“They’ll say what they’ll say then.” She shook her head and cinched her hair back into a sloppy knot. “I’ve neither the time nor inclination to worry over gossip.”
“Then ye care nothing for your new patient.” Douglas shrugged. “Nor do ye care for Ma and Da and our wee sisters, aye?”
“Och.” She sighed then relented. “Now that our new friend’s awake, I’ll head back there more often.” Her dubious eyes went to him. “Though he will still need to be tended to for a few more days.”
“Aye, then,” Douglas agreed. “I think ’twould also be good to bring him to the village, so they know what ye’ve been up to.” He frowned. “’Tis not a good thing to keep secrets in these parts and well ye know it.”
Something about the tone of his voice made Elspeth still. “What is it then, Brother?” Her eyes flickered between Douglas and Innis. “What are ye not saying?”
Troubled, the men eyed each other before Douglas finally spoke.
“Rumors have reached the Spanish pirates, Sister.” His eyes darkened. “Rumors that should have remained folklore.”
“Folklore that should have remained a secret,” Innis added, his steady eyes on Elspeth.
Their gazes held for a moment before she spoke. “How many allies have ye in Cruden Bay?”
“Enough.” Douglas’ distrustful eyes slid his way again. “But an ally can quickly become an enemy when there is rumor of loot, aye?” He popped some meat in his mouth and spoke around his food. “The only true allies we have in the area are the Devils of the Deep.”
So trouble was afoot.
Though unfamiliar with them, that name was telling. While he might have been a bit off his game when he awoke, he understood their strange clothing now. These men were pirates in league, naturally, with even more pirates. Yet what big secret did they keep?
His attention returned to Elspeth. How was she involved? Because the thought of her in danger made him uneasy. Though tempted to ask her, he focused on the more immediate problem.
“If I go back to the village with ye,” he said, “will they not wonder why ye didnae bring me there, to begin with?”
“’Tis not for ye to worry over,” she assured, her eyes not quite meeting his. “If ye are my lad, they willnae overly question it.”
“Your lad?” Innis’ brows shot up. “Is that not going a wee bit too far, lassie?”
“I dinnae think so.” Elspeth shook her head. “Not if what ye say is true.” She gave Innis a pointed look. “Just look at him. He might have thinned some from his injuries, but his size tells of a mighty warrior.” She cocked her head. “Would it not soothe many to know he’s to be kin not merely a stranger passing through? That he could help protect us if unwanted company makes their way here?”
He looked down at himself and realized she was right. There was no need to stand to know he was taller and in better shape than the lot of them. For a brief flash, as he eyed his hand and clenched his fist, he remembered holding a sword. The familiar weight of it. The berserker fury and adrenaline rush he felt as he ran it through another.
Unfortunately, as soon as he recalled it, the memory vanished.
“So ye think to claim this newcomer as your lad and fool them all, aye, lass?” Innis scowled. “Even your sweet ma and da?” He shook his head. “’Tis unwise.”
“Actually, ’tis not such a bad idea,” Douglas mused as he considered him. It seemed opportunity outweighed wariness for the moment. “What say ye, stranger? Would ye swear yourself to Elspeth until we’ve done away with the current threat to our people?”
“Aye,” he said, more than content acting as though the bonny lass was his. Yet he would not go into this blindly. “Just so long as ye tell me what I’ll be facing and what it is I’m protecting outside of your sister and kin.”
“I can protect myself,” Elspeth muttered under her breath. “This charade is only to give our people peace of mind.”
She might say as much, but he would feel better offering his protection.
As he eyed her, he realized with pleasure that interest in him might also be a factor in her quickly hatched plan. Did he not detect breathlessness in her voice when she spoke of them pretending to be together? Was there not a flush to her cheeks when she glanced at him?
“Ye’ll be facing savage Spanish pirates and mayhap French scoundrels,” Douglas responded in answer to his question. “Ruthless bastards all.” Anger shadowed his face as he shook his head. “As to the treasure they seek, ’tis but a handful of stones surrounded by superstition.”
