A Spinster at the Highland Court: The Highland Ladies Book One

by Barclay, Celeste

  Edward cupped his rod as it swelled in his breeks. He needed to make it back to his chamber before he burst. He’d take himself in hand as he pictured Elizabeth riding his cock. As he turned toward the door, the sound of the handle twisting echoed through the empty space. A shadowy figure slipped in, and the scent of roses wafted toward him. He recognized the woman and wanted to cringe.

  “There you are. You slipped out of the Hall as though your arse was on fire, Lord Badenoch.”

  “Lady MacAdams.” Edward couldn’t bring to mind anything else to say to a woman he bedded on more than one occasion, but it had been a couple of years.

  She glided across the room before dipping a low curtsy that afforded him a view of her sizable bosom. What once made him salivate now did nothing. As the woman before him rose, she angled herself to skim his body. Her eyes widened as his hard length brushed across her.

  “It is a pleasure, my lord. I’m glad you’re happy to see me,” she purred. She trailed a hand over his belly before rubbing her palm over his aching cock.

  Edward stifled a groan. He didn’t want to encourage her, but the temptation to let her ease his raging lust was nearly too much. He remembered what she could do with her mouth and what it was like to thrust into her. He’d enjoyed their trysts, but now that the initial shock wore off, his mind screamed that it was wrong. He grasped her wrist and pushed her hand away.

  “This isn’t for you,” he groaned.

  “But it could be. Just like it was.”

  Her other hand moved to lift his tunic. Her hand was at his waistband before he could anticipate it. Once again temptation bit at him, and he considered letting her ease his swelling cock. It had a mind of its own as it continued to harden from the attention. Edward released her wrist and allowed her to loosen his breeks. She sank to her knees, and Edward watched her lick her lips as she drew him from his trousers. But before her tongue struck out, he stepped back. He couldn’t do it. His heart was sure it was wrong. Even if Elizabeth never learned of this, he couldn’t let himself couple with another woman. He couldn’t even allow another woman to pleasure him.

  “Thank you, but I must decline.”

  Edward adjusted his breeks and fastened them.

  “Decline? You’ve never declined me. No one will interrupt us. No one knows we’re here.”

  “It’s not that. As I said before, this isn’t for you.”

  “And you believe it’s for little Elizabeth Fraser. That simpering nitwit wouldn’t know what to do with it. You’d rather get hard for a cunny you’ll never have. She might be why you’re hard, but she won’t be the one to give you what we both know you want. You remember I can bring you to a climax that makes you cross your eyes. And that’s just with my mouth.”

  “That was quite some time ago. Things change. People change.”

  “You never will. You’ll always be insatiable, and once this infatuation wears off, which it will because you’ll never have her, you’ll regret turning me down. You’ll never settle for one woman, which is fine with me. I have no intention of settling for one man. But you’ll tire of chasing a skirt that’ll never rise for you. Then what? You’ll be back for me to ease the ache. You had better hope I’m still available.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Good night, Lady MacAdams.”

  Edward practically sprinted away, then made his way to his chamber and barred the door. He stripped and went to stand before his window. He looked out at the stars, just as he had been when his cock first came to life. He stroked slowly as he imagined losing himself with Elizabeth in the topiary maze his chamber overlooked. He spotted a nook he’d pull her into as he kissed a path along her neck to her breasts. He’d loosen her gown until it sagged low enough to free them. He’d snake his hands under her skirts as he feasted on the mounds. He’d bring her to the brink of release before lifting her to sink in with one thrust.

  His hand sped up as his strokes became shorter and harder until his bollocks tightened. He released his seed into the linen he’d brought with him. His head fell back as he panted. His heart raced like it always did, but this time his chest tightened. He rubbed his fist over his sternum, but the tension wouldn’t ease. While taking himself in hand was never as good as being with a woman, it was usually satisfying. This time, it left him hollow and lonely.

