Highlander’s Sinister Bet: Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance

by Fiona Faris

  “Daividh,” the call came, and was followed by the door to his chambers being opened. Daividh, who was lain on his bed with his eyes shut, didn’t even have to flinch, he knew who it was. It was perhaps the only person who would dare come to him in his present state – beside his father, of course.

  “We missed ye at the breaking of the fast,” his stepmother said to him.

  Daividh said nothing.

  “And at lunch.”

  Still he said nothing.

  “Can we count on ye to be present at the feast?”

  Daividh’s eyes popped open. “I do nae ignore me duties, Ma.”

  With a sigh, Elsa sat on his bed. “I never said ye do. Tell me, is it Lorraine that has ye in such a mood?”

  Offended, he sat up. “I am a warrior, Ma. A warrior would nae be affected by a woman who wants nothin’ to do with him.”

  “I see.”

  Daividh looked to her, expecting her to say more but she didn’t.

  “Is that all ye have to say?”

  “Do ye want me to say more?” she asked wisely.

  With an inward groan, Daividh rested his back on his bed again. “Ye ken that if ye do nae speak to me, I cannot help ye.”

  “I do nae need to be helped.”

  “Alright,” Elsa said, standing up. She gave her stubborn stepson a hard look and shook her head. “Ye are so much like yer da that it is almost comical.”

  “Da and I are almost nothin’ alike.”

  “So ye think, but I love ye both and the streak of stubbornness is very present, me love. Ye must listen to me; a woman who ye have hurt tells ye one thing.”

  “And what is it?”

  “That she cares for ye. Ye cannae hurt who has no feelings for ye. If ye wronged her, make it right.”

  “And if she won’t let me?” Daividh asked. To those that knew him well, the frustration would be evident on his face. To others, only the anger would show.

  “Is that the doubts of a warrior I hear?”

  Besides himself, Daividh found a grin. “Nay.”

  “Good.”

  When people started to arrive for the feast, the light of the day was already beginning to fade. As the hosts of the feast, Daividh and his sister were in the hall early enough to welcome the distinguished guests. As Elsa had requested, the Laird had ordered several English musicians to play alongside their bards. Music filled the large hall and almost every guest had a glass in hand.

  “Laird Macgregor,” Daividh greeted the elderly man who had just walked in. The Macgregor lands were east of the MacDougall lands and as such, they were neighbors. The laird of the Macgregor clan was not a man known for attending a lot of feasts. In fact, it was a known fact that if the feast were not of extreme importance, he would not be present. Many said it was because he was a disciplined man but those who knew him, knew better.

  Ral was a loud mouth. He was often found saying things that were better off left unsaid, and if a whole group had words on their minds that were intentionally withheld, Ral would speak if he was present. This was not due to bravery to say what he thought, but rather a glaring lack of diplomacy. Luckily, Ral’s wife Esther was rather different from the man. Daividh, as well as everyone who knew Ral and his wife, strongly believed that she had restricted him from attending parties to limit the blunders he made in general company.

  “Laird Daividh,” the laird acknowledged, “I trust ye and yer family are well.”

  “Aye,” Daividh nodded, “Are yer lands well?”

  “Aye, but we have had better.”

  “Haven’t we all?” Daividh said with a little laugh.

  “I have heard many stories about ye, young man,” Ral said with a laugh that hinted that he was about to live up to his expectations, “They say ye are courting the affections of the daughter of a nobody that snagged ye. She must be quite a looker, nay? I am happy tha-”

  “Pardon me, milord,” Maxwell said, cutting in between both of the men, “I have an urgent message for you.”

  “Of course,” Daividh said with relief and walked away with Maxwell. When they were out of earshot, Daividh turned to him. “What is so urgent?”

  “Naught,” Maxwell said, amused, “Ye looked right and ready to deck the man. I thought to save ye both.”

  Daividh let out his first grin in a while and nodded. “Ral is an ass.” However, the smile was short-lived. “What’s the report?”

  “Everything looks rather normal, milord. I have the new men on watch out and strategically placed, but even they do nae ken what they are to do in detail. They think they are to protect me. However, I will follow ye carefully so what befalls ye befalls me.”

  Daividh looked at the man and a feeling of respect and appreciation filled him.

  “Ye have me respect, Maxwell,” he said, and offered the man his hand.

  “And ye have me loyalty, sir,” Maxwell replied.

  The men shook hands and Daividh was reminded of his friend with whom his relations were strained.

  “Have ye seen Glenn tonight?” he asked Maxwell.

  “Nay,” Maxwell replied.