“That sounds ominous, indeed,” he replied dryly, watching each and every one of them closely. “Yet despite superstition, these stones are desired. ’Tis odd, aye?”
“’Tis as it can be when stories travel from campfire to campfire,” Elspeth said softly, her troubled eyes on the flames. “They become grander and grander until they speak of treasure troves that dinnae exist. Bundles of precious gems and sparkling pearls the likes of which ye’ve never seen.”
Based on the way her voice grew throaty, and her pupils flared, this tale had more than a grain of truth to it. If he didn’t know better, he would say she embellished very little.
“A myth,” she continued in a whisper as she rubbed a small piece of checkered wool between her fingers. “Yet a dangerous one.” Her eyes finally turned to his. “One that I fear ye are a part of now.”
He knew he was if for no other reason than to keep her safe as she had done for him. And though he told himself he did it because it was the right thing to do, he knew better. He had no desire to leave her in the lurch or otherwise. She intrigued him. Captivated him.
It wasn’t just her remarkable beauty and daring eyes, but something else as well.
There was a mystery about her he needed to understand. A complicated past that somehow felt aligned with his. As though Fate had brought them together. He felt it so strongly that he was about to say as much. Yet the thought trailed off as his eyes were drawn to the wool in her hands once more.
The blue and green scrap of plaid.
“’Twas mine,” he whispered as he suddenly remembered something very important. “’Twas my clan’s.” His eyes rose to hers as one small part of his past became very clear. “I remember my name. ’Tis MacLomain…Fraser MacLomain.”
Chapter Two
From the moment he had washed up on her shore Elspeth rarely took her eyes off her handsome patient. This moment proved no different. His steady, near inescapable gaze, held her. She could lose herself in those thickly lashed icy pale blue eyes if she were not careful. Eyes that when he first opened them earlier seemed eerily familiar.
As though in another life she might have stared into them countless times.
Then there was his appearance. For all her local travels and caring for the sick, she had never come across a better built man. Broad shouldered and well-muscled, he would likely be very imposing when he finally stood. And his face? Captivating. Intense. With hair as dark as night, he possessed features so well chiseled the gods must envy him.
His was truly a face that could haunt a lass’s dreams if she let it.
Battle scars ran across his right shoulder and down his side. Though she had done her best to treat it, she expected several more would remain on his abdomen. By all accounts, they should have lost him. In fact, she thought they had several times. But he was very strong, a true survivor, and had struggled through.
Now here he sat with those eyes of his pinning her in place as he sought the truth. Secrets that had long been hers and her kin’s. Yet she had a feeling as he seemingly stared straight into her soul, that in the end, she would keep very little from him.
“’Tis nice to meet ye, Fraser MacLomain,” she murmured, still rubbing his scrap of tartan absently. “I’ve heard of your clan.”
“Aye?” His brows swept up. “And what have ye heard, lass?”
His voice was deep and tempting. The sort that reminded her it had been far too long since she
lay with a man. She cleared her throat and tried to remain focused. Not easy when she knew full well what rested beneath his blanket.
“The MacLomains are verra powerful,” Elspeth finally managed. “And as the tales tell it, known for their mystic ways.” Her eyes returned to his. “They were also once allied with us MacLauchlin’s.”
His brows remained arched in curiosity. “The MacLomains are known for their mystic ways?”
“Aye, all sorts of fantastical stories are told about them.” She kept a touch of both mystery and disbelief in her voice. “Children’s tales about witches and wizards and magic.” A wry grin tugged at her mouth. “All folklore of course, but great fun to tell the wee ones on a cold winter’s night.”
“Yet ye yourself said I healed faster than most,” he said softly.
“Och.” She chuckled, not about to entertain any more of this nonsense. “’Twas just good medicine.” Then, because it was true however breathlessly she spoke it. “Along with such a strong, healthy…fit patient.”
