Highlander's Wicked Gamel (Wicked Highlanders Book 1)

by Fiona Faris

  “Oh Maddie! There you are! I’m so glad that you’re back so soon!” Anne reached a hand toward her warmly.

  “Maddie?” Fyn asked quietly, eyeing her with a wink and a smile as one of his dimples deepened in his cheek.

  Madeleine felt her face heat as she blushed slightly. She blinked and nodded, looking away from him. “Yes, my friends call me Maddie,” she answered with as even a tone as she could manage. She was filled with consternation about him.

  “What happened to Pierre?” Marie asked with piqued interest as she took in the big man beside Madeleine.

  “I interrupted them just in time, and I have returned your friend to ye untouched and much happier for it.” Fyn grinned at the group of ladies around them. Standing with the ladies was a man about the same height and build as Fyn and the same age, though he had red hair and blue eyes. His gaze shifted from Fyn to Madeleine, and he raised his brows interestedly.

  “My braw cousin! It seems that you’ve found one of the most beautiful ladies at court! Please, introduce me to this heavenly angel!” The man took a few steps forward and locked his light eyes on Madeleine. Madeleine wished that she could somehow become invisible and disappear. She couldn’t remember the last time there had been so much attention lavished on her, particularly from men all so eager to be at her side and entertain her interest.

  Fyn rested a hand on Madeleine’s back. “The Lady Madeleine Campbell of Scotland. This is my cousin, Jacques de Guise. He’s a distant cousin of Mary, Queen of Scots.”

  Jacques eyes widened in surprise. “Campbell? Well, I’m certain she wasn’t expecting to meet you here. I hope she’s not displeased-”

  Fyn interrupted Jacques before he could continue. “Of course she’s pleased to meet me. I told her I’m Fyn Stewart. The Stewart and Campbell clans have long been friends, and that friendship is as strong in France as it is in Scotland.”

  Jacques stared into Fyn’s eyes for a long moment. “Fyn Stewart.”

  Fyn nodded. “Aye.” He said sternly.

  After a long, silent pause, Jacques shrugged and smiled again. “And right you are. Let’s turn our attention to the joys of the evening!” With that, Jacques kissed the back of Madeleine’s hand and then bowed slightly to her. “I’m so delighted to make your acquaintance. Now, let us celebrate new friends with old wine!”

  The group of ladies laughed, and Jacques reached for Marguerite, pulling her close to him as they all walked toward a table where wine was being poured. Fyn took Madeleine’s hand and tucked it back into his arm, keeping her back so that they trailed a step or two behind their group of friends.

  Madeleine frowned slightly. “Why did he say that? Why wouldn’a I be pleased tae meet you?”

  Fyn sighed. “It has to dae with the fact that I am Scottish, but I’ve been living here in France for the last several years. Jacques thinks that the clans all fight amongst themselves too often, and he can never keep up with which clans are friends and which are not. I ken he was worried that you might be upset that I’m a Stewart, but he doesn’t ken that the Stewarts and the Campbells are friends.”

  Madeleine felt a smile forming as she listened to Fyn. “That we are.” She agreed with him. “He need no’ fash otherwise.”

  “My point exactly.” Fyn beamed down at her as he handed her a glass of wine.

  The group stood together, sipping their drinks and talking for a short time, and all the while, Fyn remained at Madeleine’s side, and the longer he did, the more she felt confused and spellbound by him and by her reactions to him. It confounded her in the extreme, though she tried with all of her might to ignore it. She caught Jacques looking from Fyn to her a few times, and she wondered why he looked at them with the interest that he did.

  “This seems to be the liveliest and most fun group at the party! Do you mind if we join you?” A deep voice sounded throughout the friends.

  “Oh yes, please!” Claudine bubbled happily. She turned then and faced Madeleine.

  “Maddie! This is James II of Crussol. James, this is our friend, Lady Madeleine Campbell of Scotland.”

  Madeleine looked up and saw the handsome man who had been watching her from a distance before. She remembered what her friends had said about him being a catch. He looked intrigued by her, and his intense gaze made her feel as though a swarm of butterflies was trying to escape from within her.

  “Lady Madeleine Campbell, what a true pleasure it is to meet you. You are a stunning beauty. I don’t know how any man in Scotland ever let you get as far away as France, but you shine like a bright star here among us, and we are blessed to have you in our company.” He bowed slightly before her and then took her hand, kissing it as he gave her a lingering gaze. Fyn bore his eyes into James, but James ignored him completely and focused solely on Madeleine.

  “Is this your first time in France, my dear?” He asked, staring at her as if there was no one else around.

  She looked back at him, taking in his dark brown hair and eyes. Her friends were right. He was handsome, with finely chiseled features and a solid, muscular build. He was elegantly dressed in exquisite clothing, and he spoke confidently and well.

  “‘Tis,” Madeleine answered him.

  He watched her and tilted his head slightly. “How very lucky for all of us. And how are you finding it?”

