“What is it?” asked Andrew.
“Aye, they might have lied a little about the stable. Maybe they knew we were Scotsmen or somethin’”
“The stables are wee,” continued Edward. “There’s barely room for the horses, let alone the three of us.”
“Let’s take a look,” said Andrew. He followed the two men through into the stables, taking a look at the inside of the tiny building. He laughed when he got a good look at what was on offer. “Aye, ye’re not wrong about the space. Barely enough room tae think in here.”
“What’ll we dae?” asked John. Andrew could see the glances between John and Edward.
“Dinnae worry. I’ve had the comfort of the carriage cushions for the ride today. The two of ye deserve whatever comfort ye can find on the wee bit of straw there.”
John and Edward took a look at the pile of straw too, and could not help but laugh. Andrew joined in heartily.
“Aye, we’ll dae our best,” said John with a large grin on his face.
Andrew watched them spread out some of the hay to make enough room for the two of them to sleep side by side, before going back outside to find a place to sleep. He could not help but think about the large bed upstairs that Juliana would be in.
She’s probably asleep by now. I should’ve stayed up there a wee bit longer tae talk with her. No, I cannae be thinkin’ things like that.
It was getting late, and Andrew knew that he should be getting to bed. If he could not find a nice soft piece of ground, then there was always the carriage to sleep in.
Andrew looked up at the full moon above and enjoyed the crispness of the air around him. Thankfully, it was not too cold, warm enough to sleep outside in the clothes that he was wearing, as long as it did not rain. There was still time before he needed to be asleep, so Andrew decided to take a stroll before bedding down for the night. The town was small and quaint, and there was still some light coming from the houses.
He checked the carriage and turned to take his walk when the door to the inn flew open. Andrew turned and put his hand to his sword, as the panicked woman ran from the building.
“Juliana,” said Andrew, surprised that she was still up, and shocked that she was running toward him. He kept his hand on his sword, should someone follow her out. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him before quickly letting go and taking a step back.
“What’s the matter?” asked Andrew.
“I saw someone,” said Juliana. “There was someone out here.”
Juliana looked around, trying to find her bearings. There were trees all around, and looking up at her bedroom window did not help. She took another step back from Andrew and took a second to calm herself.
“Yer safe now,” said Andrew. He looked around too but was unsure that anyone would be outside, or be focused on attacking this woman in front of him. The Laird did not have many enemies, and they certainly did not stretch as far south as here. “I was about tae take a walk. Will ye join me, and we can make sure that there is no one about?”
“A walk?” asked Juliana. “Yes, I think that would help my nerves. It is a lovely night, after all.”
“All right, well, take me arm then.” He extended his elbow, and Juliana linked her arm through his.
“A perfect gentleman,” said Juliana.
The two of them walked arm in arm, enjoying the silence together. Andrew could remember many silences in the past, but none as good as this. Most of the time, the silence was awkward, but this one felt right. He enjoyed the lack of talk as the moon bathed them in a soft glow.
“What is the Laird like?” asked Juliana.
The question surprised Andrew, and he immediately wanted to blurt out his real thoughts on the Laird, but took a second and thought about how the Laird treated everyone.
“He takes care of the clan,” said Andrew without much commitment.
“You live in the Castle, you must have gotten to know him. I mean, he took you in when you were a young boy, that counts for something.”
“Aye, he did take me in, though I’ve never been sure why,” said Andrew.
The two of them walked in silence again. Andrew had expected her to ask more questions about the Laird, but the lack of questions was prodding at him now. The silence had been welcome before but, now that the Laird had been brought into the equation, the silence was deafening. Finally, Andrew had no choice but to elaborate on his answer.
“Tae be honest, I’m not sure that the Laird likes me,” admitted Andrew. He looked saddened that it was the case.
“How can he not like you?” asked Juliana.
The question brought a smile to Andrew’s face. He had often asked himself the very same question. The Laird had taken him in, that much was true, and the Laird was lauded for it by those in the clan. He had been fifteen years old and had just lost his father. The Laird had done an admirable thing in looking after a young boy, but Andrew’s opinion differed from many others.
He had initially tried to befriend the Laird when he had arrived at the Castle, but that was a battle that could not be won. The Laird was a leader and did not need friends, he needed people who did what he said, and were of use to him. It would seem that Andrew was not of use to him, initially, at least.
Andrew kept his head down and worked hard. Over time, he became more and more in the Laird’s favor, when it came to being given tasks. He got closer to the leader of the clan, seeing him more, but it worked against him. The more time that he spent in the Castle, the more the Laird seemed to despise him. Never in public, of course, only when he had his closest advisors around, and it was subtle too.
