How to Blackmail a Highlander

by Michelle McLean

  “I promise I’ll be fine,” William said, looking down at Philip with fond exasperation.

  “Aye, ye will,” Philip said with a smile. “I’ve trained ye well. But that doesna mean I willna worry. Are ye sure ye wouldna rather accompany me to Glenlyon? I could use yer help.”

  He knew it was unfair of him to play on the lad’s sense of loyalty by pleading for help, but he would do more than that if it meant keeping the young man at his side. He truly had no doubt that William would do well, no matter what he chose to do. Still, he had much growing to do. Despite his training with John’s men, he remained impetuous and headstrong. Those traits had gotten him into more than one scrape while riding with the highwaymen. A few more years under the wing of Philip and the men of Glenlyon would shape him into a fine warrior.

  “Stop worrying so, Cousin,” William said. “I ken where to find ye if I need ye. Ye’re the one I’m worried about.”

  “And why is that?”

  William smiled with a wicked twinkle in his eye. “Lady Alice doesna seem the type to give up so easily.”

  Philip snorted. “Aye. Lady Elizabet’s adventures seem to have put the ridiculous notion in Lady Alice’s head that running away with outlaws is the best way to escape an unwanted marriage.”

  “And telling her otherwise didna work so well, I take it, since ye’ve not stopped watching the roads for her since we arrived.”

  Philip shook his head. “I’d have better luck talking to the stone wall in the castle privy.”

  William laughed, though he, too, kept searching the road. “Perhaps yer words made a dent, after all. It doesna look as if the lady is coming.”

  “Canna say I’m surprised,” Philip said with a half smile. “I’ve no doubt she tried. She seems a thick-heided goat, that one. But the lady was daft to think she’d be able to make it one day away from her pampered existence. Let alone navigate the road to Dover by herself. Still, we canna be too careful of Ramsay’s men. He’d do anything to get to John and the Lady Elizabet. And he ken’s well enough how she felt about Lady Alice. I’ve no doubt she’s been watched, which means there’s a good chance he’s seen my face, as well. Take care, laddie. Careful or no, we may have been spotted together by someone who’d report it.”

  “Dinna fash, Cousin. I’ll be well.”

  A bell sounded on the ship, and a sailor hollered down the gangplank to him.

  “You’d best board, sir, if you’re coming!”

  “On my way.” Philip turned to look at Will one last time and gave his thigh a pat. “Godspeed to ye then, young William.”

  “And to you, Cousin.”

  Philip nodded and hurried up the gangplank just as the sailors pulled it aboard. He stood at the deck and waved goodbye to William as the shore slowly receded. He’d miss the young lad. He hoped he’d see him a few months hence at the yearly Gathering at Glenlyon, but Will had been at his side for many years. Being without him would be odd.

  Philip turned to one of the sailors hurrying by. “Have my belongings been brought to my cabin?”

  “Aye, sir. Everything has been delivered. And your sister has already been settled as well.”

  Philip stopped so suddenly the sailor almost ran into him. He turned, his eyes wide and his stomach sinking into his knees.

  “My sister?”

  …

  The cabin door crashed open, and Alice jumped back against the bunk with a shriek. She sucked in a deep breath at the sight of the wild-eyed Scot staring at her from the doorway.

  “What the devil are ye doing here?” he asked, his expression somewhere between furious and scandalized.

  She forced her breathing to slow and drew herself up to her full height to face him. “What do you mean, what am I doing here? You said to meet you on the ship at Dover. I did exactly as you asked.”

  “Aye but…”

  “But what?” Alice put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I followed your directions to the letter. You told me if I could get here, you would take me to Elizabet. Well, I’m here. Are you a man of your word or not?”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’ve always been a man of my word. But I didna think…”

  “You didn’t think what? That I’d actually be able to get here? You assumed that you’d found a way out of our agreement, and now that I’ve managed to do what you asked, what…you’ll go back on your word?”

