“Did we not agree the lass was needin’ her rest, boy?” he demanded as Iliana rushed to do up her lacings, her eyes wide as she heard this bit of news. “Can ye not keep yer randy hands off her fer one blessed day? The poor child fainted from exhaustion yester eve, or have ye forgotten? Are ye trying to work her into the grave with yer blasted demands both night and day? Damn me, I’m almost ashamed to call ye son.” On that note, he turned to eye Iliana as she finished dressing and peered at him anxiously.

“Come, child. ’Tis obvious me son cannot be trusted around ye. He’ll not give ye the care and concern ye be needin’ just now. ’Tis a chaperone ye need, and ’tis a chaperone ye’ll have ’til yer better.”

With that, he drew Iliana’s arm through his and led her toward the door, leaving her to glance worriedly over her shoulder at her husband. He sat watching them leave with resigned misery.

Iliana stared nervously at the horde of faces turned toward her and swallowed the anxiety at the back of her throat. She had told Lord Angus her intentions as they had descended the stairs to the great hall. He had thought it a fine idea and had been good enough to gather everyone’s attention once they had all filed into the great hall for the noon meal. Everyone but Duncan. He had not put in an appearance yet. In fact, he had not come down at all yet. She supposed he was still in their room, sulking.

She realized now that he had set out to deliberately seduce her. She could only be grateful that his plans had been thwarted. Else she would never get him to bathe. That was becoming a necessity in her mind. ’Twas not so much the sounds he had made as he had got into and risen from their bed that had awoken her all through the last night, she thought. It had been the scent of him. She could not bear to share a bed with such an odiferous man.

Sighing, she peered once more at the people awaiting her words, grateful that, for whatever reason, her husband was not there.

On that thought, Iliana took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I wish to show my appreciation for all your kindness in welcoming me to Dunbar with a small gift to you in return. I understand that you are each granted one plaid in January, and I thought it would be nice if you each had two, so I commissioned a plaid for each of you from Mr. Cummins. But,” she added as the inhabitants of the room showed surprised pleasure at this announcement, “I do have a…condition you each must fulfill to gain it.”