  Madeleine felt her cheeks blush warm again. “It’s lovely. Such a bonnie country.”

  “I’m pleased that you’re enjoying it. I must take you out to show you more of it. You’re staying with your aunt, Lady Margaret Macleod Deschamps, no?” he asked, sounding as if it was more of a definite plan than a question.

  The butterflies in Madeleine erupted with even wilder abandon. She glanced nervously at the other ladies around her and found nothing but encouraging grins willing her onward. Madeleine nodded and felt Fyn’s eyes steadily on her. “Aye, I am staying with my aunt.”

  “Wonderful. She’s a lovely woman. I’ll come to take you for an outing tomorrow, unless you have other plans.” James looked as if he fully expected her to be free when he wanted her to be.

  Madeleine felt Claudine nudge her, and the nudge spurred an answer from her. “Aye, aye, of course. I am free, actually. An outing would be nice. Thank ye.”

  James looked tremendously pleased. “It will be my distinct honor. I shall count every moment until then, my enchanting dove.” He smiled triumphantly and reached for her hand, kissing it again. Fyn tensed beside her, and though he wasn’t touching Madeleine, she could still sense it keenly.

  Madeleine wasn’t the only person who detected it. James met Fyn’s eyes and gave him a cool and warning look. Fyn matched it, clenching his jaw.

  Jacques, watching the tension grow between his cousin and James, reached a hand up to James’ shoulder. “I heard talk of the hunt you went on today. Please, regale us with the story of it! I’d be interested to hear if it was truly as wild and successful a ride as the rumors say.”

  James grinned proudly and puffed his chest out somewhat. “Yes, it was a very good hunt indeed. I’d be happy to share the details with you, but perhaps it’s too shocking a tale to speak of in front of the ladies.” He gave Madeleine a flirtatious smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, my beautiful lady.” With that, he turned, and Jacques, shooting a look over his shoulder at Fyn, walked away with James to hear the hunting story.

  Fyn sighed and turned to Madeleine. She felt a strange sensation of guilt at the very edges of her thoughts, though she didn’t know why. “You’re going to spend time with James?” He asked her evenly.

  “It seems so.” She replied, knowing there was really no way out of it.

  Fyn reached a hand up to her cheek and stroked it tenderly. “Save some time for me as well then. Don’t give all your time… or anything else to him.”

  Madeleine felt her cheeks turn pink again and wished with everything in her that she could be standing with Jacques and James, talking about hunting. She knew she could discuss hunting for hours and never blush once.
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  “Would you like to see me again?” Fyn asked, his eyes locked on hers.

  Madeleine didn’t know what made her say it, or how she could have sounded so certain, but she surprised herself when she answered him. “Aye, I would.”

  Fyn grinned. “Then I will be there, once James is gone. I’m looking forward to time alone with ye.”

  Her breath caught in her throat, and she had to look away from him as everything inside her seemed to cartwheel. It was just then that she noticed the pale blonde girl who had been staring at James all night. She’d silently joined the group of ladies and Fyn.

  When their eyes finally met, she reached her hand out to Madeleine. “Hello, Madeleine. I’m Francoise Louise. My friends call me Francie.”

  Madeleine took the young woman’s hand and instantly felt a strong squeeze from her. It was a power move, meant to be intimidating, though Francie’s face was at rest, completely passive. There was something strong and willful in her blue eyes that Madeleine recognized; something that Madeleine knew, but in a very different way than what she was seeing in the girl who stood before her.

  Chapter Four

  “Hello Francie.” Madeleine answered evenly, wondering what was going on inside the girl’s head.

  “I heard my sweet James say that he was going to come by your aunt’s to visit you. It’s so kind of him. He’s always doing kind things like that for others, especially people who are new to court.” Francie’s voice had a coolness to it that was not lost on Madeleine. Francie’s message wasn’t lost either.

  “Aye, he said he would come to visit me,” Madeleine answered warily.

  Francie drew nearer to Madeleine, lowering her voice as her eyes remained steady on Madeleine’s. “I want to give you some advice as a friend. He might flirt a little with you. He might say nice things or make you believe that he wants your company; but in truth, he is not available that way. He is mine, and I do not share my things with others.”

  Madeleine stared at the young woman, but before she could speak, Claudine spoke up firmly, standing beside Madeleine. “James is not engaged to anyone, nor does he claim to belong to you. Perhaps you should ask him for a ring before you try to stop him from seeing others. He might want our Maddie here, and if she wants him in return, that’s between the two of them and no one else.”

  Francie’s mouth and eyes narrowed into slits, and with a snap of her head and shoulders, she spun on her heel and stomped away through the grass toward James and Jacques. James was gesturing wildly as he described his hunt to Jacques, who was more interested in flirting with Marguerite from the short distance between them.

  Madeleine gasped and looked over at Claudine. “Thank ye! I dinna ken why she seems to loathe me. She doesn’a even know me yet!”

