“Ye would think tae stay inside the Castle after what happened on yer way here,” said the Laird.
“Yes, My Laird,” replied Juliana.
“Dae ye want me tae bring him tae ye?” asked Lady Drechten. Juliana was waiting for the evil laugh to follow the statement, but it did not come.
“I’ll deal with him later,” was all that Laird Lochenbrew said.
“Please, My Laird,” pleaded Juliana. “You cannot punish Andrew for what happened. If it were not for him, I would have died. You made a wise choice of sending your best man; he fought all three bandits while injured.”
“Me best man,” pondered Laird Lochenbrew. He shook his head as he wrestled with the sentiment. “Ye dinnae need tae worry yerself about all of that, me dear. Here, let me take a look at ye.”
Laird Lochenbrew looked Juliana up and down. It was a quick, impulsive glance, and his eyes brought a new nakedness to her. She felt more vulnerable than she had in the forest with Andrew. It felt as if she were a horse being checked for fleas.
“Aye, bonny,” said Laird Lochenbrew.
The words made Juliana want to wretch. What came next made her feel even sicker. Laird Lochenbrew looked over to his sister, once again silently asking a question. The Lady did the same, looking Juliana up and down, before agreeing.
“Aye, a beauty all right,” agreed Lady Drechten.
She was property to them; that was all. Juliana had hoped for a good man when the marriage had been arranged, then hoped for an ogre when she began to fall for Andrew. When she met the Laird, she had been pleasantly surprised, but her sparse minutes with him had turned her off again. This was to be a contract and not a marriage.
I wanted to find a way to get out of a marriage. Now, I only have to find a way to get out of a contract.
The thought settled her, but she knew that it would not be as easy as saying the words in her head. In fact, it was near impossible.
“I would like tae take a walk with ye,” said Laird Lochenbrew.
“That would be nice,” said Juliana.
“Go and wait for me by the well. I’ll be along in a wee bit.”
“Yes, My Laird.” She wanted to break down and cry, and the presence of a smiling Lady Drechten was all that kept her from doing so. She was no better than a dog to the two of them.
They treat me awfully. They act so bitter and mean. Why can they not be generous and kind like Andrew?.
Juliana walked over to the well, not looking back at the two of them, not giving Lady Drechten the satisfaction. She watched the two of them talking and got the distinct impression that they had not embraced when he had arrived at the Castle. They were siblings, for sure, and seemed to share hatred, but they did not share love.
She watched as they danced their dance together. Laird Lochenbrew pointed at his sister angrily and shouted at her venomously. Juliana heard the occasional word, with ‘eejit’ being the preferred insult.
I do not know what this word, eejit, means, but I can tell that it is being used as an insult. Should I feel pleasure at Lady Drechten being verbally attacked by her brother?
She was giving as good as she got, and shouted back at her brother, waving her arms sternly in the air. Juliana feared that they were talking about her, but the Laird's disregard for his new wife also suggested that she would be low down on his priorities. They obviously went at each other every time that they met, and there were multiple issues that they had to deal with.
Juliana soaked it all up. She did not know what it meant, or if it could be used to help her cause, but she soaked it up all the same. She was a sponge in the desert, eager for any moisture. The more she knew about these people, the more that she would be able to do.
They may be brother and sister, but there is a wedge there.
20
Hatred Spills Out
Juliana did her duty and stood by the well, waiting for the Laird and Lady to finish their argument. She wondered if they always communicated like that. It had only been their shared hatred, where they had not been at each other’s throats.
She peered down the well and wondered if this was the type of well that would grant wishes. Her grandmother had talked a lot about the spirits, though Juliana had been too young to know what she meant by it. Could she throw a coin into the abyss and find an answer? She knew what she would wish for.
The dripping darkness was inviting, but she did not have a coin to throw to it. When she looked back up again, Laird Lochenbrew was standing in front of her. She moved back slightly.
“Ye are not afraid of me, are ye?” asked Lard Lochenbrew.
“No,” lied Juliana. “You startled me, is all.”
“Let us walk in the forest. This time, ye'll have a real man tae protect ye.”
“Thank you, My Laird,” said Juliana. She knew that he was trying to prove to her that he was better than Andrew. In her mind, he could never match up to him, but she had to play along. The mention of his bravery, both to Laird Lochenbrew and Lady Drechten, had only acted against her. She was torn between trying to demean Andrew to prove her loyalty to the Laird, and not mentioning him at all.
Laird Lochenbrew held out his elbow, and Juliana took it. He was a man of formalities, and Juliana appreciated that, at least. She knew that her future was rooted to him, no matter the thoughts that ran around in her head, and she had to cling to anything that she could find.
They walked in silence across the courtyard, and back the way that Juliana had come. When they entered the forest, Juliana worried that they would stumble across the place where she had lain.
What if I left some evidence there?
