“Are ye certain that I cannae convince ye to return to MacDougal Keep with me? There are plenty of fine, unwed lasses in my clan who would love to be yer bride,” Theo boasted as they walked. It was just after noon, and the sun had warmed the land. After a morning of training, Creighton had opted to join Theo on his rounds throughout the village. The last time he saw Kylie, she was being spirited away by Gemma and Elizabeth to get into trouble, and he wanted to spend as much time with Theo as possible. He had barely known the man before the meeting on Hamilton soil where they all banned together to sign the treaty, but facing certain death with someone had a way of bonding them together. He and Hamish had grown close since then as the two had become concerned about him after the death of his brothers.
Their friendship and letters had helped to keep some of the darkness at bay.
“If there were so many eligible lasses, why did ye marry the English one?” Creighton asked.
“I did it to secure the goodwill of the people of the loch.” Theo grinned. “And then, of course, I fell madly in love with her. That leaves ye with plenty of MacDougals to choose from.”
Love. It made fools of all of them, but he had to admit that it did seem like Theo was stronger from his marriage to Gemma, even if she was English. “Be that as it may, I have already plotted my journey to Sinclair. If I cannae find a wife there, I suppose I will journey back to see what yer land has to offer.”
Theo stopped suddenly and gazed up at a small cottage. “Give me just a moment. I need to speak to Agnes.”
Creighton followed him up the path, and the door opened as a round woman came out. She wasted no time in enveloping Theo into a hug. “I ‘ave not been able to do that since ye have returned. Ye stay away far too long these days, but I suppose that is what happens when ye become a father.”
“Agnes, have I thanked ye for pushing Gemma my way?” Theo grinned before he looked up at Creighton. “Agnes and her husband Harry tried to terrify Gemma so she would leap into my arms, and although it did not work out quite as they had planned, ‘tis a happy ending for all anyway.”
“Aye, and I suspect soon my Elizabeth and her Oliver will be giving me grandbabies!”
This was Elizabeth’s parents? Creighton had seen a little of the spitfire, and suddenly, it all made sense. He wondered if Oliver knew what he’d gotten into when he wedded Elizabeth.
“Why have ye come to darken my door this day? Are ye in need of a healer? Jillian sent me a new recipe for a cough that I have been dying to try out. Do ye have a cough?”
“No cough. I was wondering if I could speak to Harry.”
“Ah, no. He is not here. What about the guards? Do any of them have coughs?”
“Agnes,” Theo said patiently, “do ye know where Harry is?”
“Oh, somewhere I am certain. I expect he may be back tonight or tomorrow morning.”
Creighton found it odd that Theo was pressing the woman for the whereabouts of her husband, but Theo just rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Vera well, if he returns tonight, will ye send for me? I would like to see what he knows about Erksine,”
“Erksine?” Creighton and Agnes said together. The name jiggled something about in his memory. Surely, Theo wasn’t thinking of invading the clan? They were one of the most well-protected of the Highlands because it was a near-suicidal trip to make it that far up the mountain, especially in the cold months.
“‘Tis an odd request,” Agnes pointed out. “I havenae heard that name in quite some time. Not since he and MacSeaver nearly came to blows all those years ago, but I cannae remember why. Harry will, though. I will let ye know when he arrives.”
Theo thanked her, and he seemed deep in thought as they walked away. “If MacSeaver was close to Erksine at one time, ‘tis a wonder that Graeme didnae know more.”
“Why are ye asking of Erksine? What does Graeme have anything to do with this?”
Theo gave him a startled look. “I thought ye knew. I was asking on behalf of yer miss, Kylie. She and Gemma conspired to get me alone because Kylie wanted to know all that I did about the laird of Erksine. Vera secretive, that one. Wouldnae tell me why.”
Creighton stopped as the memory flashed in his mind. A lovely and much younger Kylie stumbling through the hall, her hair and clothes still rustled from what appeared to be an appointment.
And the woman had given him the name Erksine, lying to him.
