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

by Claire, Bethany

  I held onto my manners by gritting my teeth as I bid Orick, Gregor, and Isobel goodnight, but by the time Adwen and I stepped outside, I was ready to unleash my inner bitch.

  I spun on him, pointing a finger directly into his chest.

  “Listen, mister. There is no part of me that is happy about this. I am tired, freezing, and ready to get back to the castle, where I will most assuredly be in a world of trouble for not being back in time to eat dinner with you, of all people. I will follow Gregor’s orders because he allows me to work here despite the fact that he knows it would displease Baodan and because I respect him immensely. But…I don’t want to speak to you. I don’t want to even see you as I make my way back to the castle. Do you understand? I’ll ride ahead and you stay a good distance behind. Just make sure that I get there safely and then turn around and make your merry way back to the inn, okay?”

  I didn’t wait for him to answer and spun to gather my horse—which much to my horror, was nowhere to be found.

  “Aye, fine, lass. But just how do ye expect to ride ahead of me without a horse to ride on?”

  CHAPTER 10

  How many times had I heard the words be careful what you wish for during my lifetime? When I was really little, I remember saying things to my mother like, “One day, I hope I have a house as big as yours that’s all mine.” And she would say, “Be careful what you wish for, darling.” I thought she was crazy. Who wouldn’t want to have a giant mansion of a house to call their home? What I didn’t see was how she popped pills like Tic-Tacs just to cope.

  As I stood there, staring at the vacant spot where my horse had previously been tethered, I thought that while the conventional saying was no doubt true, the most applicable saying to my current situation was more likely be careful what you dream of.

  For months I’d been dreaming about men even less handsome than Adwen, wishing that one would show up in my dateless, sexless, cuddleless life. Now one had, and I was trapped on a freezing cold night with no way to get home but to ride on the same horse as the man who just moments before had tried very hard to find his way underneath my dress. If my conscious self was half as horny as my subconscious, I should have been thrilled. I was anything but.

  “What the hell did you do with my horse, Adwen?”

  He laughed, walking casually over to his own as he shook his head at me in disbelief.

  “Lass, how could I have moved yer horse? I’ve been next to ye since I arrived.”

  I knew he had nothing to do with it, but the irony was so ridiculous it made me almost believe in those mischievous Highland fairies Cooper spoke of.

  “I don’t know, but how else do you explain it? He was most certainly here earlier. I checked on him this afternoon.”

  “Lass, do ye no see the rope there? Ye doona know how to tie him properly. A strong wind came through, and he decided he’d rather seek warmth in his stable than wait around for ye, no doubt. ’Twould be what I’d have done. I wager ye’ll find him back safely at McMillan Castle.”

  “You’d do best to stay away from any more wagers. You’re not very good at winning them.”

  He glared at me under amused eyes. “I still have some time yet to win. And it seems yer horse has seen fit to give me assistance. I must remember to stop by the stables and give him an apple in thanks.”

  “This isn’t going to happen, Adwen. Why don’t you just lend me your horse and go back inside for the night? I’ll return it in the morning.”

  As if in answer, the horse gave a loud huffing noise, and Adwen chuckled at my question.

  “Even if I said aye, Bullwick here wouldna allow it.”

  “Fine. I’ll ride Orick’s.”

  “Orick’s horse is more difficult than my own.”

  “I’ll borrow Gregor’s.” I threw out every suggestion I could grasp at—anything that would keep me off of that horse.

  “Without asking. Are ye saying that ye wish to go back inside and disturb them? What if his wife is already sleeping?”

  Of course I wasn’t going to disturb Isobel, and Adwen knew it. I pouted, crossing my arms as I allowed myself to fume. I took some time fighting against the cold as I searched for an answer. Eventually, as I stared up at the animal’s great size, an idea came to mind.

  “Okay, I’ll ride with you back to the castle, on one condition.”

  “What’s that, lass?”

  “You will ride in the front. I get the back.” I smiled, satisfied and tickled by the image in my mind.

  “I canna allow that, lass.”

