Highland Charm: First Fantasies

by April Holthaus

  “How did you get the brooch you wear on your plaide?” Elspeth asked when Laurie finished.

  “Caitrina, the woman who helped me with my garden, gave it to me the night I traveled here.”

  “Do you ken how she came to have it?”

  “I think she might be a faerie,” Laurie confided in a whisper, fearing the other woman’s reaction.

  Elspeth didn’t appear the slightest bit shocked. She continued to smile as if discussing faeries a common occurrence. “May I see the brooch?”

  Laurie unclasped the pin and handed it to Elspeth.

  The young woman ran her fingertips across the delicate artistry, studying the brooch in deep concentration. Her brow furrowed and she gazed at Laurie with moisture in her bright eyes. “’Tis lovely. It belonged to my mother.”

  “The brooch belonged to your mother?”

  “Aye. She was wearing it when she disappeared.” Elspeth handed the pin to Laurie.

  “That’s incredible. Caitrina claimed the brooch was a reproduction, but I knew it had to be original. Here, you take it.” Laurie held the brooch out to Elspeth. “It rightly belongs to you and your family.”

  “Nae.” Elspeth sniffled. “’Tis yours now. Since it was given to you by one of the Sithichean, the brooch must be a key to your future. Besides, I feel you are the sister I never had. We will have such fun in the garden together.” She hugged Laurie again.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t stay.” Laurie glanced off across the garden. “I need to go home. I don’t belong here.”

  “May I tell you what I believe?”

  “Of course.”

  “Events often happen for reasons that are hard to understand at first. Dreams tell you things you need to know. Your visions of Patrick. Your traveling here. Neither happened by accident. There is a reason you cannae yet see.” Elspeth’s gaze penetrated. “You must stay until you find out why you were sent to us.”

  Why, indeed?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  A fortnight later, Patrick held a tight rein on his temper, yet he was beyond furious. To his right at the high table, his uncle continued spouting words Patrick didn’t wish to hear. He struggled to maintain restraint. He hoped the slight tic at his temple was the only outward sign of his escalating anger.

  “I am truly sorry, but you ken the only way to end the strife is for you to marry the lass. ’Twas what your father intended all along. Let me go to the Lamont and negotiate the terms.” How dare Donald lecture him on his responsibility to the clan. Did the man believe he didn’t know his duty? A sense of duty had been drilled into Patrick since the cradle.

  For nearly three years, his uncle argued his cause. On this morn, he ranted for over an hour. Patrick was sick to death with the quarrel.

  “Are you listening to me, lad?”

  “Aye.” Patrick ground his teeth. He didn’t trust the man’s constant manipulations and political maneuvering. Donald forever caused problems for the clan. Especially with his unreasonable hatred of the Campbells.

  “Tell me. What do you plan to do about the contract?”

  “I would give my soul to Satan before I marry the daughter of our enemy.” Hands hidden beneath the table, Patrick clenched his fists, wishing he could pound his uncle senseless.

  Movement at the doorway caught his attention. Elspeth and her new companion entered the hall followed closely by Duncan. Lady Laurie wore the blue gown again, her golden hair in a thick braid at her back. Even though a fortnight passed, he still remembered the wet gown clinging to her breasts, the tight nipples taut against his palms. Saints preserve him, the sight of those curvy hips hugged by the gown triggered lust to sizzle hot through his blood, tightening every muscle, pushing to the surface his frustration.

  Ach! He felt crushed against a mountain by a boulder.

  And Lady Laurie would be caught there too if he wasn’t careful. He regretted that each time they were in close proximity he’d lost his temper for one reason or another. She must think him an ogre.

  Perhaps that was best.

  “You must wed—”

  Patrick swung his stare to his uncle. “Never!” He stood and smashed a closed fist on the table, catching Donald unawares. “Dinnae push me, old man.”

  “Dammit, lad—”

  Patrick didn’t wait to hear more swill. He stomped from the hall, the subsequent silence broken only by the thud of his boots as he descended the wheel stair. He would never wed.

  My God! What caused Patrick’s outburst of temper?

