Highland Heat

by Mary Wine

  “Nae, I’m taking ye to me aunt Ruth. If ye are Robert Chattan’s daughter, she’ll tell me.” He nodded toward his men. “Ye need no’ fear ye will be treated unkindly on the way. Me men will mind their hands. I give ye me word on the matter.”

  It was more than she could have expected, considering the circumstances. But Deirdre hissed because she didn’t want to find anything about Kagan Hay that she liked. It would be much better if she remained angry over her new status as a prisoner once again.

  Yet she had to admire the fact that he wasn’t a brute.

  Ye enjoyed Quinton being a savage…

  She tried to ignore her thoughts, but there was little else to do. Kagan put her on the back of her mare, and they rode for the rest of the day. He didn’t take her to her father’s land, but that would have been too much good fortune to hope for. Her father and the Hay clan were not on the best of terms. She wouldn’t call it a feud, but it was as close as it might have been before fighting began.

  Her father had loved a Hay woman. Deirdre had heard only bits of the tale because her father didn’t like to talk about it. Whatever had happened, it had set the Hay clan against the Chattan, and now she was heading into the heart of their territory.

  Her luck had returned to being cursed.

  ***

  Kagan didn’t take her to a fortress or a castle or even a tower.

  He stopped his men several hours after sunset near a large house. It was two stories high and built of solid stone. He dismounted and used a fist to pound on the door.

  “Take a rest, lads. Ye’ve earned it—but I need to know if our fair lady told me the truth of who her father is.”

  There were several mumbled responses that left no doubt in her mind about the fact that Kagan men’s didn’t care for having her in their midst. One of them reached up and pulled her off her mare.

  “Who’s causing such a fuss at this hour?” The door opened, and a woman stood there. Deirdre stared at her in wonder, for the candle she held illuminated a face that was beyond fair. She was a beauty, and no mistake. Kagan’s men instantly transformed from a disgruntled group into charming men who looked as though they had not just spent endless hours in the saddle.

  “Kagan Hay. I’d say I was happy to see ye, but I’m no’, and the church tells me that lying is a sin.”

  “So is being sharp-tongued, Erlina,” Kagan informed her, but his voice was rich and kind. Deirdre felt her eyes widen; the man could be quite charming, it seemed. “I need to see yer mother for a moment. The matter is important.”

  Erlina opened the door wider in invitation. “How could I have ever doubted that anything ye sought might be otherwise, Laird Hay?”

  Kagan paused in front of her. “Because ye are yer mother’s daughter and too devastating to the male gender.”

  Erlina shook her head. “Earthly beauty should be ignored. The priest tells me so often.”

  “Aye, while he’s admiring ye.”

  Erlina laughed. It was a delicate sound with a hint of wickedness that earned her admiring glances from Kagan’s men. A few of them were bold enough to hold their hands out in the hopes that she might place her own in theirs for a kiss, but she refused them all by keeping her hand against her chest.

  “Go on with ye all. Me mother is near the fire.” Erlina frowned when the light showed her the bindings on Deirdre’s wrists.

  “And best ye hurry, Laird, for I do nae care for what ye bring into me mother’s house. This is no’ yer castle, and we don’t need any ghosts of prisoners disturbing our sleep.”

  Kagan turned and hooked Deirdre’s upper arm. “As I said, the matter is important.”

  Only a few candles were burning in the house, but their light allowed Deirdre to see that it was furnished well. The air smelled fresh, and there was no musty scent of rushes rising from the floor.

  “Mother, Laird Hay is come to pester ye.”

  Kagan’s eyes narrowed, but Erlina merely offered him a sweet smile in response. Kagan pushed her into the room with the fire burning in the hearth, and she felt the heat on the tip of her nose.

  “What nonsense is this?”

  The woman who spoke was obviously Erlina’s mother. She might have been older, but she was just as fair as her daughter. She looked at Deirdre’s bound hands and frowned.

  “There’s a reason I do nae live in yer castle, Nephew. I have no liking for cages or seeing ye use them on people.”

