Highland Heartbreakers

by Quinn, Paula

  “The scholar is my friend,” she assured the maid. “And those are in short supply here, Leah. Be happy for me.” Keely slipped into the corridor.

  “We will go out the back way,” Petro suggested, taking her arm. “Your father and brothers are in the great hall.”

  “Drinking again?”

  “Your father has a certain zeal for life.”

  “Aye, and once he starts drinking heavily, he willna stop until he falls off his chair.”

  Petro chortled. “We come from very different worlds.”

  “Yet ye chose to stay here. Why?”

  Petro steered her through the passageway, then down a narrow set of stairs that led to the chambers where the maids slept. “I will not leave Alex. And the Highlands remind me of home.”

  She’d expected a more complicated reason for him giving up everything he knew. But it dinna matter, she wanted him to stay. He made life more enjoyable.

  Impressed with his knowledge of the layout of the ancient, stone keep, she couldna keep it to herself. “Ye’ve only lived here for six weeks, how is it ye’re so comfortable with where to go? Do ye spend time exploring?”

  “That’s a nice way of saying it.”

  “Whatever do ye mean?”

  Petro blushed! She couldna believe it. She’d never seen a man get that embarrassed before.

  “Wait,” she said as they stopped on the landing. “Only the women use these stairs.”

  “And I am not a woman.”

  “Nay, ye are very much a man.” Keely tapped her chin in deep thought. “Are ye wooing one of the maids, Petro?”

  The guilty look on his face provided the answer she needed.

  “Aye. Her name is Glenna.”

  Keely knew the lass and her sister. “She’s a fortunate woman to have attracted a man like ye.”

  “We meet at night, after everyone has gone to bed.”

  “Does Alex know?”

  Petro nodded, and it greatly disappointed her that her husband wouldna confide in her.

  “Come,” Petro urged her to keep walking. “I do not want anyone to catch us here.”

  They turned left into another passageway, and ended up at a doorway that opened to the outside. The gardens were on this side of the keep, where the most sunlight reached. Once they were away from any people, Petro stopped and pulled a missive from inside his tunic.

  “The earl has answered my missive.”

  “What does he have to say?”

  “We are welcome at Dunrobin Castle.”

  Of all the things she’d done in the past, sneaking away to meet with the earl would be the most dangerous. Not that she feared for her safety. What she feared was Alex’s wrath. If he found out that Struan claimed they were betrothed, he’d likely kill the earl’s son and send her away to a convent. Nay, she must handle the situation on her own. And with Petro’s help, she felt confident that everything would work in her favor.

  “When do ye want to leave?”

  “Tonight,” he said.

  She’d not expected that. “So soon?”

  “Aye. Your father and brothers are distracted. Attend the feast as planned, and after we’ve eaten, I will challenge Alex to a drinking game. My cup will contain watered down wine. Once he is drunk, we will meet behind the stables. The horses will be waiting.”

  “May I see the letter?”

  “Of course.” Petro handed it to her.

  Keely recognized the earl’s dramatic script. He extended an open invitation, mentioned how much his daughter missed her, and offered blessings on the news of her marriage to Alex.

  “These are not the words of the man I know.” Keely looked up from the parchment.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The earl is a powerful man,” she said. “He stops at nothing to get his way. I canna believe he’d offer his blessing, especially if his son wants to marry me.”

  “I will protect you with my life, Keely.”

  “I know.” She squeezed his hand. “Perhaps my concern is misplaced. There is no reason for the earl to hurt me.”

  “If I thought for a moment we were in danger, I wouldn’t follow through with our plan.”

  “And Struan must be silenced. I doona want Alex to hear from a stranger that I am engaged to another man, especially the earl’s son!”

  “I agree. The reward is worth the risk.”

  With the plan finalized, Petro escorted Keely back to her chamber.

  *

  “These are the men who cursed my daughter?” Laird Oliphant gave the offenders a black look.