  Laurie followed Elspeth farther into the great hall from the rear passage from where they’d witnessed Patrick’s display of temper and thumping exit by way of the main stairs.

  Although she’d occasionally crossed an executive or two with volatile temperaments, she wasn’t accustomed to such violent displays of anger. And with each day she remained trapped at Castle Lachlan, his moods became more and more explosive.

  Not that it mattered. He kept a respectful distance. He never entered his chamber when she was present and he slept either with his men or in his study since the castle’s bedchambers were full. She lived in terror though, unable to trust him or herself if they found themselves alone.

  She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. As much as it didn’t make sense, she couldn’t stop herself from wanting a taste of what he would willingly give. Did she dare?

  No. She needed to get out of here, return home before her desire overwhelmed her and she had sex with Patrick…and made the biggest mistake of her life.

  She and Elspeth approached the dais with Duncan in tow. An older man sat at the head table, his gaze riveted on the doorway where the sound of Patrick’s descent still echoed against stone.

  He grabbed a cup of ale from the table and, sloshing some of the liquid onto his beard, drank deeply. As he wiped his mouth with the back of a hand, he caught their approach. He swiped the hand on his plaid while an unwavering blue stare—so similar to Patrick’s—held her in place.

  Duncan tensed and stepped in front of her, blocking the man’s view. Was there a reason he felt compelled to protect her? The man couldn’t mean her harm. She scooted around Duncan and continued forward.

  “Greetings, niece.” The older man stood and motioned for them to join him.

  Laurie glanced at Elspeth and hesitated. Uncle? Would he suspect Laurie wasn’t what Patrick claimed her to be? Elspeth stepped onto the dais, serene, smiling in her usual manner. Laurie startled when Duncan clasped her elbow.

  “Thank you.” She accepted his assistance onto the platform.

  “Good morn, uncle.” Elspeth sat to his right. She motioned for Laurie to take the next seat. Have you broken your fast?”

  Elspeth’s uncle glared at Duncan. The warrior glowered back then strode to the far end of the dais, and leaned against the wall respectful of the family’s privacy. Why did the men of this time always scowl?

  “Aye, I have eaten. Thank you,” the uncle said to Elspeth. “I came at first light to report to your brother. My men have been patrolling the western border. Those cursed Lamonts have caused havoc raiding along the river. They stole several head of cattle and set huts afire.”

  Laurie gaped in horror. When she caught herself and closed her mouth, she noticed Elspeth’s hand fluttered near her breast.

  “Was anyone hurt?” Elspeth asked.

  “Nae. Though several are left homeless.” He patted her arm. “Dinnae worry yourself, lass. Your brother will see the people are relocated.”

  “I will see provisions sent.”

  “Good. Your parents would be proud of you.” His gaze cut to Laurie. “Who might this comely lass be?”

  “Lady Laurie Bernard. Alexander Campbell has sent her from France to attend me.”

  “Welcome,” he said, though his tone held little warmth. Was he someone else she must win over?

  “Thank you,” she said, sweetly.

  His eyes narrowed and he rubbed his chin, scrutinizing her. Great. Her manner of speech gave her
away. What was he thinking? She swallowed uneasily. Would he cause trouble?

  “This is my Uncle Donald,” Elspeth said.

  He held Laurie’s gaze for longer than comfortable. Then, thank God, he returned his attention to his niece.

  “Alexander will make you a good husband,” he said. “Did he also send word informing when he an Archibald will return from the Continent?” He picked at a loose thread on his plaid.

  “Nae, he only sent Lady Laurie to me.”

  “So they won’t return home soon?”

  “I dinnae think they will.” Elspeth bit her lower lip and rose, motioning for Laurie to do the same. “I am glad you have been well fed, uncle. You must excuse us, we are for the garden.”

  Laurie followed Elspeth’s lead. So much for having breakfast. Not that she minded. She doubted she’d have much of an appetite with Elspeth’s uncle staring at her.

  Elspeth hurried across the stone floor. Laurie in her wake with Duncan taking the rear.

