Claimed by a Laird

by Glenn, Laura

  “Why would you need any of that?” he asked.

  Swiftly zapped of her energy, Anna slumped. What else didn’t she know about Medieval history? Wasn’t there something about banns needing to be read? Or did that happen later? She sighed, too weary to argue with Adam any longer despite how twisted, illogical and just plain ridiculous his argument was. “You people are crazy,” she muttered.

  She rubbed her forehead wearily and decided to change the subject. “How is your scar?” she asked, arching her lower back slightly to stretch it.

  Adam pulled the hem of his leine out of his belt and leaned back, exposing a small part of the scar to her. “Seems to be fading. Unlike the memory of you pulling out the stitches. I could have used another dram of whisky.”

  Anna laughed and rolled her eyes. “Lesson learned. I’ll remember that for next time.”

  A strange smell wafted across her nose, causing her stomach to lurch. She turned as Catriona approached with a bowl and a cup of what Anna assumed to be ale.

  Catriona’s cheeks flushed as she gave Adam a small smile and placed the bowl and cup before him.

  Adam tucked his leine back into his belt and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Ah, yes! Thank you, love.”

  Though Anna would have preferred to watch the amusing exchange of glances and smiles between the new lovers, the stench of whatever was in the bowl filled her senses and her hand flew to her mouth.

  “What is that awful smell?” she asked from behind her hand.

  Concern drew Catriona’s lips together as she studied Anna briefly. “It is only some of the mutton stew left over from last night, my lady. Remember? You helped Mary to make it.”

  Anna leaned forward, daring a glance at the contents of Adam’s bowl before shaking her head and pushing away from the table. Her stomach convulsed.

  Catriona stepped toward Anna and caressed her arm in a motherly gesture. “Are you feeling ill again, my lady?”

  “Again?” Adam questioned.

  Anna took a deep breath and shook her head. “No, I am fine, really, Cat.”

  Catriona drew her brows together as her eyes traveled up and down Anna’s figure. “You have become quite pale again.” She pressed the back of her hand against Anna’s cheek. “And you feel cold.”

  Anna’s legs tingled and her stomach roiled. She stepped away from Catriona. “Really, I am quite all right.”

  Adam stood at that moment, his brow creasing in concern. “No, my lady, I do not think you are.”

  “I just need to rest, that’s all,” Anna insisted.

  Her stomach lurched again. There was no way to fight the nausea any longer. She inhaled sharply and covered her hand with her mouth before running out of the keep.

  She made it to the bottom of the stairs before doubling over as what little she ate for breakfast spilled forth into the courtyard. As she continued to retch, her hair was pulled back and her arm rubbed. The concerned murmurs of other clan members quickly surrounded her.

  “There, there, my lady.” Catriona crooned beside her.

  “All right, everyone,” Adam announced somewhere behind her. “Go on about your business. Let your lady have some space.”

  As her stomach finally settled, Anna straightened, wrapping her arms around her abdomen. With aching muscles and a burning throat, she took a deep breath, embarrassment sweeping over her.

  Catriona pulled out a cloth tucked into her belt and mopped Anna’s face and mouth.

  “I’m sorry,” Anna whispered with a sheepish smile. “How do I clean this up?”

  “Do not worry about it, my lady.” Adam patted her on the shoulder. “I will get someone else to clean it up. Perhaps that young man being punished with manure duty.”

  Anna couldn’t help but crack a smile. She nodded gratefully. All she wanted to do was sit down in a quiet place and not be disturbed for a little while.

  “My lady, you really should not be up and about until you are feeling better,” Catriona gently scolded, taking her by the arm. “The laird will have our necks if you waste away while he is gone.”

  Adam glanced from one woman to the other. “How long has this been going on?”

  “It’s really nothing,” Anna stated with a dismissive wave of her hand.

  “For at least a week. Perhaps longer,” Catriona answered.

  “Cat!” Anna exclaimed.

