Seduced By The Noble Highlander: A Steamy Scottish Medieval Historical Romance

by Ann Marie Scott

  Seduced by the Noble Highlander

  Ann Marie Scott

  Contents

  1. The Banishment

  2. The Devastation

  3. Lovers’ Despair

  4. Ladies’ Parade

  5. Plotting and Planning

  6. The Ceilidh

  7. The Proposition (earlier that morning)

  8. Father and Son

  9. Breaking Point

  10. Missing Crissy

  11. A Bad Deal

  12. Searching for Crissy

  13. Salvation

  14. Good News

  15. Annie and Crissy

  16. Awakening

  17. Reunited

  18. The Decision

  19. Goodbye for Now

  20. The Wedding

  21. The New Bedroom

  Chained by the Fierce Highlander

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  About the Author

  1

  The Banishment

  Lewis Crawford was one of those rare creatures; a happy man, or the closest thing he could be without actually being in heaven. He had everything in life that he needed. He was handsome, and he could admit this to himself without conceit, since he did not boast about it. His thick wavy auburn hair had been declared his biggest asset, and many of the young ladies in the area had declared it their ambition to run their fingers through it while gazing into his mischievous chocolate-brown eyes.

  He had parents who loved him, and he lived in one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, on the rugged slopes of a hill close to the granite city of Aberdeen. He could not quite see the North Sea, but he knew it was there because it sent gale force winds to greet him every morning.

  The Crawford Estate was not the biggest in the area but it was well-kept and productive because the laird was known to be strict about rent-paying, so his tenants made the most of their land. Lewis was not the heir, a blessing for which he thanked God every day; that responsibility would fall squarely on the shoulders of his elder brother Bryce, but unfortunately neither he nor his father could think of a worse person to carry it.

  Laird Bryce Crawford the Younger was a good catch for any young woman on the marriage-go-round, but his parents were concerned about their loose-living, promiscuous son. Bryce had already declared his intention to put in a manager and leave all the responsibility to him.

  This thought terrified Lewis, for if the laird decided to disinherit Bryce because he thought his brother was failing in his duty, Lewis would be next in line and that did not fall in with his plans at all. Lewis decidedly did not want to be Laird Crawford the Younger. However, he consoled himself, Bryce might be a reprobate, but he was a careful one, and the devil looked after his own, or so it was said. He laughed inwardly. In spite of Bryce’s failings, Lewis loved him dearly.

  He was going out to visit his friend Ewan today for some combat practice, the kind involving swords which were allegedly blunt but were in fact razor sharp, so he was wearing a chain mail vest, breastplate, helmet, and gloves, which he donned in the armory. He looked like a full-fledged warrior.

  On the way out he passed a housemaid, a tall willowy girl with big gray-blue eyes and braided fair hair that hung down past her waist. She was carrying a tray with a decanter of spiced wine and two glasses on it, and she curtsied and lowered her eyes as she tried to walk past him.

  He stopped her, however. “Crissy,” he murmured. “Do you have time to meet me tonight?”

  “Meetin’ ye isnae the problem, Lewis,” she sighed. “Findin’ a place is a’.”

  He laughed. Their usual trysting place had been a small barn at the far end of the courtyard, but his father had taken to putting sheep in it now that winter was coming. It was hardly romantic!

  “I will find somewhere else, then,” he said decisively. “There are ruined cottages out there we can repair—oh, Crissy, I so desperately want to be alone with you! I long for the day when we can be seen openly as man and wife.”

  She shook her head. She wanted the same thing, but a laird’s son and a housemaid? It was the stuff of fancy, and she had told Lewis time and time again.

  “We will be thegither as long as we can, Lewis,” she sighed, “but this will only end in heartbreak. I have my ain station in life an’ you hae yours.”

  “I do not believe that, Crissy,” he said, looking into her grayish eyes with such love that it almost made her want to weep.

  However, there was nowhere for them to kiss without being observed, so they exchanged a loving look and went their separate ways.

  Lewis’s horse was a massive creature, a dappled gray with a white mane and tail and huge white feathered feet. His name was Angus, and he was a gentle giant. Lewis loved big horses, and Angus had been bred for battle; war horses had to be big and strong because they had to carry a huge amount of heavy armor on their backs. Lewis was just about to mount him when he saw his father’s carriage coming through the gates.

  David alighted first, and then helped Laura, both of them looking grim and angry.

  What has he done now? Lewis thought. I wonder how much it has cost this time?

  Bryce’s drinking, womanizing, and gambling had long since ceased to become a surprise to Lewis, but there was something else going on here. He had never seen his mother look so crushed, or his father so sad, even though he was obviously furious.

  When he looked into the carriage window he saw Bryce there, but it was a very different Bryce from the one that he knew. His face was white, and he was half-asleep and salivating copiously over his tunic. Lewis had seen hangovers before, but he was shocked to see that there were shackles on his brother’s hands and feet. When he looked at his father, he was already barking orders that Bryce should be put into the dungeon, and when he turned back to Lewis he said, “Your brother is an evil man, Lewis. If it was not for the mercy of Laird Magnus Galbraith he would be hanging at the end of a rope by now.”