  He visibly struggled to control his temper. She crossed her arms and waited for an answer, refusing to cower before the angry warrior. They had a bargain, and she was going to make sure he held up his end.

  “Ye have no business here and ye know it. ’Tis a long journey, and that bastard Ramsay is still searching for my laird. As ye’re friends with his lady, there’s no doubt that the scoundrel has been keeping an eye on ye. Ye’ve probably led him right to us.”

  “If that were the case, then he’d be standing in this cabin. But as he’s not, I think we’re safe. I am not so stupid as all that. I took every precaution to ensure that no one followed me.”

  “How the devil did ye get here?”

  Alice gave him a smile she knew held more than a little smugness. “I convinced my father that I needed a holiday, some time away to gather myself and prepare for the coming engagement.”

  “And he chose Dover?”

  “We are supposed to set sail for Calais in the morning.”

  “And when no one can find ye, what do ye think will happen then? The entire town will be up in arms to find ye. Exactly the kind of attention we dinna want.”

  She released an exasperated sigh. “Only Rose, my maid, knows I’ve left, and I trust her with my life. I undertook all my preparations in secret, Rose took care of all the arrangements, and as far as my family knows, I am out buying a new hat to wear on the ship, after which Rose will explain that I am overtired and gone to bed early. No one will be the wiser until they are ready to board the ship. Or even longer, if Rose can convince them I went ahead. Meaning, we should be quite safe with at least a day’s lead before anyone knows I am not where I should be.”

  Philip frowned. “So you hope! Ye canna know for sure all will go to plan. If ye had stayed put, there’d be no danger at all. No one notices my comings or goings. But you? Lord Morley’s daughter, by all that is holy. All it takes is for a maid to open your empty bedroom door and all hell will break loose.”

  Alice glared at him, anger coursing through her. That the anger stemmed both from his unfair accusations and the fear he might be right, she ignored. “There is no reason to assume my plan will not work. My parents go for days without seeing me. And with my mood of late, I can promise you they won’t be seeking my company. And for someone who is so concerned over strangers knowing your business, you are certainly shouting it loudly enough with the door wide open.”

  Philip blinked at her, opened his mouth to argue, and promptly shut it again. He stepped close enough that he could speak in a deep, low voice that reverberated through her chest but was quiet enough not to draw attention from anyone else. “Aye, I’ll keep my voice down. But I’ll no’ completely destroy yer reputation by shutting ye in alone with me. This isna the boardinghouse, though that was bad enough. There is nowhere to hide here and no way to leave unseen. If ye have no thought for yer future, ye should be thankful I do.”

  She straightened her spine, refusing to back down. “Of course I have a thought for my future. I wouldn’t be here at all if I hadn’t a care for that. And while I have serious doubts that anyone other than you cares in which cabin I sleep, I did let it be known that I am your sister, remember? Therefore, any interaction between us is perfectly natural, and being alone with me shouldn’t present any problems. In fact, it is to be expected. So as long as you can hold your temper, my presence shouldn’t draw any untoward attention.”

  He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. “Will ye no’ see reason?” he said again. “Ye’re only putting my laird and his lady at risk.”

  “No more so than you,” she
said. “And probably a great deal less. Has it not occurred to you that my presence at Elizabet’s side could help her? Ramsay wouldn’t dare attack me. My father would bury him. Besides, if Ramsay is having me watched, don’t you think that he also has Elizabet’s home watched? Her own father is one of the people she is hiding from. Yet you went to her home to collect her belongings.”

  “I went in secret and spoke to no one but her trusted maid, the one who helped her escape and who she trusts implicitly. I also took every precaution to ensure that I wasna followed either throughout town or on my way here.”

  “And I did the same. Is it so hard to believe that I could be capable of subterfuge?”

  “Hard to believe? With ye standing there looking smug as a cat in the cream? Nay, lady, I have no doubt as to yer talent for subterfuge.”