  Alex had never intended for his father-in-law to find out what happened at the wedding. Unfortunately, one of Keely’s brothers had been drinking with his soldiers. Too much ale brought out the worst in a man, made them gossip like an old woman.

  “Aye. Their leader hasna recovered from my beating. He is dying.”

  “I want to see the bastard.”

  Frankly, Alex still wanted to kill him. But he’d not hurt a man who couldna stand and fight. Laird Oliphant might not be so honorable if he was given access to Levi. Nay, he must dissuade the laird. “Help me decide the fate of these men first.”

  Laird Oliphant studied each one. “That one isna strong enough to lift a sword. How old are ye, lad?” he asked the youngest.

  “Fourteen.”

  Laird Oliphant grunted and looked at Alex. “A long stay in the kitchens working under yer head of household should chase the devil out of him.”

  “If that is what ye wish.” Alex wanted his father-in-law to feel important, to have a hand in defending his daughter’s honor.

  “He’s but a whelp, only guilty of doing what he’s told. Where’s yer da?”

  The boy pointed at one of the other five men.

  Laird Oliphant shook his head. “There’s a special place in Hades for a man who would lead his son astray.”

  Alex signaled for one of the guards.

  “Take the lad to the kitchens,” he said. “Ye are to submit to Mistress Bradana. If word reaches me that ye’re disobedient, ye’ll get lashes. Do ye understand?”

  The boy bowed. “Aye, milord.”

  As his father-in-law downed another cup of ale, Alex considered what to do with the other men. In Constantinople, all of them would be hung—a form of execution reserved for the lowest criminals. It had taken all of his strength to control his bloodthirsty nature on his wedding night. Levi’s beating had been beyond brutal. But the punishment had to fit the crime. Accusing his wife of being a witch … that could cause trouble for his clan.

  “Let my sons kill them,” the laird suggested. “Broc needs a lesson or two about administering justice.”

  Alex placed his folded hands on the table. “Twould be within yer rights as Keely’s father. Or mine as her husband. But I am afraid my wife wouldna speak with me again if she found out I ordered their executions.”

  “The lass shouldna have anything to say on such matters.”

  “She bore the brunt of their vulgarity.”

  The laird nodded. “What do ye think, Broc?”

  Laird Oliphant’s eldest son had a good head on his shoulders, so Alex was curious about what he’d say.

  “If the leader lives, he deserves execution. But these five, I see the fear of the Almighty in their eyes. Ye canna risk another uprising. The whip will be wasted upon their rebellious hearts. Banishment is a fair punishment.”

  Alex rubbed his chin. Aye, sometimes banishment was a far worse fate than death, especially in the winter. He’d be sure to send word to his neighbors not to take them in. All had families, and Alex would support their wives and children if they chose to stay.

  “So be it,” Alex said, pounding the table top with his fist. “The five of ye are forbidden to ever cross MacKay lands again. If ye’re caught, ye will be killed on sight. Have ye anything to say?”

  “I do, milord.” Hamish stepped forward, wringing his hands nervously. “I have six bairns and a wife.”

  �
��Ye should have considered that before ye followed in Levi’s footsteps.”

  “I was drunk, Laird Alex, caught up in the moment. Levi has a way of getting inside a man’s head, using yer fears against ye.”

  “Look what that weakness has earned ye.”

  “Where will I go?”

  “Away from here,” Alex offered.

  “Please, milord…”

  Alex dinna want to hear anymore begging. He signaled for the guards, and they dragged the men away.

  “I’ll see that man,” Laird Oliphant said. “Levi.”

  Alex stood and stretched. How could he keep Keely’s father from going to the dungeon? Did he have a right to forbid him from confronting his daughter’s accuser? “Tis a waste of time.”

  “Ye dinna hesitate to throw Keely in one of those filthy cells.”

  Jesus Christ. The tips of Alex’s ears burned. “Consider the unfortunate circumstances of her unexpected return.”

  “She’s a laird’s daughter.”