  The woman didn’t look at Kagan. She stared at Deirdre, her frown deepening until her forehead was furrowed. She suddenly snorted, the sound striking Deirdre as harsh, considering how refined she appeared.

  “God’s breath, ye look like yer father. I hope yer mother’s ghost haunts him for that sin. Ye’d have done better with her looks.”

  “Whose child is she, Ruth?” Kagan asked softly.

  Ruth turned her attention on him, and her look was not friendly. “I’ll nae say his name. Ye know well I’ve sworn never to say that name.”

  Kagan grunted. “But ye never said why.”

  Ruth lifted her chin, and her expression smoothed, her feelings disappearing behind a perfect smile. “I do nae have to. Why did ye bring her here? Are ye thinking to end the conflict with the Chattan by having her to wife? I’ve heard all the Chattan daughters are contracted. Did ye steal her? That will only cause us trouble with the clan ye took her from.”

  “I did nae steal her. I found her on the road, wearing the crest of Quinton Cameron on her sleeve.”

  Ruth turned and stepped around Deirdre to look at the sleeve in question. “The Ross girl never married the earl.”

  “Exactly why I’m suspicious of her. But she claimed she is Robert Chattan’s child, and ye are the only one I know who could confirm that for me. If ye say she is the daughter of Robert Chattan, then she is nae intent on murder by wearing the Cameron crest. As laird, it’s me duty to think about matters such as those.”

  “I agree. We do nae need more trouble that will begin feuding.”

  Ruth circled Deirdre. It became an effort to maintain her poise, but Deirdre stood firmly in place; ducking her chin might damn her completely as guilty of everything Kagan suspected her of. Ruth stared into her eyes before making a small sound beneath her breath.

  “Clearly Quinton Cameron has finally found a woman who is nae frightened of him or all his noble power.” Ruth looked toward Kagan. “As I told ye, she’s more her father’s daughter, and she spoke truthfully about what blood is in her veins.”

  “Why did nae ye wed my father, and why will ye nae say his name?” Deirdre demanded. Ruth frowned at her, but Deirdre shot her a stern look in return.

  Ruth didn’t answer, but Erlina laughed, which drew Deirdre’s attention.

  “I’ll tell ye who I am, Deirdre.” Erlina smiled sweetly while her mother growled softly. “I’m yer sister—yer bastard half sister.”

  ***

  His men were waiting for him to admit the trail had gone cold.

  Quinton ground his teeth and cursed, but there was nothing he could do. Deirdre had made her escape.

  It hurt.

  He snarled and muttered a few more words that no one might approve of, because it fucking hurt. He didn’t want to return to Drumdeer without her, but he had no way of knowing where she had gone.

  But he wasn’t giving up. If she could wound him, he’d have her back. No matter how long it took him to find her.

  ***

  “I’ve never heard of another sister. No’ ever a single word,” Deirdre muttered.

  “Of course ye haven’t,” Ruth informed her. “Robert is a stubborn goat who will nae give me any quarter until I submit to his demands to wed him.” She flounced down on a chair near the fire with a huff. “Which I will nae do.”

  Kagan looked at Deirdre, which fired her temper. “Oh, do no’ ye dare look to me to explain this, Kagan Hay. I did no’ even know I had another sister or that ye were dragging me up here to be identified by a woman who is family because she bor
e my father a child. I knew the Hay and my kin were untrusting of each other, but I never suspected it was because one of yer kin refused to wed my father as though my father is beneath her.”

  “I never insulted his offer of marriage by saying it was unworthy,” Ruth insisted. There was even a note of hurt in her voice.

  “What is all this shouting about?” Another young woman appeared in the doorway. Deirdre turned to look at her and gasped. She was the mirror image of Erlina. She walked into the room, wearing only a sleeping robe.

  “I cannae sleep while the lot of ye are yelling.”

  Deirdre gasped. Her mind worked frantically. She suddenly understood.

  “Ye were afraid of my grandfather harming yer daughters.”

  “What do ye mean?” Kagan demanded.