Right before she’d vomited all over his boots.
8
“I dinnae know what I would do without ye ladies,” Kylie declared as she helped Elizabeth hang Gemma’s latest tapestry, a memory of Gemma’s childhood home in England. She claimed that she’d started it when she and Theo were fighting about the baby’s name, but even though the fight was over, she realized that she missed a little bit of her home and finished it.
Theo would no doubt be livid, but she noted that with a mischievous smile.
“A little higher on your side, Elizabeth,” Gemma instructed as she balanced her toddler on one hip and looked at the tapestry critically. Satisfied, she smiled and nodded. “Yes, that’ll do it. And Kylie, believe us, the pleasure is all ours. While I love the loch, so little happens here. It is nice to meet someone new, especially someone who can dish on Jillian and Graeme.”
“Ye nearly married Graeme,” Elizabeth teased. “Do ye remember that first meeting?”
“I did not nearly marry him,” Gemma laughed. “Although he is handsome enough. I just had to stop him and Theo from coming to blows. Highlander warriors run hot all the time. In any case, I just wished that we could have helped you more, Kylie.”
“Nay, I dinnae expect to get much information from anyone except for Connor. The Sinclair clan is old and vast, and his travels are well-known. Surely he will know something, but in the meantime, I am happy to try to glean information where I can and make new friends. I do wish we didnae have to leave tomorrow. Andrew and Clement are nice enough company, but Creighton is a horrid travel companion. All he does is glare and growl under his breath. I am starting to think he is part bear.”
Gemma and Elizabeth exchanged delightful looks and smiled but didn’t expand. When Kiev started to cry, Gemma put him down on the bed, and he immediately started crying harder. As she rubbed his back, Elizabeth sang him a little song, and he fell right to sleep.
“Agnes should be here soon. She is going to watch over him while we go to dinner. Theo wants a more formal dinner in the hall. He used to hate the get-togethers by the loch, but he’s grown used to them. It’s a way of life around here, but he likes to gather in the hall for dinner at least once while he is here to try. He says it gives his reign here some structure,” Gemma said with a roll of her eyes.
Elizabeth laughed. “Aye, well, it wilnae stop us all from gathering later by the fires of the loch, and he well knows it. Kylie, ye are going to join us, arenae ye?”
Her stomach rumbled in response, and they all laughed. After the night she’d had, she’d barely gotten any sleep. She’d been so certain for those few precious seconds as Creighton loomed over her that he might kiss her, but no, he’d only wanted to unlock her secrets.
Typical.
After hours of trying to convince herself that she did not want Creighton’s kiss, it was dawn, and she was forced to rise so she could meet her friends. They’d spent all day together, and neither of them knew that she’d skipped breakfast because her stomach was still in knots.
The day had a way of helping her feel more comfortable, and now she was starving. Surely Creighton wouldn’t object to her joining her friends for dinner, even if it meant spending time with their husbands as well. It wasn’t her fault that Gemma and Elizabeth were wedded to the laird and the captain of the guard. She certainly had no plans of taking over or whatever it was that he suspected of her.
After separating from her friends, she dressed with every intention of sneaking out. Instead, Creighton appeared unexpectedly at her door. Holding her breath, she stared up at him. “Aye?”
He will? What happened to her taking her meals in her room? “That isnae necessary. I was going to go with Gemma and Elizabeth.”
“Dinnae worry. Ye will still see them at dinner.” He had the strangest look on his face as he offered her his arm. Slowly, she accepted it, and they walked in silence to the hall. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him how his day had been since she’d been avoiding him, but for some reason, she had the strangest notion that conversation would not be a good idea. Creighton was quiet, but he was also tense and grim.
Had something happened?
“Thank ye,” she said when they arrived, and he pulled a chair out for her. To her dismay, he took the seat right next to hers, as if they were wedded, and even Theo gave him a strange look. Gemma and Elizabeth stared at her with wide eyes, but she just shrugged.