  Daividh nodded. Usually, on nights like this, Glenn was by his side. Had he chosen not to come at all?

  Daividh nodded his head and said nothing more. Glenn would care for himself. He had no doubt about it. Besides, it was much better to be away from him for the time being. If he stayed away, then his safety was guaranteed. After the dangers were past, they would fix their relationship. He was a friend that Daividh wasn’t ready to lose.

  Their plans could go perfectly right. Alternatively, it could go horribly wrong and people would die. Daividh didn’t want to think of the possibilities of that happening. He didn’t want to lose anyone. There was even the chance that they were on to nothing and no attempt would be made on is life.

  “Maxwell?”

  “Milord?”

  “If there is an attack, I want me ma and Kyla taken to safety immediately. Even before me. Protect the men. I want no lives lost. If I must die, then so be it. Do nae let others too.”

  “If ye die tonight, milord, be rest assured that I will too.”

  It was a declaration of loyalty that was true but Daividh knew he would refuse it. Lorraine hated him already. She would hate him even more if anything were to befall her brother.

  “Remember, me ma and me sister, Maxwell.”

  Maxwell nodded and said nothing more. The pair returned to join the crowd and mingle with the present guests. As Maxwell and Daividh conversed further, the night grew darker. Suddenly, Maxwell stopped their conversation.

  “Do nae look back, milord. There is a woman coming for ye, milord. She’s made her way through the crowds and is headed for ye.”

  “Lorraine?” Daividh asked, forgetting that Maxwell was her brother and would perhaps not fancy his interested in his sister.

  However, Maxwell showed no emotion at the guess. Instead, he shook his head. “Alison.”

  Daividh cursed and muttered beneath his breathe. He took large steps away and walked towards the steps before ascending. Once upon them, he took several turns around the castle he knew so well and descended the stairs at the exact opposite side of where he had been.

  However, just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he sighted Alison not too far away, walking towards him with a determined look still on her face.

  Daividh groaned to himself. What did she want? He wasn’t even interested in finding out. He didn’t want anything to do with her and that wouldn’t change.

  Kyla forced a smile at the boring man in weird looking clothes. He looked awfully familiar, but she couldn’t place the face.

  “In fact, I have lots of lands and can take care of any woman of any caliber,” he was saying with a look that made her stomach crawl.

  “Really?”

  “Yes. In fact, I was telling Alison that I-”

  Alison! That was where she had seen him. He was the man that Alison had been with at the previous dinner.

/>   “I have to go now,” she said and took her leave, cutting the man off.

  She picked her skirts up and didn’t look back in her bid to get away from the loud-mouthed man. As she walked deeper into the crowd, she heard a familiar voice speaking and so, she walked towards it. There, surrounded by two men, was Glenn talking.

  “Yes, I am very good friends with them. Everyone kens this.”

  The two men who looked like strangers seemed unsure.

  “I work side by side with the heir,” he went on to say, “In fact, I do not work beneath him. Some would say that we are somewhat equals.”

  He laughed gaily and Kyla shook her head. She had seen it happen all too often. Men were always quick to forget to be humble and started to brag in order to gain recognition.

  “Kyla!” he called out to her.

  Kyla’s back straightened. Was he addressing her by her given name?

  The men looked interested. The man who was claiming to be important was suddenly talking to an importantly dressed and beautiful woman. He had their attentions.

  When Glenn walked close enough to her, she leaned into him, still with a smile on her face. “That is milady to ye,” she corrected sternly.

  His smile wavered but it didn’t break fully.

  “Of course, milday. I apologize.”

  Kyla nodded stiffly, smiled at the men, and walked away. She needed a place that she could stay that would afford her privacy, and so, she chose to stay behind the staircase where she would be unseen. She was able to get a good look at Glenn and hear what he spoke.

  “It seemed like ye and her had a fond conversation,” one of the men said.

  Kyla groaned. It would have looked intimate, she realized, with the way she leaned into him.

  “Oh, yes, Kyla and I have a sort of relationship. She is Daividh’sister.”

  Anger filled her and it took all she had not to storm out and confront him. However, she didn’t.

  “A relationship?” the second man asked, “What of the other woman that is with ye? The gorgeous one.”

  “Lorraine,” the first man added.

  “Aye, Lorraine,” the man nodded.

  “She and I have a more personal relationship,” he said with a low voice and a small wink.

  “How personal?” the man wanted to know.

  “Well, tonight,” he said leaning closer, “I will have her in me bed.”

  The men gave hearty laughs and slapped his back. “’Tis nae somethin’ to be whispered, man. When a man beds a beautiful woman, it speaks of his skill.”

