Page 29 of The Highlander's Pirate Bride

He laughed, looked to the ceiling, as if searching his memory. “Now that ye mention it, there was Morag. Or was it, Ellen? Or Sheonagh?”

It was impossible not to be impressed with the way his eyes crinkled with humor as he looked at her.

“Pshaw. Ye cannae forget such a kiss.”

His eyes grew serious. “Ye’re right, Aileen. There’s never been such a kiss. That’s the reason I cannae forget it.”

She was no good at this kind of soft talk. Teasing and sparring she could do with no problem, but when it came to words of love and romance, she grew afraid. She dared not give her heart to any man. The pain of loss would be too great. Besides, tomorrow they’d be in Dunrobin, where God alone knew what their fate would be.

“So, when was it ye left yer family?” She asked, striving to move away from matters of the heart to safer territory. And she was curious about this man. Now that she’d opened up to him – at least part of her had done so – she wished to know more.

There was a long pause before he answered. As she looked deep into his eyes, she glimpsed the hurt in them.

She took his hand. “I’ve nay wish tae cause ye tae revisit painful memories.”.

“Nae lass. Dinnae fash. Whose life is without sadness at times? I will tell ye a little about mine.” He kept her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “I was twelve years old when me Mam died. I remember well the day I was called from me lessons by Friar Gospatrick and given the news.” His brow was furrowed as the memory took over. “I thought I was in trouble fer sure. But it was worse than anything I could have thought of as punishment. Me Mam was lovely. There are times, even now, when I smell her scent. Sometimes she smelled like roses and at other times like lavender. She was a kind soul who always thought well of me.”

“And then ye were sent away?”

“Aye. After Mam was gone, Faither was broken, and a young lad was more than he wished to deal with. Everard was a little older at sixteen, and he’d been away as a squire, so he was brought home.”

“Was it hard?”

“It was an honor to be sent to the Laird MacAulay as a squire.” He laughed. “I didnae take kindly to it then, and it was far from Barra. But I learned ten times more with the hard men at MacAulay’s castle than I’d have ever learned at me home.” He pulled aside his shirt, exposing a fine white scar that ran in a diagonal line across his chest. “That was how I was trained to use me claymore.”

She traced the line, her fingers brushing the thicket of dark hair on his chest. “And how…”

He shook his head when she went to speak. “Nay more questions lass. Ye ken the rest of me story. Years on the battlefield fighting fer the French and then fer Wallace. I returned to Barra when me faither met his fate and Everard became the Laird. Me sister was married by then, so it was just me and Everard.”

A shadow came over his face and she placed her hand on his broad forearm. “I didnae wish tae arouse sad memories. I was only curious about how it was that ye left Barra all those years ago.”

He gave a wry nod. “And now ye ken it.” He cupped her chin in one big hand. “And what of ye? What is yer story? I only ken ye were raised a pirate along with the ruffians on the Small Isle.”

“So ye think me a ruffian, dae ye?”

Laughing, he tousled her hair. “Aye, the Ruffian Queen of the Pirates.”

She shook her head. “I was never allowed to spend time with the smugglers and the pirates on the island. Me faither didnae think they were good company fer his lass and lad, me dear braither Gregory. We had a fine house.” Her eyes grew misty as her thoughts took her back. “Sadly, me faither fell on hard times. He had debts. I didnae ken he owed his fortune tae Sutherland.”

“And now Laird Sutherland holds yer faither to keep ye in thrall tae him.” He grew thoughtful at that. “’Tis time this fine laird of yers learned that the world doesnae belong tae him.”

“We’ll be in the clutches of that man soon enough.” She looked up, brightening with a smile. “Let us nae waste our precious moments with further talk of him.” A shudder rippled through her and she snuggled closer to Maxwell.

Mayhap with Maxwell wi’ us, I can dare hope things may change.

“I’m thinking it will be morning soon and we could be cozy together under the covers until dawn.”

He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “’Tis a bonny idea. Will ye let me hold ye?”

“Mmm.” Her eyes were already closing as she moved into his encircling embrace.

The day dawned grey and clear. When Maxwell and Aileen forced themselves out of the warm feather bed they had shared, the tavern was already buzzing.

Tam was serving porridge and oatcakes with jam to the crew, with a mug of hot mead to wash it down. At the sight of their captain in the company of Maxwell, the hubbub of voiceshushed, and one or two of the men looked up, eyes wide, but they quickly regained their interest in breaking their fast and the voices started up again.

They joined Finn and Séamus at the table they’d dined at the previous night. Finn shot Aileen a knowing look, but her only response to her friend’s curiosity was a noncommittal shrug. It would be fine to let Finn wonder what had passed between herself and Maxwell. For, whatever it was, she had no words for it.

Finn’s eyes were on Aileen’s arms, partly hidden by the long sleeves of her blouse.

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