The Highlander's Maiden

by Carole Archer

  “Come on, we’d better get out of here,” Duncan told them.

  “You can ride on my horse,” Harvey told Kaitlyn, who stepped away from him and grasped Blayne’s hand again. “I’d prefer to ride with my husband to be,” she smiled. “We can get to know each other better,” she added, smiling sweetly at him.

  Blayne picked her up and carried her to his horse, lifting her up and sitting her on the saddle before climbing on behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her against him as he gripped the horse’s reins.

  They rode quickly out of Ramelton, fearing more of Lord Ambrose’s men might arrive at any moment. Kaitlyn closed her eyes and leaned her head back against Blayne, sighing with pleasure as she felt his strong arms holding her tight while the wind blew in her face as they rode away from her former home.

  When they reached the farmhouse in Rathmullan, Harvey said it was a good idea for Kaitlyn and Alroy to collect anything they needed and they’d head back to Scotland immediately.

  “I thought I’d be staying here,” Alroy said. Kaitlyn looked sad and gripped his hand. “Don’t you want to come with us and see me get married, and see Colleen again?” she sulked.

  Alroy nodded. “I’d love to, but will there be somewhere for me to stay?” he asked hopefully.

  Duncan smiled at him. “Of course there will. Kaitlyn will stay with me and Colleen until she marries Blayne, probably very soon I would imagine,” he smiled, looking at the two who had barely torn their eyes off each other since they met.

  “You’re more than welcome to stay too,” he told Alroy. “Maybe until Kaitlyn’s married you could stay with my Aunt Annie. She’d love the company. Colleen stayed with her until we were wed and although Colleen goes to cook and clean for her every day and spends as much time as she can with her, Aunt Annie misses having someone there permanently. She’s been lost since Colleen moved out, though the stubborn old woman wouldn’t ever say so,” Duncan told him.

  Alroy smiled happily. “The last week without Kaitlyn has been so lonely,” he told Duncan. “Although I’m thrilled we’ve got Kaitlyn back, I dreaded you all heading back to Scotland and leaving me behind. I’ve got used to having Kaitlyn around and although I’d lived alone for many years prior to becoming temporary guardian to the girls, I do not relish the thought of being alone any longer. I’d love to come to Scotland with you. Thank you so much for your hospitality,” he said to Duncan, shaking his hand.

  Kaitlyn and Alroy quickly packed a few things and Alroy went to thank his friends who had put them up since Lord O’Shea’s death. He thanked their friends who had supplied the horses, though he noticed Harvey had already thanked them – and all the other warriors – with a bottle of his famous mead.

  An hour later Kaitlyn was thrilled to be boarding a boat and heading across the water to her sister. Although Alroy glanced back at his beloved Ireland as they slowly left the shore of Lough Swilly, Kaitlyn’s eyes were focused ahead as she gripped Blayne’s hand and longed to reach his home land where her sister was waiting for her.

  I can’t believe I’ll be with Colleen again soon. Her smile grew as she clung to Blayne’s hand and looked up into his handsome face once more. I can’t believe I’m getting married too. This is the best day of my life.

  She sighed happily, resting her head on Blayne’s shoulder, as her eyes stayed focused ahead, waiting for her first glimpse of Scotland.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kaitlyn refused to sleep as they crossed the water to Scotland, even though she was absolutely exhausted. She was too excited at the prospect of seeing her sister again. She had longed to be reunited with her for many long months and finally the day had arrived.

  She was thrilled that as well as finding her sister again, she had also found her future husband. She looked at him once more, squeezing his hand and smiling up at him. I can’t believe you’re really mine, she thought, looking into his dark brown eyes.

  Blayne leaned down towards her and kissed her softly on the lips, causing Kaitlyn to blush. She’d never been kissed until Blayne came along and she liked the feel of his soft lips against her. It feels so nice, she thought dreamily.

  They chatted happily on the way to Scotland and Kaitlyn closed her eyes and enjoyed feeling his breath against her neck as she listened intently to the Scottish accent she had fallen in love with immediately. She enjoyed hearing him talk to her about his life in Scotland and how he would become the leader of his clan one day soon. He told her his father had promised to hand the leadership over to him once he found himself a suitable bride and proved himself a worthy leader. Kaitlyn couldn’t stop smiling as she thought he had already proved himself worthy, in her eyes at least.

