Seduction in the Highlands: By choosing him she loses her inheritance, by leaving him she brakes her heart...

by Kendrick, Kenna

  Dearna clapped. “I do believe so, in part. It was the strangest thing I ever did see. He kissed her, and while she had looked surprised at first, she seemed tae really enjoy it!”

  Brea grinned widely, but she noticed that Leyla was frowning. Leyla said, “So is this the woman keeping John from me bed, then? I dinnae see why ye should be cheerful about such news. She has stolen a bedmate of mine, a good one at that, and who paid handsomely and was handsome enough himself!” Leyla crossed her arms even tighter.

  Brea didn’t care. It was working. Simple enough. Liam would come back to her, and she wouldn’t have to think about a life without him. She knew that they couldn’t do anything normal, but she hoped that perhaps Liam would come to have an affection for her. Could he one day take her from this world and into a new one? She couldn’t stop smiling.

  Dearna watched them both for a moment and then said, “Aye, but remember there is other news. Now, this I didnae see with me own eyes, so who knows of its truth, but I thought I ought tae tell ye anyway.”

  Brea tensed, afraid the new words would spoil the plans she had slowly forming in her mind. “Tell me.”

  Leyla leaned in close, and Brea could tell the woman was hopeful for a change in John’s fortunes. Dearna spoke painstakingly slowly, and Brea was about to scream with impatience. “Now, I saw the kiss only this morning in the woods, but last night, Elizabeth stayed last night at the inn nearby.”

  She waited, and Brea’s mind began to whirr again. “I saw Liam there last night and told him of Elizabeth’s indifference.”

  Dearna nodded. “Aye. The innkeeper told me a little bit about what he saw this morning. I was there tae get money from a customer, and he seemed over the moon. I asked him what it was, and he was a bit hesitant tae tell me, but ye know me well. I can get any man tae talk.” Dearna grinned proudly.

  “Och, lass, ye are trying me patience. What happened?”

  Dearna huffed with frustration. “Well, he told me that Elizabeth stayed there last night, as did Liam. And she pulled him up the stairwell in the early evening. Nae one stayed in Liam’s room.”

  Brea’s rage suddenly filled her anew, and she stood, yelling, “Och, just when I had a hope, this little whore has deigned tae masquerade as a fine, moral, English lady, but instead she is whoring about town, taking our men from us without thought or consequence!”

  Dearna chewed on her lip in thought. “I know. We never expected her tae actually go tae bed with him. Can ye believe it? I am as shocked as ye. Who is this lass?”

  Brea moved to the window. Her face was flushed, and her arms crossed. “Aye. Who, indeed?”

  Leyla furrowed her brows. “Well, why should we care what she does? If she is English, she will soon be gone, and our men will come back. Will they nae?” Her voice held a note of vain hope.

  Brea shook her head and turned back. “Nae, Leyla. Unfortunately, I think we have stumbled upon a problem we women cannae afford tae experience in our lines of work. This woman has somehow teased these men with her body and made them fall in love with her. Once she leaves, I fear that one or both of them may wish tae go after her tae bring her back and make her their wife.”

  Leyla gasped, and Dearna nodded. What was she going to do now? All her hard work to be rude to Liam to get him to see the error of his ways was now ruined. If Liam left her for good or was lost to her forever, what would her life look like then?

  At that moment, as she turned to stare out of the window again, she realized that she was hopelessly in love with Liam MacLean. She would do anything to get him. Therefore, she knew that she would just have to tell Liam what Dearna saw, and that would be the end of it. He would come back to her after he knew that his dearest love had rejected him. That was her last piece of ammunition to get what she so desperately wanted. She was not going to go down without a fight.

  * * *

  Liam was grateful that he and Fergus were able to row alone on the boat back to Duart. Elizabeth had not been found as they made their way to the shore. The trip across the Sound was interminable, though, as his head kept banging like a military drum. “Yer a bloody arsehole, ye know that, Fergus?”

  Fergus grunted in his rhythm of rowing, and for a few moments, only the splash of the water could be heard. “Do I nae hear that all the time from ye? What have I done now?” Liam wasn’t sure if he should reveal the truth of what happened with Elizabeth, but he knew that he could trust Fergus with his secret, even if the man would give him hell for it.

  “Ye bloody came upstairs last night, drunk as a dog, and banged on Elizabeth’s door yelling for me tae come down and join ye. Ye blathered on about me finding a girl and putting Elizabeth out of me head.”

  Fergus frowned. “Aye, so I did. I didnae remember that until ye told me just now. So, what of it? ‘Twas good tae get yerself another woman. I was surprised, but I had told ye tae fill yer mind with something else for a time. A good romp always does wonders for me mental health.” He snickered.

  “Are ye so daft, lad? Ye got the innkeeper tae tell ye where Elizabeth’s room was. Sure, ye didnae know what room it was at the time, but still…”

  Fergus frowned again, and it seemed like Liam was asking a brick wall to stop and think about a situation. Slowly, Fergus’s eyes widened, and he burst into a smile. “What? Ye and Elizabeth? Ye bedded the lass?” The man’s mouth hung open in surprise.