  Edward climbed into his bed and looked at the empty space beside him. He could see the heart-shaped face with the emerald eyes looking back at him, but when he reached out, his hand only grasped air. Edward fell asleep to a sense of disappointment.

  Chapter Four

  Edward spent the remainder of the week creating accidental encounters with Elizabeth. At least he attempted to make them look accidental. As the week drew to an end, he was almost convinced she was orchestrating their run-ins as much as he was. He wavered between hoping her interest was growing and worrying that it was only a coincidence. He found her in the music room as she practiced the harp and stood in the shadows until she was done. She yelped when he clapped softly. She allowed him to escort her to the Great Hall, and he seized the opportunity to ask her about music, her preferences, and how long she’d been playing. He learned of her dislike of talking about herself and her modesty when it came to her talents. Another day, he caught her coming out of the library with several scrolls tucked under her arm and a large book clasped against her chest. She flushed prettily when she explained that her cousin Deirdre was a natural scholar, and she taught Elizabeth to read in three languages. Now Elizabeth borrowed from the monastic scholars whenever she had a chance. While she appreciated the poetry the ladies read in the queen’s salon, she preferred studying history and geography. He walked her through the passageways, taking the longest route to the queen’s chambers, so he could discuss her latest discovery. He found her intelligent and articulate, and Elizabeth would only admit to herself that she enjoyed being able to speak to someone as knowledgeable as she was. She was often lonely now that Deirdre had moved home with her husband. None of the other ladies-in-waiting shared her interests, and none of the men at court considered her capable of such conversation. Elizabeth found herself seeking out opportunities to see Edward, even though she was convinced she was setting herself up for heartache when, inevitably, nothing came of their burgeoning relationship.

  When the Sunday Mass began, Edward found himself in the same place as the week before, but this time he forced himself not to look at Elizabeth. He discovered he had more decency than he realized because his contrition nearly strangled him. He’d learned that Elizabeth spent three additional hours in prayer for his transgressions the week before.

  Elizabeth kept her eyes shut for the entire service. She wouldn’t have anyone doubt her commitment to prayer, and she wouldn’t allow herself to give into temptation. She was certain that Edward purposely created situations throughout the week where they’d be near each other. He orchestrated sitting near one another when he and the king joined the queen’s salon in the afternoons. The men suffered through one poem and ballad after another because the queen requested her husband’s company, and Elizabeth suffered through the ladies-in-waiting fawning over Edward. She couldn’t stifle the raging jealousy that sprang up the first time he walked through the door. He appeared in the gardens when the queen insisted the ladies walk with her despite the biting cold. Elizabeth discovered he wasn’t as arrogant as he led others to believe, and he was both insightful and patient enough to listen. By the end of the week, Elizabeth caught herself trying to angle closer to him when mingling in the Great Hall. His charm was like a magnet, and she had to admit the more she saw and learned, the more her interest grew.

  The Mass ended, and the ladies-in-waiting followed the queen from the chapel. As the queen entered her chamber, the Mistress of the Bedchamber blocked the way.

  “The queen is retiring for the rest of the day. She is called to spend the afternoon and evening in prayer. You shall retire to the salon and sew or read.”

  Elizabeth seized an opportunity she us
ed sparingly.

  “My lady,” Elizabeth stepped toward the older woman. “Might I be excused? My courses are causing me great discomfort and inconvenience.”

  Elizabeth crossed her fingers within the folds of her skirt. She disliked lying, but she disliked being trapped in the chamber with the other young ladies even more. The woman waved her hand in dismissal, so Elizabeth didn’t look back. She went directly to her chamber where she changed into a pair of breeches and a tunic she kept hidden in a box below the floorboards under her bed. She tucked her hair beneath a stable boy’s cap and wrapped a plain woolen cloak around her shoulders. It looked ordinary enough, but Elizabeth had sewn black seal skin inside to insulate it.