  Laurie glanced over her shoulder at the dais. Uncle Donald sported a cruel smile. For once, Laurie didn’t mind Duncan guarding her back. Something didn’t seem right with Patrick’s uncle. She couldn’t pinpoint what bothered her about the man, but he made her skin prickle with unease.

  Chills along her spine made her shudder. She needed to find a way to escape. And soon.

  Laurie walked through the bustling courtyard, pretending interest in the comings and goings but actually searching for hiding places in the shadows. Places she could use when she tried to sneak away some night after dark. She hadn’t come up with a feasible plan yet, though she would escape.

  They reached the kitchen without incident. Elspeth handed her one of the heavy aprons hanging on a hook near the doorway. The bulky garments were designed to protect their gowns from dirt or a wayward thorn while they worked in the garden.

  Outside, an occasional puffy cloud drifted across the blue sky. Laurie inhaled a breath of fresh air. Even after two weeks, she still found it odd to look up at the expanse of clear blue and not see planes or contrails. It reminded her of the afternoon of 9-11 when no airplanes were permitted in US airspace. Fate touched her that day. With no college classes scheduled on that day, she had planned to assist her uncle. If it hadn’t been for the cell phone call from his administrative assistant, canceling the client meeting at the towers, she would have been caught in the midst of the chaos.

  Goosebumps prickled her arms, and she shivered.

  As with her other visits to the garden, she found relief in the wonderfully heady scents. It was a retreat from the strong stench of the hall, the smell of unwashed flesh being one of the worst among the other unpleasant odors.

  Kneeling close to Elspeth, Laurie helped weed the strawberry bed. She chuckled. “I always seem to be doing this. Weeds plagued my garden at home.”

  “In the twenty-first century?” Elspeth stopped and smiled at Laurie.

  “Yes, the twenty-first century.”

  Elspeth pulled another weed and tossed it onto the growing pile. “Do you miss your home verra much?”

  Not wanting to hurt her young friend’s feelings, Laurie took a moment before answering. “It is nice here and you and Aine have been kind. But I don’t belong at Castle Lachlan. I miss my little cottage and my garden. And, I would give anything to have a good cup of coffee.”

  “Coffee?”

  “A hot, robust drink common where I live.”

  “Ah.” Elspeth fixed her gaze on Laurie with eyebrows raised and mouth set in a slight curve. “What of Patrick?”

  Laurie nervously coughed. “I don’t know what you want me to say. He has been kind letting me stay with you. I guess he could have thrown me out.”

  “He would never be so inhospitable. But that is not what I am asking. He has claimed you as his own,” Elspeth said. “Stephen told me you were…friendly, shall I say, at the Fir-wood. And we did find you verra wet and blushing from his bath.”

  “The only excuse I have is my emotions...my feelings...were running wild from traveling through the time gate. I wasn’t myself. I was vulnerable.”

  Elspeth didn’t press and continued weeding.

  She had been vulnerable, but Patrick made Laurie feel things she’d never felt before. She’d never been with a man and he wanted her. Could she head home without exploring what might develop between them?

  Yeah!

  Staying here would be a mistake. Staying here would be insane. Staying here could prove fatal.

  She’d heard storytellers glorify the Scottish clan’s penchant for cattle raiding, but the tale she heard in the great hall was horrible. Huts burned. Had anyone been hurt? Patrick said he received his scar from a cattle thief. Laurie deplored violence.

  She’d forgotten about the heightened potential for danger in this time and place.

  Staying here was so not an option.

  She wanted to go home. She didn’t care what Caitrina said about destiny.

  Laurie chewed on her bottom lip as Patrick’s words jumped into her mind and she gripped Elspeth’s arm. “What exactly is meant by... claimed as his own?”

  “I am not as innocent as they believe. I ken the claiming has something to do with the...ah, relations between men and women. I think if you were verra nice to him, he would keep you.” Elspeth blushed sweetly.

  Patrick hadn’t claimed anything from her. Well, nothing more than a couple of heated kisses. He wanted more. And so did she. But what you want isn’t always good for you.

  “These strawberries are thinly planted,” Laurie said.