  Deirdre looked back at Erlina and her twin sister. “My grandfather was a superstitious man. I was young when he died, but I remember him telling me that twins were cursed and that there was no way to know which one was good or evil. I watched him order a pair of twins drowned, but the mother escaped with them before it happened.”

  “But it does nae change the fact that he was laird of the Chattan at the time my daughters were born, and there was no way I was going to let that demon know I’d given yer father a set of twins,” Ruth said. “So I came home before he discovered I had birthed a second daughter, and I refused yer father when he tried to entice me back with an offer of marriage.”

  “So ye just let me father think ye detested him?” Deirdre demanded. Ruth looked away, staring into the fire instead of answering.

  “Mother?” Erlina spoke up. “I want to know the answer to that question myself. Ye always made it sound as though my father cheated on ye with another woman.”

  “Oh, enough, out of all of ye,” Ruth announced. “I did what was best for me daughters. I do nae need any of ye standing in judgment over me. If I’d wed Robert, one of ye would have been smuggled out of the castle in a basket of laundry to grow up somewhere without any notion of what blood runs through yer veins. And what if I’d been found out? Ye both would have been drowned. He wasna the only man in the Highlands who believed twins were bad luck.”

  It was true. Deirdre shook her head, because her grandfather had believed in all the old superstitions. “My father does nae believe such old folklore.”

  Ruth pointed at her. “How do ye know for sure? Yer mother never gave him a pair of twins. Just because he does nae order any others born on his land to be killed, does nae prove he would welcome a set of his own. A laird cannae have his position questioned.” She suddenly sighed. “Besides, it was done long ago, and by the time yer father was laird, it was past undoing.”

  “Ye mean that ye did nae want to trust him,” Deirdre insisted. Maybe she was mad to make such an accusation, considering her circumstances, but at the moment, shock kept her from thinking about what she said.

  Ruth surprised her by nodding. “Aye, ye’re right. But mark my words, girl. Ye do nae learn what true fear is until ye have tiny new babies depending on ye for their lives. A mother learns what being afraid means when she finds her heart full of love for her children.”

  There was a truth in Ruth’s words that sobered everyone in the room. Erlina crossed the room and sat down next to her mother. Her sister followed, and Deirdre fought back tears to see the pain her grandfather had caused them.

  “What is yer name?”

  Erlina raised her head from where it had been resting on her mother’s shoulder.

  “Her name is Shylah.”

  Deirdre felt anger flickering inside her for the time with her sisters her grandfather had denied her. She knew it was wrong, but it was hard to force her temper aside. She turned on Kagan and lifted her bound hands.

  But the brute shook his head. “I think I’ll leave ye secure for the time it takes to get ye to Strome tower.”

  “But ye know I’m no’ a threat.”

  Kagan smiled, and the sight of it sent a ripple of apprehension through her.

  “What I think is that since ye’re kin, ’tis my duty to see ye are well provided for.”

  “What ye mean is ye want to see if Quinton Cameron will offer ye something of value for my return.”

  “Will he?” Kagan asked bluntly.

  “He’ll give ye nothing. He’s already forgotten me. Why do ye think I left him?”

  The smile faded from Kagan’s face. He contemplated her good and long before shaking his head.

  “Maybe, but then again, maybe no’. A woman will do a great deal to protect those she loves. Even leave a man she loves, because remaining as his mistress would shame her clan. I know for a fact Quinton didn’t contract ye, so that means ye took him as yer lover and stole that clothing to escape Drumdeer.”

  He looked past her to Ruth before he let out a soft whistle. “Let’s ride home, lads. It will certainly help to ease tension between the Chattan and us to have the man know his daughter is being cared for inside Strome tower.”

  ***

  Strome tower was an old Norman fortress. It lacked the refinements of Drumdeer, and if there were any touches of decoration, Deirdre couldn’t find them. Kagan was welcomed home by the ringing of the church bell and several more which were set onto the walls.

  Once he and his men rode into the courtyard, the huge gate that kept the castle secure at night was lowered back into position with ear-splitting groans. He slit the leather binding her and turned her over to an older woman by the name of Peg.

  “Find her something to do, Peg. She’ll be staying awhile.”

