“Are you wondering when it will be your turn?” Blair heard the concern in Lachlan’s voice, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to wince or fall against his chest for a brotherly hug.
“A little. I will never take for granted that Mama and Da are allowing each of us to find our own mate, but I wonder if I shall find a love match like the ones our parents and sister have.” Blair stopped herself before she asked Lachlan if he thought the same thing. She intuited that he didn’t, as she thought about how natural he and Arabella appeared when they spoke and danced.
“You aren’t thinking of settling, are you?” Lachlan broke into Blair’s thoughts.
She shook her head. “I don’t want to marry just for the sake of marrying. I don’t think my expectations are unreasonable, but I haven’t met a mon who meets them.”
“And what are those expectations?” Lachlan’s serious gaze told Blair he wasn’t mocking her; he was honestly interested in what Blair believed would make her happy.
“I want a mon with a strong character, but not someone who is domineering. There needs to be compassion along with his determination. I want a mon who is protective but not possessive. Even Kieran tends to be rather possessive of Maude, though I think he believes he’s only protecting her. Someone who will make me smile, but also listens to me and takes me seriously. I want a mon who will prioritize me and our marriage over his friends. If he’s a laird or will be one, I want to be sure that he balances his duty to his clan with his duty to his family.” Blair paused and shrugged. “I suppose I want a lot of things.”
“It sounds like you described me. Or Da,” Lachlan chuckled.
Blair pursed her lips in a mock scowl, but she knew her brother was right. She’d listed characteristics that she’d always seen in her father and that Lachlan emulated. She wanted a husband who had the honor that the men in her family had.
“It also sounds like you described Callum, Alex, Tavish, and Magnus.” Lachlan listed the names of their Sinclair cousins.
“They’re among the best men I ken. After you and Da, of course.” Blair smirked as Lachlan pinched her waist. “Do you think I’m being unreasonable? Am I expecting too much? I know we and our cousins have unique families compared to most. Mama and Da love each other as much as Uncle Liam loved Aunt Kyla. Even after all these years after her passing, he’s still devoted to her.”
“I think they have set the standard to be very high, but they’re also proof that it’s possible. It must be if…” Lachlan paused for a moment to count. “Eight couples have found what you desire. Mairghread would probably cut off her brothers’ cods–and her husband’s too–if they didn’t live up to our parents and their parents. She and Tristan are deeply in love.”
“Aye, but part of the reason I came to court was to find a husband. You ken others have made offers, but I just couldn’t bring myself to accept any. Maybe I’ve turned away all the ones that will come.” Blair sighed.
“It’s your future, one that should be very long, so don’t settle, Blair. It’s not as though you’re long in the tooth. There is someone bound to make you happy. He just hasn’t shown up yet.”
“I know you’re right,” Blair tried to smile. “I just find it hard to be patient when I look around, and none of the men in sight are appealing. Marriage may be aboot alliances, but not all of them must include manipulation and ulterior motives. That’s what I shall find here. Think aboot it. None of my friends have married men from court.”
“That is true,” Lachlan agreed. “I ken it doesn’t help for me to say your turn will come, but it will. You don’t see me in a rush.”
Blair opened her mouth to say that was because he’d already found someone, but she chose another perspective. “You’re a mon. You’re supposed to take your time and be older.” Blair’s grin split her face. “It takes men a long time to pull their heads out of their arses.”
Lachlan pinched her again, and Blair giggled. “It’s a good thing I love you, Sister.” Lachlan spun them in an exaggerated twirl that left Blair dizzy, but she knew before Lachlan turned that she would reap what she sowed.
After her conversation with her brother, Blair felt more amicable. She spent the rest of the night dancing with one partner after another. She allowed herself to enjoy the music, and she even enjoyed some of her partners’ conversation. She was exhausted by the time she fell into bed.
Two
Blair raced through the gardens toward the lists with a missive flapping in her hands. She knew Lachlan would finish training soon, and she wanted to catch her brother before he disappeared into the bachelor wing. Her brother wasn’t difficult to spot since he stood nearly a head and shoulders taller than several of the male courtiers. She often wondered what it was about their Highland air and food that made the men appear more like mountains, while most Lowlanders looked like hills.
