“‘Tis no bother. I am desperate for more information about Jillian. We miss her dreadfully,” Gemma said with a sly smile. “Kylie, we will see you tomorrow after we break our fast. The loch is a stunning sight in the morning,”
Creighton grunted quietly as he pulled her away. Kylie held on to her temper until they were well away from the crowd. “How dare ye pull me away when I was making new friends? Do ye really expect me to meekly follow ye as if I have no mind of my own?”
“What were ye discussing with Gemma?” Creighton snarled as he stopped and turned to her. “She and Theo are partners in rule as they are husband and wife, and if ye think of doing something treacherous by befriending her, believe me when I tell ye that I wilnae hesitate to do whatever it takes to stop ye.”
The ferocity in his face frightened her, and she paled and took a step back. “Ye are a madman,” she whispered. “I had heard that ye were losing yer mind, so paranoid that ye were seeing deceit in every smile, but I had thought them wrong.”
“Kylie,” he said as he stepped toward her.
Her heart lurched, and she nearly fell as she stumbled away. “Dinnae touch me. If this is how ye are going to be, then I will find my own way to Sinclair.”
He seemed to recoil inside himself, and Kylie turned and raced back to her cottage. It wasn’t until she’d locked the door that she stopped shaking. Of all the men in the Highlands, she had to find herself with the one who was losing his mind. Jillian so believed in him, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe Creighton was too far gone.
He distrusted her too much, and although she had never done anything to hurt him, she feared what might happen when he discovered her lie.
6
Sweat poured over his head as Creighton swung up his sword to meet the one descending. The force of the two reversed through him, but he pushed through as he attempted to knock his opponent down.
Theo and his men had allowed Creighton, Andrew, and Clement to join, but a few minutes into the session, Theo seemed to realize that Creighton didn’t need to train.
He needed to exorcise the demons.
Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the stark fear on Kylie’s face right before she’d run from him, and he could hardly fault her for it. Seeing her whispering with Gemma, conspiring, had sent him over the edge as he wondered just who Lady Beth had conspired with before she convinced his brother to murder their other brother.
Kylie was not conspiring; she was eating dinner and making friends with a woman known for embracing women on Loch Moran. The fact that they had withdrawn from the dinner didn’t mean anything. Gemma might have just wanted a moment away from her son, and Kylie looked so tired. There could have been any number of reasons that they had wanted privacy.
And Creighton had made an ass of himself and terrified her.
Distracted for just a moment, he missed Theo’s move, and the edge of the sword nipped his arm as Theo could only pull back at the last minute. Swearing, Theo dropped his sword. “What is wrong with ye, man?” Theo demanded. “I could have hurt ye. Now ye will have to see Angie.”
“Calm yerself,’ Creighton sighed as he examined the wound. “‘Tis just a scratch. Ye wilnae be responsible for the death of the last Armstrong brother.”
“Ah, hell, Creighton. There is obviously something weighing on yer mind. Care to discuss it?”
“No,” Creighton snapped.
Theo smirked. “So this has nothing to do with the miss traveling with ye who is not a relative nor even a member of yer clan but seems to be joining ye unaccompanied while ye search for a bride?”
“On second thought, perhaps I do need a healer if for no other reason than to get away from ye,” Creighton said darkly. “I dinnae need to explain Miss Kylie to ye, but if ye are concerned about her reputation, there is no need. I have no designs on her, and she clearly has no care about the thing herself.”
Apparently, someone had already had her, and for some reason, that made Creighton’s blood boil.
“So ye arenae bringing yer mistress to help ye choose a wife? That is good. The men were wagering just how that might pan out.”
Hissing, Creighton’s gaze swept over the field to see that most of the men had stopped and were grinning at him. “She isnae my mistress!” he bellowed so all could hear.
“Then will she marry me because she is an angel, and I think I am in love,” a voice called back, and everyone cackled.