The Laird would not shout at him or deride him. He would not pass over Andrew for certain tasks, knowing that the clan benefited when the right person was doing the right job. What the Laird was an expert at was withholding praise.
When Andrew would return from battle, having vanquished numerous foes, there would never be a thank you, nor any recognition. Andrew would stand there and watch as other men were praised, and he was not. No one noticed it, except for Andrew, and that was where the genius of the Laird lay. Andrew could say nothing for fear that he would seem bitter against the man who had saved him.
It was a battle that Andrew would never win and, the longer it raged, the more he would lose. He shrugged and came back to the present. It was always nice to get away from the Castle but, on this occasion, it was more than nice.
“As I said before,” said Andrew. “Ye’ll have a good life with the Laird.”
“I am not worried about my life.” Juliana was frustrated. “I am more worried about yours.”
“Och, ye dinnae need tae worry about me,” said Andrew.
“When I am married to the Laird, I will make sure that you are rewarded for all of your hard work.”
“Ye will dae no such thing. I can look after myself.” He stood defiantly before her, and she did not want to say anything to hurt his feelings more.
“I did not mean it like that. You are a good man with a good heart. I cannot bear to think of anyone treating you as if you are not.” She hoped that she had not misspoke too much.
“There are some mysteries in the world that are just not meant tae be solved,” said Andrew.
“Yes, I am sure that they are. Like the shadow that I saw from my room window. I am quite sure that I was imagining the entire thing. It has been a long day and a long journey up here. Everything has me on edge, and I suppose that I was worried about nothing. How long have we been out here walking?”
“I’m not really sure,” said Andrew. “The time passes quicker when ye are around.” Andrew felt the silence weigh down on him once more before adding, “Sorry, I didnae mean it like that.”
“It is fine,” said Juliana. “The time does pass quickly when the conversation is flowing, and I do enjoy talking with you. I have not seen one other person out here, and I feel safer just having talked and walked with you. I feel that I will sleep better now.”
“Shall
we head back tae the inn?”
“Yes, please.” Juliana had been refreshed by the walk. “May I ask, what were you doing out this late?”
“I was checkin’ the carriage, and lookin’ for a place tae sleep,” said Andrew.
“A place to sleep?” She had not thought about where everyone else would sleep.
“Aye, it would seem that there is not as much room in the stables as we first thought. It’s fine, though, I’ll find a spot of ground. The night is not cold, and the moonlight is beautiful,” said Andrew.
“We cannot be having that. You cannot sleep on the hard ground, not when you have been sent here to protect me.” Juliana could not believe that he would sleep on the ground.
“I’ve had worse,” said Andrew.
“You should take the bed.”
“What? And where will ye sleep?” Andrew shifted from foot to foot, looking at Juliana.
“I will sleep on the ground. I have had worse, too.” Juliana knew that she had not had worse than that, and hoped Andrew would refuse.
“I dinnae believe that,” said Andrew.
“No, you are right. I do not know anything less than a soft and warm bed. But that does not solve our problem. I will not have you sleeping in an uncomfortable spot, and that is the end of it.”
“Well, I dinnae see any other way,” said Andrew.
“Yes, there is another way. The room is big enough for both of us.” Juliana faltered a little as she spoke. “I would rather that you have a proper roof above your head than sleep in a stable. You can sleep on the floor if you do not mind.”
“Ye want tae share the room?” asked Andrew.
“Not like that. I am promised to the Laird.” The words came out rushed.
“I didnae mean.” There was some hesitation in Andrew’s voice.
“It is only for one night,” said Juliana, not looking him in the eye.
“I can sleep outside. It’s nae problem.” The words were even more rushed this time.
“I will not have it,” said Juliana. He could see that she looked concerned.
“It’s nae problem.”
“The Laird would not need to know,” whispered Juliana in a hushed tone. Her face turned a little red. “Now, do not go thinking anything other than a night’s sleep. We will share the room, and the Laird cannot know for obvious reason.”
“Ye can count on my discretion.”
“It will just be between us,” whispered Juliana again. Andrew could see her blush again. She had not meant to whisper the words.
“Aye, just the two of us.” There was some conspiracy between them now.
“It has to be done for the safety of us all.”
“Aye, ye’ve got a point,” said Andrew.
The talking stopped, and they took a moment to regain their breath. They had stopped walking, and Andrew found himself facing Juliana, with her looking him straight in the eye. He wanted to look away, but he could not.
The two of them stared at each other, not speaking. The moments passed, one by one, as they stood in the moonlight, the soft glow bathing them in its luminescence. Andrew wished that the moment would last forever, that he could stay here with Juliana, even if he was so far from home.