  Catriona shook her head. “I am sorry, my lady, but I can no longer keep quiet. You have barely eaten in days.”

  “Is this true?” Adam gripped Anna’s other arm.

  Anna sighed in exasperation. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to find out about her condition before she’d had the chance to talk to Galen. “I am fine, really. I just haven’t been hungry lately. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I will go lie down for a while.”

  Adam nodded and released Anna. As Catriona followed her mistress, he grabbed her arm to stop her. She threw him a questioning frown, but he remained quiet until Anna disappeared into the keep.

  Turning back to Catriona, he asked, “Has this happened before?”

  She nodded. “Yes, at least once. But her stomach has been paining her for some time now. She has not had the desire to break her fast in the morning—except for today—for at least a week now.”

  “And she asked you to keep quiet about it?”

  “Yes.” Catriona looked down at her feet in obvious guilt. “I cannot any longer though. The laird would be most heartbroken if he came home and Lady Anna was no longer with us.”

  He nodded. Catriona had only been a child when Galen took over the clan after his father’s death, but Adam was sure she had heard the rumors surrounding Malcolm and why he had changed so dramatically. Though Galen was indeed different from his father in many ways, a shred of fear hung in the back of Adam’s mind where Anna was concerned. He had watched his friend go from looking at Anna with lust and possessiveness to looking at her with tenderness and even love in the span of two weeks. Hell, he’d seen the signs of what was happening within a single day. He could not bear the thought of what it might do to Galen if Anna were to take ill again…or worse.

  “And she has been sleeping much.” Catriona shook her head. “But it does her no good. She still wears herself out in no time.”

  The clues fit together in Adam’s mind and he stared at the keep, allowing them to fall into place. His thoughts wandered years back in his memory. He’d had a woman of his own once too and the signs were all there.

  “And she will not listen to me, Adam,” Catriona stated with a pout. “I know I may not be as well-versed in the healing arts as my lady, but she needs to stop and let someone take care of her for a change. Do you think we should send for the laird?”

  He looked down at Catriona’s pretty, upturned face, worry creasing her brow. “Go take care of your lady.” He leaned down and caressed her soft, pink lips with his.

  She rewarded him with one of her radiant, trusting smiles and hurried into the keep.

  * * * * *

  Adam strode up the hill toward the keep, a smile on his face. He had been hesitant to speak with Katherine at first, afraid memories of the deaths of Janet and his unborn child would be too much to bear upon hearing the old woman’s voice for the first time since she had broken the news to him so many years ago. Though he still bore the scars, the wound had healed and now he could finally accept the possibility of moving into a future with Catriona.

  But this was only one reason why he was smiling. He no longer had to worry about Anna’s health. At least not in the way he had been. He could not wait to see the surprise on Galen’s face when Anna finally told him.

  “Adam!” shouted someone behind him.

  Lachlan ran through the courtyard toward him. “What is with the goofy grin?”

  Adam’s smile faded as he took in the stony expression on Lachlan’s normally jovial face. “Nothing. What has happened?”

  Lachlan furtively glanced around and then moved closer. In a low voice,
he said, “I was down along our border south of Ben Dunkeld. A child came out of the woods and handed me this.”

  From behind his back, Lachlan produced a folded piece of parchment with a red wax seal. “I was told to give it to Lady Anna.”

  Adam eyed him suspiciously, took the letter and turned it over to view the seal, which was broken. “You opened your lady’s private correspondence? You cannot even read, you daft donkey.”

  “I can read some.” Lachlan’s back straightened. “I would not normally do it, but there was something strange about the child and the way he approached me. I could not make out anything, though, except for the signature at the bottom.”

  Lachlan’s eyes flashed with fury. Adam unfolded the letter and quickly scanned the page. The words all seemed foreign to him, as well, and he was about ready to give up reading when he recognized the signature.

  “The Gowrie,” he whispered.

  Lachlan nodded. “What could the Gowrie possibly have to say to Lady Anna?”