  He must choose his words carefully. “And if ye’d been in my place, dealing with the death of yer brother and the aftermath of an attack from the Sutherlands, would ye not have suspected Keely of being a spy? For God’s sake, she lived with them for five years.”

  “Keely a spy?” The laird wet his lips. “I suspect it had nothing to do with her being a spy, Alex. But more to do with a broken heart ye’ve been nursing all this time.”

  Alex’s jaw tightened. That hard truth hurt more than a sword wound. More than a burn. More than anything he could compare it to. “And how do ye know what I was feeling?”

  The laird snickered. “Because a man of honor wouldna treat a noble woman the way ye did unless he held a grudge against her.”

  Alex paused and took a steadying breath. He hadn’t expected an interrogation. But the man had every right to question him. He’d gone behind his back and married Keely. “Aye,” he admitted. “Seeing her again resurrected some old feelings.”

  “I doona think those feelings ever went away, lad. And doona lie to me. I’m a father of seven and can tell when anyone is lying.”

  “She only spent a couple hours in the cell.”

  Laird Oliphant leaned back in his chair. “We are indebted to each other. I signed a marriage contract pledging Keely and her dowry to yer brother. She dinna fulfill her obligations. In turn, ye took something that wasna yers to take.”

  “The law…”

  “Aye.” His father-in-law held up his hands. “I’ve examined the documents yer scholar showed me. Ye’ve acted in accordance with the law, that much I canna deny. However, other things govern a man’s heart and honor. Ye broke trust with me. Instead of bringing her home and presenting yer claim to me, ye acted selfishly.”

  It pained Alex to think of what would have happened if Keely’s father had refused him and married his daughter to someone else. Aye, jealousy and possessiveness had played a huge role in his decision to rush his marriage. So had revenge. “I am guilty of everything ye say and unashamed to admit it. I would do it again if I had a chance.”

  One side of the laird’s mouth tilted up. “I like ye, MacKay. That’s why ye’re still standing.”

  “I am fond of ye, too.”

  “Recompense must be made.”

  “Ye doona owe me anything. We are family now.”

  Laird Oliphant gave a humorless laugh and slapped his thigh. “Always jesting, lad. I meant ye owe me something.”

  “Ye have my pledge of loyalty, my friendship, and my appreciation.”

  “Gold,” the elder laird demanded. “I want some of that money ye earned in Constantinople. I hear ye’re as rich as a king.”

  His brows knitted together. The selfish bastard would squeeze everything out of Alex if he let him. “What do ye want?”

  “That depends on ye.” The laird stood up. “Now take me to Levi.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Keely said a short prayer and crossed herself before she stepped outside. The feast had been a somber affair. Alex and her father had been engaged in conversation all night, hardly acknowledging her or their guests. However, she couldna have asked for a better outcome, because it had given her the opportunity to slip abovestairs unnoticed, change her clothes, and take the back stairs outside.

  During supper, guards were not posted outside her bedchamber. And at celebrations, unless the soldiers were stationed at the gates or on patrol, every man attended.

  Leah had been harder to get away from, for the maid kept a close eye on Keely. She hoped her friend wouldna notice her missing gown. If Keely disguised herself as a servant, she had a better chance of getting through the gates with Petro.

  As the scholar had promised, he was waiting behind the stables.

  “Milady,” he said quietly. “I started to worry. It is later than I hoped to leave.”

  “I left the feast as soon as I could and stopped by Leah’s room to borrow one of her gowns. Mine are too adorned to pass as a maid in.”

  With a full moon overhead, she could see Petro’s face clearly. He nodded and looked her over.

  “Pull the hood up to hide your face. And if you are not averse to sharing the saddle with me, I think it best to ride through the gates as two lovers escaping to their private place.”

  A brilliant plan she wouldna have thought of herself. “I trust yer judgement,” she said.

  “Then we should go.”

  “Wait.” She gripped his upper arm. “If ye have any doubts about accompanying me, please return and save yerself from any responsibility. I doona want ye to get in trouble with Alex. He cares a great deal about ye.”