  Peg looked as bewildered as Deirdre felt by Kagan’s words, but Deirdre had plenty of time to ponder them.

  ***

  She discovered her nights filled with dreams of Quinton.

  Deirdre did her share, laboring along with the other maids to keep the tower clean and food on the tables. She worked harder than some, but it wasn’t because Peg ordered her to.

  No, she tried to exhaust herself so that she might sleep without remorse tormenting her. Her plan failed her too many nights to count. Tears that she managed to avoid by keeping her mind on her labors could not be fended off once she was lying in the narrow cot that Peg had moved into the room Deirdre slept in. Once she was no longer forcing her body to move, the only thing she could do was keep her tears silent.

  “A strange thing happened today.”

  Deirdre bumped her head into the top of the hearth she was clearing ash out of. She turned a hard look on Kagan Hay.

  “Ye did that just to be mean.”

  He shrugged unrepentantly. But his gaze studied her while she took the time to look at him in return. The man had dark hair to go with his dark eyes. She waited for any sort of attraction to stir inside her, even the mildest amount of lust, but nothing tingled across her skin.

  Deirdre dusted off her hands, excitement finally arriving to send her blood moving faster through her veins. It felt like she had been sleeping for months, frozen in place while Kagan forced her to remain in his tower fortress.

  “For Christ’s sake, what do ye want of me, Kagan? It cannae be my fine abilities as a servant.”

  He grinned at her. “Actually, from what I hear, ye work harder than most of the girls I pay to keep this castle.”

  She groaned. “Fine. I’ll sit on me arse, even if it bores me to death if that is what it will take to make ye stop holding me here.”

  “It might be interesting to see how long ye could stand doing naught. According to the letter I just received from one of me kin on Cameron land, ye lasted two days in the solar before ye found a way to escape.” He held up a folded parchment, and she failed to mask how much she longed to read about Drumdeer. She realized she was looking at the letter like a hungry colt and glanced away, but it was too late.

  “Quinton is searching for ye.”

  Her heart jumped. “Well, he should nae be,” she snapped. Fear suddenly threatened to choke her. Quinton was a powerful man, and there were many lairds who would r
elish the opportunity to have something to press him into favoring them.

  She shot a hard look at Kagan. “I have a place waiting for me, and I long to take it. I am nothing to Quinton Cameron.”

  “He claimed ye were his mistress.”

  “And ye believe such nonsense?” Deirdre hid her fear by turning to look at the pile of ash waiting to be removed. She scooped it up and dumped it into a large bowl to take outside for soap making.

  “Why should I doubt it? I hear he said it in front of his captains.”

  She forced down the lump in her throat. She might be weak enough to tumble into Quinton’s embrace, but she was strong enough to face down Kagan Hay. She turned to glare at him.

  “I am sure there are women who actually believe that a man like the earl might be besotted by them, but I am nae so whimsical.”

  “But ye are dropping weight. Yer face is thinner.” Suspicion coated his words.

  Deirdre stood and propped her hands on her hips. “Because I’m worried Joan Beaufort will nae wait forever for me to arrive. Surely ye can understand I want to make me father proud by gaining a position that will bring honor to his name.”

  “Considering ye shamed him by taking a lover and ruined his plans to wed ye to Connor Lindsey, that would certainly make sense.”

  Deirdre picked up the bowl of ash and balanced it on one hip. “Connor is wed to my sister Brina, and they are well pleased with the union. It is time for ye to allow me my freedom so that I may also please my father.”

  Kagan Hay shook his head. “Keeping ye ensures that yer clan will nae raid mine, and I will nae set ye loose when it’s possible Quinton Cameron might come for ye once I tell him ye’re here.”

  She left the room and made her way down the steps until she was outside the larger tower.

  She was truly foolish…

  Her position was precarious, and she had been consumed with her own worries. She needed to be more concerned with how she might be used against Quinton. Or her father. Kagan Hay had good reason to want to make her father suffer for the fate that had befallen his aunt. Highlanders held grudges longer than anyone else. Even if it had been her grandfather who began it, Kagan might decide to begin raiding her kin in retribution.