in a voice that would cut ice, ‘that as a woman I am a nonentity and still in these allegedly enlightened times do not count? I might as well be invisible?’
    Fraser inwardly winced. Put like that it sounded terrible, albeit true. ‘This is Scotland,’ he pointed out. ‘Where old habits die hard.’
    ‘Stating the obvious will not alter the impact of your statement, my lord.’ The voice sent shivers down his spine. And his cock to hide behind his balls. They meanwhile were trying to disappear inside him, safe from danger.
    Oh dear, they were back to titles again.
    ‘Morven…’ he began before she shut him up with a glare.
    ‘I have not finished yet,’ she said in that same cold voice. ‘What you are saying, in essence, is that I might as well stop behind at the castle.’
    How to answer that?
    ‘Not at all,’ Fraser temporised. ‘If you had done, you would have missed spending time with me and also not seen the view on our journey.’ Fraser urged his horses up the hill. ‘Morven, I do not make the rules and whenever possible, when I do not agree with them, I will ignore and circumnavigate them. However, in this case, the last thing we want to do is put the man’s back up and fail to find out the information we need. I intend to say that I, as laird, am enquiring on behalf of one of my employees who needs to know if in the eyes of the church and the authorities he is wed or not. No need to mention us at all. If he asks why you are with me or who you are, then, I will merely say as a friend of the family you accompanied me to town to examine the very fine church. Which we will then proceed to do. If you remember to say, if asked why, you have heard it is a very fine church, with a dividing wall in it that interests you, all will be well.
    ‘A dividing wall?’
    Fraser was cheered to note the snippy tone had gone to be replaced by interest. ‘Two ministers who did not agree with each other. I’m sure there will be a pamphlet to tell you more. Now with regards to our real reason for coming, anything else will be answered as needed.’ He pulled the horses to a halt outside the imposing building that was their destination and handed the reins over to a liveried groom. ‘Do you agree?’ he asked hastily as he jumped to the ground and helped Morven descend. ‘Have I forgotten anything?’
    She brushed her skirts and shook them to settle in their correct pleats and flounces before she put her gloved hand on his proffered arm. ‘It sounds about right. I’ll follow your lead, grudgingly, and not speak until I’m spoken to.’ Her flat and unemotional tone indicated just how she felt about such actions. ‘But heaven help him if he makes a disparaging remark about women in general and their place in society. I might accidentally feel faint and fall onto his face with my nails, or the hard edge of my shoulder extended.’ She glanced up at him from under the brim of her far too fetching hat edged in lace and ribbon and winked. ‘Otherwise, I’ll behave.’
    Thank the Lord for that. Or was that blasphemous on hallowed ground? Whatever, it was a heartfelt thought. ‘I appreciate your restraint, love.’ Fraser urged Morven forward before she changed her mind.
Although the one thing you do know is that she keeps her word.
Although there was always a first time for everything and he hoped to hell—
oh dear, blaspheming again—
no one antagonised her too much.
    Fraser noted with interest that their arrival had been observed, for the overlarge wooden studded door wing swung open and a very proper butler, in a kilt of the local Graham tartan, bowed to them.
    ‘My lord?’
    Fraser nodded, very much a laird. ‘We wish to see the cleric in charge of the presbytery.