  Elspeth giggled. “If you wish, we can talk about something else. I thought we might get Duncan to take us to the mainland to search for wild strawberry plants to add to these.”

  “When shall we go?” The outing might be the perfect opportunity to make a break for the Fir-wood and a chance to attempt to reverse whatever sent her back in time.

  “I will need to ask Patrick for his consent for us to leave the castle grounds.” Elspeth flicked another weed on the pile. “I will ask him after the evening meal.”

  Fat chance he’d let them go anywhere. Laurie sat back on her heels and watched a colorful butterfly flutter past. She shouldn’t be pessimistic. Perhaps Elspeth would convince her brother.

  Laurie needed to be more optimistic. She contemplated the possibility of returning to Fir-wood when she noticed color and movement out of the corner of her eye. She glanced at the archway and her breath caught in her throat.

  Patrick was barefoot, dressed in a colorful plaid with a woolen tunic the color of saffron beneath. A plain brass brooch secured the fabric at his shoulder. He looked like he walked off the pages of a glossy coffee table volume titled Highlander, or better yet, Celtic Gods.

  He leaned against the stone with his arms crossed against his massive chest, his height and width crowded against the archway. Laurie swallowed involuntarily over the way his startling blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight. She stifled the urge to go to him and touch his thick chestnut hair, which he wore loose. She put her hands behind her back to stop herself from even thinking about her desire to run her fingers along his handsome clean-shaven cheek. And she definitely wouldn’t think about what she’d like to do with his bare legs.

  Damn the man for looking so good.

  Her mouth went dry. A tingly sensation tightened her skin. Dear God, he made her hot and wet and...

  Why was he here?

  Laurie’s tentative smile did strange things to Patrick. He made an effort to clear his face, not wanting to expose the emotional upheaval she aroused. ’Twas bad enough he donned his best plaide and searched her out.

  He strode through the garden, stopping beside her and offered his hand. She hesitated, her gaze wary. Doubt crept in. Would she accept his assistance?

  She curled her fingers around his, and he felt a kick to his gut. Her eyes flared. She must have experienced something similar. When her hand trembled within his grasp, there was satisfaction in knowing he wasn’t a
lone in his uncertainty.

  He forced a cocky grin. She bristled and snatched her hand away.

  Elspeth giggled, rose to her feet, and brushed dirt from her apron. “’Tis good to see you in the garden. ’Tis been a long time since you came to enjoy its tranquility.”

  “Aye, too long,” he said. “Duncan has returned to the castle on an errand. I will watch after Lady Laurie. Beth, please return to the hall?”

  “She doesn’t need to leave,” Laurie said in a rush.

  Patrick raised a hand to silence her. “I wish to discuss an important matter with you, Lady Laurie.”

  Elspeth searched his face. “You are always sending me away to be alone with Laurie. ’Tis not proper.”

  “You will understand better when Alexander returns from the Continent.” Patrick patted his sister’s shoulder.

  “Alexander is a good man.” A wistful expression crossed her face. “He always does what is proper. I have never been alone with him.”

  “He fears my wrath.” Patrick chuckled.

  “Nae, he fears you not.” Elspeth giggled merrily and squeezed his arm. “You will find me in my solar if you are in need of me.” She skipped across the garden and through the archway.

  Laurie watched him through wide eyes as if uncertain what to expect from him. Good. ’Twould be best if she remained off balance.

  “Shall we sit?” He tilted his head toward the roses, grasped her elbow, and urged her in that direction.

  They skirted the bushes, avoiding the thorny plants. When they arrived at the bench, he inclined his head, and Laurie sat. He waited until she arranged her skirt and apron before he joined her on the narrow seat. Her feminine fragrance teased his nostrils and he inhaled sharply.

  She watched him through a fringe of golden lashes. ’Twas his undoing. He’d intended to keep her at a distance, calmly discuss their future. Instead, her sensual warmth drove him near to madness. He couldn’t resist her. Patrick pulled her sideways onto his lap and roughly captured her mouth. He slid his tongue along the seam of her lips, forced her to open for him. Her breasts rose to meet his chest as she melted into him, her arms encircling his neck.