Love Beyond Compare (Book 5 of Morna’s Legacy Series)

by Claire, Bethany

  I stopped, realizing that my voice had escalated and I’d started pacing around the corridor rather restlessly. My chest ached with how badly I wanted to be out of these stone walls. My frustrated rant exhausted me so I returned to my place against the wall opposite Eoghanan. He stared hard in my direction, saying nothing until I quieted completely.

  “Did ye just call me backwards, lass? That doesna seem wise if ye wish me to help ye.”

  My mouth could get me in trouble quicker than almost anything so I did my best to backtrack. “I didn’t mean you, in particular. You’re better than most. It’s just men of this time all seem to think that women shouldn’t do anything other than make babies and look pretty.”

  “I doona think that at all, ’tis only that there are certain appearances that should be kept up since Baodan is laird. I am no so verra concerned with them myself, but we must make sure they are kept for his sake.”

  Excitement replaced my frustration and I stepped toward him to speak in an elated whisper. “Does that mean that you’ll help?”

  Eoghanan turned away from the window and took off at a brisk pace down the hallway. I lifted the bottom of my dress so that I could run to keep up.

  “Aye, mayhap, if the man I have in mind is willing. Go and find yerself a warm coat and meet me at the stables.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Eoghanan waited until we were far away from the castle to explain anything. While I appreciated his discretion, I couldn’t help but find his behavior a bit overly cautious. I didn’t imagine that the same little fairies that Cooper believed took his socks would snitch to anyone in or around the castle.

  Eventually, once we’d ridden into the trees and were well along the trail that would lead us into the village, he spoke.

  “Have ye ever eaten at the inn here, Jane?”

  Since travelling into the seventeenth century and deciding to stay, I’d only been into the village a grand total of once.

  “No. The only other time I’ve been through the village was when we were headed to Cagair Castle with Jeffrey and Kathleen.”

  His horse rode ahead of mine but he twisted so that he could look back at me, disbelief in his eyes.

  “That’s truly the only time, lass? No wonder ye feel ye may go mad. Ye should have said something before now. Ye are no a prisoner.”

  I said nothing, giving him a moment to continue his explanation.

  “There is a man there that I grew up with. His mother worked at the castle when we were young lads. He owns and runs the inn with his wife now. Only she’s fallen ill and is no able to help as much as she once could. I know he can use someone else to help, especially if the help comes from someone willing to work for verra little pay.”

  The matter of payment hadn’t really even crossed my mind. “Oh, that’s fine. He doesn’t have to pay me at all if he doesn’t want to.”

  “If I know him at all, he will insist on paying ye something, but ’twill comfort him to know that ye doona really need it, and he will keep our secret. ’Twill be easy to do since ye willna be seen by patrons.”

  As we approached the village, I saw the inn sign hanging in the distance. I’d not often been housekeeper for myself, but I was sure it was something I could learn.

  “Because I’ll be cleaning the rooms while they’re away, you mean? Once they’ve left in the morning?”

  Eoghanan laughed and slowed his horse’s pace so that he rode next to me. “Ye willna be cleaning rooms, Jane. ’Tis Gregor’s job. ’Tis his wife, Isobel, who prepares the food. Ye shall work as cook.”

  Panic is the only thing I felt at Eoghanan’s words–no longer nerves or excitement, just pure panic at the thought of being responsible for such a task. Truthfully, I knew I was unprepared for just about any job, but this I feared, would be impossible.

  “Hang on. Have you ever had anything I’ve ever cooked, Eoghanan?”

  “No, I havena, but ye canna be that bad.”

  He had no idea. Every time Cooper stayed with me as a toddler, I worried he would starve to death by the end of the weekend. I couldn’t even get him to eat a PB&J prepared by my very, very ill-equipped hands.

  “Oh, I am. He’s never going to want me, Eoghanan. You need to find something else for me to do.”