  She told him about her life in Ireland, shedding a few tears as she told him about the sad demise of her parents and how she had been separated from her sister. Despite her grief, she smiled as Blayne held her close to him and kissed her hair tenderly.

  Although they shared the boat with a dozen other men, as far as Kaitlyn was concerned she and Blayne were the only people in the world at that moment.

  They spent a lot of time talking on their journey across the water and Kaitlyn was thrilled to find that she really did like Blayne. Colleen’s husband is nice too, she thought, smiling at him.

  Kaitlyn delighted in hearing Duncan tell her about how he met Colleen and how she had looked after his aunt. “Why did you marry her?” she asked. Duncan grinned and looked at Blayne, who started to laugh as he pulled Kaitlyn into his arms and kissed her on the cheek.

  “What’s so funny?” asked Kaitlyn, confused at the private joke between the two men. “Sorry Kaitlyn,” explained Duncan. “Your sister wandered away from my home one day and into Blayne’s village. He almost took her as his wife and we almost had a fight over her.”

  Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. “That’s typical of Colleen. She doesn’t know how to behave herself. I bet she still needs to be spanked too,” she said cheekily.

  Blayne looked at her sternly. “Don’t be asking such impertinent questions, young lady, otherwise you’ll find that Colleen isn’t the only one still getting her bottom smacked,” he whispered into her ear.

  Kaitlyn held her breath as Blayne threatened to spank her, but she couldn’t ignore the unusual excitement she felt as she thought about Blayne turning her across his lap. She had been spanked many times by her father, and she blushed as she recalled Alroy had had cause to spank her bottom a couple of times over recent months, but she had never ever felt excited at the prospect of a spanking—until now.

  She squirmed on Blayne’s lap and her eyes widened as she felt his cock harden under her bottom. Leaning back she whispered “I promise I’ll be a good girl, you won’t need to spank me”. Glancing over her shoulder she added “at least not today”.

  Kaitlyn’s cheeks flushed prettily as she looked at Duncan. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, glancing at Blayne, who was once again smiling. She didn’t want to make him angry with her, but she had to admit that she felt oddly aroused by his dominant tone and she glanced away, looking back at Duncan.

  “It’s OK,” Duncan replied, smiling as he looked at the young woman who was almost a mirror image of her sister, only a little younger. “Colleen might be a bit of a handful at times but I wouldn’t have her any other way,” he admitted.

  As the journey took its toll on Kaitlyn, who had barely slept since Lord Ambrose and his men had taken her several days earlier, Kaitlyn rested her head against Blayne’s shoulder and closed her eyes. She shivered and Blayne quickly removed his cloak, lifted her onto his lap and wrapped the cloak and his arms around her. Kaitlyn smiled as she rested her head on his chest, her eyes focused ahead once more.

  Blayne held her close and Duncan watched the pair closely. He had been surprised by Blayne’s caring nature towards Kaitlyn and was glad she had agreed to become his wife.

  Not long after they could finally see Scotland and Blayne shook Kaitlyn gently. She jumped up excitedly. “We’re nearly
there,” she squealed, seeing the faint outline of Scotland in the distance.

  Blayne pulled her back onto his lap and held her close. “Careful,” he warned, “we don’t want you falling overboard,” he smiled at her, enjoying seeing her so happy. “I can’t wait to take you home and introduce you to my father,” he told her. “He’s going to absolutely love you,” he said, pulling her close to him, his eyes closed as he savoured the feeling of a woman in his arms.

  Blayne was smitten with Kaitlyn already and couldn’t wait to make her his wife. He held her even tighter as he prayed that she would not find someone else before he had time to arrange their wedding, as had happened in the past.

  As he held Kaitlyn in his arms, he promised her that he was going to do all he could to keep her by his side forever. She smiled brightly at him, her green eyes twinkling.

  “I promise I’ll make you happy,” he whispered, tightening his hold around her waist. Kaitlyn turned her head and smiled. “I promise I’ll be a good wife to you. I’ll learn how to make you truly happy,” she whispered, kissing him softly on the lips and shivering once more as she experienced the delicious sensations that ran through her body when his lips touched hers.