She could not remember the path that she had taken earlier, and the Laird was leading this time. She would let fate play its hand.
The Laird was as handsome as Andrew, but his character was flawed. Juliana had hoped to find more flaws, but she could not. She breathed in his scent as they walked, and found his smells wildly different to Andrew. Yet, he still had a masculine aroma that had an attractiveness to it.
He was perfumed where Andrew was rugged, but it was not a mask to anything; it was an accomplice. She could smell his natural beauty at the base, and whatever had been added was to accent that. There was a natural woodiness in there, but the freshness of something too. She could not put a finger on any of the distinct smells. All that she knew was that she liked it, and could not help but inhale again and again.
If only you were a more respectable man, I could be attracted to you and not only your aroma. Your beauty is superficial, it is not real like Andrew’s.
“Ye are very ladylike, and I appreciate that,” said the Laird. “Ye know when tae speak, and when not tae. A lady should only speak when spoken tae, not like that sister of mine.”
Juliana kept her head pointed forward as they walked, though she noticed the Laird cast a glance at her.
Is this a test?
Juliana decided against saying anything. No matter how much he seemed to hate his sister, they were siblings, and there was a bond there.
“I’m sorry for how ye were treated on the way here.” The words sounded sincere, but Juliana was still on edge and guarded herself mentally.
“I have been treated very well since arriving.” It was a lie, but she could not tell the Laird the truth.
Laird Lochenbrew sighed and stared off into the distance as if weighing a heavy thought with his mind. “I’ll deal with those who need to be dealt with.”
“I trust your judgment,” Juliana knew that the Laird was talking about Andrew.
“I dinnae need yer opinion on that,” spat Laird Lochenbrew. “My judgment is what ye will have, whether ye agree with it or not.”
“I do agree with it.” Juliana softened her grip as the Laird’s arm tensed.
“Good.” The word came out as if he were handing out pleasantries to a child.
Juliana did not know what would happen to Andrew when she left the Castle. She only hoped that he would be cast out and would ha
ve to make it on his own. If he was taken back to the Castle with them, then she would not be able to deal with him being punished in front of her.
“Preparations are being made,” said Laird Lochenbrew. “Yer stuff has been sent tae my castle instead of here. Nae sense in bringin’ it all this way only tae send it back.”
“Thank you, My Laird,” said Juliana.
“We’ll go back tae the Castle. I need tae attend tae some business, so be ready tae leave on the morrow,” ordered Laird Lochenbrew.
“Yes, My Laird’”
And, there it was, the dagger in her heart. She hoped that she would have more time, but wishful thinking was just that. There would be no time to do anything or say anything. If she were to talk, who would it be to? She did not have any friends or allies here, and she could not risk a visit with Andrew, not now.
Laird Lochenbrew led Juliana back through the forest, at a quicker pace this time as if he were impatient that they had strayed so far from the Castle. He had important business to attend to, and she was of no real importance to him.
When they reached the Castle gates, he pulled his arm free and quickened his pace. He strode off to whatever business was calling him, leaving Juliana standing by herself in the courtyard.
There was nowhere for her to go, so she went to her room and confined herself there.
She needed to be alone.
* * *
Juliana woke. It was not with a sense of a fresh start, but with the dread of what the new day held. The previous night had dragged by at a snail’s pace, and that had been one saving grace in the whole affair. Her new life would begin, but at least it would not come quickly.
She had not slept well either, tossing and turning, her mind alternating between trying to find sleep and trying to work out the solution to all of her worldly problems. As she dressed for the day, she realized that she did not have to worry about packing up her stuff. Her bags would be at Lochenbrew Castle when she got there, and all that she had here were the clothes that she was wearing.
I cannot visit Andrew one more time, but there has been someone else who has shown me kindness in my time here. I shall say goodbye to him.
Juliana knew that Lady Drechten would not like her visiting her husband, but there would not be much that she could do. Laird Lochenbrew was here now, and surely it would only be polite to say goodbye to the Laird of this castle before she went.
Outside of the room, Juliana tried to remember the route through the Castle that she had taken before when she had ended up at the Laird’s room. She did not know, so she had to guess. She looked for something familiar, but could not be sure of where to go. She wandered the Castle, much as she had done before.
A door opened, and a maid came from the room. Juliana hoped that she had gotten lucky once again, and she had stumbled on the Laird’s room in the same fashion, but it was not so. She got a quick look into the room as the maid opened the door, and it was much more lavish than the Laird’s room. It was obviously a room belonging to Lady Drechten or someone else high up in the hierarchy.
Juliana quickened her pace as the maid exited the room and nodded at her. The maid closed the door, but it did not latch entirely, and the door stood slightly ajar. It was enough for Juliana to hear the voices coming from within. She would not have heard them if they had been at a regular volume, but the people inside were shouting, and Juliana recognized the voices immediately.