  The hairs on the back of Adam’s neck stood straight and he shook his head. “I do not know.”

  He spun on his heels and headed straight for the keep with Lachlan following close behind.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Cat, get that thing away from me,” Anna demanded as she waved the blanket away for about the dozenth time.

  Catriona daintily stomped her foot and glowered at Anna, sitting in a chair beside the fire in the great hall. “My lady, you are chilled,” she insisted.

  “It is hotter than blazes in here already.” Anna pinched the fabric of her leine against her chest and waved it back and forth to create a breeze. “I would rather be outside.”

  “Go easy on the lass, my lady.” John eased himself into a chair across from Anna. “She is just doing her duty.”

  “The laird is going to have my neck if you die on us,” Catriona muttered as she angrily folded the blanket.

  Anna stared at Catriona for several moments until the young woman finally met her gaze. The two burst into laughter.

  Anna leaned forward and gave Catriona’s hand an apologetic squeeze. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been a bear lately. I will be fine though, I promise.”

  Catriona clasped Anna’s hand. “I am sorry too, my lady.”

  “What news have you, lads?” Owen abruptly called toward the front of the hall from where he sat next to John.

  Anna turned toward the front of the room, surprised to have been caught unaware of anyone else’s presence. Adam and Lachlan purposefully strode toward them. The smile dropped from her lips at the somber expressions on their faces.

  “My lady.” Adam greeted her with a bow before turning toward Catriona. “Will you please excuse us, Cat?”

  Catriona nodded with wide-eyed apprehension and glanced at Anna before walking away. Everyone remained silent until she left the room.

  “Would you like for use to leave too, son?” John eyed Anna.

  Adam shook his head. “No, I would like for you to stay. We may need your wisdom.”

  Nausea of an entirely different sort settled in Anna’s stomach as she stared at Adam with growing alarm.

  “A letter has been delivered for you.” Adam held a folded piece of parchment out to her.

  She shot to her feet, but her hands remained frozen against her. “Is it Galen? Has something happened to him?”

  “We do not know, my lady. We were hoping you might be able to read this and tell us,” Lachlan admitted.

  She shook her head as dread wound itself around her heart. “I can’t read Gaelic or Latin or whatever it is you all use to write.”

  “We do not think it is written in any of those,” Adam replied.

  Anna stared at the letter with foreboding. She did not want to read it even if she could. “Who is it from?”

  Adam pressed his lips together and gave her a sympathetic look. “It is from the Gowrie.”

  “What?” Owen shot to his feet. “Where is my sword?”

  “Easy there, old man.” John pulled his cousin back down into the chair.

  Anna’s eyes widened. The Gowrie? What could the Gowrie laird possibly want with her unless it had something to do with Galen? Her vision blurred and she swayed.

  Lachlan leaped forward and took her arm. “Perhaps you should sit down, my lady.”

  She nodded and Adam stepped forward, holding the letter toward her once again. She took a deep breath and accepted it. Her hands shook as she unfolded the paper.

  Greetings, my dearest Anna. I could hardly believe my ears when my young cousin, whom you protected from the violent, unjustified wrath of the MacAirth and healed with your delicate hands, told me of your presence here. I have longed to wrap my arms around you once again, but thought you lost to me. I knew the woman he described had to be you when he told me of the strange, amber pendant you wore around your neck—so much like the one I used to find you long ago. Now that you are here, in my homeland, by some miracle of the Almighty Lord and Savior, my heart is full and grateful. I fear for what you have experienced at the hands of the MacAirth and I pledge my very soul to avenge you. I know the MacAirth to be away—I must see you at once. Send word and I will come for you at a place of your choosing. Choose wisely, my love, for until you are out of the MacAirth’s reach, I fear for the success of our reunion.

  James Gowrie of Gowrie

  Anna’s hand flew to her mouth. Bitter fear and complete bewilderment twisted in her gut. How could this be? She shook her head like a woman possessed. “No, no, no,” she whispered.