  Claudine shrugged. “She only hates you because she wants James, and she isn’t willing to lose him. I almost laughed right out loud when she said she was giving you some advice as your friend. Francie isn’t friends with anyone. You watch out for her.”

  Madeleine rolled her eyes. “I appreciate it. I dinna even ken how I came to be in this mess. I shouldn’a even be here.”

  “And where should ye be? I, for one, am very glad that you’re here, Maddie.” Fyn gave Madeleine a smile, and she felt everything in her rush for a moment at the sound of her nickname on his lips.

  Straightening up some, she drew in a deep breath and tried again to steady herself in his presence. “I should be in Scotland. That’s where I belong. I have no business being here looking for a husband.”

  Fyn gave her a quizzical look. “How did ye come to be here then, if ye didn’a want to be here?”

  Claudine and Anne both peered at Madeleine interestedly. “I would love to hear this, too!” Anne stated with a laugh.

  Madeleine rolled her eyes. “I might have… gotten into a… bit of a scrape. Then my mother insisted that I come here to find a husband.”

  Fyn raised a brow as his lips turned up in a half-smile and the dimple in his cheek deepened. “What kind of a scrape?”

  Madeleine sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She hadn’t wanted to talk about it, but it was the subject of their discussion, and there was no turning back. “I was out for a ride on my stallion. I came across a couple of men from a rival clan, and they decided they wanted to attack me. I fought back. My mother was horrified and decided I had to come here to settle down.”

  Anne and Claudine gasped. Claudine reached a hand out to Madeleine. “What happened? Did they hurt you? Did they rape you?”

  Madeleine scoffed and shook her head. “They thought they would, but they didn’a. Not a bit. I fought them down to the ground. Neither one o’ them will be having bairns now. I made sure o’ that, and then I dragged them back to their village and dumped them there. I warned them to stay off of Campbell lands and never to attack another Campbell again.” She nodded, pleased with herself. “They will no’ be doing anything like it again. That, I know.”

  Fyn looked sick as he asked in a quiet voice, “What clan was it that they were from?”

  Madeleine narrowed her eyes. “Arthur. No clan fights against the Campbell’s like the Arthurs do.”

  He closed his eyes and sighed, and then he nodded and reached for her hand, holding it tenderly. “No clan should have members that treat a woman that way; no matter who the woman is or where she may be from. It’s never acceptable. I’m so very sorry.”

  Madeleine shrugged. “Dinna apologize for them! Ye did nothing wrong.”

  Fyn’s face twisted in agony. “It wasn’a me, but it was my countrymen. No Scot should behave that way. You dinna deserve it. No one deserves it.”

  The corner of Madeleine’s mouth turned up a little as she watched Fyn defending her and all women against such horrors. “That’s honorable of ye to say. At least the two o’ them will’na be hurting anyone like that again.”

  “You’re a warrior.” Fyn’s despair faded into admiration as he gazed at her, enraptured. “An amazing warrior.”

  “A warrior sent to find a husband because my mother thinks no woman should dae what I dae.” Madeleine sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

  Fyn cocked his head to one side. “Then find a husband who loves ye for being a warrior, and supports it.”

  Claudine’s brows rose. “I’m not sure she can find that at French court.”

  “I’d have to find that or fail at securing a husband.” Madeleine smiled, pleased with herself for being able to say it aloud. She had every intention of going home a single lady and disappointing her mother with the sad news that there was no man at French court who would have her.

  “Ye may not have to look too far at all.” Fyn said. His eyes, dancing with intrigue as he watched her, filled with fire anew.

  “Your aunt may have a few things to say about that.” Anne said quietly as she looked across the lawn beside the lake and indicated Lady Margaret in a close discussion with James II of Crussol. They both kept looking over at Madeleine, and their looks made Madeleine’s stomach erupt in butterflies all over again.

  “Well, Lady Margaret may like James for a husband for you, Madeleine, but the decision won’t be up to him entirely anyway. Oh no. You’ll have to get the Queen Mother’s and King Charles’ blessing, but before you can get to them, you’ll have to get the approval of James’ older brother, Duke Antoine de Crussol, and his wife, Duchess Louise de Clermont,” Claudine pointed out seriously.

  The group turned to look then, and Madeleine shook her head as she stared at the couple about whom Claudine had spoken. Duke Antoine was considerably younger than the old woman standing beside him. “How old is she?”

  Claudine smirked scandalously. “She’s seventy-two, and he’s thirty-nine. Marriage isn’t always about love. Most of the time, and especially here at court, it’s about money, power, and connections.”

  “But love, real and true love, is greater than all o’ those things.” Madeleine said quietly, watching the couple. She could see that it was not
a marriage of love at all, but rather a partnership.

  “Then I hope that if you wind up with James, it’s for love and connections. He may be twenty-seven, but unless his older brother and sister-in-law want you with him, you will be cast off him, like most of the other women here at court. It’s one of the reasons he’s still single.” Anne advised warily. “The Duke and Duchess don’t think any maiden here is good enough to be his equal.”