Page 39 of The Beast of the Highlands
Flynn’s man-at-arms stepped closer, wearing a look of apology. “I’m sorry for the dark attire, Miss Montgomery. I wouldnae usually don a cloak, but I had to be sure I wasnae seen.” His brow creased. “Lady Keira has been quick to place her spies everywhere. But His Lairdship is quicker.”
“What do you mean?” Autumn cast a glance back over her shoulder, half expecting a swarm of Keira’s minions to be creeping up behind her. After all, Keira had a small army of her father’s men at her beck and call.
Desmond took hold of Autumn’s hand and led her deeper into the forest, where they would surely be hidden from any unwanted eyes. Even she could not yet traverse this shadowy realm alone without getting lost, and she had been here far longer than Keira.
“I had Willis and Natters watch ye from afar, to make sure ye were nae seen on yer way out,” Desmond explained as they walked, their shoes crunching frosted leaves underfoot. He paused and pointed back up at the castle, now half-shrouded from view by branches. “Ye see that flame in the far right corner?”
Autumn nodded.
Desmond resumed his walking, pulling her along with him. “That’s Willis, tellin’ me all is well.”
“And what of Fly—I mean, His Lairdship? Is he already waiting for me?” Autumn felt somewhat shy about saying such a thing in front of Desmond, but there was a stroke of fear, too. What if Desmond thought the same thing as Mary—that a Scot, and only a Scot, was a suitable paramour for Flynn?
Desmond smiled. “Aye, Miss Montgomery.”
“Was he seen?” She gulped.
He shook his head. “Nae that I ken, Miss. He left some hours ago.” His tone turned solemn. “But Lady Keira’s had eyes on ye since her arrival. It wasnae easy to orchestrate this, and I daenae think it’d be wise to keep meetin’ each other. She might be a Lady, but she doesnae behave like one. She’ll claw out yer eyes if she thinks ye’re takin’ what she believes to be hers.”
“I sensed as much,” Autumn replied quietly as frustration clenched her chest in a vise.
“She’s already seen fit to meddle with the provisions I was takin’ to yer family,” Desmond went on. “Ye remember I told ye I left the last load of provisions?”
Autumn nodded. “I do.”
“I dinnae leave ‘em. They were stolen while I had me back turned. Only the last run of ‘em, though,” he said grimly. “I dinnae ken who could’ve done it, at first, but His Lairdship has a suspect.”
Autumn’s heart sank like a stone. “Who?”
If it had not been for the purse of coins that Leighton had slipped into her saddlebag, prior to departing for Northumberland, she would have been more concerned. However, Leighton would not always be able to offer such generosity. And if someone could sabotage the provisions, would they attempt to sabotage Autumn’s return from her family’s manor, too?
“Mary,” Desmond replied simply. “But daenae fret—I’ll still get the provisions to yer family. Now I ken there’s someone tryin’ to stop me, I’ll just have to be more careful.”
Autumn gripped his forearm. “Do not take any undue risks for me, Desmond. If it is not possible, then I shall have to think of another way. Even if I must venture homeward every Saturday, instead of once every few weeks.”
He chuckled. “I daenae mind, Miss. In truth, gettin’ provisions to yer family is the least I can do, after all ye’ve done.”
“I apologize—I do not understand.” Autumn stumbled over a twisted root that snaked across the dark path but regained her balance thanks to Desmond’s strong hold upon her arm.
He sighed softly. “I havenae seen His Lairdship so happy in a long while. Since his ma and da died, he… withdrew into himself. It was like the soul had gone out of him—he’d wake, spend all day tendin’ to his duties, and sleep again. Over and over, for several years.” A shy smile turned up the corners of his lips. “Since ye arrived, it’s like I’ve got me friend back. The lad beneath the Lairdship, so to speak. That cannae be a bad thing.”
“But what of Lady Keira?” Autumn wanted an external insight into her predicament.
He shrugged. “What of her? Aye, she’s His Lairdship’s betrothed, but that doesnae mean much. Even if he marries her, it doesnae mean he has to love her, or like it. There are countless married Lairds who wed for convenience, or to gain allies, or to satisfy a promise. And most of those have a “mistress,” for lack of a better word, whom they truly love.”
“I do not want to be a mistress,” Autumn admitted, as Desmond pulled her to one side, so she could avoid a boulder that sat squarely on the trail.
“It isnae a fair word, granted. Nor am I sayin’ it’d come to that… I amnae sure what I’m sayin’, truth be told. ‘Tis a difficult situation, nay mistake,” he told her solemnly. “But we’re fond of ye, which is more than can be said for Lady Keira. She’s a vicious one, who’ll do naught but make His Lairdship miserable. So, even if it isnae favorable, I hope ye’ll stay with him, in whatever manner ye can. That way, he willnae be miserable all the time.”
They walked along in silence for a while, as Autumn mulled over Desmond’s words. She would never care for the title of “mistress,” for it sounded sordid and unpleasant.
If that is the only way I can stay with him, then… I do not think I can stay.
“He would see ye well taken care of,” Desmond added. “Ye and yer family, and any family the two of ye might have together. And we’d keep the secret of where ye were, so Lady Keira could never find ye.”
Autumn flashed him a curious look. “It sounds as though you have discussed this with His Lairdship at great length.”
“Uh… nay, Miss Montgomery,” Desmond replied, a touch too quickly. “They’re just me musings. I havenae said a word about it to His Lairdship, but I ken I daenae want him goin’ back to bein’ a recluse. And ye’re the only way to stop that from happenin’.”