  Lewis gasped. “Has he murdered someone?” He sounded shocked and his heart began to hammer furiously.

  “No,” his father replied. “He has murdered over a hundred people. He sent in a spy to Laird Galbraith’s castle, and the McNaughtons overran it. His reward was the castle and their reward was gold.” He could not keep the disgust out of his voice.

  “Father—why did Laird Galbraith not just hang him?” he asked, puzzled. “He would have had plenty of reason.”

  “He said that he would rather give him a living death,” David Crawford sighed as he watched his younger son being dragged out of the carriage. It hurt him to see his son like this but he hardened his heart. There was no other way to keep him away from others. “He is going to the monastery of the Brothers of St Peter on Unst.”

  “Is that not a lunatic asylum?” Lewis asked in disbelief.

  His father nodded. “Aye, Lewis, it is, and it holds some of the most dangerous men in Scotland, if not the world,” he answered. “The monks there do not discipline merely by the word of God. They also use the whip and the cane. No one has ever escaped from that place, so when you say goodbye to your brother tomorrow it will be for the last time ever. You will never see him again. None of us will.”

  Lewis gazed at his father for a moment, his eyes round with horror. “Forever?” His tone was high with disbelief. David Crawford nodded and turned to watch as his elder son was dragged away. Bryce stared back at him, and his gaze smoldered with hatred.

  Lewis could not speak. There were too many thoughts crowding in his head for him to make sense of, an
d he followed his father into the parlor where they sat down to drink wine and look into the fire. His father too, seemed to have been dumbstruck. For both of them, the implications of the situation were slowly sinking in, and they were dreadful.

  Just then Laura Crawford came in, and Lewis stood up to hug his mother. Her arms went around him as she began to weep. He noticed that she was dressed in dark black.

  “Is it true?” he whispered, and his voice was hoarse with unshed tears. He knew it was true, of course, but he needed to hear it from his mother too before he could believe it.

  Laura sighed and said softly, “Aye, son. I am very much afraid it is. Hundreds of people are dead and all because my son wanted another piece of property. He is truly, truly wicked, and God forgive me, I wish he had never been born.”

  “Mother, you do not mean that,” Lewis was shocked. “Sit down, and if you can bear it, tell me what happened.”

  Laura and David looked at each other, and it was clear that Laura could not speak. “He hit someone—a woman,” he said heavily, “but I will not tell you her name in case of embarrassing her. She knew the laird, however, but that was the second part of the story, the reason he was there. When we went to see him he was drunk. We think he must have bribed one of the guards to get him whisky, otherwise he might not have confessed to us.”

  “But Bryce has no gold!” Lewis protested. “Why would they fight for him?”

  “Because your brother has a silver tongue, Lewis.” David replied. “He can sell anything to anyone, and it has been his undoing all his life, and now he is paying for it. I have no idea how he did it, but the head of the McNaughtons, Alastair, has always had a bad reputation. Now he is an outlaw, and his property is forfeit to the crown. This is what your brother has done.”

  Lewis stared into the fire. They are going to tell me that I am going to be laird now, he thought, but nothing happened for a few moments, then both Laird and Lady Crawford got up.

  “We are going to rest and talk for awhile,” David said wearily. “We will talk again later, Lewis.”

  “I wish he was more like you, Lewis,” Laura said sadly, kissing him. Lewis could find no answer to that. David watched as he walked out then poured himself a full tumbler of whisky, which he swallowed in three quick gulps. He was trembling all over.

  He sent a message to Ewan saying that he would not be available for combat practice that afternoon, then decided that he should hear Bryce’s side of the story, if there was one. Accordingly, he went downstairs and stood in front of the bars of his cell.

  As soon as he saw Lewis, Bryce stood up, arms wide as if to embrace him. He was grinning widely, but Lewis was not smiling back.

  “Hello, baby brother!” He came over to the bars and looked Lewis up and down. “You are looking well! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

  Lewis could not believe Bryce was smiling at a time like this. “I wanted to greet my brother,” Lewis replied, “and to offer you my good wishes even after what you have done.” He paused. “Are you not at all repentant?”

  Bryce shrugged. “Everything in life is a gamble, brother,” he answered. “I played a game of chance and I lost. I have done so many times.”

  “And you do not fear the punishment?” Lewis asked in disbelief.

  “Hanging is quick,” Bryce replied.

  “But you will not hang,” Lewis said. “Did they not tell you?”

  For the first time there was a shadow of fear in his brother’s eyes. “What will they do with me, then?” he asked nervously.

  “You are going to the monastery of The Brothers of St Peter in Unst,” Lewis replied.

  “The lunatic asylum?” Bryce was shocked to the core. “For the rest of my life?”

