Highlander's Sinful Desire (Steamy Scottish Historical Romance)

by Maddie MacKenna

  Taran reached out to the prettiest cluster of flowers he saw and snapped it off. He handed it to Rowena and said, “Please accept this with me apology, Sister Rowena.”

  She took the rose from him and looked confused. “What are you apologizing for?”

  “I shouldnae have abandoned ye the other night. Ye could have been killed. It was wrong of me to dae that. Ye’re a kind and gentle lady. Ye did nae deserve that.”

  Rowena did not know what to say. She had started on this journey alone and would continue it alone if necessary. She had never expected to find a man like Taran to help her. “Think nothing of it, Taran. You owe me nothing. It is I who am grateful to you. I believe God has sent you to watch over me.”

  He chuckled at that. Then he turned serious and said, “What do ye think of Lady Dierdre?”

  Rowena cocked her head. “Lady Dierdre? She is striking. I can see why you care for her.”

  Taran said, “Aye, she is a bonnie one. Her faither and me faither were lifelong allies. They wanted Lady Dierdre and me to continue the alliance of our clans. Her faither owns the primary ports on the Atlantic coast, and me clan supplies the wool to ship out. It is an ideal business arrangement.”

  “No need to explain,” Rowena said. “Believe me, I understand. I understand all too well.” She found it ironic that Taran was being forced into a marriage to Lady Dierdre for business reasons just like she herself was. Rowena wondered if Taran was as dismayed about his wedding as she was about hers.

  Taran looked at her with amusement. He said, “Ye dae, dae ye? Maybe. I have known Lady Dierdre me whole life. She is a handful, that one is.”

  “I can imagine,” Rowena said.

  “She is a frequent visitor here. Dae nae be surprised to see her often.” Then Taran turned to face her. He looked into her eyes and held her gaze for a moment. He took her hand and kissed it, then said, “Follow me.”

  Taran led her into the shadows of the rose hedge. When they were concealed from view, he pulled her close and said, “I cannae hold meself back any longer.” He leaned down and kissed her tenderly on her mouth. Rowena, startled, whispered, “Taran, I--” but her words were muffled as he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her again.

  He murmured, “I want ye so bad, Sister. I cannae stop thinkin’ of ye.” He kissed her passionately. This time, she welcomed him. She held him tightly and parted her lips, letting his tongue explore her mouth. They kissed long and deeply. She wanted him, too, more than anything she had ever known.

  He pulled her to the ground. The grass was soft beneath Rowena’s body and smelled of rich, moist earth. She felt Taran slide a hand from her face down her neck to her breast. He began gently massaging it with his fingertips. Her breathing became heavy, and her nipples stood out hard begging for his touch.

  She had never felt such intense pleasure, such intense desire. She wanted it to go on. She wanted more. But she knew this was forbidden pleasure. She had to stop it now before it went any further. . .before she was unable to stop it. She whispered, “No, Taran. Stop! We can’t do this . . . It’s . . . wrong.” She pulled herself away from him and struggled to her feet.

  Taran got to his feet more slowly, desire still radiating from his face. “I hope I was nae too forward for ye,” he said quietly, “but I could nae stop meself. I think of ye often, though I daenae understand why.” He touched Rowena’s sleeve.

  Rowena blushed. “I don’t quite know what to say, Taran. I am fond of you, too. But you are betrothed to Deirdre. And I am a virgin, bound to honor the vows I have taken in serving God.” Of course, she did not mention anything about Earl Strongbow.

  Just then, two servants rounded the corner of the hedge in a hurry, arms loaded with several baskets of almonds, dried figs, and loaves of bread being taken inside for the day’s meals. The servants were deep in conversation and hardly noticed the Lord of the castle and Sister Rowena standing at the edge of the roses.

  Taran and Rowena watched them go by. The servant carrying the baskets struggled with the weight of it all. He tried to rearrange two of the baskets on his left arm and lost his balance. He stumbled, and as he scrambled to regain his balance he tripped over his own feet and fell flat. His baskets hit the ground, scattering almonds and figs in all directions.

  Taran suppressed the urge to laugh while Rowena tried not to giggle. They both rushed forward to help the embarrassed servant to his feet. Rowena asked, “Are you injured, sir?”

  The servant chortled and said, “Aye, me pride took a beatin’, but I’m otherwise fine.” He brushed off the front of his tunic. He called to Taran, “I beg yer pardon, me Laird. Forgive me for throwin’ our dinner everywhere.”

  Taran was going around scooping up almonds and figs. Several had flown into the pea patch. He called back to the servant, “Think nothin’ of it,” and laughed. He was looking at Rowena, who was still trying to stifle her laughter, and not watching where he was going. He stepped into a jumble of pea vines and saw something there move lightning fast.

  Taran felt a sudden, stabbing pain just above the ankle of his right leg. The pain was intense. Had something just bitten him? As his leg buckled, he crumpled to the ground and glimpsed an adder slinking away into the cover of the vines.

  22

  Earl Strongbow woke that morning to the sounds of men snoring. He and his men had rested at MacEwen’s place for two nights. They all needed the rest, but in any case, he did not know where they should go next. No one had seen nor heard of Lady Rowena or a lovelyyoung nun.