  He shook his head. We’d arrived at the location of my soon-to-be humiliation and Eoghanan dismounted, looking completely unworried as he came to help me with my horse. “There is no other work that I am willing to help ye acquire, Jane. ’Tis this or ye can return to the castle and find madness. I trust Gregor and Isobel to watch over ye and to no spread it about that the laird’s kin is working like a common villager. Ye may no be able to cook now, but ye can learn. Now come.”

  He stepped inside before I had a chance to protest further. I knew I should be grateful for his help, but I also knew that this could only end one way…in disaster.

  CHAPTER 4

  Cagair Castle

  1648

  “Adwen, unless ye wish Da to come up and see ye tupping the two of them, I suggest ye dress yerself at once. Ye know he needs to speak to ye.”

  The lass beneath him moved to squirm away, her expression turning from one of ecstasy to disgust in an instant at his brother’s suggestion.

  He shook his head in denial, placing his palm gently on the side of the nameless woman’s cheek as he raised his voice to answer his brother.

  “There is no two of them for Da to see. Only one.”

  “Oh, a change for ye then. Are ye saying that ye wish for him to see? Fine. I’ll send him up.”

  Adwen MacChristy groaned in a mixture of frustration and unreleased wanting, leaning in to kiss the lass briefly before whispering in her ear. “Callum is a liar. Ye are more than enough for me in bed, I doona need two lassies. Just give me a moment.”

  He rolled off of her and made his way to the door, not bothering to cover himself. He wished for the lass to see all that awaited her.

  Hardening his face, Adwen threw open the door, reaching his fist out to grab his brother’s shoulder. “What is the matter with ye, man? Doona ye know better than to stop a man in the middle of…’tis no good for a man to go unfinished.”

  Callum jerked out of his grip, smiling with disapproval in his eyes. “I doona give a damn whether or no ye finish and neither does Da. I know that ye doona wish to hear what he has to tell ye, but ye must respect his wishes for ye either way.”

  Adwen knew the truth in his brother’s words. While he didn’t know with certainty what his father wished of him, he knew their conversation would end with great responsibility being passed to him. It was the great beast he’d been fleeing from for all of his life.

  “Aye, fine. Now leave me and the lass be.” He closed the door in Callum’s face and turned to face the woman lying in his bed. “Lassie, the ache of no being able to be inside ye shall haunt me for ages, but ye heard my brother. Best ye take yer leave before the old man comes up here himself. I wouldna want ye to be shamed in such a way.”

  Little truth lay in his words. He would ache to be sure, but the lass that now stood before him had little to do with that. He would have been pained in such a way with any other woman had he been interrupted similarly. Still, he knew how to send them away so that no hurt or ill feelings lay in the minds of the women he bedded. It was a skill he’d perfected over the course of his life and something he took great pride in. A heartsick woman could take all of the joy out of a good tup–best to let them believe they held a special place in his heart.

  The lass stepped into her dress, bending so that the shape of her thighs and rear formed a delicious heart shape that sent waves of need shooting through him once again. He gritted his teeth as he moved toward her, reaching to raise her dress and help her with the laces.

  “Will I see ye again?”

  It was a fair question, but his answer was always the same. The only thing he would have to change this time was his reason why. He could no longer say he was leaving tomorrow and wouldn’t be back thro
ugh the village again. Cagair Castle was now his home.

  Next to responsibility, there was no other word that made Adwen quite as uncomfortable as the word home. For him, the two words went hand in hand, both symbols of the end of his life as he knew it, of life as he loved it. Change was inevitable, but he much preferred changes in the seasons for they would always come back the next year. This change, the ending of his freedom, was permanent. He wished to distract himself from the reality as long as possible.

  “No, lass. Ye canna despise it more than I do, but I doona believe that ye shall see me again. Territories doona run without the help of many, and my services will soon be required. I will no longer have the time for such pleasures.”

