Highlands’ Forbidden Deeds

by Adamina Young

  Moira could not have that.

  Smoke was billowing out from the door, and Moira pushed the door open. Fear struck her. Connor had no doubt rushed in to make sure that everyone was out. What if he was still in there? “Connor! Connor!”

  Before she could go in, hands grabbed her. “What do ye think ye are doing?” Clyde growled as he pulled her to safety. “Killing yerself?”

  “Let me go, Connor is in there!” Moira screamed.

  “Connor is not in there.” Physically lifting her, Clyde hurried her out of the keep. Already, villagers were racing in with buckets of water.

  There was Connor, safe and sound.

  And kneeling over Breanna while she lovingly cupped his face.

  16

  It was late when the fire was out and the chaos had died down. Moira had stayed to the outskirts and tried to ignore the rumors that were flying.

  Rumors that said she had set up the fire while she was working in the kitchens.

  Thankfully, no one was hurt. Connor finally thanked everyone for their hard work and asked them to return home. He retired as well, and soon Moira was the only one left staring at the damage.

  It was extensive and would take weeks to repair. Weeks without a kitchen for the keep. It didn’t matter how someone looked at it, the situation was bad. First, there were the rumors that Moira had deliberately set the fire. Then there were the ones who kindly thought she’d done it by accident. Her first big dinner was ruined. To feed her husband, guests, and staff, she’d have to have the food cooked elsewhere and brought in.

  And then there was Connor, kneeling over Breanna. The contact was brief before Connor pulled away, but she couldn’t get the image out of her head. MacDonald arrived quickly afterward and whisked her and the rest of her family away.

  “Moira?” Ainsley asked tentatively as she joined her. “Moira, what are ye doing here? ’Tis late. Ye should go to bed.”

  “I didnae set the fire,” she said dully.

  “Of course, Moira. I would never think that.”

  “Not deliberately or accidentally.”

  “Moira, ye are tired. Ye must go to bed. Are ye not moving into the cottage tonight?”

  “With the MacDonalds here, I should not. I should appear to be the mistress of the clan, farce that it is,” Moira whispered. “But perhaps I should move to the cottage. Perhaps the clan will feel calmer if I were not living here.”

  “Ainsley,” Connor said darkly, “please return to yer chambers. The kitchen is not a safe place to be at the moment.”

  Moira could barely acknowledge him as he stood next to her and put an arm around her waist.

  “Connor,” Ainsley whispered, “will ye see that Moira gets some sleep? Perhaps she will feel better in the cottage.”

  “Go to bed, Ainsley.”

  Was that anger in his voice? Moira flinched and turned to her husband. “Ye doonae have to worry about me. I will go.”

  “Go?” Connor asked as he grabbed her arm. “Where exactly do ye think ye are going, Moira?”

  Confused, she stared at him. Was he going to put her in irons? “To my cottage,” she said faintly. “Perhaps I should have one farther away. Maybe the clan will forget about me soon enough.”

  “Moira.” With a groan, Connor put his arm around Moira and gently led her out of the kitchen and to the stairwell. She didn’t even realize where they were heading until he opened the door to his chambers.

  “I need to pack. No, I doonae. I packed earlier.”

  And yet there was her valise on the bed, open and empty. “Connor?”

  “I amnae breaking my vow to ye, Moira, but I fear for yer safety. For now, ye will stay with me, here. I had the new lady’s maid unpack yer things for ye.”

  She had a new lady’s maid? Why? Women who lived alone in cottages didn’t have lady’s maids.

  “I know ye didnae set that fire. How could ye? Ye were with me for nearly an hour.”

  “But they think I did. Connor, the kitchen is gone. ’Tis the heart of the keep, where I am mistress, but ’tis nothing but a burnt shell.”

  Slowly, he undid the buttons of her dress, which still smelled of smoke. The shift came next, and then he undid the braid in her hair.

  Numbly, she turned and stared at him. “Do ye plan to show Breanna my heather field?”

  His eyes widened just a little, and his arms dropped. “Nay. I was going to have Grace take her. The first time I took her, we werenae alone, Moira.”

