Highlander’s Wicked Temptation: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel

by Maddie MacKenna

  “Please tell me what is going on here? Why have you come here?” Cleopatra asked as she scooted back. Ronan stepped closer and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “At least tell me what my father has done to deserve your wrath,” Cleopatra asked, resting against the stone wall of the cottage.

  “So many questions,” Ronan said rolling his eyes.

  “Are you going to answer me?”

  Silence.

  Cleopatra scanned Ronan from the top of his shaggy brown hair down to his toes. There was no doubt he was a warrior, through and through. Her heart pumped harder as she shook her head.

  “Your Laird is going to be highly disappointed. My father will not give him what he wants. He is a stubborn man and will only see this as a threat. He bows to no man.”

  “He’ll bow to us,” Ronan answered in his rough voice.

  “No, he won’t. You do not know my father the way I do. This mission of yours is doomed. You should have never come here.” Cleopatra said as she glanced inside the cottage. Her father’s book rested in the tall grass like a stone. Shifting her weight, she inched closer to the cottage door.

  “Where are ye goin’?” Ronan hissed as he stepped closer to her.

  “May I get my book?” Cleopatra asked pointing to the book in the cottage. Ronan’s eyes narrowed a moment and he nodded. Instantly, Cleopatra rushed into the cottage and snatched the book off the ground. She brushed the dirt from the cover and stared at it.

  “You know,” Cleopatra said. “Your Laird is not coming back. My father will throw him in the stocks before he reaches the study.”

  “They’ll be back,” Ronan said.

  “My father will not let them,” Cleopatra said as her eyes shifted to the shadows of the forest around her. “Do you hear that?”

  Ronan shifted his head to listen.

  Cleopatra bolted to the trees. Before she could reach the shadows, strong arms curled around her torso and pulled her back. She screamed as her feet left the ground.

  “Are ye quite finished?” Ronan asked as Cleopatra kicked and squirmed. He hoisted her over his shoulder with ease.

  “Let me go,” she pleaded as Ronan walked back to the clearing.

  “That’s enough out of ye,” Ronan said as he dropped her to the ground. He pulled a small cord from his satchel and bound her hands. Before she could protest, Ronan pushed a small wad of cloth into her mouth.

  “There. Now try and get away.”

  2

  “What do we do now?”

  Jude glanced over his shoulder as he pulled the low hanging branch down to get a clear shot of the manor. He could feel the tension rising as he scanned the three-story stone building. Gray smoke drifted into the sky from the chimney, and he wondered where in the manor his son resided.

  “Adam,” Jude called. The stocky man rushed to his Laird’s side and peered over his shoulder.

  “Aye, m’Laird.”

  “Go and demand the Earl release my son. Tell him we have his daughter and are willin’ to exchange.”

  Adam patted him on the shoulder and stepped out onto the green fairway. With his head held high, Adam strolled to the main door. Jude’s heart pounded in his chest. All his prayers went to his son in hopes that the boy was still alive.

  It had been nearly three weeks since Jude had seen Hugh. In the back of Jude’s mind, he could still hear Paige’s frantic voice explaining how strangers approached them on the banks of the river and how quickly they scooped Hugh up and stole the boy from her.

  Pursing his lips into a tight line, Jude tried to purge the thought that Hugh might be dead from his mind. He could not believe that the men who stole Hugh would kill him, but still, after so many dead ends trying to find Hugh, he didn’t want to get his hopes up that his search would end this day.

  Squinting his eyes, he watched as Adam stepped through the front door and entered the lion’s den. All Jude and his men could do now was wait.

  “Easy,” Jude said as he heard the rustling of branches behind him. “Let Adam deliver the message.”

  “And if the messenger is killed?” Felix asked.

  “We storm the manor and take back what they have taken from me. I counted only a handful of servants and nae many soldiers. Could be the Earl isnae as well funded as we were led to believe. Pray we have luck on our side and it willnae come to that,” Jude said with a hint of disgust in his tone.

  Jude’s mind raced with many possibilities. His eyes shifted to the side door and wondered how many men stood guard at the entrance. As he calculated his next move, he noticed in the corner of his eye Adam rushing out of the door.

  Jude watched as Adam weaved around the courtyard until he made his way to Jude and the rest of the men. Panting and gasping for air, Adam held his hand up. Jude tapped his foot impatiently until Adam regained his breathing.

  “What news?” Jude asked holding onto Adam by the shoulders. Adam looked up from his dark bushy eyebrows and pointed.

  “The Earl…he’s wantin’ to meet with ye,” Adam said.

  “And me son? Any word of him?” Jude asked shaking Adam aggressively. Adam shook his head as he stood straighter.

  “Nay word,” Adam said, “but the Earl has stated he will only speak with ye.”

  “Is that so?” Jude lifted his head and glared at the manor. He scanned the windows. With no sign of movement, he questioned the Earl’s motives.

  “Stay put,” Jude said. “I go alone.”