  He worked on her laces slowly, more nimble with the tying of a woman’s dress than any man should ever be. Adwen allowed his fingers to slip in between the small loops before he pulled them, sliding the tips of his fingers slowly against the soft skin on her back. The lass leaned against him, sighing with contentment.

  “Ye are a tease, Adwen. Doona touch me, if ye canna ravish me in the process.”

  Visions of her writhing beneath him flashed through his mind once more and his groin grew tight. If he delayed any longer, his brother would do just as he threatened and his father would burst through the doors of his bedchamber. Shaking his head, Adwen returned to his task, leaning forward to speak softly into her ear, working his magic.

  “If only ye were uglier, lass, I might permit myself to see ye again. If ye were no such a beauty then I could lie with ye without being so distracted from my work. But ye…” He breathed lustfully down her back for effect, smiling as her shoulders quivered beneath his palms. “If I allowed myself to touch ye again, I wouldna be able to work another day. Nothing would fill my mind but visions of ye. So please, lass, spare me and leave this place at once so that I may fulfill my duties as my father’s son.”

  With the lass’ dress now tied, he moved her to the doorway, opening it so that he could show her outside. She turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pressed her lips against his in goodbye.

  “I shallna forget this night, Adwen. Should ye find yerself in need of distraction…” She didn’t finish, only kissed him once more before turning to make her way down the hallway.

  Adwen knew she didn’t realize it was for distraction that he’d brought her to his bed to begin with, and that was just how he wished it. He kept his hand on the small of her back until they reached a secluded door at the back of the castle.

  Orick awaited them, just as instructed. He was Adwen’s trusted hand, and a true expert at smuggling lassies in and out of castles or camps or anywhere else that Adwen might wish them. He could see them safely to Adwen’s bed and then just as deftly return them to their homes where their absence had gone, hopefully, unnoticed.

  “Orick will see ye home. Regretfully, I must bid ye goodnight. May ye grow uglier so that I may see ye once again.”

  The lass laughed as she made her way through the doorway. Adwen didn’t miss the choking expression of disgust that Orick threw him before leaning in the doorway to speak before following the lass out.

  “Do ye even know this one’s name, Adwen?”

  He lowered his voice, taking care so that she wouldn’t hear his answer. “No, I’m afraid that I doona know. ’Tis shameful I know. I’ll make certain to learn the name of the next lass.”

  Orick laughed, a deep, short chuckle that caught the attention of the lass standing outside the door, but he lowered his voice so that once again she wouldn’t hear.

  “The next one? Ye just assume that each of them will take ye, but one day ye will find a lass who wishes to be treated better than ye know how to treat her. ’Twill be the best thing to ever happen to ye.”

  Adwen smiled. “I doona think I would consider it to be the best thing to happen, but I do believe I might consider it to be the most surprising thing to happen to me.”

  “Ach.” Orick started to pull the door closed, cursing Adwen as he did so. “Ye are a prideful bastard; I canna wait to see the lass that will show ye what a big, sodding fool ye really are.”

  The door closed in his face and Adwen hollered through it. “I love ye as well, Orick.”

  CHAPTER 5

  McMillan Territory Village

  Eoghanan was right. I had nothing to worry about. Gregor and Isobel were so pleased to have someone willing to work for a quarter of what they would have to pay anybody else, they wouldn’t care even if I didn’t know how to boil water. Which, truthfully, as I stood in the primitive kitchen where things were cooked over open flame without the convenience of a gas stove or oven, I wasn’t altogether sure that I did know how to boil water. At least, I didn’t know which pots to choose or just how to hang or sit it over the flame. But those things I could surely learn.

  “Do ye wish for her to stay here with us, Eoghanan? If ye wish it, she’ll be welcome to stay in one of the rooms. We can leave it empty for her use.”

  Gregor’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. Even if I wished to stay here, I knew that I could not.