  “Well, that’s fine with me. Then, you just go back inside and lie to Gregor and tell him I’m back at the castle. Tomorrow morning, he can find my frozen corpse outside.” I sat down, leaning against the side of the inn for effect.

  “Do ye truly expect me to believe that ye will stay there all night? Ye are no capable of it.”

  I ignored him, closing my eyes to the cold and settling in for a battle of willpower. Adwen had no idea what he was up against—I had a head as hard as stone and a ridiculously stubborn temperament.

  I don’t know how much time went by, but long enough for my nose to start to burn from the cold and my knuckles to stiffen so that I could scarcely move my joints, before Adwen cracked.

  “It will place wrongful pressure on the horse, lass, for us to sit so.”

  I didn’t want to hurt the horse and, as I looked the creature over once more, I highly doubted that it would have. Still, I was no equine expert and I didn’t wish to risk it.

  “That horse is as big as an ox and I hardly weigh anything, but fine. I don’t want to take my anger at you out on the animal.”

  Apparently colder than he allowed himself to show, he wasted no time mounting the horse and extending a hand so that he could help me up.

  He lifted me with ease but, as soon as he sat me down in front of him, he shook out his shoulder dramatically.

  “I think ye are heavier than ye believe yerself to be, lass.”

  I knew he joked but I elbowed him in the ribs as hard as I could. “Shut up, Adwen. Just bring me to the castle.”

  * * *

  Much to my surprise, he obeyed my request for silence most of the way back to the castle and kept his hands to himself as much as he could while holding onto the reins. In the end, I broke the silence.

  “You’re being very well-behaved. Thank you.”

  “I am no an animal, Jane. I’ve never taken anything that was no offered me. Ye are both the first lass that I’ve asked to bed outright and the first to reject me. Forgive me for disbelieving yer sincerity when ye did so.”

  “How is that possible? Who goes their whole life without being rejected? It may not feel like it now, but I assure you, I did you a favor. A good hit to the ego is healthy now and then.”

  He laughed, the warmth of his breath sending a shiver down my ear. I had to bite down on my lip to keep from squirming in front of him.

  “Aye, mayhap so. I feel half the man I did this morning. ’Tis verra humbling.”

  We broke the small hill leading up to the McMillan Castle pond, and I could see Eoghanan’s outline standing near the entranceway and next to it the small outline of Cooper. I felt myself sigh and pulled my brows up in confusion.

  I couldn’t make sense of it, but some small part of me was saddened by the knowledge that once our ride ended, I wouldn’t see him or Orick again, at least not for some time—until their next visit or the next time all of the clans came together.

  Infuriating as he was, I felt my normal self around him; I’d felt that way around very few people during my time in the seventeenth century.

  “So you’ve given up then? I’m a little surprised, I have to say.”

  He leaned in, speaking so that his warm breath blew down my back as he whispered so that his words wouldn’t carry with the wind.

  “Lass, doona think for a moment that I’ve surrendered because I no longer wish to bed ye. Wager or no, I’d like to have a lass as fiery and willful as ye
underneath me, Jane.”

  For the first time since I met him, I could conjure no witty response. The seduction in his words shot right through, warming me all the way to my toes.

  “I have surrendered solely because, for now at least, ye have made it clear that ye willna have me. And in truth, even if ye changed yer mind now, I believe that the parts of myself most necessary for tupping are frozen through.”

  I let out a sigh of relief as we reached the front of the castle. Adwen dismounted, and I took his hand as he helped me down. The second my feet touched the ground, Cooper charged me, breaking any sexual tension between us.

  “Cooper, what are you doing up so late? You should have been asleep hours ago.”

  He grabbed onto both sides of my face, squeezing my cheeks together as I lifted him. “Are you crazy, Aunt Jane? You broke your promise to E-o, and you never break your promises. I thought something really bad had happened to you until that man showed up.”

  I pulled him in close, wrapping my arms around him as I walked him closer to the castle door.

  “I know. I’m sorry. It was for a good reason though, I promise. And as you can see, I’m just fine.” I lowered my voice to whisper only to him. “Am I in a whole lot of trouble? What man?”