  “Ye cannae do that,” Felix said reaching his hand out to stop him. “What if he demands ye for yer son? Then where will we be?”

  “It doesnae matter to me. Hugh is the only priority. If I trade places, then ensure he gets back to the castle safely.” Jude turned his head and stared at Felix. Arching an eyebrow, he paused. Felix’s shoulders dropped as he shook his head.

  “M’Laird, what if the girl was right, though? What if this is all a trap? We cannae in good consciousness let ye enter there alone.”

  Jude turned his attention to Adam. “What did the Earl say exactly?”

  Adam shrugged. “Just that he would speak with ye about the matter.”

  “Did he mention anythin’ about comin’ with men?” Jude asked.

  “Nay,” Adam answered. “Nothin’ about seein’ ye alone.”

  “Then we go,” Felix answered with great enthusiasm.

  “Nay,” Jude said holding his hand out to stop his men from giving away their position. “Go back to Ronan and check on the girl. I’ll go alone.”

  “And if ye daenae come back out? What do we do with her?” Adam asked, glancing to Felix. A wicked grin drifted over Felix’s lips as he tapped the hilt of his sword.

  “Keep her,” Jude said. “She may be of some use to us later.”

  Without further hesitation, Jude stepped out of the shadows of the forest. He cleared his throat as he walked towards the manor. With each step he took, he felt his chest tighten. Keeping his eyes peeled, he searched for any signs of danger.

  Stepping up to the oak door, he paused with his hand raised. Before he could crash his knuckles to the door, it opened for him. A stout man with beady eyes smiled at him and bowed.

  “Laird of Hanvale, do come in,” the man said. “What brings you here this day?”

  “Ye ken very well why I’m here,” Jude snapped. “Where’s me son?”

  “The Earl is waiting for you in the study. Please follow me,” the servant said as he turned and walked through the grand entrance.

  Jude’s eyes widened as he scanned the open space. His heart tightened as he looked about. Several servants peeked around the corners to get a look at him. Each had the same desperate expression on their face that caused Jude’s heart to quicken.

  “Here we are,” the servant said opening double doors. Orange light spilled out of the room as Jude stepped in. The heat from the roaring fire slapped his face as he hesitated at the door. Shifting his eyes to the two large armchairs near the fire, he spotted the thin man with a hooked n
ose and gray hair.

  Slowly, the man stood and arched an eyebrow as Jude entered. His footsteps echoed in the large room filled with books and a reddish-brown desk in the corner of the room.

  “Ah, you must be the Laird of Hanvale,” the man said rising to his feet. “I’m the Earl of Wintersmith. What may I do for you today?”

  “Where is he?” Jude demanded reaching for his sword. The Earl shook his head and extended his hand.

  “And who are you speaking about?”

  “Ye have me son, where is he?” Jude said as his fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.

  “There is no need for violence,” the Earl said. “I will give you what you asked for as soon as you tell me who your son is,” the Earl said.

  “I was told ye have a young boy, nae older than nine. Are ye tellin’ me there’s nae such a person here?”

  The Earl rubbed his chin as Jude watched the wheels turn in his head. “I see. There is such a boy in my care. I was told to protect him from his father. Clearly,” the Earl turned to face Jude, “you are now here to collect him. Well, I must confess, I’m pleased not to have to deal with him any longer. I could barely understand a word the boy spoke.”

  “Excuse me?” Jude stepped back as if the Earl had struck him.

  “Your son was found on my doorstep weeks ago,” the Earl explained as he moved closer to Jude. Stepping back, Jude refused to let the Earl get any closer to him.

  “Me son was taken,” Jude scowled.

  “Not by me,” the Earl gasped. “I have enough problems without having to care for another mouth to feed.”

  “Then why did ye take him in?” Jude asked.

  “I was told to protect him from his father,” the Earl answered. “But clearly, that information was false. If you want your son, then take him. It is of no consequence to me.”

  The Earl snapped his finger as his attention shifted to the servant still standing in the doorway. The beady eyed man nodded once and took off in a flash. Jude’s heart raced as he waited. He didn’t dare get his hopes up as his men’s warnings seeped through the cracks of his mind.

  Each moment that passed, Jude grew more and more impatient. He whipped his head around to face the Earl.

  The Earl smiled at him and lifted a glass as Jude’s ears perked. The soft patter of feet racing down the hard wooden floors caused his heart to swell.

  “Hugh?” Jude gasped as his son turned the corner and ran into his father’s arms.

  “Faither,” the boy cried. Jude dropped to his knees and took the child into his arms.

  “I cannae believe it,” Jude said as he squished his son to his chest. “Are ye all right? Did they hurt ye?”

  “Nay, faither,” the boy said. Jude pulled away and stared into his son’s golden-brown eyes. Tears streamed down the boy’s cheeks as he curled his small arms around his father’s neck. With his son in his arms, Jude rose to his feet.