“This is why she is traveling to Sinclair,” Creighton explained. “All of the eligible MacSeavers have asked for her hand and been turned down. I suppose now she will go through the Sinclair men as well although she swears she has no interest in marriage.”
“I am sure her family balks at that. And Graeme!”
“Jillian is her closest friend, so Graeme wouldnae care for her to wed, and from what I can tell, the lass has no family. She was raised by a guardian who passed some years ago.” Creighton shrugged. “She isnae what I want to discuss with ye anyway. I missed ye on my last journey through because ye were at yer keep. I wanted to give ye my compliments on Loch Moran and yer own clan. I had heard of the troubles ye faced.”
“Aye, but it is much as Gemma’s accomplishment as my own,” Theo said with a rare smile. “She is my other half in everything that I do.”
Creighton grunted. “I told Kylie as much last night. It seems that the alliance is made up of lairds who are happy to share their power with their wives.”
“Aye, and ye should find yerself someone that ye can trust as well.” Theo wasn’t bothering to hide that he was being pointed. “Someone that ye can love. It will make ye a better ruler, and perhaps...” he hesitated.
“Perhaps?” Creighton scowled, daring him to finish that sentence.
But Theo was no longer looking at him. When his whole body relaxed, and a small smile spread over his face, Creighton looked over his shoulder and frowned when he saw Gemma sashaying across the field.
“Excuse me,” Theo said as he handed his sword to Oliver and walked over to meet his wife.
“Is there something amiss?” Creighton asked.
“Nay,” another voice snickered. David, Oliver’s young cousin, was in training and grinned at the laird. “Everyone knows that Lady Gemma can’t keep her hands off her husband. She is often whisking him away during the day, especially after Kein reached a certain age.”
“David!” Oliver admonished with a chuckle. “That is yer mistress that ye are talking about.”
David just shrugged and egged his opponent back into a fight. Creighton looked over at Theo again and shook his head as the man stole a kiss from his wife and began leading her off the field.
One thing was certain. Creighton had no intentions of taking a wife who might dare tempt him away from something as important as training his men.
Kylie paced, feeling very nervous about being in Gemma and Theo’s shared room. Gemma had assured her that this was the best way to steal some alone time with Theo without someone seeing and reporting back to Creighton, but it still didn’t feel right.
And when Theo opened the door and saw her, disappointment and confusion were written all over his face. Kylie felt even worse. “What is going on one?” Theo thundered, loudly.
“Calm yerself, Husband. ‘Tis nothing insidious,” Gemma crooned as she put a hand on his arm. “Kylie had some questions that she wanted to ask ye in private. When ye are done, I promise that I will make this worth yer while.”
When he was about to object, she kissed him on the cheek and whispered something in his ear before she closed the door behind him. Theo glowered at Kylie. “I dinnae know what this about, lass, but I suggest ye make it fast. My wife has promised something enticing, and I dinnae wish to wait long for it.”
Kylie blushed and cleared her throat. “I will get right to it then. I would like to know what ye know of the Erksine clan, and more specifically, the laird of the Erksines.”
Clearly surprised, Theo sat on the chair by the door and frowned. “That is a
n odd question. Why would ye be wanting to know about the Erksines?”
“I cannae say, and Gemma assured me that ye wouldnae press me for details. ‘Tis a private matter.”
Unhappy, Theo shifted and grumbled a little under his breath. Kylie feared that Gemma might get an earful when this was over. “The Erksines are a secretive clan,” Theo said as he cocked his head and watched her thoughtfully. “Because they are so secluded near the mountain peaks, only the bravest trek that high up to trade with them. They are a hardy bunch, though, and survive on whatever they can grow themselves. In truth, I havenae heard any news about them in my reign or my father’s reign.”
Disappointed, Kylie slumped her shoulders. “Ah, well, I appreciate ye taking the time to listen to me.”
“If it is so important to ye, lass, I will ask someone who might know more. I cannae promise to have the information to ye before ye leave, but I will send it Sinclair’s way and have it waiting for ye,” Theo said gently. “If ye would tell me what this is about, I can narrow down the information I seek for ye.”