  “No. She will need to return to the castle each night in time to dine with the rest of us. I know that willna be ideal since yer patrons often arrive after dark, but mayhap she can help in preparing the meals before she leaves for the evening.”

  It made me feel like a small child to sit back while two men discussed the parameters of my job here, the tasks I would be assigned, the expectations that would have to be met. Still, I knew none of this would be possible without the agreement of both men, so I remained silent, pretending to accept their back and forth discussion as normal, acceptable behavior. For everyone else in the room, that is exactly what it seemed.

  Once the men fell into a sort of small talk, I could no longer feign anything other than boredom. I smiled as I saw Isobel move across the room, returning my smile with her own as she moved in to rescue me.

  “Why doona the two of us leave them be awhile? Escape and visit on our own, aye?”

  I nodded and followed her into a room near the dining area. “That would be lovely.”

  She sat in a cushioned chair on the side of the room, taking a long moment to cough before speaking. I watched her shoulders shake as her face grew pale. A pain lodged itself deep inside me. I wanted to help her, but I knew even less about healing than I did cooking. As I looked at her thin, sickly frame, I doubted that any seventeenth century medicine could help her anyway.

  “Do you need…can I get you some water? Anything that might help?”

  She held up her hand to stop me and with a few deep, raspy breaths was able to gain her composure.

  “No, I’ll be fine. It shall pass; it always does. But the fits come more often than they once did.” She smiled and sat upright, changing the subject before I had the chance to inquire further about her illness. “I can tell by the way ye speak that ye must come from the same land as the laird’s wife, aye?”

  I wasn’t sure where everyone in the village thought Mitsy came from, so as I answered I hoped she wouldn’t question me further. “Uh, yes. Yes, I do.”

  “Aye, McMillan men seem to have taken a fancy to lassies of yer own land. Ye all seem to have better teeth than we Scottish lassies. I canna say I blame them for it. I can see why men folk might find it beautiful, although I doona much care for it myself. I believe if Gregor’s teeth were as white as yers, it might frighten me a bit. ’Tis no verra natural. What do ye all do, rub yer teeth down with cloth every day?”

  It had never really crossed my mind before; I’d always assumed it was our accent and modern tongues that made us stand out so clearly amongst others from this time, but Isobel’s observation made a great deal of sense. If we stood quietly in a crowd, dressed in the same garments and possessing the same hairstyles, the real telltale sign would be our teeth. Straight and all there, I suppose they did look rather foreign. I was unsure of how to answer her. I decided to go for honesty.

  “Uh, well yes, yes we rub th
em every day but not with cloth, we do it with brushes.” I hoped I didn’t give too much away but I assumed if she thought me from a faraway land anyhow, it wouldn’t be surprising that we would have very different methods of hygiene along with our differences in speech and mannerisms.

  Her eyes widened in astonishment and her voice grew pitchy with shock. “Like what ye brush yer hair with? Why, I canna imagine.”

  I smiled, feeling an instant sense of kinship between Isobel and myself. No matter how strange she thought my teeth, her genuine curiosity was evident. I appreciated someone who asked questions without hesitation. It showed intelligence and a sense of self-assuredness I’d not picked up on during our initial introduction in front of Gregor and Eoghanan.

  “Yes, a little bit like what we brush our hair with, but much smaller.”

  “Well then.” She stood, gently brushing the apron wrapped around her dress. “I find ye verra interesting, Jane. And I like that ye are no content to sit around the castle. Mayhap, we can both learn from each other. I’ll teach ye to cook and ye can tell me more about the odd things ye do in yer own land, aye? Now, let’s start yer first lesson, before another spell hits me and I must rest.”

  “That sounds wonderful. I’m eager to learn.”

  “Well I should hope so, Jane. Why else would ye be here?”

  She nudged me gently with her elbow in jest before laughing as we walked into the kitchen together. One day outside the castle walls and already my entire outlook had shifted dramatically. Could this be exactly what I needed?