  She moved aside the tapestry by her bed and pressed a brick until a small door clicked open. She stooped to lean in and grab the torch she kept just inside the entrance. She lit it from the fire and eased into the hidden tunnel, then pushed the door closed until the latch clicked. She wound her way through the castle hidden behind the walls and in the dark. She could navigate without the torch after half a score of years, but the light made it easier. She left the tunnels through an equally small hatch just behind the stables.

  Elizabeth slipped into the stables knowing equal parts freedom and trepidation. She counted on there being few people nearby since it was the Sabbath, but she understood the gravity of being discovered. She crept along the stalls until she came to the large black stallion the stable boys kept hidden for her. Few people were privy to the animal that lived in the tucked-away stall where ill horses would have been kept until they healed. She grabbed an apple from the barrel outside the stall door.

  “Hello, my boy. I’ve missed you. I’m sorry it’s been close to a fortnight since I’ve been able to slip away. I wouldn’t have stayed away if it could have been helped. Can you forgive me? Are you ready? Come now, we don’t have much time,” Elizabeth crooned as she hurried to saddle him. She led her horse from the stables and mounted just outside the door. She pulled her hood low over her face and spurred him forward.

  Edward smiled as he listened to a woman greet her lover. The couple wouldn’t be the first to tryst in a stable. He’d done it enough times. As he listened, something seemed familiar about the voice. As the woman spoke more, he recognized Elizabeth’s lilting tones. She’d spent almost half her life at court, but there were tiny hints of her Highland past. Rage unlike any he’d ever experienced off the battlefield pulsated through him.

  Who the bluidy hell is she meeting?

  Edward charged around the corner in time to see a small figure cloaked in all black slip out of the stables with one of the largest stallions he’d ever seen. Edward retreated to his own horse who he’d just finished saddling. Once the animal was free of the stall, he mounted and bent low to race out of the stables and after the troublesome minx who was always on his mind.

  Elizabeth clattered across the courtyard to a gate few people used. The guard nodded when he recognized the pair and opened it for her. Edward was close on their heels as he marveled at how the guard had no reservations in letting them pass. He emerged through the portal just as he watched the horse and rider clear a wall few people would dare to attempt. Fortunately, his steed was a seasoned warhorse that responded to all his owner’s commands without hesitation. He cleared the wall as the lone figure entered a copse of trees. Edward kept them in sight as the pair drew farther ahead of his own charger. His horse was one of the fastest he’d ever encountered, but the black beast in front of them was unlike anything he’d ever seen. Rider and horse looked to blend into one. Edward attempted to distinguish between the two as the gap widened. He leaned low over his horse’s withers as the animal hurtled forward, sensing the race.

  It wasn’t until Elizabeth exited the trees into an open meadow that she was sure she was being followed. She lifted her elbow again to peer under her arm, but her billowing cloak kept obscuring her view. She saw the rider gaining on her, but it was impossible to tell if he was friend or foe. She thanked the heavens she was positive her horse could outrun any other, but she was becoming uncomfortable as the gap shrank. Elizabeth tugged sharply on the left rein and steered them toward a fast-moving stream. In spring it would swell into a river, but in the winter, it was a freezing stream. Her horse entered the water with no reservation, having taken this route countless times over the years. They forded the stream as the water rose to the soles of Elizabeth’s boots. The cold water splashed over the horse’s stomach, and while she was sure it refreshed her mount, it was like shards of glass pricking through her breeches. But the wind against her face was the freedom she needed, so the momentary discomfort was a small price. She kept her body parallel to the horse’s withers as they barreled downhill. An expansive wood greeted them at the base. She led them into the trees to the right in the hopes it would buy her the chance to see who followed if the rider didn’t change direction.

  Elizabeth stroked her horse between the ears and murmured to him to keep him from snorting and shaking his head. Despite the gallop, rider and horse were silent as their pursuer crested the hill and began his descent. The man seemed to be looking directly in front of him, so Elizabeth’s heart lurched into her throat when they turned to face her hiding spot.