  “Thank ye,” Jude said holding on tight to his son.

  “Think nothing of it,” the Earl said with a wry smile.

  “I shall have me men release yer daughter now,” Jude said turning his attention back to his son. Although the boy looked a bit under the weather, and disheveled, all seemed well with him.

  “My daughter?” the Earl chuckled. “I was not aware she was missing. It matters not, keep her.”

  “What?” Jude dropped his eyes from his son and stared at the Earl with his mouth open.

  “You heard me,” the Earl said taking his seat in front of the fire. “She is a loathsome thing. A burden really.”

  “Nay child is a burden,” Jude hissed as he cupped his hand around his son’s head and held him tighter.

  “Once you have her long enough, you may see it differently. She is incapable of doing anything right. She is a waste of space. I would have put her out long ago, but I swore to keep her. But now, you can have her,” the Earl raised his glass to Jude. “I won’t even ask for payment for her. Mind you, she is a slick and cunning thing.”

  “Why are ye tellin’ me this?” Jude asked, slowly lowering his son to the ground and taking his small hand in his.

  “Does it really matter?” the Earl asked keeping his eyes locked on the fire burning and spitting in the fireplace. “She has outgrown her usefulness and I have no reason to keep her.”

  “But she is yer daughter,” Jude said glancing to his son. The little boy looked up to him and raised his narrow eyebrows.

  “Yes, but she is no longer my burden. Now leave,” the Earl said. “Go in peace, for I have no quarrels with you, sir.”

  Jude tilted his head. He knew his mission: retrieve his son at all costs. Now that his young Hugh was safe with him, there was no reason to retaliate. Turning on his heels, Jude started toward the door with Hugh in tow.

  “Faither?” Hugh whispered. “Are we goin’ home now?”

  “Aye, son, we’re goin’ home,” Jude answered as he winked at his boy. With his heart filled with joy at having his son returned to him, Jude couldn’t help but wonder if this really was the last time that he would see the Earl. There was something that just didn’t sit right with him. Yet he knew, now was not the time to address such issues. He hoped and prayed it would be, but the nagging in the back of his mind wouldn’t let him rest.

  With his heart overflowing with joy and love, he scooped Hugh up and walked out of the study.

  Perhaps there is somethin’ more goin’ on here than meets the eye. Best keep me eye peeled. And what am I to tell the girl?

  Jude’s happiness was quickly swept away as he thought of his prisoner. He didn’t know what he was going to do with her. It was apparent her father didn’t want her by his harsh words. Yet, there was something about her that pricked his heart.

  She is a beauty for sure, but should I let her go back to such a man? What would that say about me?

  Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, Jude gave a sharp nod. He knew exactly what he was going to do. Although, he wasn’t so sure how the girl was going to take it. Glancing to his son, he flashed a small smile.

  “Everythin’ all right, faither?” Hugh asked as he looked up with his big puppy dog eyes. Jude nodded as they crossed the threshold and stepped out into the sunlight.

  The fog from the morning had lifted and it seemed as if a brand-new day had quickly replaced the worry and fear with hope.

  “Aye,” Jude said as they rushed to the tree line. Adam and Felix’s eyes widened as smiles drifted over their lips. They dropped to their knees and threw their arms around Hugh the moment the young boy was within reach.

  “Thank the heavens for this,” Adam said. “Ye had us so worried.”

  Hugh smiled at them and turned to glance back to Jude. Jude moved with purpose as he glanced at each of his men.

  “We go,” Jude said. “And quickly, lest we spark the ire from the Earl. We are unprotected so far from the castle and we must make haste.”

  3

  Just a little bit more. Come on now…why is this not working?

  Cleopatra glared at Ronan as she rubbed her wrists against the brittle boulder Ronan had set her against. Although she had no clue if her stunt would work, she knew she had to try everything in her power to get free. Her eyes flicked to the tree line and the sun kissed the canopy. It wasn’t even afternoon yet, but the sky seemed darker.

  Little by little the rope around her wrists started to give. It was only a matter of moments before the line would snap, but she still didn’t have a plan in place of where to go. Ronan had already snatched her once before, proving he could outrun her. Cleopatra’s eyes shifted to the nook in the tree to her left. It wasn’t a big hole, but one she was certain she could fit in to hide from him if she needed to.

  “Ronan.”

  Cleopatra froze. She whipped her head round and peered through the trees.

  The Laird and his men had pushed through the branches. Trailing behind them, Cleopatra noticed the young child. Her heart jumped for joy as she grunted and squirmed
with delight, falling to her side. Ronan shifted his eyes to her for a second and shook his head.

  “Stay put,” Ronan said as he walked to the others. “M’Laird,” he glanced to the boy. “I see ye found yer son. He looks well taken care of.”

  “Aye, we were lucky,” the Laird said as he glanced over Ronan’s shoulder to find Cleopatra on the ground. “What happened here?”

  “She tried to escape,” Ronan hissed.