  Liam felt slightly vindicated that what had occurred was completely against what Fergus would have ever thought possible. “Aye,” he nodded, and Fergus slapped his knee with glee.

  “Och, so yer a lucky bastard. I didnae think she was that sort tae let any man touch her, nae until there was a wedding fixed atween the two of ye.”

  Liam narrowed his eyes. “I dinnae know what ye mean by sort. She is just as she always was. I confess I was surprised, but I promise ye, it was nae like what ye think. ‘Twas more than just bedding.”

  Fergus was about to reply, but Liam cut him off. “But ye ruined it with yer idiocy and drunken words. Once ye spoke, she thought I was just there tae bed any woman, and any woman would have done. She didnae like the idea that ‘twas expected.”

  Fergus nodded. “Och, I see. I am sorry, lad. I had nae idea that it would be more than just bedding. And like I said, I never in the world would have expected the lass tae let any man bed her.”

  Liam was silent. The revelation of what happened last evening and what it meant to him still rippled through him like waves. Was she completely lost to him, or was there still a chance to explain? He wanted, no needed to tell her everything. Just how he felt and what he wanted for the future. He wanted only her. Forever, if she would let him.

  “Aye, I think I have been made a fool, though, Fergus. Living and flirting with women was easier than this heartache, this yearning.”

  Fergus’s voice was low and serious. “Does she want ye, lad? As a husband?”

  Liam shrugged, “I dinnae know. Perhaps nae. I have been a fool long enough. I dinnae know if she will even take me after all that has happened. Perhaps she will marry John.”

  “John Campbell? He is a bit of a choice after all the MacLeans went through with him.”

  “Aye, but now they are friends and alliances of a sort.”

  “Are ye sure the man doesnae merely wish tae have an English wife tae suit his desires for claiming more power within the English?”

  Liam thought about this for a moment. “It could be possible.” He liked the idea that John had ulterior motives. That could at least swing Elizabeth to him in his favor. But could it be proved? Could he somehow find a way to convince Elizabeth of this? He shook his head. He wasn’t sure he wanted to gain his truest love through nefarious means. To bed a woman, certainly, but not to take a wife.

  “I dinnae know, lad. Now, we are almost at the shore. Tell me, ye willnae tell anyone of me predicament?”

  Fergus waved a hand in the air. “Nae, I will nae tell anyone. Ye know that well. But I hope ye do yer best tae either get the lass f
or yorn, or tae let her go. Waiting around for her and pining after her after she goes or takes another man doesnae seem like a logical solution tae me. Ye have got tae be able tae move on with yer life.”

  Liam took in his friend’s words, but he wanted to lash out at them. He had no interest in finding anyone else. With each passing moment, his affection for Elizabeth was growing, and with it, his realization that he was in love with her and wanted her to be his. Where else could he find a woman like her? Their time in bed together only accentuated his feelings for her. She was everything he didn’t know that he’d always wanted. But she might have used him for bedding only, even though she had gotten angry at Fergus’s words.

  They arrived onshore and hauled their game out onto the graveled beach. Charlotte wandered up to greet them. “I wondered when you were going to come back. Angus has been asking after ye.”

  “Aye, where is the lad?”

  “Gone riding over Mull to discuss the movement of the sheep and shepherds to Campbell land. How was the hunt?”

  Fergus nodded. “Good. Fruitful.” It appeared that he and Liam were in league together to quell any suspicion on Charlotte’s end about their hungover condition.

  She smiled. “Well, I wondered if you both had come into contact with Elizabeth at all? I had expected her back, although she did not tell me when she would return.” Liam felt uncomfortable under Charlotte’s gaze. His friend would suss it out sooner rather than later, but he wasn’t sure how she’d feel about him bedding her friend.

  He decided to keep it concealed. “Nae, I havenae seen her.”

  Charlotte frowned. “Well, Mrs. MacLean says that she is at the Fort visiting Father, but I wonder why she did not tell me so? And, John was meant to come today, but he has not yet arrived.” Charlotte kept watching him, and Liam tried to school his expression.

  His heart sunk, and a feeling of dread spread through him. Could John be at the Fort with Elizabeth, attempting to woo her with his charm and wealth and status? What if he succeeded, now that she had run away from him early in the morning, angry after their last encounter? He steeled himself. He would have to do his best to find out.

  Chapter Eighteen

  After she and John returned to Fort William, she was grateful that they had no more time alone together. She would have to try to avoid him as she went to her bed that night to not be caught off guard. She had nothing yet to say to him, and she wished for Julia and Charlotte to help guide her.

  But for now, all she could do was try to steer clear of John Campbell and that look of happiness on his face as if he had just been given the best gift in the world. The rest of the day was spent playing whist with John and Lieutenant Stevens and discussing just what the party would entail.

  Elizabeth fanned the cards out in her hand and said, “General, I should write to your daughter, to ask her about the party and who she and Julia would like to include.”