Kylie trusted Gemma and wanted to trust Theo, but if the Erksine laird was responsible for her parents’ deaths, then it might be in Theo’s interest to help cover it up, and she couldn’t risk it. Better gather as much information as she could before she started trying to narrow things down.
“I am afraid that I cannae do that. Any information ye can give me will be helpful,” she said before she walked to the door. Theo was right there, and his gaze never lefts her. By the time she got the door open and left the room, she was shaking.
“Kylie!” Gemma rushed up to her. “Was my husband helpful?”
“He is willing to ask,” Kylie whispered. “Thank ye for yer help. I should really get going. Yer husband is waiting for ye.”
“Darling.” Gemma reached up and touched her cheek. “You are cold but shaking. What is the matter?”
“Yer husband was a gentleman, but others havenae been. If ye will excuse me, I need some fresh air.” Kylie managed to get out of the cottage before her stomach started to turn. Being in the chamber with Theo, even knowing that Gemma was on the other side, had brought back a flood of memories that had left her short of breath. For a moment, she feared that her breakfast would return.
And when she looked up, it almost did. Creighton was staring down at her, a stormy expression on his face. When her eyes widened, he hissed and held his hands behind his back. “Ye look like ye might pass out. Come, have a walk with me until yer color returns to normal. Perhaps then ye can tell me why ye looked so terrified before ye even saw me.”
Afraid to open her mouth, she took a shaky step forward, and another until she felt a little more grounded. As they walked, he stayed close but didn’t touch her. Even though his anger was obvious, he kept his temper until she could breathe easier.
“Tell me what happened to make ye so terrified.”
“Nothing happened,” Kylie said honestly. “Just some old and unpleasant memories that arose at an inconvenient time. Ye dinnae have to walk with me. I feel better now, and I know ye had many things ye wanted to accomplish while ye are here.”
“Aye, I do, but since Theo is indisposed, I thought I might come find ye and apologize for my behavior last night. Imagine my surprise when I find ye in Theo’s home.”
He wants to apologize?
“I was speaking to Gemma, and if ye dinnae believe me, then ye can ask her yerself. She wanted my help in surprising Theo, and know, I wilnae tell ye with what. ‘Tis their business.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. Theo was certainly surprised to see her in his bedroom.
Creighton was quiet for a moment. “Ye are a terrible liar, which makes me think that whatever ye are hiding can hardly be treacherous, and yet, ye wilnae tell me the truth. I dinnae know what to make of ye, Kylie. I wish no harm on ye.”
“And yet sometimes ye look at me as though I were the most vile creature ye had ever met,” Kylie snorted. “Ye may think ye can read me, but I can certainly read ye. What happened to yer brothers was a tragedy, and I can certainly understand yer anger and rage, but ye cannae go through life distrusting everyone that ye meet. We all have secrets, Creighton, secrets that we have no wish to share with ye, but it doesnae mean that we are going to hurt ye.”
“By agreeing to escort ye to Sinclair, I have agreed to keep ye safe, and ‘tis difficult to do that when ye are obviously hiding something from me. I have no wish to terrify ye again like last night, but I wilnae stop trying to discover the truth about ye, Kylie.”
“I wish I could say differently, but I dinnae think there will ever be enough trust between us. I appreciate the walk. I do feel calmer, and if ye will excuse me, I am going back to my room. I wish to rest before tonight.”
As she walked away, she wondered why her heart was breaking. It was not as if it was something she would ever give to Creighton anyway, especially knowing that he would never want it.
7
She was out walking in the darkness, like a ghost haunting the loch. Creighton watched Kylie from a safe distance. Unable to sleep himself, he’d glanced out the window in time to see her leave, and at first, fury had set in. He was so sure that she was off to meet someone for a lover’s tryst or to plot, but she was completely alone, and there was an agonizing sadness on her face.