  Alice swallowed hard, surprised at how much that stung. She’d asked the question, but he was the one who’d turned it into an insult. But she’d never let him know that he’d hurt her with his careless words.

  “I did as you directed. So I ask again. Are you going to keep your word and take me to Elizabet or not?”

  The vein on his forehead showed briefly, and she could almost hear his teeth grinding. She had to admire his obvious restraint, even if the reason for it was totally unfounded. He muttered something about the saints and needing to be saved before he spoke again.

  “Ye canna stay here in this cabin with me. Even being in it now could ruin ye if you’re recognized. Why did ye not ask for yer own accommodations?”

  “Who is going to recognize me? No one I am acquainted with would set foot in Scotland. And besides, I did,” she said with a slight shrug. “There were no other accommodations to be had. This ship has but a few passenger cabins, and they are all booked. I had no choice but to tell the captain that we were traveling together. Besides, as you are so concerned for my safety, it is much better for the crew to believe that I am your sister rather than a woman on her own.”

  He stepped closer, so close the heat from his body warmed hers.

  “I am little better than a stranger to ye,” he said, and the sudden predatory look in his eyes made her stomach drop down to her toes. A not altogether unpleasant sensation, although it did serve to remind her that he was right. She didn’t know him. Yet. What she knew of him through their brief acquaintance and through Elizabet told her he could be trusted. Still, she had to steel herself not to step back.

  “No matter what others may think, ye’re no kin of mine. Ye’re a bonnie lass. The bonniest I’ve seen in a good long while. Did ye not consider what ye might be risking sharing my cabin?”

  His eyes roamed over her, and he let her see exactly how much he enjoyed what he saw. She knew he was merely trying to frighten her. Or, at the very least, make her rethink her plans. But it wouldn’t work. Despite the fine tremor that ran through her.

  The slow smile he gave her would probably invade her dreams for the rest of her days.

  “The heat staining yer cheeks betrays ye,” he said, the gentleness of the finger he drew down her face contrasting with the gravelly deepness of his voice. “Do ye no’ consider me a man then? That I wouldna be tempted by a beautiful woman in such close quarters?”

  She swallowed and dragged enough air into her suddenly tortured lungs so she could speak. “You’ve had ample opportunity to seduce me, Mr. MacGregor. Had you wished, you would have done so back at the inn.”

  “Perhaps,” he said, his hand cupping her face before dropping to trail down her neck. “Regardless…you being here now…presents quite a few problems I’d hoped to avoid.”

  So, the big, bad warrior found her presence problematic? She’d always heard Highlanders were lusting, ravaging beasts. She’d started to have her doubts, but maybe the lustful bit wasn’t too far off the mark. She hoped. He would be the perfect diversion. Everything she needed. And she’d keep telling herself that until her knees stopped quaking and her heart beat calmly in her chest.

  Alice straightened her shoulders. Two could play this game. She moved closer, crowding him until he had to back up or let her press herself against him. He did not back up. “I’d call them opportunities. Not problems.”

  She drew a finger down his chest, her heart thundering at her temerity. But she had nothing to lose at this point. She’d left her home, willingly put herself in this man’s hands. And after the small taste she’d gotten the other night, there was no place she’d rather be. Despite his glaring eyes, the heart beneath her hand thundered in time with her own. The urge to find out how far the heat building in her could go before consuming her was almost unbearable. She tried to ignore the hint of fear ricocheting in her belly at what, for all her bravado, she knew very little about.

  Truthfully, she hadn’t thought much about what might happen if he took her up on any of her invitations. She was drawn to him like she’d never been to another man, and she enjoyed flirting. That Philip was obviously not the flirting type hadn’t mattered much. It was fun. It suited her purposes, and she could be honest enough with herself to admit she rarely bothered to rein in her impulses. But she was beginning to realize that she should be more cautious when it came to the brooding Highlander standing before her. He didn’t play the same game as the chivalrous courtiers to whom she was accustomed. The courtly boundaries followed by most would mean nothing to him.