  “’Tis none of my business.”

  “Would ye like a nightdress for bed?”

  Wordlessly, she pulled away and climbed into the bed naked. Connor was quiet as he undressed, blew out the candles, and climbed in next to her. “Talk to me,” he said quietly in her ear.

  Turning in his arms, she stared up at him. “Ye should have never married me, Connor. I fear what ye have done to yer clan by bringing me here.”

  “This isnae yer fault, Moira. I willnae let ye blame yerself. Nor is this on me or my decisions. The only one at fault here is the one who wants me to doubt ye.”

  Startled, she turned to him. “Doubt me? Why would someone want that? Never mind. I doonae usually ask dumb questions. Someone still suspects me.”

  “Perhaps. Moira, ye have nothing to fear.”

  “Nothing to fear? Ye have been put in danger deliberately. Then ye raced into a burning kitchen! Ye could have died, Connor.”

  “And if something should happen to me, I know that both my brother and yer uncle would take ye back. Ye will still be safe, Moira. On my honor.”

  My safety. Is that all he thinks I care about? She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Slowly, he stroked his fingers up and down her spine.

  It comforted her, and she allowed his warmth to lull her to sleep.

  The next day, after waking to the brush of Connor’s lips on her forehead, Moira felt stronger and more determined. After dressing, she headed to the kitchen and found Helena staring at the damage.

  “I didnae do this,” Moira told her firmly. “And if ye believe so, I ask that ye keep yer suspicions to yerself.”

  Helena turned to her, and there was sadness in her eyes. “Nay, Moira. I doonae believe ye to be responsible for this. I thought many horrible things of ye when ye first arrived, but ye have worked hard. Ye would not have ruined it like this. It breaks my heart to see my kitchen like this.”

  In the time that Moira had spent with Helena, she had no idea that Helena felt that way, but she did see why the woman’s heart was broken. Running this keep had been her purpose in life. “Connor and I spoke this morning. He and his men will erect a simple building close by to house a kitchen for now. It will take some time to repair this, but it will be done. Until then, I will rely on yer help.”

  “Ye will have it,” Helena swore. “’Tis a shame that it happened with the MacDonalds here. Between ye and me, that Breanna—who is no lady, mind ye—will do her best to sour ye. She has had her sights set on Connor for well over a year now.”

  Moira smiled faintly. It was nice to know that she had an unexpected ally. “I had assumed that everyone here would have loved her and wanted her as their mistress.”

  “She puts on a nice act, but the mask drops when servants are around. People tend to forget about us. When she was here a year ago, I nearly caught her sneaking into Connor’s room, no doubt to force a marriage. Luckily, I put a stop to it and made certain that someone was posted outside his door for the rest of her stay. She is a snake.”

  “Well, they are leaving tomorrow, and Breanna is already out of luck. Connor is mine, for better or worse.”

  “Aye. Ye stay strong. We Sinclairs are a stubborn bunch, but we can see the error of our ways.”

  “Ye served his parents.”

  Helena cut a sharp look her way. “Aye, and I will share nothing with ye, so doonae ask. What happened that day was horrible, but Connor is strong. His secrets are his to keep, and if he doesnae want to share them wi
th ye, then I willnae break that confidence.”

  Secrets? What was the woman talking about? It was no secret that Connor lost his parents that day.

  Or had something else happened?

  “Come. We still need to provide breakfast. For now, we are using the small kitchen in that cottage that is to be yers, and we need all hands.”

  After breakfast, of which the guests had thankfully taken in their chambers, Moira, Grace, and Ainsley began cleaning out the soot from the kitchen. They worked silently at first until Ainsley burst into tears.

  “Ainsley!” Grace gasped and dropped her cloth. “Did ye hurt yerself?”

  “Nay, I just fear that history is repeating itself, and I so desperately want Moira to be happy,” Ainsley cried. “I am so sorry. I doonae know why I am so emotional.”

  “Last night was terrifying,” Moira said soothingly as she embraced her friend. “There is no need for apologies, nor is there any need to fear for me.”