  He got up from his bed and washed his face in the basin on the wooden stand. As he pulled on his tunic and boots, he looked at the stab wound in his thigh. It was a little painful and the area around it was red and swollen. He washed it with the washcloth and water from the basin. It is fine, he thought.

  Earl Strongbow walked through the passage way, pounding on the doors of his men as he passed by. He knew most of them had been up late drinking MacEwen’s ale and were still sleeping it off. “Get up! All of you! I’ll be waiting for you downstairs!”

  In the hall, Earl Strongbow found the kitchen servants busy cooking food for the guests. He asked one of the servants for a glass of ale. When it arrived, he poured some of it onto his thigh wound, gulped the rest of it, and ordered another one.

  As he waited for his knights, he contemplated what his next steps should be. He had a few ideas, but nothing felt like a sure bet. One thing he knew for certain was that he was not going to give up at any cost. Another thing he knew for certain is that Lady Rowena would pay a price for her act of defiance.

  Earl Strongbow imagined tying her to the bed in his bedchamber and biting her nipples so hard they bled, then perhaps he would break one of her fingers just to hear her scream, or maybe choke her until she nearly suffocated while he climaxed inside of her. Oh yes, she would pay for this all right. He felt himself grow hard just thinking about it.

  Sir Percy, flanked by Squire John and several of the other knights came in and sat down by Earl Strongbow. They each helped themselves to some fish soup spooned directly into a hollowed out chunk of bread. Earl Strongbow said, “I want four of you to ride out to the towns north of Glasgow. Ask every merchant you see for information.”

  Sir Percy thought this was a good idea. “You should send some men around to check all of the churches. Perhaps one of them has given her refuge or knows something about where she is.”

  Earl Strongbow nodded. “Yes, that makes sense, too. And I want four others to visit every inn and tavern between here and Glasgow. She has to be somewhere in this area. They haven’t had time to go much farther.”

  MacEwen had been walking around the hall checking on his many guests and instructing servants to replenish bread, wipe down tables, and refill kettles of soup. He had been standing not far from the Earl and his men and heard them talking.

  MacEwen wanted to be helpful to his most valuable customer, who had clearly not spent much time in the area. Maybe he would see fit to add a little more
tip for MacEwen’s information, too. MacEwen turned around and said, “Pardon me, Earl Strongbow, but I couldnae help but hear ye say that ye’re searchin’ the area inns and taverns for someone.”

  Earl Strongbow and his men stopped shoveling food into their mouths and looked at MacEwen, slightly annoyed that he had been eavesdropping. Earl Strongbow said curtly, “Yes, MacEwen. What of it?”

  MacEwen said, “I wanted to save ye some time, me Laird. There are nay other inns this side of Glasgow until ye get closer to Edinburgh. If the person ye’re lookin’ for is English, I suggest ye ride southeast to Carneluke. There is an inn there. A nice one. It’s only about twenty miles from here. It’s on the main road from Northumbria into Scotland. English travelers like to stay there because the innkeeper, a friend of mine, offers some of the best accommodations in the shire. Sean Donaldson is his name. He might ken somethin’ helpful for ye.”

  Earl Strongbow cocked his head. “Is that so?” He thought a moment, then shrugged and said, “It sounds like it is worth sending some men over to ask some questions and look around. Percy, you take your group north of Glasgow. I’ll take four men to the inn at Carneluke and see what we can learn from this Sean Donaldson.” Earl Strongbow took one last swig of ale and said, “Thank you, MacEwen.”

  MacEwen bowed respectfully. “Tis me pleasure, me Laird.”

  Earl Strongbow said, “Someone should stay here and make inquiries of the soldiers and travelers passing through this draggle-draggle place. We’ll all meet back here in two maybe three days.”

  He wiped his mouth with a cloth. He added, “One more thing. I don’t want any of you making any trouble, do you understand?”

  The men mumbled, “Yes, my Lord.”

  “Good. Let’s get going.”

  * * *

  They rode out in separate directions. The earl’s mood was growing worse with each passing hour. The men rode in near silence the entire way to Carneluke. No one wanted to subject themselves to the earl’s ire by saying something that would set him off. Better to keep quiet. Other than occasional small talk with each other, the only time anyone spoke was when they asked passing travelers if they knew anything about Lady Rowena and her two Highland traveling companions. No one knew anything.

  They reached the edge of Carneluke at sunset. In front of the first little house on the left, an elderly woman was sweeping soiled rushes out the front door. As she bent down to pick up a bundle of fresh ones, Earl Strongbow called to her. “Hail-o! Good evening, madam! We’d like a word with you!”

  Widow Dunlevy looked at them with a blank expression. Her mouth moved but the only sounds she made were incomprehensible. A moment later, a red-haired young man appeared at the door. Earl Strongbow estimated he was in his mid-twenties. The red-head spoke something to her. She nodded and went inside. He spat into the dirt and said, “What ye want here?” He had fresh cuts on his nose and chin. His eyes were bruised purple and black. He was limping.

  Earl Strongbow said, “We’re looking for a woman. A nun. If you’ve seen her, you would remember her. Do you know anything about her?”