She stopped dead in her tracks, and snuck closer to the door, staying on the side of it where she could not be seen from the inside. She had not seen Laird Lochenbrew and Lady Drechten inside, but she knew that they were in there arguing. A look down the hallway showed the maid rounding the corner, and Juliana crept even closer, bringing her ear as close to the door as she dared.
I do not want to be listening without consent, but I need to know what is to be done with Andrew. Perhaps, then, I can help him.
“Yer the eejit for sendin’ him down there. If it wisnae for ye, he wouldnae be here now,” shouted Lady Drechten.
“Why dae ye think I sent him away? Ye’ve always said that the farther away he is, the better it is for everyone,” replied Laird Lochenbrew. “I’ve kept an eye on him for years tae protect ye, but ye cannae want him out there daein’ whatever he wants, talkin' tae whoever he pleases.”
“It woudlnae be an issue if ye had done what I asked ye tae dae,” grunted Lady Drechten.
“Aye, only because ye couldnae dae it yerself. Dinnae blame me for your mistakes, his mistake,” countered Laird Lochenbrew.
“Aye, he made a mistake, and now everythin’ is threatened. He could’ve ended up anywhere else, but ye had tae bring him here.” Lady Drechten’s voice was getting louder.
“I didnae bring him here,” sneered Laird Lochenbrew. “He came here of his own accord, and ye must have known that ye would have tae deal with it sooner or later. If ye want tae blame someone, blame yer husband.”
“Aye, aye, ye keep remindin’ me. He messed up, and it’s been killin’ me ever since. But, ye messed up worse, and it’s been killing me more,” said Lady Drechten. “That filthy child has no right tae be in this Castle.”
Are they talking about me?
“Aye, if he only knew,” laughed Laird Lochenbrew.
“Ye give me a mind tae deal with ye more harshly, wee brother. I dinnae want the filthy brat here, nor dae I want ye mentionin’ him. Lucky for us that Alaister cannae get out of bed. At least I can take care of things in me own castle.”
“Aye, in yer castle, but not yer life,” The words were a challenge.
“I’ve done everythin’ in me power tae keep that child a secret from him, and ye threaten everythin’. If I go down, then ye go down with me.” The challenge was met by a threat, and Juliana wanted to run from the doorway before she heard any more.
“If I had asked, ye would have been over the moon tae send him all the way down tae England tae fetch the lass. Perhaps it was fate that brought him here.”
Oh, my! They are talking about Andrew. What has he done to them to deserve such hostility?
“Och, dinnae start with all of that nonsense,” grumbled Lady Drechten. “It’s sheer bad luck that is plaguin’ me life, much like it has plagued me me whole life. When dae ye leave?”
“Soon.”
“Tae start a new life with a new wife.” The words were followed by a chuckle.
“Aye, ye may laugh.” Laird Lochenbrew could not help but give a small chuckle too. “I’ll throw a wee bit of money their way, and the English Baron will have nae choice but tae be thankful, but if they think that they’re gettin’ any more than that, then he’s a fool. He gave up his daughter too easily. He’s certainly a fool in business, and he’s a fool in life too. I’ll have the obedient wife, extra power down south, and Lord Gordontrent will have enough tae get by.”
How does he know?
“Yer a rogue and a scoundrel,” laughed Lady Drechten. “What of the boy?”
“I think that it might be time tae cut him loose.”
“As long as he leaves the Castle, ye can dae what ye want with him,” said Lady Drechten. “I’ve kept the secret for too long now, cuttin’ the memories loose might be best for all of us.”
“Aye, yer boy will step up soon, and ye can relax a little.”
“Relax?” The thought was foreign to her. “Aye, I’ll have time tae relax but I’ll still be the one with the power. Me boy’ll dae whatever I tell him.”
“Oh, tae have a mother like ye.”
“We did, remember, she was pure evil.” The words were so ambiguous that Juliana was not sure if it was meant as a joke or not.
“Aye, but she could still learn a thing or two from ye.” There was almost admiration in the words, and they hung silently in the air before a reply came.
“What matters is that the filthy lad is taken from me sight, and I never see him again.”
“Whatever ye wish for, sister,” said Laird Lochenbrew.
“And dinnae be a
coward this time,” ordered Lady Drechten.
There was no answer this time, but Juliana could feel the tension in the air. Laird Lochenbrew would be fuming with his sister for ordering him around like that, but she still held some power over him.
Juliana dismissed the stuff about her and her family, she did not care as much about that, but she did care about Andrew. She knew what ‘cut him loose’ meant.
From how they had acted toward him, it was clear that they both disliked him, but it went deeper than that. There was a secret that Lady Drechten was hiding, the root of her hatred toward Andrew, and it connected her, Laird Lochenbrew, and Laird Drechten.
Consumed By The Lost Highlander (Steamy Scottish Historical Romance) Page 19