The lass must be freezing, he thought, but as she stared out to the waters, she made no move to rub her arms to close her cloak. For a moment, Creighton wondered if maybe she was sleepwalking, but when she turned, the moonlight glinted off the moisture on her face.
She was crying.
What had happened that day to make her so burdened and unhappy? He desperately wished that she would tell him.
“Kylie,” he said softly as he stepped out of the shadows, “dinnae be alarmed. I just mean to walk ye back to yer bed. ‘Tis too cold for ye to be out.”
When she turned, there was no surprise on her face. Maybe she’d known that he was following her, or maybe she didn’t care. “I dinnae wish to try and sleep just yet. Tell me something.”
“What do ye wish to know?”
At first, it looked like she was struggling, and then she smiled, almost sadly. “Tell me what ye are looking for in a wife.”
Creighton groaned, but she looked so desperate that he gave in. “It will disappoint ye. Jillian was not so happy either, but I have few requirements. I am simply looking for someone who might be a good mother and will understand that I am a busy man.”
Kylie gawked at him. “This is a woman that ye will spend the rest of yer life with, and all ye care about is that she will be able to raise yer child and leave ye alone? What about the vows that ye make to her?”
This was not the conversation he was planning on having tonight. “I will protect and respect her—”
“Honor her? By treating her as if she were no more than a broodmare? And do ye plan to be faithful to her? I didnae hear anything about yer wish that she be compatible.”
“Kylie...”
“What about intelligence? Do ye wish to converse with her or hear her ideas, or shall she just be a mute baby-making woman living in yer keep?”
She was getting fired up now, so there was no trace of whatever had been haunting her before. “Time for ye to go in,” he said abruptly as he closed her cloak and turned her back to the path. “Ye and Jillian are maddening. Ye make me wish to wed less and less.”
“Ach,” she snorted. “I hope ye dinnae tell yer future bride that!”
“Well, what of ye? Dozens have asked for yer hand, and yet ye have turned each and every one of them down. Why were they not good enough?”
“Because not a single one of them made me regret my decision to not marry,” she said easily. “None of them wished to know anything about me. At first, it was because I am pretty, and that is hardly an accomplishment for me. I wish to be adored for my intelligence and spirit, but none of them even cared enough to learn anything about me. Then, it was all about conquest. Surely,
they would be able to be the one to win my hand. Well, I am no prize.”
“And why did ye decide not to wed to begin with?”
When she didn’t say anything, he realized that he’d happened upon a subject she clearly didn’t want to talk about. “If ye have no wish to wed, then ye wouldnae be the right person to advise me on my upcoming ceremony,” he pointed out with a satisfied smile. At least that would put an end to that.
“My intentions to not wed are not because I dinnae approve of marriage. For love, I wholeheartedly approve, but that is not why most marry. I have already told ye that I am compromised. No one wishes to wed a young lass who is no longer a virgin,” she said shortly, and without realizing it, he dropped his hand from her back.
Stopping, she looked pointedly at his hand. “See, ye are no different, Creighton. Ye judge a lass on whether a man has already been between her legs. ‘Tis a shame that we cannae judge men for the same. Now, if ye will excuse me, I am certain that I can see myself the rest of the way.”
She did indeed walk herself, but this late at night, there was no way Creighton was letting her go alone. When she reached her cottage, she turned and stared at him. Something compelled him forward. Maybe it was the uncertainty in her eyes, the hint that the sadness might be returning, or maybe it was the knowledge that his own darkness was waiting for him as soon as the door closed. But he didn’t stop himself until he was only inches away, and her lips parted, more in surprise than an invitation, but still, he felt the desire rush up inside of him.
He wanted this woman. His manhood stirred, hardened, and he softly stroked a finger under her chin. “Tell me what keeps ye up at night,” he whispered.
Stubbornly, she just stared at him, then turned and went inside without a word.
Highlander’s Elusive Bride: A Scottish Medieval Historical Romance Page 4