  I pulled back and saw his smile before he answered; apparently, I was forgiven. “Nah. I don’t think so. That innkeeper guy—after we finished dinner, some messenger arrived from him to tell E-o what happened. You’ll have to talk to him though, I’m not totally sure.”

  “Okay, I’ll do that. Now that you know I’m back, will you go to bed now?”

  He grinned and wiggled so I’d release him. “Yeah, I will. See you in the morning, Aunt Jane. Love you.”

  I blew him a kiss as his boot-covered feet ran inside, eager to escape the cold. “I love you too, Coop.”

  When I turned my attention back toward the men, Adwen had already remounted his horse and slowly brought the beast over to me. Once I stood at his feet, he stopped.

  “Until next time, sweet Jane.”

  Without another word, he turned the horse and left, leaving me to stare after him with a mixture of aggravated yearning and confusion.

  Eoghanan’s voice spurred me from my thoughts.

  “Jane, would ye have preferred to accompany him back to the inn?”

  There was humor in his tone, but I responded defensively.

  “What? Of course I wouldn’t. He’s the most ridiculous man I’ve ever met.”

  “If ye say so, but I have no ever seen such a look in yer eyes before, Jane.” He waved a dismissive hand, changing the subject quickly. “’Tis no my concern. I have news for ye.”

  My stomach dropped instantly.

  CHAPTER 11

  “I needn’t go today if ye need me here, Isobel. I doona care to leave ye; I know that I must speak on Jane’s behalf, but it doesna have to be this morning.”

  Adwen hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, not intending to walk up on the innkeepers’ conversation. They saw him immediately.

  “Adwen. How did ye sleep, lad? I hope well.”

  Adwen smiled. In truth, he’d slept little, his mind filled with thoughts of the golden-headed lass who’d denied him. But he nodded as he spoke, knowing how much pride they both took in their establishment—his poor sleep was no fault of theirs. “Aye, verra well. Forgive me for intruding. I’ll leave the two of ye alone. I was just going to check on the horses.”

  Isobel spoke to him once again. “Ye doona need to leave on our behalf. Gregor has already seen to both of yer horses. They are warm, fed, and happy.”

  She turned from him briefly to address her husband.

  “Aye, Gregor, ye must go to the castle this morning. I shall be fine, I assure ye. I willna allow Jane to fall into trouble for our sake.”

  Adwen stood uncomfortably in the doorway watching Gregor’s weary and worried expression as he leaned in to kiss his wife on the cheek, squeezing her hand gently before turning and leaving them alone without another word.

  Isobel exhaled and turned to face him once her husband was gone, her smile friendly despite the dark circles under her eyes. She was ill and, by the sound of her coughs during the night, Adwen doubted she had more than a few moons left in her life. He’d seen the same symptoms once before, and just thinking about them brought up memories he and his brothers had spent years trying to forget.

  “Is the other one awake yet? I’m sorry, I doona know his name.”

  Adwen laughed and a small snort escaped him, bringing a flush of red to his cheeks in embarrassment. “Orick. And only one of two things will wake him—either the smell of food or the need to relieve himself. We shall have to wait to see which one.”

  Isobel laughed, motioning to a seat inside the small room.

  “Is that no true of most men? If I dinna cough so, I imagine Gregor would be the same.”

  He took the seat as she bid, satisfied that the horses would hold for a few more moments. “Aye, ’tis true enough.”

  His stomach growled loudly, bringing Isobel to her feet as she smiled and winked at him, jerking her head in the direction of the kitchen.

  “And so it was yer stomach that awakened ye this morning, aye? Come with me. I’ll fix ye something to eat.”

  Adwen followed her willingly into the kitchen. Since the moment he’d smelled Jane’s stew, his stomach had been churning in hunger.

  The short trip from the sitting room to the kitchen was enough to exhaust Isobel. Although he knew she tried to hide it, he didn’t miss how she gripped the end of the table to keep herself steady and how she spoke slowly in an effort to keep from coughing as she tried to catch her breath.