  Grinning, she bounced excitedly on his lap as Scotland was so close now she could almost touch it. As she jumped to her feet once more, Blayne couldn’t resist landing a hard swat on her bottom which made her squeal. The others on the boat stared at them, wondering what Kaitlyn had done, but Harvey and Alroy smiled at each other as Kaitlyn’s face radiated happiness as Blayne wrapped his arms around her and held her close as she gazed ahead, longing to put her feet on Scottish soil.

  If she knew exactly where her sister was, as soon as her feet touched the ground Kaitlyn knew she would have run and not stopped until she reached her. Excitedly she asked “Where’s Colleen?”

  “She’s at my village,” Duncan told her. “It isn’t far from here,” he added, as they finally reached the shore and the men started to get out of the boat and untie the horses they had left behind.

  William appeared as Blayne lifted Kaitlyn from the boat. She gazed at Blayne with tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe I’m going to see Colleen again soon,” she told him.

  Harvey smiled as he stepped towards William. “How did you know we would be here?” he asked.

  “Robert came to see me. He told me you’d headed over to Ireland to rescue Miss Colleen’s sister. I thought you might need your cart when you got back to escort her home. I assume this must be Miss Kaitlyn,” he asked, taking her hand and gently kissing the back of it. “You’re as pretty as your sister,” he added, guiding the young woman to the horses and cart.

  He helped her up onto the cart and she grinned at him. “I meant to ask Duncan and Blayne earlier. Why do you men all wear dresses?” she asked.

  “Kaitlyn!” scolded Blayne. “Don’t be so rude. I have already warned you about that.”

  “Don’t be so harsh on the wee lassie,” said William, putting his hand on Blayne’s shoulder in a fatherly gesture. “She’ll find out about our traditions soon enough.”

  Blayne took a deep breath and nodded. “She’ll be learning about some traditions sooner than others,” he said, raising his eyebrows as he shot a warning look at Kaitlyn.

  Kaitlyn looked mischievously at him and grinned. “I was only asking,” she replied innocently, before she giggled, smiling brightly at the stout old man who was laughing loudly.

  “I see you don’t just look like your sister but you’re as cheeky as her too,” he laughed.

  Kaitlyn grinned. “Oh no, Colleen’s far naughtier and cheekier than I am. I’m a good girl,” she giggled.

  Duncan walked across to Blayne and slapped him on the back. “I hope for your sake she isn’t as naughty as her sister, or you’ll be wearing your hand out on her bottom,” he joked.

  Kaitlyn blushed as she looked at Blayne, but was slightly disturbed as once more she felt strangely aroused at the thought of this attractive man overpowering her and turning her across his knee, baring her bottom and spanking her with his huge hand. She blushed and squirmed in her seat, wondering what on earth was wrong with her.

  “Are you riding with me?” she asked Blayne, who looked hopefully at Harvey. Harvey smiled and nodded. “Go on, you ride on the back with Kaitlyn. Duncan can ride up front with me.”

  Blayne jumped up beside Kaitlyn, who immediately climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him. “Now there’s room for Alroy too,” she shouted to Harvey, pleased to have an excuse to be close to her Scotsman once more. And he’s all mine, she thought happily, kissing him on the cheek and giggling as his rough beard scratched her face.

  Alroy gratefully climbed onto the cart beside Blayne, who held Kaitlyn in his arms as if his life depended on keeping hold of her. “Ah, young love,” Alroy said, causing Duncan and Harvey to turn round and grin.

  “We’ll get Kaitlyn back to the village and she can see Colleen. I’m sure she’ll be waiting eagerly for news of what’s happening in Ireland,” Duncan said. “I’m sure she won’t be expecting us back quite so soon,” he smiled, turning to Harvey and confiding in him that after less than two days apart he was already missing his wife and longed to hold her in his arms once more. Harvey smiled and slapped him affectionately on the back.

  Duncan looked enviously at Blayne, who held the almost mirror image of his wife in his arms, as they set off on the short journey to his village.