  Ainsley sniffed and wiped her face. “I heard that they were using yer cottage as the makeshift kitchen before the new one is built. Does that mean that ye cannae move in? I thought Connor did beautiful work on it.”

  “Not yet. Connor doesnae want me to move in until things die down. He fears for my safety. Frankly, I think he is overprotective, but for now, I am to stay in the keep.”

  “Good,” Grace grunted. “And ye certainly cannae leave while that horrid Breanna is here. I swore to Connor last year that if he married her, I would never marry, and spend the rest of my life in this keep driving him insane.”

  Moira smirked. “But ye have no plans to marry.”

  “Nay, but I also have no plans to stay here. Thankfully, he resisted.” Grace shuddered. “I hate her.”

  As they continued to work, Grace shared stories of things she’d done to make Breanna’s life difficult while she was there. They were laughing so hard that tears were pouring down their faces when Connor showed up. “Moira,” he said tightly, “I hate to break ye away from this, but I have need to borrow ye for an hour.”

  Clearing her throat, Moira put down her cloth. “Of course. Is something wrong?”

  “Nay, but I promised Breanna a tour to the heather field, and I would like ye to join me.”

  Her heart skipped a beat, and she pressed a hand to her stomach. How could she say no to him? She didn’t want to see the fields, but she also didn’t want Breanna to be alone with Connor.

  In the end, her jealousy won out, and she nodded. “Aye, but I doonae want to be gone long. I doonae want to leave the girls to take care of this mess without me.”

  “It willnae take long.” He reached out his hand, and after some hesitation, she accepted it. Breanna was waiting for them outside and immediately frowned when she saw Moira.

  “I didnae realize that ye were joining us,” she said sharply. “Surely ye have other things to concern yerself with today?”

  “I do, Lady Breanna, but ye are my guest, and if ye want to see the heather fields, then I would be happy to show them to ye. Connor?”

  “I could use a walk,” he said easily. “’Tis been a while since I have visited the fields.”

  “Oh?” Breanna asked. “How long?”

  “I believe that walking ye there was my last visit.”

  Breanna openly preened, and Moira tried not to roll her eyes. How did Connor not see that he was encouraging her? “I suppose that ye doonae have much time to collect flowers.”

  “Nay, but there were other reasons.”

  Moira’s throat tightened, and she stayed quiet while Breanna, with renewed energy, chatted merrily away. When they reached the fields, Moira stumbled at the onslaught of memories.

  “My. Clumsy, are ye, Lady Moira?”

  Connor put an arm around her body. “I have ye,” he murmured, too low for Breanna to hear. She let him help her up, but she still couldn’t look at him.

  “The first time that I was here, I heard the most wonderful tale,” Breanna said dreamily. “The miracle of the heather fields. Did ye know, Moira, that Laird Connor decided he wanted to build here, so he toiled the land and destroyed all the flowers? Then, somehow, the remains of the flowers took root, and the whole field returned the next spring as if he’d never taken a plow to it. There is something special about these fields. I felt it when Connor and I were together.”

  Confused, Moira looked up at Connor. “I doonae understand. It would have taken time for the flowers to grow back, but I doonae see any evidence of ye building anything.”

  “I couldnae do it,” he said gruffly. “’Twas about three years ago. The field was covered in heathers, and I couldnae stand looking at them. I told the clan that I wanted to build more cottages, so I destroyed the fields, yet when it came to building the cottages, I just couldnae do it. I told myself it was because I didnae want to see the fields anymore, but in truth, it pained me to see all the flowers gone.”

  “Why?” Breanna snapped. “What are ye two talking about?”

  “When Moira was here, she loved these fields. ’Twas where I first proposed to her and ’twas where I sent her away. Ye are right, Breanna. There is magic here. Despite the mess that I made, the flowers still bloomed.” Slowly, he reached up and stroked Moira’s cheek.

  He was unraveling her, one word at a time, stripping everything away from her until all that would be left were the feelings deep down that she desperately wanted to ignore.