  Adam crouched beside her, placing a hand on her back. “Do they have Galen, my lady?”

  She shook her head again, her chest heaving irregularly.

  “Easy there, lass.” John leaned forward to pat her knee. “Whatever it is, we will think of something. Just give us the whole of it.”

  Anna closed her eyes, silently cursing the universe. Why was this happening to her? Why was she dragged over eight hundred years into the past to fall in love, just to have fate fuck it up by having her ex show up?

  Fall in love? Her breathing slowed and she stared into the fire, attempting to decide which was more frightening—admitting to loving a guy who wasn’t in love with her or realizing James wasn’t somewhere in the Highlands of 2013, but here. In the thirteenth century. And a mortal enemy of the guy she had stupidly let get her pregnant and who now possessed her heart. Leave it to her to royally fuck everything up so thoroughly.

  “My lady,” Adam said, his voice stern. “You must tell us what the Gowrie said to you that has you so frightened.”

  Lachlan crouched on the other side of her. “Did he threaten the laird?”

  She swallowed hard, freeing her voice. “No. Well, not in so many words.”

  “Did he threaten you then?” John’s forehead wrinkled as he lifted his brow.

  She shook her head.

  “Then what is it that has you so frightened?” Adam asked.

  Anna paused nervously, uncertain of what she should say. The truth was not an option. There would be too many questions. The last thing she wanted them to know was that she had been married to their sworn enemy. She was not certain she would be able to withstand their hatred. She stood, hands shaking as she held the letter.

  Lachlan and Adam stood as well, watching her.

  Galen will go after James.

  Hadn’t Galen expressed frustration about not being able to get revenge for what James had done to her? Not to mention he once told her he would go to war for her. No. No one could ever find out what was in the letter. She would not allow Galen to risk his life trying to avenge something from her past.

  “You cannot tell your laird about this,” she hissed, strength rushing in her limbs. “He is never to know the Gowrie contacted me.”

  Adam’s shoulders sank. “You know we cannot keep this from him, my lady.”

  “You must!” she insisted, looking each man in the eye. “He cannot know this ever happened. You know him. You know what he
will do if he finds out and I cannot have his blood or yours on my hands.”

  When she did not immediately gain their agreement, she crumpled up the parchment and threw it into the fire.

  Lachlan sucked in his breath and she whirled around to confront the men. If Adam was right and the clan saw her as Galen’s wife, then she could give them orders they would have to follow just like with Galen, right?

  “Not a single word to Galen,” she warned, propping her hands on her hips. “This never happened.”

  She bit her lower lip when they stared at her in silence, but then she raised her head, holding it high, and excused herself to go up to her chamber.

  As she lifted her skirts to ascend the stairs, an image of the quartz pendant flashed before her eyes. Perhaps if she were not even here then Galen wouldn’t need to go into battle. Her eyes swelled with tears at the thought of never seeing him again and her heart contracted so painfully at the idea she could ultimately be the cause of his death that her breath nearly strangled her throat.

  What if James Gowrie took her silence as an indication he should come after her? What if he got to her while Galen was away? There was no way she would allow any of the MacAirths to risk their lives for her.

  The tour guide at Graham Castle never once mentioned anything about Galen other than that he was imprisoned there and had married an Anna Campbell. Everyone here already thought she and Galen were married. For all she knew, Galen had been fated to meet an untimely death because of her and she could not stomach the thought. If it was within her power to prevent it and protect the MacAirths she had come to adore, she would. If she could simply leave this time period, then no one would get hurt.

  Except for her.

  Anna breathed deeply and blinked back tears. Maybe this time the pendant would actually work.

  “Adam—” Lachlan said.

  Adam held up his hand for silence.

  The men remained quiet for several moments until the click of Anna’s door closing upstairs reverberated through the hall.

  “What on earth could the Gowrie have said to have frightened the lass so?” John wondered out loud. “If he did not threaten anyone, then what is the matter?”