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him were the last things he recalled. He had no recollection at all of Merewen Stewart’s arrival. “Why is my betrothed here?”
    “To marry you, why else?” Bet said with a shrug as she began to put away her pouch of medicinals.
    Alex scowled at the woman. “She should have waited for me to go to her, not—”
    “You were dragging your feet over the business, were you not?” Bet asked dryly. “It seems she grew weary of the waiting and came to see the deed done.”
    Alex pursed his lips with displeasure. He wasn’t ready to marry. He’d planned to take the time to get matters in order here and then visit his sister. After that, perhaps on the way home, he might have stopped to claim the wench. Or not. There was no rush. Apparently, she didn’t see it that way.
    “Although,” Bet continued when he remained silent, “from what I’ve seen and heard, I suspect it was really her kin who are eager to be rid of the chit.”
    “Well, I am not surprised,” Alex muttered, feelingworry rise up in him as he thought of the things he’d heard about his future wife. Noting the raised eyebrows Bet had turned his way, he explained, “She’s called the Stewart Shrew.”
    Bet nodded and commented dryly, “So you said when you saw her.”
    “ What? ” he asked sharply.
    “When she arrived and you first saw her, I’m told your greeting was to say she didn’t look much like a shrew or some such thing,” Bet explained, her eyes now twinkling with silent mirth.
    “I didn’t!” Alex said with shock, and felt a frisson of horror slide down the back of his neck when the old woman nodded. While he’d spent much of the last three years surrounded by men, he’d retained enough of his training to know greeting his intended bride that way was beyond rude. It was hardly likely to encourage good relations with the woman.
    “Aye, you did,” Bet said, and added dryly, “Not the most welcoming greeting you could have offered your future wife.”
    “Dear God,” he breathed in dismay, and then asked, “What did she do?”
    Bet chuckled openly as she answered, “I was not there. I heard all of this from one of the maids, but I gather while she looked unimpressed, all she said was thank you…and then you fell flat on your face and she had your men pick you up and cart you up here to bed. That’s when Grefin finished pulling out your tooth,” she added. “After that, the men left you to sleep off the whiskey.”
    Alex sank back in the bed, his mind whirling withdismay, but then sat up abruptly and asked, “What time is it?”
    “Nearing the dinner hour,” Bet answered, putting away the last of her things and moving toward the door. “I thought you might be stirring by now and need a tonic to help your head. Besides, it seemed best to wake you before the girl completely takes over the castle.”
    “What?” He tossed aside the linens that had been covering him. Much to Alex’s relief, he was fully clothed and, despite his aching head, could give chase to the old woman as she tried to slip out of his room on that cryptic comment.
    “Get back here, Bet,” he growled, rushing forward to catch the door as she tried to pull it closed behind her. Taking the woman by the arm, he tugged her back into the room, careful to be gentle with her frail old bones. He wasn’t at all surprised when she came willingly. Knowing her, she was probably enjoying the whole thing. Bet had always had a bit of the devil in her and had enjoyed a good stirring up. “Explain what you meant by that. How is she taking over my castle?”
    “Well, once she’d ordered the men to take your ‘worthless hide’ up to your room—”
    “Worthless?” Alex snapped with affront.
    “Aye. That’s apparently what she said,” Bet informed him with a grin that displayed several gaps where teeth had once resided. “And once the men had carted you out, Edda appeared and the two women put their heads together for a bit.”
    Alex stiffened at this news. He