  On the one hand, he was handsome to a distraction, with a body that was made for vigorous physical activity. She already knew what the slightest brush of his lips did to her. The thought of him employing all the weapons in his generous armament was nearly more than she could bear—quickly becoming a thirst she would do anything to quench. But on the other hand, he might be the fire that finally burned her beyond saving. He was unlike any man she’d ever known. She’d be a fool to treat him as anything less.

  He caught her hand and shook his head. But he didn’t release her.

  “Dinna push me too far, lass. Even a man of honor has a breaking point.”

  “I hope so,” she said, changing the trepidation in her voice into what she hoped was an alluring purr.

  He stepped away from her and shook his head. “Ye dinna ken what ye ask. Someday ye’ll thank me for my restraint.”

  So says he. Maybe he was right. But it was hard to keep that in mind when her body craved his touch. And he could bluster all he wanted. She could tell he liked having her in his arms. She’d just have to make him admit that.

  Chapter Five

  Before Alice could say anything, a sharp gasp echoed down the hallway. Philip spun to see who was there while Alice craned her neck around his bulk to do the same. In the hallway stood a vicar accompanying two women. The older and more pious-looking one had her arm wrapped around the slim shoulders of a young girl who peered at Alice with interest.

  “You’re Scottish,” she said, prompting the older woman to clutch the girl tighter and stare at Philip with abject fear.

  Alice resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead she put on her brightest smile and bent down until she was eye level with the child. “Aye, that we are,” she said, with a decent Scottish brogue, if she did say so herself. “That’s my brother.” She jerked her thumb at him. “Dinna mind him. He’s a great, hulking beast, but gentle as a lamb.” She winked, and the child gave her a shy smile.

  “Your brother, eh?” the woman said. “You don’t resemble each other at all.”

  “Well aren’t ye kind,” Alice said, aiming a pleased smile at the woman, though she’d rather have pushed the busybody out the door. “A worse fate than being his spitting image I canna imagine. I do take after my mother, so I’ve been told.”

  The woman and the vicar gave them a speculative glance, but they must have passed muster because the woman gave them a curt head bob and then hustled the girl back down the corridor. The vicar didn’t seem as convinced.

  For all her boldness, Alice couldn’t help the sinking feeling in her stomach that years of her mother’s upbringing forced on her. S
he wouldn’t turn back, but Philip hadn’t been exaggerating when he pointed out how dangerous this trip was not only for her life but for her reputation. If she was unable to get to Elizabet and had to return home, no man would have her now. That the whole reason she was on the ship in the first place was to get away from marriage didn’t elude her. But she did want to marry someday. Just not the ancient, controlling, and possibly murderous earl her parents had chosen. Which meant that she needed to make it to Elizabet with her reputation intact. However, if she had to sacrifice it for the sake of her freedom, she would. There were worse things than being a disgraced spinster. Like being a dead wife. Or worse, an oppressed, captive one.

  The vicar stood glancing between them, his hands clasped in front of him.

  “I apologize for my sister’s outburst,” he said. “I am sure there is nothing untoward going on.”

  “Och, look at that, brother dear,” Alice said to Philip. “Another brother accompanying his sister on a journey. Isn’t that grand?”

  She glanced at Philip, whose lips were pressed into a thin line while his nostrils flared slightly. If he was anything like her, he was resisting the urge to tell the vicar exactly whose business it was. Namely not his. However, the woman in the hallway had seemed more than ready to make a scene. And Alice wasn’t so sure the vicar wouldn’t make matters worse. Sailors had their superstitions. The presence of women wasn’t always welcome, a single woman especially. They might tolerate it, but they weren’t always happy with the situation. And the captain might be hard-pressed to keep the peace if anyone decided to make a stink about their situation.