  Feelings that he would never reciprocate. She could not allow herself to be that vulnerable again. She couldn’t, but here, in the field of heather, she could pretend that they would bloom again.

  “I see,” Breanna huffed. “If ye doonae mind, I will head back to my chambers. ’Tis colder out than I first anticipated.”

  As she stalked away, Moira looked up at Connor and smiled. “If ye let her get too far alone, she is likely to find some trouble.”

  “I just wanted ye to know that I take my vows seriously, Moira. I know what ye think ye saw last night. I amnae tempted to stray, and ’tis best to squash any fantasies others might have.”

  “So ye sensed my jealousy. ’Tis silly, I know. After I conceive yer heir, then ye should be free to do what ye need to do.”

  Immediately, his face grew dark. “Excuse me?” he hissed. “What put that idea in yer head?”

  “Connor, Breanna is gone. We really should catch up to her.”

  “Doonae think that this conversation is done,” he muttered before he turned and stalked after Breanna.

  Unable to help herself, Moira bent down and picked a single flower. Knowing that she’d deliberately ruined a perfect moment made her stomach clench, but she had to protect herself.

  Even if she was the reason that she needed protection.

  17

  Connor was furious. The trip with Breanna to the heather fields was meant to put Moira’s mind at ease, not open up a question about permissible infidelity in the future. He certainly didn’t want another woman in his life, and he didn’t want to think of her with another man.

  So what was her game? Why in the world would she bring it up, and in the middle of the heather fields, their spot of all places?

  She refused to discuss it before they hurried after Breanna, and in front of the sullen eldest MacDonald daughter was no place for further discussion, so he held his temper.

  When they returned, Helena snagged Moira away before he could draw her into a private chamber. “How strange that yer wife allows herself to be ordered about by a servant,” Breanna remarked. “I would have thought that ye would have chosen a wife with more understanding of clan hierarchy.”

  “Helena is more than a servant here, and my wife understands that ’tis the servants that run this keep, whether she gives the orders or not. She has a big heart, and upholds the belief of human equality.” He spoke sharper than he intended, but whatever Breanna’s intentions were, he wanted to put an end to them. He was a married man, and Breanna would never be the lady of the Sinclair keep. In truth, she was ne
ver in the running for it, no matter what her parents thought. Breanna was too immature, and he’d never had any intentions of wedding her.

  Now, apparently, she had thoughts to become his mistress. Apparently his marriage was little more than a game to her, and one she intended to ruin simply to win whatever she was playing.

  Connor didn’t want to believe the young woman to be so devious before, but it was hard to ignore the signs that she was giving out. Moira’s fears were not so unfounded after all.

  “Brother!” Grace yelled unhappily as she hurried down the stairs. “There ye are. I have been looking for ye!”

  Stopping short at the sight of Breanna, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Lady Breanna.”

  “Lady Grace. I see that ye have the lungs of a barbarian,” Breanna snapped.

  “I like to be heard. Brother, Mungo is looking for ye. He has some information he would like to share with ye. And have ye seen Ainsley? We were going to ride this morning, but I cannae find her.”

  “I have not seen Ainsley, but I am certain she is around. The fire has upset the daily routine, and she most likely forgot. Grace, will ye please escort Lady Breanna to her chambers?”

  Normally Grace would have been angry with a request like that, but she was more than eager to put herself between him and Breanna. Hoping that this was the last he needed to deal with Breanna’s antics, he headed out in search of Mungo.

  The burly man wasn’t far, walking through the remains of the kitchen with a hard look on his face. “Ye have news,” Connor said unhappily. Although Mungo didn’t usually have a sunny disposition, Connor had a feeling that he was not going to like what his friend had to say.

  “We have finished speaking to the servants. Four of the women reported seeing a male figure skulking about during the day. No one recognized him, but they all stated that he had no reason to be there. I didnae think much of it because it was hours before the fire started.”

  “However?” Connor prompted.

  “One of the lads carrying out the linens told me he also saw a man lurking outside the kitchens. He only missed the fire by a few minutes. Because of yer earlier request, I sought out the whereabouts of the new groom. He was at the tavern at the time of the fire.”