She didn’t miss the amusement that flickered in his eyes at her stunted yet complimentary words.
“As to our clans.” He tilted his head in question. “Are we not allied anymore?”
“Not as we once were,” she replied. “Most of us are on the east coast now whilst the MacLomains remain in Argyll.”
He nodded. Where she thought for sure he would want to know more about his clan, he remained focused on the subject at hand. “So do these stones your enemies speak of still exist?”
She eyed him for a moment before she came to a decision and looked at Douglas. “If I’m to ask him to protect our lot then I’ll give him the truth.”
“I dinnae know,” Douglas began, but she cut him off.
“He has the right to know, Brother.” She shook her head. “And what harm could it do?”
“’Tis yet to be seen,” he muttered before he relented, knowing full well she would get her way. “Aye then lassie, do as ye will.”
“I will.” She notched her chin, daring them to defy her as she looked from Douglas to Innis. “And I’ll do it alone. Because soon after he’ll need to rest.”
Innis’ brows slammed together in jealous suspicion. “Will he then?”
“Och,” she muttered as she took their plates and shoo’d them along, knowing full well what he was implying. “We’ll meet ye at the village in a few days, aye?” Her eyes went to Douglas one last time. “Meanwhile, if ye can rally additional support as well as gather more information about the upcoming threat, ’twould not be a bad idea.”
“Aye, lass,” he grumbled as his eyes narrowed on Fraser one last time. A warning that he remain on his best behavior. Then he shook his head and said something under his breath that sounded a lot like he was a captain now and knew what should be done. Naturally, she ignored him knowing full well he appreciated her feedback.
She smiled warmly at Audric and asked him for privacy as well. Always mindful and polite, he complied. Though his family had paid good coin for his education, she would have taught him for free. Not only was he kindhearted, but he had a natural talent with herbs and a soothing bedside manner that put patients at ease.
Speaking of patients.
Fraser’s disarming eyes never left her as she grabbed a small pouch and then sat down beside him. She and her kin had never shared this tale with friends let alone a stranger so how it reached Spanish ears was a mystery. Yet it had, and that meant very bad things were coming their way. The sort of danger that meant she would need a man of Fraser’s caliber watching over her kin.
Some, including her brother, might say she didn’t know him nearly well enough to put her faith in him. But her gut told her otherwise. He was a much better sort than those Douglas and Innis consorted with. He wasn’t a ruthless demon set to destroy all in his path. If anything, he was a protector. An honorable man.
So she would tell him their story.
“Nearly a century ago, my great-grandfather turned the tables on a raiding ship,” she began. “Rumor had it they were Spaniards. Others said they were French. Either way, he caught wind that they were coming and took them unaware.” She shook her head. “Determined to make an example of what it meant to attack his beloved castle, he killed them all and kept what treasure was already aboard.”
“And that wasnae the wisest move, aye?” he murmured.
“Nay, ’twas not.” She sighed. “But then it seems my great-grandfather tended to think beyond his means and didnae fear repercussions. He thought his actions would frighten away any that dared defy him again.” She clenched her jaw, angered by his foolhardy actions. “What he didnae take into consideration was that the sort he dealt with would not fear but learn from his actions.”
“Ah,” Fraser said softly. “So more came.”
“Aye, they came,” she replied. “This time with far more men, weapons, and stealth.” She narrowed her eyes, envisioning her ancestors’ doomed castle. “Searching for stolen treasure and retribution, they came in the dead of night and slaughtered nearly everyone. Then they looted the castle before burning it to the ground.”
Fraser remained respectfully silent as she continued.
“Only a handful of people escaped including my great-grandmother with her son, my grandfather,” she said, not woeful in the least as she continued. “My great-grandfather was captured and tortured in hopes that he might tell them where he hid the treasure. And he did. Or so they thought. As it turned out he taunted them into killing him before they verified his confession.” She shook her head again. “Which, it seems, was untrue.”