  “Yes,” Lewis replied. “Father agreed on it with Laird Galbraith.”

  They looked at each other for a moment, and suddenly Lewis felt sorry for his wayward brother. Bryce looked devastated, and Lewis turned away before his brother saw that he had weakened.

  “Goodbye, Bryce,” was all he said. When he turned away he felt sick. His father was going to give him the lairdship whether he wanted it or not.

  2

  The Devastation

  After he had been to see Bryce, Lewis felt a pressing need to see Crissy. He knew that she would be working in a suite of guest rooms on the east side of the castle. It was not ideal since there was still a small chance of discovery, but he knew that he might be able to have a few moments alone with her. If they were found, Crissy would lose her job, but she would not lose him, and he could finally tell his family about their marriage plans.

  He wished he could have felt sorrier about Bryce, but they had always been very different. Lewis was outgoing and usually calm, although he had an explosive temper at times, whereas Bryce had always been a little self-centered and never keen to share. He was not happy that Bryce was going away, but they had never been close, and it would not break his heart. As well as that, he was ashamed of and revolted by what his brother had done.

  He strolled casually down the passageway leading to the east wing and tried every door until he found one that was not locked, and there she was, bending over to straighten the coverlets on the huge bed, singing a folk song in the high, lilting voice that he loved so much. She looked up as he came in and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw him. She looked behind him without thinking, an involuntary precaution that she always took to make sure that they were not being observed, and then she felt safe enough to run into his arms.

  “Oh, God, Crissy—it seems like years since we have been together,” he whispered, holding onto her as though his life depended on it. He kissed her and felt the eager response of her lips against his and her tongue thrusting into his mouth. He cupped her breast in his hands and squeezed it, feeling her response as she strained against him, trying to get closer.

  Crissy moaned with delight and desire in equal measure. How she loved this man! He made her feel like a queen even though she was nothing more than a humble chambermaid. She was breathing rapidly now, and moved her hands down to his buttocks, stroking and caressing. This time it was his turn to cry out in pleasure as he felt her touch. All too soon it was over and they broke apart, and then sat on the bed recovering their breath.

  “This is the hardest part of seeing you,” he whispered, “being so close to you and unable to make you mine.”

  “Lewis, for a chambermaid tae get wi’ child by a laird’s son is ane thing for the laird but quite anither for the chambermaid!”

  “I want to marry you!” Lewis said desperately. “We can run away and—”

  Suddenly he stopped as he remembered what he had been trying to forget—his brother—and the truth came crashing down on him. She saw the change in his face at once and knew that something serious had happened.

  “What is it, Lewis?” she asked, alarmed. “Are ye no’ weel?”

  Lewis shook his head. When he looked at her again there was a great depth of sadness in his eyes.

  “Forgive me, my love, but I must go.” He took both her hands in his and kissed them. “I will try to see you tomorrow, when everything becomes clearer, then I can tell you why am being so mysterious. I am sorry.”

  “I dinnae understand but I will wait for ye tae tell me,” she murmured against his lips.

  He kissed her again, fiercely, and held her so tightly that she almost lost her breath. At last, and too soon, he let her go. He took one last look into her blue eyes and fled, leaving her mystified and afraid.

  David Crawford received his son in his office, where he had been attending to correspondence, later in the afternoon.

  When his son came in, he looked up and smiled at him. He was tall, good-looking, intelligent, and hard-working, all the things that Bryce was not, and David was about to make him very happy indeed. It would be the one bright spot in this dreadful day. He poured them both a glass of ale for a toast.

  “It has been a dreadful day,” he said wearily, “but at least
some good has come out of it. The lairdship is going to the right son. To you, Laird Lewis Crawford the Younger!”

  Lewis dutifully smiled and bumped his glass against his father’s. He had known it was coming, but it was still a great shock. He felt his stomach clench and sipped his ale to hide any emotions that might be showing on his face, but his father was very perceptive.

  “Are you not happy?” David asked. “After I am gone you will not be the younger, but the true laird of this estate. Are you not proud?”

  “Of course I am, Father,” Lewis replied, “but to receive the lairdship this way does not seem fair. I knew after Bryce’s crimes that I would receive the lairdship, but it is still a shock, and I am not really ready.”

  “I intend to live for a good few years yet,” David said, his voice firm and determined. “You know much already, but I can teach you more, and the farmers will teach you still more. Do not be afraid, Lewis. Bryce would have been a terrible laird.” Then his face grew grim. “The boat to Lerwick leaves on the next tide from Aberdeen, and I will have to make sure that Bryce is on it. Your mother does not want to see him leave; she is extremely upset. So am I, but I am trying to be stoic about it.”

  “I know, Father,” Lewis sighed. “It has been a grim day, but hopefully tomorrow will be better.”

  David patted him on the shoulder and they went outside to the courtyard where the carriage was waiting. Bryce was inside with his hands and feet already bound. The castle chaplin, Father John, was there too.