  Earl Strongbow saw his demeanor change, and hope rose in his chest. The red head stood up straighter, cocked his head and sneered. He said, “Why are ye lookin’ for her?”

  This kid is looking for trouble, the earl thought. He ignored the question and kept his ire in check. “You’ve seen her then. Where was she?”

  The red head said, “It’ll cost ye.”

  Earl Strongbow pulled a coin out of the bag fastened to his belt and tossed it. It landed on the ground in front of the red head. He scampered to retrieve it. He said, “Aye, we seen her. She said she was a nun from St. Martha’s. She stayed at the inn three nights ago.”

  Earl Strongbow massaged the wound on his thigh, which had begun bothering him during the last hour. Then he took a deep breath. Finally! Perhaps we’ll make some progress here after all.

  “Was she travelling alone?”

  “Seemed so to me.” The red head did not elaborate on his midnight raid on her room, attempted rape, and drubbing by Taran.

  “Where can we find this inn?”

  * * *

  They found Sean Donaldson with his sleeves rolled up pouring beer for his customers. Earl Strongbow said, “You must be Sean Donaldson.”

  Sean looked at the earl and his men. From their expressions, he knew these English knights could mean trouble. He stayed calm. “Aye, sir. What can I dae for ye?”

  Earl Strongbow said, “We’re looking for a young woman who may have stayed here a few nights ago. She is a nun. Her name is Rowena. She was probably traveling alone. Once you have seen her face, you will not forget her.”

  Sean tried to keep his face blank. He thought fast. He did not want to betray her, as that would likely mean betraying his good friend, Taran, too. Did these men know for certain that she had been here? Probably not, or they would not be asking him that question.He decided to take his chances.

  “I’m sorry, but I daenae recall seein’ anyone fittin’ that description.”

  Earl Strongbow cocked his head. “Oh? A kid across town said she was here.”

  Sean looked the earl straight in the eye. “The kid must be mistaken.”

  Sir Percy said, “He’s lying.”

  “Yes, I believe he is,” Earl Strongbow said. He looked at Sir Percy and said, “Seize him.”

  Sir Percy and two other knights leaped forward and grabbed Sean. Sean struggled against them, but Earl Strongbow cocked a fist and punched Sean in the eye. That felt great! he thought, as Sean fell back against the bar. “Take him into the kitchen,” Earl Strongbow said. Then he turned back around and told the guests, “Stay where you are everyone. We don’t want any more trouble.” He turned to one of the knights and said, “You! Guard the door. Don’t let anyone in or out.”

  In the kitchen, the knights were pounding Sean in the face and then pinned him to a table. Earl Strongbow came in and punched the helpless man in the stomach. He groaned. That one felt even better! Then Earl Strongbow pulled his knife and held it to Sean’s throat. “Talk, or it’s going to get much worse for you, innkeeper. What do you know?”

  Sean was dazed. He spat blood. He said, “Aye, she was here. She arrived alone. She stayed only one night.”

  “Where was she going when she left?” Earl Strongbow asked.

  “I daenae ken for sure.”

  Earl Strongbow punched him in the eye and threatened him with his knife. In a way, he wanted an excuse to slit the man’s throat. It would give him just the release he was yearning for. “Oh yes, I believe you do know! Tell us or you will die! I swear to you, I will cut your throat and burn this place down with everyone in it!”

  Sean thought about his wife and baby son a few rooms away. He said, “I daenae ken for certain. But she seemed to be friends with Taran, of the Robertson clan. He may have offered her refuge in his castle Frenich.”

  “Where is the castle?” Earl Strongbow demanded.

  “Ye’ll find it just north of Glasgow, on Loch Lomond,” Sean said. “I ken nothin’ else. Now please, let me go.”

  23

  Rowena shrieked when she saw Taran fall. “Taran! Taran, what happened?”

  His lower leg felt like it was on fire. “An adder! It bit me on the ankle!”

  Rowena looked at it. She saw the two red puncture marks of an adder right above his ankle. The skin around it was already turning an angry bright red. She had treated a snakebite once before but it was a small snake bite and not terribly venomous. Everyone at St. Martha’s had learned how to treat snake bites from Mother Lorena. They could be debilitating, and in some cases, deadly. Taran needed treatment immediately.

  She told the servants to go find the physician while she helped Taran get to his bed. She said to Taran, “I’m going to help you to bed. Can you stand?”

  He struggled to his feet. Rowena said, “Try to keep your leg as still as you can. If you move too much, the poison will spread fast. It can kill you.”<
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  Taran stood and leaned on Rowena. Malcolm ran out and put an arm around his waist on the other side. “Hold on, Taran. We’ll take care of ye.” Aunti Lili came running up behind them, wailing. She cried, “Be careful with the lad!” She ran in front of them and made way.

  With Malcolm on one side and Rowena on the other, they carried him in to his bedchamber.

  “Auntie Lili, where is the physician?” Rowena asked.

  “I daenae ken. Everyone is lookin’ for him, but he is nae to be found,” she said.

  Malcolm said, “I’ll wager he’s tendin’ to the wounded in Glasgow.”