“Lach!” Blair called out as Lachlan returned his dulled practice sword to the armorer and gathered his belongs. “Lach!”
Lachlan put out his hands to capture Blair’s upper arms as she barreled toward him, breathless and giddy. Wisps of hair had come loose from the ribbon that tied it back, and her cheeks were rosy from her mad dash from the castle. She drew in a wheezing breath and placed her hand over her heart.
“Maude’s had her bairn!” Blair practically squealed as Lachlan drew her in for a tight embrace, lifting her off her feet. Maude suffered a terrible accident while she carried her twins and had nearly died from the wildcat attack. Lachlan and Blair, along with their parents, had rushed to the Isle of Lewis when Kieran’s missive arrived. There had been fear throughout Maude’s first pregnancy that she would lose the babes. Even though there hadn’t been a reason to be fearful during this second one, all the Sutherlands silently worried. “It’s a lass.”
“Does she have a name?” Lachlan tried to pull the missive from his sister’s hand. Blair glanced down; she’d forgotten that she brought the parchment with her. She handed it over to Lachlan, who scanned its contents. “Mairi, after our cousin. Apparently, the lass has been tiny but determined since the moment she arrived, just like Mairghread.” Lachlan looked up at Blair. “I like it.”
“Me, too,” Blair chirped as Lachlan pulled her in for another embrace. This time Blair pulled away and turned her head to the side. “Ugh. You stink.”
“Thank you.” Lachlan prepared to lift his arm since Blair stood even with his armpit, but she thrust a playful fist into his stomach. “You wound me, Blair.”
“Nay more than you trying to poison me.”
Lachlan donned his leine before he accompanied Blair back to the castle. They parted ways as Lachlan wound through the passageways to his chamber to bathe, and Blair reported to the queen’s solar. Blair had raced from the queen’s solar when the page delivered the missive. She’d barely looked to the queen for permission to leave, her mind singularly on reaching her brother. As the guard opened the door to the queen’s solar, she slipped into the room quietly.
“I take it the missive was wonderful news, Lady Blair,” Queen Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow.
“The very best, Your Majesty. My sister had her bairn.” Blair smiled as she curtseyed before the queen.
“That is delightful news. I know how you worried. Your mind must be at ease now. What is it now? Three babes?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The twins and now another lass. Both my sister and her bairn are doing well.”
“One of these days, it shall be your turn.” The queen offered a benevolent smile as her hand skimmed over her own rounded belly. The queen was expecting her first child. The royal couple had been married for several years, but the queen’s capture and house arrest by King Edward of England had made it impossible for the queen to bear the king an heir. King Robert already had a daughter, Marjorie, by his first wife Isabella. It was no secret that King Robert was in a hurry to sire a legitimate heir. He already had at least three sons, but none could inherit the throne.
Blair nodded, but some of her excitemen
t waned as she returned to her seat and resumed her embroidery. It had been one thing when it was her sister who was pregnant and lived far from court, but the queen’s reminder that she was expecting a child made Blair once more consider that marriage and children were nowhere on her horizon. She bowed her head over her work and listened to those who chattered around her. It was the distraction she needed.
* * *
Blair found herself in a better mood that evening. She was uncertain if it was the ongoing happiness of Maude’s news or perhaps the extra chalice or two of wine, but she was more amenable to dancing. She partnered with Lachlan at least five times, but she accepted the offer of nearly every other man. Alexander Armstrong intrigued her, but she knew his interest lay elsewhere, and she would never agree to live along the border. The climate might have been milder than the Highlanders, but the strife certainly was not. She wished none of her clansmen to ride off into battle, but she would take clan skirmishes over a war with England.
Alasdair Dunbar was another man, with his sandy blond hair and deep dimple, who caught her attention. He was her friend and former lady-in-waiting Isabella’s cousin, but that meant he and the Armstrongs were neighbors. Along with that strike against him, she found him a touch too arrogant at times. He knew his dimple and wolfish grin drew women like flies to honey, and Blair refused to be one of them. He was an enjoyable partner though, both light on his feet and an interesting conversationalist. He was one of her favorite partners during reels, as he was like Lachlan and would twirl her until she giggled from dizziness.