Theo made a statement welcoming everyone to the table, and they all settled in. The room was warm, and the food good. Kylie began to relax until Oliver raised his glass. “So, Laird Creighton, ye have not yet said what ye are looking for in a wife.”
Kylie tensed. It was the last thing she wanted to discuss, especially after last night.
“It has been a topic of heated debate,” Creighton answered easily. “I am beginning to wonder if I will wed at all. Can women be trusted?”
Gemma and Elizabeth opened their mouths at the same time to argue, but Theo quickly cleared his throat. “I think we can all agree that ye cannae blame all for the actions of one. If that were the case, then men cannae be trusted either, can they? We have all been betrayed at some point.”
“Exactly,” Kylie muttered as she drank from her cup and thought of her mother’s words.
“Then let me pose a question,” Creighton said easily without bothering to spare her a look. “Suppose ye were to find a lass exiting a man’s chambers with a look that most men recognize well enough?”
The table began to chuckle, and Kylie looked up at Creighton curiously. Just where was he going with this?
“But ye dinnae know that she has been with a man, ye only suspect. After all, she is alone. So ye stop her and ask her if she is all right, and she gives ye false information and a false name.”
The world stopped, and her blood ran cold. Afraid now of doing anything that might draw attention to herself, she slowly set the cup down and gripped her skirts.
Creighton continued. “If ye were to meet up with that lass later in life, should ye trust her? Or should ye simply assume that everything that comes out of her mouth is a lie?”
A lump formed in her throat, and Kylie swallowed it down. She would not lose it. Not here, in front of her new friends.
“Someone who has already lied to ye once is not to be trusted,” Oliver said darkly.
Elizabeth drove her elbow into his side before she stood up angrily. “Ye men have it so easy! You may do as ye wish with a lass with little repercussions, but if a lass were to follow her passions, she is branded. And should she try to do anything on her own without an escort? There will be whispers behind her back. What would ye men do if ye couldnae visit yer brother in another clan without a chaperone? Or if ye could not leave a friend’s house after dark? There is no privacy for us, so aye, a lass would give a false name to protect her livelihood, her reputation, and her family. Did ye ever think of that, Creighton Armstrong?”
Her passionate speech was met with silence, and she glared. “I will be taking my meal someplace far more pleasant. Gemma, Kylie, ye are welcome to join me.”
“Elizabeth,” Oliver called after her, but his wife was already marching away from the table. Theo put his hand out to Gemma, but she shot him an angry look and followed suit. Pleased to have an excuse to leave, Kylie stood and ignored Creighton’s stare. He wouldn’t dare stop her.
She didn’t breathe free until she was out of the hall. With one hand balancing her plate, Gemma snaked her arm around Kylie’s waist, and Elizabeth did the same. “Thank ye,” Kylie said quietly. “I had not expected that he would remember me.”
“Rude of him to bring it up in front of everyone,” Elizabeth growled. “And I meant every word that I said. My parents gave me more freedom than most, but still, my only goal in life was to wed and breed. Men will never understand. Let us go to my cottage and finish our meal. ‘Tis closest, and Oliver would not dare interrupt us.”
Obviously, her husband was not going to have a good night.
By the time they got to Elizabeth’s, their food was cold, but none of them seemed to mind. The company was far more pleasant, though Kylie couldn’t relax.
“What are ye thinking, Kylie? We can help,” Gemma told her as she reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
What could she say? That instead of confronting her directly, Creighton had decided to try and humiliate her? That if she wanted to explain, she’d have to announce to the whole table what had happened to her?
Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she’d come to look forward to Creighton’s company.
How foolish. What would be gained? He would never marry the likes of her, and she had no wish to be someone’s mistress on the side. Perhaps this was as far as she and Creighton were meant to go.
She did not want to worry her new friends or be a burden on them. “There is no need,” she assured them. “I had not anticipated this, but Creighton is a reasonable man. I will find some way of making him understand, and tomorrow, we will be on our way as if nothing had ever happened. I am so grateful for yer company, however, and I hope to visit when this is all over.”