  “Well, when it happens, I will spread the word,” Glenn laughed.

  Just at that moment, Lorraine appeared. It was obvious that she had heard nothing of the conversation.

  “Excuse us, gentlemen,” Glenn said, “She is back from powdering her nose and we must be excused.”

  The pair walked away, but not before Glenn threw a small wink over his shoulders to the men as they walked away.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Kyla hurried away from where she was hidden. She rushed past the men and women dressed in their fancy ball dresses and didn’t even slow down after several close shaves. She had to get to Daividh in time.

  “Hey!” she called to every guard that she passed, “Have ye seen me brother?”

  “Nay,” they all replied.

  In the end, when she finally found him, it was on her own and after several minutes of frantic search.

  Daividh was opposite Maxwell, Lorraine’s brother, engaged in a seemingly important conversation. Upon seeing Maxwell, Kyla paused and took several deep breaths. Then, she walked as neatly as she could to her brother.

  “Brother, I must speak to ye.”

  One look at Kyla’s face told Daividh that it was indeed a serious matter that she wanted to speak about and so, he excused himself and followed Kyla a little way off.

  “What is it?” he asked her.

  “Now that I think about it, perhaps, I should have spoken to ye and Maxwell together.”

  “Together?” he asked her.

  “Aye.”

  “What is the matter?”

  “It is Glenn.”

  “Glenn?”

  “Aye.”

  “Then speak in full.”

  Kyla nodded. “I heard him speaking to some men. I may have seen them before. I think they are friends of his. He made several statements about being close to us and called me by me given name.”

  “He is close to us but calling ye by yer name – I will kill the bastard.”

  “Cool down, Brother, that is barely the problem.”

  Daividh looked at her. What could be worse than that, he wondered?

  “I heard him speaking about Lorraine.”

  Hearing Lorraine’s name and Glenn’s in the same sentence made him very uncomfortable.

  “What did he say?”

  Kyla looked at the death glare in his eyes and swallowed. She wondered whether he would keep his composure. She looked to Maxwell who was standing protectively away and wished he would come. As though reading her look, he walked to them and gratefully, she sighed.

  Daividh noticed Maxwell’s presence but barely acknowledged it. Again, he repeated himself. “What did he say?”

  “He said that he is in a relationship with her and that he would have her on his bed this night.”

  “Who?” Maxwell asked just as Daividh let out a growl.

  “He would bed Lorraine? Ye heard him say this?”

  “Lorraine?” Maxwell thundered. Was that why he had her come with him to the party, he wondered to himself. Only to bed her?

  Both men fumed and Kyla worried. While anger was necessary, it wouldn’t solve anything. Lorraine needed to be warned. Of course, she could make the decision to be with whomever she wanted but Kyla had no doubt that she wanted Daividh and even if by some magic or work of the fairy, she wanted Glenn, she needed to know that he was the sort of man that would boast about her and embarrass her in such a way. If a man did that to a woman, her reputation would be entirely ruined.

  “I will kill him,” Maxwell said.

  “Nae if I get to him first,” Daividh said.

  “Have ye seen her?” Daividh asked.

  “Aye,” she nodded.

  Maxwell nodded too. “He brought her to the feast.”

  “Ye kent this?” Brother and sister looked at Maxwell in horror.

  Defensively, he shrugged. “She said she had seen ye with another woman – I could nae stop her. She was nae speaking to anyone anymore. I wouldn’t stop her from doin’ the first thing she had opted to do in days.”

  Daividh groaned and would have let out a string of colorful curses if not for the presence of his sister.

  “So what are ye going to do now?’ Kyla asked. She cared less about who Lorraine was with. She needed to be warned and that was all that mattered.

  “Hello, am I joining late?”

  The three heads present turned to face the source of the voice.

  Alison faced them all with a proud grin on her face. She had found who she had been looking for. Hadn’t Daividh learned that she wasn’t going to back down without a fight?

  “Alison,” Daividh said, “We have nothing more to say to each other. I think I made this very clear.”

  However, her only reply was a shrug.

  “Did ye nae hear me?”

  Suddenly, her eyes hardened and it was apparent that the meek demeanor she had put on couldn’t last. “I want to speak to ye alone,” she requested.

  Daividh looked at her and sighed. There was no need arguing. It was obvious that she wouldn’t let him be.

  “Maxwell, take Kyla to the staircase, I will meet ye there and then, and we will decide what we can do.”

  When they had finally left, Alison walked to Daividh and stood in front of him with crossed arms. The pair spoke in low tones so that no one would hear their words.