  “Excellent! I do not suppose we could have it tomorrow evening? That way, you could spend another night here, and Charlotte could travel over?”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “I am sorry, sir, but I would have to collect the proper clothes for the occasion. I did not pack enough to spend two evenings. I would want to be properly attired for the evening.” She did not let her mind wander to thoughts of evenings when clothing was not necessary.

  “Of course, of course. John, how silly am I? My wife has been gone for so long that I forget the needs of well-bred ladies. We shall ask Charlotte which date she prefers. But I suppose you would rather it sooner than later, for you will endeavor to return to your aunt’s?”

  Elizabeth nodded, glancing at John briefly, who smiled back at her, his eyes hopeful. She began to feel ever so slightly irritated at his constant presence. “Yes, that would be preferable. I would not dare to miss such an event!”

  John laid down a card and said, “I would be very happy tae take ye to Duart, lass. I had planned tae go anyway, but wanted tae stop along the way and greet General Andrews.” Elizabeth bowed her head with gratitude, but her stomach clenched at the thought of the long journey across the Sound with John. She knew he would want to discuss everything, and she wasn’t sure yet that she wanted to.

  Lieutenant Stevens suddenly piped up. “I would also be to come as well, Lady Elizabeth, so as not to trouble Laird Campbell with accompanying you back to the Fort, and he can return straight to his own home to prepare.” Elizabeth looked between the two men, both of them eager, and John looking a little bit crestfallen. Perhaps it was for the best.

  “Yes, thank you, Lieutenant. It is a very good idea. I would appreciate that.”

  “Well, ‘tis all settled then. You will leave in the morning, but we can send post to Charlotte today so that she has fair warning.” General Andrews grinned.

  He called over a servant and asked for them to bring paper and ink. “You might as well stay here to write it and not retire to the study. We would not want to interrupt our game. It is so very rare that I get the chance!”

  Elizabeth smiled, feeling relieved. She would not have to speak to John at all, not just yet. The lieutenant now had saved her the trouble. The rest of the evening was spent pleasantly. Elizabeth did her best to be polite and advise General Andrews as much as she could.

  She sent off her letter to Charlotte, adding at the bottom that she needed to speak to her and soon. There was something of urgency she needed to discuss with her friend. And then, it was time for bed. Elizabeth found herself completely exhausted. She had barely slept the night before, for she had had other pleasant activities that were to be completed.

  Also that day, she had kissed another man, and she’d realized that the man she had slept with the previous evening was the one she truly wanted to be with. It was all so much. Her father’s promise loomed in her mind, and she had to think of something, but her bed called to her.

  Grateful that she had been sent with a servant to her guest room, and John had been taken elsewhere, Elizabeth finally reached her door, and inside, the warmth of a merry fire and the comfortable looking bed and coverlet brought calm to her mind. At least she could spend a pleasant evening alone in her own thoughts. She sat in front of the hearth and poured herself wine, hopeful for a few silent moments.

  She sighed back with relaxation as she allowed her mind to wander of its own accord. She knew, but she did not stop it that she would be thinking of Liam and the way their bodies had fit together. She wanted to do it again, but how could she recover from what had happened? She’d heard Fergus’s words. It made it seem like any woman would have done for Liam that night and that perhaps he was waiting for another one when she had merrily dragged him up the stairs and gave him exactly what he’d wanted!

  Her pride had made her stiff and angry. But there was something else. Fergus mentioned that it was good for Liam to get her out of his mind. So, she had been in Liam’s thoughts? The idea made her belly tingle and her heart patter. She stayed in this pleasant feeling for a little while when she remembered what Liam had said to her before leaving. At the time, she was merely angry and hurt at his final words, purely said to injure.

  Yet she had recognized them. When she said them over and over in her mind, she knew where she’d heard them. Those were almost the exact words she had spoken to Brea when they were both on Mull on horseback. So, did Brea go and see Liam? The thought of that made her burn with jealousy. Either they had a rendezvous together, or somehow Brea got that message to him. How else could he have known? The only people she had told were Brea and when she’d explained the story to Charlotte.

  And Charlotte certainly wouldn’t have been the one to tell. Her lips tightened with fury. She would need to speak to Liam and soon. How could he have known those words? A knock startled her in her thoughts. She jumped and went to answer the door, irritated that someone had come to destroy her pleasant evening alone. When she swung open the door, her heart fell as she saw John standing outside, a large smile on his face.

  * * *

&
nbsp; John could not wait any longer. He had to speak to Elizabeth. That kiss in the forest had practically torn him apart and not in an unpleasant way. He had been surprised at his behavior, and even more so that she had not instantly pulled away. That had given him hope. With her lips on his, opening her mouth for him, and pushing her breasts against his chest, he had felt that he was going to burst.

  His cock had hardened instantly, and his whole body had felt warm with lust. With a few more moments, he feared his cock would lift his kilt and press right between her legs. He was not sure that was the best way to continue, not while they were in the middle of the woods, and not while things were still undecided between them. However, he had to know about that kiss, and even though the rest of the day had been spent in discussing party plans and playing whist, and listening to General Andrews’ tales, he could not stop thinking about his bonny Elizabeth. He wished she would finally desire to be his.