Gemma and Elizabeth did not seem to share her optimism, but they both heartedly agreed that she was welcome to return and even make her home there.
That hadn’t occurred to her. When she did discover the truth, what would she do then? She would need to settle down, start a life somewhere.
The loch seemed to be as good a place as any, and it was the place Creighton would least likely come to visit.
Yes, when this was over, maybe this was exactly where she belonged.
9
Kylie was not answering her door.
Furious, Creighton entered.
It was empty.
The floor swayed beneath his feet, and he clenched his fists.
Surely, the little fool wouldn’t run. Even if the loch itself is safe tonight, there is no way she can hide from me, and if she decided to run, she will only find trouble.
Annoyed that he would have to follow her rather than getting a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s journey, he headed next door to his cottage to retrieve his cloak and a blanket for her. When he did catch up to her, she’d most likely be freezing.
As soon as he opened the door, a lantern flared to life, and Kylie stood by the table. “I didnae want anyone to see me waiting in here,” she said softly.
“Aye. Ye are obviously so concerned about yer reputation,” he growled as he slammed the door behind him. At least she hadn’t run. He wasn’t certain how he felt about that, but her eyes were rimmed red and her cheeks wet.
She’d been crying.
Well, he didn’t care. She had spent all this time lying to him, knowing he suspected her of something. In hindsight, maybe he wouldn’t have cared. Elizabeth had made a good point. Who was he to judge if Kylie had decided to enjoy herself with a man and then wanted to hide it? But she’d deliberately driven him mad to keep her secret, and for what reason? She’d already announced that she was compromised.
“‘Tis late, Kylie. Or is it Kristine? Tell me, are ye a MacSeaver or an Erksine?”
“My name is Kylie MacSeaver,” she told him quietly.
“I dinnae know if I believe ye, but I suppose it doesnae matter.”
“So ye have decided what to do with me?”
“Ye have deceived a laird. That is punishable in my clan, but I shall be lenient and leave ye here,” he muttered. He was about to turn and open the door, demanding her to leave, when she stood inst
ead and reached for the buttons of her dress.
“I am willing to pay for my passage,” she whispered hoarsely. “Ye do want me, do ye not?”
Shocked, he stared at her. She stood close to the light so that as her dress loosened and fell off her shoulders, catching at her elbows, the skin beneath her shift glowed in the light. His mouth dried, and he was disgusted to realize that his manhood was stirring.
Is this what she thinks of me? That I would fall into bed with her so easily?
His control nearly snapped when she lowered her arms to let the dress fall. Grabbing her quickly, he pulled her up against his body, trapping the dress, and stared down at her. The tears were flowing freely down her cheeks, and there was real fear in her eyes.
“Is this what ye were doing in my keep?” he murmured as he stroked a finger down her skin, catching a tear. “Offering yer services to the men?”
“Nay,” she whispered. “I have only offered myself to one. Ye.”
“There are two other men who will be guarding ye. Will ye be offering yer services to them as well?”
She stiffened. “Is that what it will take?”
I will not share her. Ever.
The infuriating thought popped into his head, unwelcome, and chilled him to the bone. Immediately, he yanked her dress up. One thing was certain. Kylie MacSeaver, or whatever her real name was, was dangerous, and he needed to be as far away from her as possible.
Soon.
“Do up yer dress,” he ordered as he turned and strode to the door. She still hadn’t complied, her whole body shaking. With a hiss, he marched back to the table and grabbed his cloak, wrapping it around her shoulders. “Ye are going to yer bed alone, and so help me, if I find that ye have propositioned anyone else tonight, ye will wish that I left ye here.”
Roughly, he pulled her to the door and out of the cottage. When she stumbled, he gripped to keep her from falling and slowed his movements. She didn’t cry out or say a word, and once she was in her cottage, he slammed the door and inhaled sharply.
Highlander’s Elusive Bride: A Scottish Medieval Historical Romance Page 5