There were delegates from Highland clans, who, like Lachlan, were at court to pay their clan’s annual taxes. Many were married men or friends of her father. She recognized plaids belonging to Mackenzies, Gunns, MacLeods, and Frasers. None were family or close alliances, but it pleased her when the Highlanders asked her to dance. She felt more comfortable with them than she did the Lowlanders, even allowing her burr to return to her voice.
As the night progressed, the dazzling clothing and laughter distracted her from her earlier ruminations. She was tired but smiling when she retired to the chamber she now shared with Arabella. It seemed like a silent agreement that they spoke about Blair’s family but avoided talking about Lachlan and his bachelor status. Blair considered playing matchmaker, but she opted to let the burgeoning romance—if there even was one—take its own course. She and Arabella were both soon fast asleep, having dismissed their maids and helping one another out of their gowns. Blair dreamed of herself as a doting aunt with babies surrounding her as she played and cooed at them. When she woke, she felt lighter and happier than she had in months.
Three
“I’ll race you to the crest of the hill, and when I win, you shall give me the flask of Da’s whisky that I ken you brought,” Blair goaded Lachlan.
“And just what will you be doing with that?” Lachlan arched an eyebrow with an authority his sibling knew he didn’t possess.
“Keeping warm,” Blair said slyly. She didn’t really want the whisky, but she knew Lachlan was far less eager to part with it than she was excited to win it.
“And when I win, you shall have to kiss a toad. I’d like to see how long it takes for the warts to appear.”
“You are wretched!” Blair giggled. She squeezed her thighs against her horse’s flanks, and the animal shot forward. She didn’t wait for Lachlan to turn his horse around.
“You cheat!” Lachlan called. While he rode a stallion, her gelding was an equal match to his mount. Her father tried to insist that she ride a more sedate mare, but Blair had always had a wild streak about her. She’d gained her horse’s loyalty by sneaking it apples, carrots, and sugar when it was a colt. It had followed her like a lamb, and Hamish Sutherland relented when the horse wouldn’t allow anyone but Blair to mount him.
Blair was nearly to the submit of the hill when she noticed movement on the other side. She pulled her horse to an abrupt stop and looked back at Lachlan. “Riders approach.” Blair wouldn’t put herself in full view of strangers without Lachlan and their guards at her side. Of the half a dozen Sutherlands riding with them, two were Blair’s permanent guard while she was at court, and four had traveled with Lachlan. She shaded her eyes as she watched the mounted party approach. She could tell they wore plaids, but they weren’t yet close enough for her to make out the pattern. Until she could, she couldn’t tell if they were friend or foe.
Lachlan maneuvered his horse alongside hers, but the approaching group of men veered toward the castle rather than encounter the Sutherlands. Blair assumed they couldn’t recognize the Sutherland plaid from a distance either, and opted for a different path to the castle lest there be a conflict. Lachlan looked over at Blair before asking, “Could you tell who they are?”
“Nay. They were too far away.” Blair shook her head, but she was less eager to linger outside the castle walls knowing a group of strangers was nearby. It was obvious they were Highlanders from the plaids, but that didn’t mean they were allied with the Sutherlands. Brother and sister exchanged a look before the Sutherland horses turned back toward the castle. Blair sensed Lachlan and their guards were even more alert than they had been when they rode away from the keep. Rather than charging ahead, Blair rode in the center of the riders. She didn’t expect a problem, but she knew the men would never take lightly their duty to protect her. As they clattered into the bailey, Blair gasped from a joyful surprise. “They’re Camerons.”
“Aye, there’s Hardwin,” Lachlan pointed. He called out, “Hardi!”
A man with short, shaggy tawny hair turned toward them as his feet touched the ground. His face beamed as he recognized the Sutherlands. “Lach. Blair.”