  At they neared the MacGregor village, Duncan turned to face them. Blayne looked apprehensively at Duncan. “Will I be welcome in your village or should I get off now?” he asked. Duncan smiled and extended his hand towards Blayne. “Of course you’re welcome in my village. We’re family now, nearly! You’ve rescued my wife’s sister and hopefully your wedding to Kaitlyn will bring peace between our clans at last.”

  Blayne nodded in agreement and shook Duncan’s hand.

  Minutes later they arrived in the village and Kaitlyn gazed wide-eyed at the houses. As they pulled to a stop outside one house, Harvey got down and helped Kaitlyn off the cart. Duncan, Blayne and Alroy followed and Duncan took Kaitlyn by the hand and led her up to his home, leaving her outside with the men.

  “Let’s surprise her,” he whispered to Kaitlyn, as he crept inside and closed the door behind him. “Colleen,” he called, and seconds later she ran out to greet him, wrapping her arms around him. He closed his eyes as he held her against him, inhaling the familiar scent of his beautiful wife.

  “Is Kaitlyn OK?” she asked anxiously.

  Duncan looked at her and smiled, kissing her tenderly on the lips.

  “Why don’t you ask her yourself,” he responded, stepping towards the door and pulling it open.

  Colleen’s eyes widened in shock and for a minute she just stared at her sister, who also seemed frozen to the spot, as if neither could believe the other was really there.

  “Kaitlyn,” she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. Kaitlyn nodded as tears spilled from her own eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “Oh Colleen,” she whispered, “I’ve missed you so much.”

  Suddenly Colleen squealed with delight and threw her arms around her sister, clinging tightly to her. When they finally separated, Duncan led them inside where they sat down and chattered excitedly about their time apart.

  “This calls for a celebration,” announced Harvey, who along with Richard and Robert was carrying in a large amount of mead from his cart.

  Kaitlyn ran to greet Richard and Robert, kissing Harvey and Alroy once more, before throwing her arms around Duncan and kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you for coming to rescue me. I’m glad Colleen found such a lovely husband.”

  Colleen smiled brightly. “He’s the best, isn’t he?”

  Kaitlyn nodded eagerly as Harvey handed everyone a glass of mead and encouraged them all to drink a toast to Colleen and Kaitlyn’s reunion.

  It was at that point that Colleen noticed Blayne, standing sheepishly by the door. She drank her glass of mea
d in one go, slammed the glass onto the table and strode across the room towards Blayne, her hands planted firmly on her hips.

  “What are you doing in my home?” she demanded.

  “Colleen, don’t be rude, he helped to get Kaitlyn back,” Duncan told her, his eyes flashing a warning at her.

  Colleen scowled at him and was surprised when Kaitlyn ran to Blayne’s side and grasped his hand. “Colleen, don’t be mean. Blayne’s my hero and I’m going to marry him,” she announced, giggling as Colleen’s face paled and her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find something to say.

  “He was promised my hand in marriage if he came to Ireland and helped Duncan,” she told her clearly unhappy sister.

  Colleen spun round to face Duncan. “How dare you offer my sister as a prize?” she demanded to know.

  Duncan shook his head and sighed. “Colleen, I thought you wanted me to do anything I could to ensure your sister’s safe return?” he asked, quickly adding “and does she look unhappy about the arrangement?”

  Colleen glared at him and turned to face her sister. She was stunned to see her hugging Blayne. She was equally surprised to see him smiling. “You were so bad tempered when I met you,” she recalled. “I didn’t think you knew how to smile.”

  Blayne smirked and pulled Kaitlyn closer to him.

  “You’re married, Colleen,” Kaitlyn sulked. “Why should you be the only one to have all the fun?” she asked, scowling. “I want a husband too and Blayne is gorgeous and has been so kind to me.”

  Colleen sighed and glared at Blayne. “My dear sister, I think you’ve gone mad, but I guess if you’re happy to marry him then it’s OK with me,” she said quickly, after Duncan had moved his hand down from her waist and patted her bottom, kissing her on the cheek before quietly whispering “behave yourself” into her ear.

  “Oh I’m more than happy to marry him,” replied Kaitlyn, looking up into Blayne’s eyes and smiling at him. He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips and Kaitlyn visibly trembled before looking at her sister. “He’ll make me happy,” she whispered to Colleen, “I know he will.”