He did not really know where home was anymore. When his father had died, he had lost his home, and life in the Castle did not feel right. He did not hate the Laird, but he did not like him either. Most of all, he wished that he did not have to deliver Juliana to him. He wanted her for himself, but he knew that this was not his destiny.
“Come on,” whispered Juliana.
They walked back to the inn. It took them some time, as they had walked so far from where they had started. There was no one around, and almost no sound, save for the slight rustling of the breeze through the trees, and the low grunt of a frog in a distant pond.
Andrew took a quick glance at the stables, hoping that John and Edward were not still awake. He did not dare to think about what would happen if they should report back to the Laird that he had gone inside the inn with Juliana in the middle of the night.
When they got upstairs, Andrew took a look at the large room. It would be a bit of a squeeze, but there was enough room on the floor between the window and the bed for him to curl up. He took a blanket from the bed, leaving one for Juliana, and laid it on the floor.
Juliana took off her shoes and slipped under the blanket on one side of the bed. Andrew took a look out of the window, just in case Juliana was not imagining someone out there, before kicking off his boots.
Andrew lay down on the blanket on the cold hard floor, and turned onto his side. He waited for his body to adjust. He could hear the bed beside him shift slightly as Juliana tried to get comfortable. He was almost asleep when he heard a squeak. He opened his eyes but could not see anything. There was a scurrying noise from the other side of the room.
“What is that!” Juliana shouted.
Andrew jumped up from the floor to see Juliana sat up in bed, staring at the corner of the room.
“Just a wee mouse,” laughed Andrew.
“I saw it. It was a rat!” screamed Juliana.
“Och, it’s just a wee mouse lookin’ for food.” Andrew tried to add a calmness to his voice.
“I have heard stories. They gnaw at your fingers and toes.”
“Come on, now,” said Andrew. “Just old wives tales tae scare bairns.”
“I just—” Juliana took a second to calm herself. “You are here to protect me, and you need to be all in one piece to do that. I cannot have you being bitten in the middle of the night by a rat.”
“I’m tellin’ ye, it was not a rat,” said Andrew before adding, “though I didnae see it.”
There was some hope rising in his heart, but he could also see that Juliana was hesitant. She had her manners, and would not be the one to suggest it, so he would have to protect her integrity.
“I could sleep in the bed with ye.”
“What!” shrieked Juliana.
Andrew was sure that he could see her suppress a look of relief.
“Dinnae worry, I’ll be a perfect gentleman. I can sleep on top of the blanket.”
“What about the Laird?” asked Juliana. There was genuine concern in her voice, and Andrew worried that he had overstayed his welcome.
“Well, we’re in the room together now. If anyone saw us, then they’ll think the worst anyway.”
“What!” shrieked Juliana again. His words had done nothing to calm her. “Do you think that someone saw us?”
“No, no,” said Andrew, trying to calm her. “Look, if we had been spotted, someone would’ve come up here, they wouldnae risk the wrath of the Laird by not doin’ so. We’re both in the room now, we may as well be comfortable.”
Juliana only nodded, and Andrew could see her fear slip away.
He lay down on the other side of the bed, the small bed creaking under the weight of the two of them, and the shifting of the bed caused Juliana to roll toward him slightly. Their two fully-clothed bodies bumped together with the blanket in between. Andrew felt a thrill course through him.
The moment of thrill only brought negative emotion. He wanted to turn and wrap this English lass in his arms, but it could never be. He felt Juliana move back to her side of the bed.
It was almost too much for him to by lying beside her. She was the most beautiful woman that he had seen in his life, and her smell was intoxicating. He breathed in a deep breath and drifted in her smell. He wanted to grab her hand and run with her from this room, from this place, from this life.
Andrew turned to face the window. He could not lie there with his eyes wide open, staring up at the ceiling, something had to take his mind from the magnificence beside him. He soon heard Juliana’s breathing change and knew that she had fallen asleep.
The moon was visible outside of the window, the fullness of it ready to birth possibilities. As he lay awake the entire night, he knew one thing to be true, the Laird did not deserve this, and he wished t
hat he knew a way to change what was to happen.
5
The Highlands
Juliana felt herself move toward Andrew as he got into the bed. Butterflies flapped in her stomach as they touched, and it was the most intimate moment that she had shared with another man, even though they were clothed, and there were blankets in the way. She wanted to rest herself there, and let him know that she wanted to be close to him, but it was not right.
Andrew had been a perfect gentleman toward her, and she could not do anything to jeopardize the morals that he had. She waited a second before shifting a little to move back to her side of the bed, and give the man beside her a little more room.
Consumed By The Lost Highlander (Steamy Scottish Historical Romance) Page 5