  “Don’t hide from me, Elizabeth. I’m already angrier than a shaken hive. Come out now.” Edward scanned the trees to make out a shadowy form. He’d nearly fallen from his horse in panic when Elizabeth disappeared over the crest of the hill. He was familiar with how steep the decline was, and he imagined her being thrown and trampled as her horse faltered.

  Elizabeth didn’t move. She held her breath and prayed her horse would do the same. He shifted slightly, sensing her tension, and she was sure Edward saw them. When he nudged his horse into the trees, she didn’t know if she should remain still or try to flee. His words reached her, but it was his tone that made her nervous.

  “Very well. You refuse to heed my directions, then I shall come to you. Don’t believe you’re well hidden. I can see you and that monster clearly.”

  Elizabeth’s hackles went up with a need to defend her horse. He was only an animal, but he was her pet and her best friend. He intuited her every innermost thought and emotion since she received him as a colt. She also was irritated at Edward’s high handedness. He had no say over what she did or where she went. It was only the knowledge that he’d report her to the queen that kept her quiet. She didn’t need to add insult to injury by being rude.

  Edward pulled alongside her, and before she said a word in her defense, he plucked her from the saddle. His mouth crashed down onto hers as she landed in his lap. He yanked her hood down and whipped off her cap before lacing his fingers through her hair. His kiss was punishing, and Elizabeth tasted the fear. His other hand roamed over her, but it wasn’t a lover’s caress. It seemed more like he was checking her for injury. It only softened when he was reassured she was hale. His tongue darted against the seam of her lips until she opened to him. Her moan of surprise and want had him lifting her to straddle him and his horse. When her mound came in contact with his stiff cock, it was his turn to groan. He cupped her backside as she shifted to get closer.

  Elizabeth clung to his tunic as her head would surely float away. His tongue inside her mouth was strange at first, but curiosity replaced shock. Her tongue tangled with his, and some instinct told her to suck. Edward’s response was immediate. His fingers dug into her backside painfully, but she found the touch of pain exciting. The tighter she pinched her nipples when she touched herself, the faster she climaxed. The heat radiating from Edward’s chest warmed her cold fingers, and when they found their way to the laces of his collar, she slid them beneath to find scorching smooth skin. She mewled in protest when she was unable to touch more of him, so she caressed his neck and shoulders until she grazed her nails over his scalp and tangled her fingers in his hair. His responding growl vibrated through her channel deep into her core.

  Edward wanted to know what secrets hid inside that soft,
unyielding flesh. He wanted to strip her bare and claim her. He wanted to vow he’d protect her from anyone and everyone, including herself. He wanted to revel in how she amazed him with her fearlessness and now passion. He wanted to worship her until she couldn’t take another moment of pleasure. It was only when the horses shifted that they both drew apart. They sat looking at one another, and neither was sure what to say. Edward stroked the downy skin of her cheek and tucked hairs that came loose behind her ears. The longer he sat holding her in his lap, the more his previous anger resurged. His heart hadn’t slowed, and he recalled why he pulled her from her saddle and kissed her senseless.

  “I should turn you over my knee.”

  Elizabeth drew back, her passion-glazed eyes blinking to focus. She shook her head, but Edward wasn’t sure if it was in disagreement or to clear her mind.

  “Elizabeth, I’m serious. My hand is itching to smack your lovely arse. You scared the shite out of me.”

  Elizabeth’s jaw clenched as she listened to him, but when he finished with a whisper, she understood his anger. It was her turn to stroke his cheek. She leaned forward and kissed the opposite one.

  “I’m sorry, Edward,” she breathed against his jaw, testing his given name for the first time. She turned her face into the crook of his neck and kissed him. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  She sat back and took in a look that matched a thundercloud.

  “I ride out here all the time. I’ve been riding like that since I was a young girl but knowing someone was following me kept me from slowing down. I wasn’t sure who you were until I saw you coming down the hill.”