  “Lady Keely,” he said. “I am a grown man. If I did not wish to be here, I would have never offered to escort you to Dunrobin Castle. I am not deaf and blind. I’ve heard the gossip about you, and have seen firsthand how poorly some of the people treat you. Helping you is a duty I do not take lightly.”

  Tears filled Keely’s eyes. She dinna know why exactly. Maybe knowing someone else understood how much she had suffered brought her a bit of comfort and the tears were out of gratitude instead of from sadness. “I am sorry for crying, Petro.”

  “Do not apologize for shedding tears. You are an exceptional woman.”

  Keely dinna take praise well, especially when she felt guilty. Petro boosted her into the saddle, then handed her the reins to the other horse. Once she was comfortable, he climbed up behind her and wrapped his arm about her waist.

  “Try not to show the guards your face.”

  “What if they ask questions?”

  “Let me do the talking. Are you ready?”

  Her heart pounded like she’d just run up a mountain. “Aye,” she said, resting her cheek against Petro’s chest. She could feel his heartbeat; it was slow and steady. Did anything excite the scholar?

  They reached the gates and one of the guards stopped Petro.

  “Where are ye going?”

  Petro cleared his throat. “Away from probing eyes,” he said.

  The guard smiled. “Whose eyes?”

  “The lass’s father is inside the great hall. If he sees me with his daughter, he will geld me.”

  One of the other soldiers chuckled and said, “Let him pass—he’s not a danger to us, only to himself.”

  “If someone comes looking for Katherine, will you deny ever seeing us?” Petro asked, playing his role perfectly.

  Keely struggled to stay still, but she did.

  “Aye. Yer secret is safe with me,” the guard assured him as he slapped the horse on the rear. “Away with ye before I change my mind.”

  Petro heeled the beast into a gallop, and Keely lifted her head, watching as the keep faded into the darkness. Only after they’d been riding for a couple of hours did Petro dare to stop. He’d found a burn where the horses could drink.

  Keely dismounted and took a shaky breath. “Do ye think we’re being followed?’

  “Nay,” he said with confidence. “There is no reason for the guards
to doubt what I told them. As for Alex, your sire, and brothers, I am sure they are still discussing what to do about the Sutherlands.”

  “Is that what has taken my husband away from me?”

  “That and the need to gain your father’s blessing for your marriage.”

  “Gods knows what demands he’s putting on Alex.”

  “You have not heard?”

  “About what?”

  “Perhaps it is better not to say anything.”

  “Please, Petro. If ye doona tell me now, I willna be able to think about anything else.”

  The scholar started to pace. She’d never seen him nervous before. “Your father killed the man who interrupted your wedding.”

  The news saddened her greatly, for her sire had killed many men in his lifetime. Not that she considered him a murderer, for most had met their end on the battlefield. “This was one of his conditions in order for Alex to gain his approval?”

  “Aye.”

  What next? Alex’s blood? “My father can be uncompromising.”

  “Levi deserved to die, milady. And so did the men who supported his rebellion.”

  “How many were there?”

  “Seven. One but a child. He’s been placed under the care of the cook and the head of household.”

  “And the others?”

  “Banished.”

  She supposed that was better than execution. Though it did surprise her Alex had let them live. For she’d never escape the nightmare of watching her husband beat a man within an inch of his life. Aye, she’d seen men die before from illness and sword fighting. But never from fists. That’s why she intervened with Alex, asking him to stop. She’d been the cause of the unrest and felt responsible for the violence.

  “You are very quiet,” Petro observed.

  “I am thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “What will happen if we are caught.”

  Petro offered her a water skin. She took a long drink of the refreshing, cold water.

  “Alex is unpredictable,” he said. “I have seen him kill without conscience one day, and demonstrate the mercy of God the next.”

  “Let us hope we are caught on a good day then.”

  Petro laughed. “Are you hungry? I have smoked fish and venison, and some bread.”