  “I doona wish for ye to prepare food for me, Isobel. Rather, ye shall sit and rest while I do the cooking.”

  She waved a hand at him, managing a quiet laugh. “O’course I willna allow ye to do that. Do ye even know how to cook?”

  Adwen smiled, moving around the table so that he could gently guide her to a seat, ignoring her objections all the way.

  “Aye, I do. I had a verra good teacher.”

  “Aye? Who?”

  “My mother.”

  Isobel smiled and took to resting her chin in the palm of her hand. Adwen took it as a sign of resignation and went about roaming the kitchen, taking in the stocks of food to see the items that he had to work with.

  “’Tis no proper for me to allow ye to do this, Adwen—or would ye prefer me to call ye Laird MacChristy? I should have addressed ye so to begin with.”

  “Ach, please never refer to me as laird. I doona care for the title now, nor will I when I take my position. And I doona care if ye think it proper. ’Tis evident that ye are no well enough to even stand, lass. Ye should still be in yer bed, no down in the kitchen. I can tell by looking at ye that ye’ve no much time left.”

  She looked shocked by his words and Adwen momentarily regretted his honesty, only relaxing once Isobel spoke.

  “Thank ye.”

  “For what, lass? My words werena kind, and they were hardly worth any thanks.”

  “For no behaving as if I am unaware of how sick I am. I know well enough that what ye say is true. I grow tired of all those around me pretending that they doona know it as well.”

  Adwen nodded, turning to gather up a handful of fresh eggs, already gathered so they’d be ready for breakfast. His mother had been the exact opposite of Isobel during her own sickness. While all those around her could see plainly just how ill she truly was, she denied it to the end—not ever accepting that she’d reached the end of her life. Even as she lay on her deathbed, she swore she would get better. Every denial, every bit of hope that his mother clung to had broken his heart completely.

  “Ye are strong, Isobel. Stronger than most who fight such an illness—I can see that by looking at ye. I doona see any need to lie to ye nor no speak of it, no when I can hear how sick ye are every time ye cough.”

  Isobel stood, moving slowly to stand behind him, peering over h
is shoulder as he worked at whisking the eggs together.

  “Aye, ’tis true enough. I couldna hide my sickness even if I tried. What are ye doing to the eggs, Adwen? Do ye no boil them?”

  Adwen laughed and pointed gently back to the seat from which Isobel had come. “Just go sit back down and doona worry about the eggs. ’Tis something I learned during my travels. I know that most in these parts boil their eggs but, trust me, ye will find this to yer liking.”

  “Aye, fine. Ye have intrigued me. If ye like, there is some dried herring in the back that ye may do what ye will with, but ye may wish to make eggs for four; Gregor has already eaten, but Jane shall be along shortly and, if what ye say is true, then yer man shall awaken soon as well.”

  Adwen couldn’t help but smile at the mention of Jane’s name. In truth, he’d hoped she would come along before he and Orick left—even if it would only result in her further aggravation. He very much enjoyed the way she looked when angry.

  Isobel laughed, and he realized then that she’d not missed his ill-timed grin.

  “She’s a beauty, without question. One evening alone with the lass and both of ye smile like wee fools at the sound of her name.”

  Adwen made a gruff sound, his own irritation building at the memory of Jane’s arms wrapped around Orick’s thick neck. Clearly the lass had done it for only one purpose, but he knew that Orick had gained more than enough enjoyment from the exchange. The thought displeased him greatly.

  “Ach, Orick would smile if a one-legged fairy kissed him as Jane did. I doona think he overly fancies the lass.” Adwen moved the egg mixture, now seasoned with dried herbs, to the shallow pot hanging above the fire. He reached for a wooden spoon, stirring the mixture as it cooked while looking back to Isobel as she spoke.

  “Ah, so ’tis no Orick that fancies Jane, ’tis ye.”

  Orick’s voice joined in on their conversation, and Adwen turned away to hide his expression—his friend’s tone remained laced with amusement.