“So the treasure was never found?” Fraser said.
“Nay, nor was there any record of survivors,” she replied. “My great-grandmother was strong and wise in the ways of survival. She changed our surname and made her way across Scotland to begin a new life.” Her eyes went to his. “To this day we only use the MacLauchlin name amongst our immediate kin lest we draw unwanted attention.”
“Yet ye shared with me,” he murmured, his assessment quick and astute. “Because this tale has been resurrected and rumor tells of MacLauchlin’s being here.”
“Aye, not just that but a treasure map of sorts.” She poured small flat stones out of the pouch and held them in her open palm. “These are all that remain to show us where the treasure was hidden.” She pointed out the various slashes on each stone. “When put together in a certain order from a precise location, they will lead the way.”
When Fraser took one, and his finger brushed her palm, her breath caught. As his eyes rose to hers, an unexpected ripple of awareness washed over her followed by a wave of heat. When his pupils flared, she knew he felt it too. Not slow, blossoming attraction but potent explosive chemistry. A sensual connection that made her heart race and her thoughts scatter.
“I’m surprised your brother hasnae made his way back to Argyll by now.” His voice was low and gravelly as his eyes stayed with hers. “Especially considering his profession.”
“Och, nay,” she whispered. Her eyes remained with his a moment longer before she finally managed to tear them away and looked at the stones again. “These are cursed as is the treasure. They have brought nothing but grief to our kin, and well my brother knows it.” She frowned. “There is nothing but blood and heartache in their wake, and there will be nothing but the same in their future.” Her eyes returned to his. “A path I fear ye and I now walk down, Fraser.”
He didn’t seem all that concerned. But then she suspected fear was not something he was accustomed to. His courage ran deep.
“Then we shall walk this path together, lass.” He handed her the stone. “And mayhap we will finally put your history to rest, so your future isnae so shrouded.”
“Thank ye,” she whispered, truly grateful as she put the stones away then urged him to get some rest.
Sleep did not come easy as she continued watching him long after he drifted off. She could almost imagine that mayhap her ancestors had sent him to her. A me
ans of protection through the troubling times ahead. Mayhap even something more. She frowned at that thought, not sure she was ready.
After all, with love came eventual heartache and the risk of great loss.
As intended, she saw to Fraser for two more days during which they spent ample time talking and getting to know one another. As much as was possible, that is. He could not share what he didn’t know. And while she sensed that frustrated him to no end, he kept it well repressed. But then, he appeared quite content listening to her and seemed taken by just about anything she said. That, she surmised, helped keep his mind off himself.
“Ye think me more interesting than I really am,” she chided during one of their more lively conversations. “Being a natural healer is not the most adventurous occupation.”
“Yet I have felt like I was on an adventure since the moment I awoke.” As always, his easy smile and the sultry promise in his eyes made her pulse race. “An adventure with ye at its verra heart.”
If she had learned nothing else about Fraser MacLomain, it was that flirting came naturally to him. Point in fact, the way he had just said the word ‘heart.’ As though it was his heart he spoke of, and she already possessed it.
In truth, she was beginning to suspect it was the other way around. Moreover, she was beginning to think her heart had been his since the moment she found him. Which, she figured, trying to find logic in it, would only lend credence to the pretense that they were together.
That in mind, on the third morning after his fever broke, she decided it was time to take him to her village. He was doing much better than expected and she was eager to hear what Douglas had found out.
After Fraser bathed and dressed in clothing Innis had provided days ago, he stood in front of her as she looked him over. The breeches would have to do, she supposed. The boots hid their short length, but their snug fit wasn’t to be helped. Nor would the favorable looks he’d likely receive from the lasses. While his untucked tunic hid the ample bulge in front and of course, the firm globes of his arse, his admirable thighs, and calves were quite obvious.
The Seafaring Rogue Page 2