Hardi reached up to Blair when her mount stopped before him. His warm hands grasped her waist, and Blair realized the callow man who’d left Sutherland years ago was now a muscle-hewn warrior. Her fingers felt the ripple of muscle beneath his shoulders as he eased her to the ground. She playfully kicked his shin, crossed her arms, and pouted much as she had as a child when Hardi wouldn’t agree to let her join the boys when they went hunting. Lachlan had always refused immediately, but Blair nearly always wore Hardwin down until he acquiesced. “You never visit.”
“If this is the welcome I can expect, then I’ve been wise to stay away,” Hardi’s deep chuckle rumbled against Blair as they embraced. She stepped aside as he and Lachlan exchanged a more manly embrace that involved thumping one another’s backs before quickly shoving at one another’s shoulders. “Now that is a welcome I can enjoy.”
Blair stuck the tip of her tongue out at Hardi as he smirked at her. “Hardi, what brings you to court? Ta—” Blair stopped short when the genial smile dropped from her friend’s face. She glanced at Lachlan, whose eyes had gone wide as he tried to warn her to remain quiet. Blair glanced back at Hardi and saw a sadness she never imagined her easy-natured childhood friend would possess.
“I suppose ye havenae heard,” Hardi’s voice was laced with grief as he peered down at Blair. She could only shake her head.
“Let’s have this conversation somewhere else,” Lachlan interrupted. His gaze swept around the bailey, and while it didn’t appear as though they drew anyone’s attention, he already knew the tale of woe Hardi would share, and he wouldn’t have his friend do it where anyone could watch and listen.
Blair nodded as she gazed into Hardi’s eyes. It was as if she couldn’t look away, and an icy fear crept out of her belly and into her chest as she imagined what he might share. She led her brother and friend to a music chamber she knew wouldn’t be in use. Without her brother at her side, she never would have slipped into the empty chamber alone, and certainly not with a man outside her family. But she knew it would afford them the privacy they needed. Lachlan turned the lock to ensure no one would interrupt them. Hardi went to the fireplace and soon had a cheery blaze flickering in the hearth, but no one’s mood seemed to match the warmth the fire emanated. Blair settled in a chair across from the two the men occupi
ed. She glanced between the two and held her breath.
“Blair, I’m now Laird Cameron,” Hardi began, but he felt compelled to reach out and take Blair’s hand when her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open, and she shook her head. “Aye, lass. As of a moon ago, I’ve become the clan’s leader.”
“How can that be? There’s so many people ahead of you,” Blair blurted. She looked at Lachlan, who wore his own expression of grief. She glared at her brother before she whispered. “Whatever’s happened, how could you not have told me?”
“Blair, it’s nae his fault. Much of what’s transpired has happened in a brief period. There wouldnae have been a way to tell ye.” Hardi gave her hands a squeeze before leaning back in his chair. “I think ye ken how Dougal died.”
Blair nodded her head as tears sprang to her eyes. Dougal had been Hardwin’s older brother. Both brothers had arrived at Dunrobin Castle when they were barely more than boys. They’d been sent to foster with the Sutherlands because both had shown an aptitude for strategy and sword fighting. They were the Cameron laird’s nephews, so it was unusual for them to be fostered, but Hardi’s uncle had seen the wisdom in having several men prepared to lead the Cameron warriors once he was gone. The clan had a lengthy list of rivals and seemed to always be at odds with someone. Their warriors were often split, fighting in more than one skirmish at a time. Dougal and Hardi had been more like brothers to Blair and Maude than just friends.
Dougal and Hardi had been on patrol four years earlier when an unexpected blizzard caught them unprepared. The whiteout made it impossible to see even their hands in front of their faces. Dougal became separated from the other men and froze to death. It was Hardi who found him several days later. He’d believed his life would end the moment that he pushed the last of the snow away and found his brother’s body. The news of Dougal’s death had wrapped the Sutherlands in a shroud of grief until it was time for Maude and Blair to move to Stirling. Blair swallowed several times as she nodded for Hardi to continue.
A Saint at the Highland Court: The Highland Ladies Book Six Page 2