Page 3 of The Veiled Wish of a Highland Bride

The three girls giggled under the stairs, scuttling away before long. They had been right about one thing: Mia would much rather spend her time in the fields. She continued down the stairs and headed out of the keep.

* * *

"Aye, aye, lassies! Exactly like that," Archie groaned, sandwiched between two women. In tandem, they worked their way between his muscled legs.

Archie looked between them, their eyes twinkling and their cheeks flushed. There was nothing quite like a Highland girl. They were the most desirable of the bunch.

To his dismay, his enjoyment was cut short by a loud knock on the door. The knocking didn't stop until Archie heard his war chief, Lennox, speak up.

"Och, nae again, my laird!” Lennox said, opening the door without invitation. "Cannae ye wait just a while longer before ye indulge yourself in such pleasures?"

Archie rose from the bed, dismissing the two red-haired women with a wave of his hand. They sashayed out of the room, not bothering to cover themselves. Archie noticed how one of them — God above, he couldn’t remember her name — eyed Lennox as she walked out. He debated encouraging him to run after her—it was the least he could do for his best friend.

Archie could hear the pitter-patter of their naked feet against the floorboards as they left. Lennox settled by the door, almost knocking one of the shields from its rack. Archie had a penchant for battle memorabilia. The walls of his chamber were decorated with claymores and dirks. A wide armchair was perched in the corner of the room, with shelves of fortified wine and spirits stacked above it. Archie ambled over to it, fastening his britches.

"These wenches ye entertain do ye nae good,” Lennox said. “Ye need to find yerself a fair lady to settle down with.” Lennox fixed his gaze on Archibald’s left arm and let out a breath. “Ach, with that gash on yer arm, I dinnae ken how ye handle them anyway."

Archie picked up his plaid and wrapped himself with it. He grabbed a bottle from the shelf and poured them both a glass of whiskey. He walked over to Lennox and patted him on the shoulder, handing him a tumbler.

"Ye worry too much, my friend,” Archie said. "They dinnae call me the Highland Wolf for naething, ye ken. I belong to the ladies and the sweet pleasures they give me,” he grinned.

Scoffing, Lennox chose to ignore him. Instead, he turned his attention to the rattling window behind the bed, rain and wind crashing against its panes.

"Be that as it may,Wolf, I have news," Lennox started tentatively. His long hair glittered in the light from the fire. "Yer brother, Dallas, was seen near the lands by Balbaire, and—"

"I have nae brother," Archie interrupted him fiercely. His smile vanished.

"Ach, Archie—"

"I want to hear naething of it, Lennox. Dallas can do as he pleases."

"As ye wish, my laird" Lennox sighed, "but I implore ye to go easy with the lasses. We dinnae need wee bastards running amok, Archie."

"We dinnae need miserable soldiers either. Ye ken we should nae have been so easily crushed at Culloden, Lennox. The Jacobites have to be stronger, mightier—nae to mention that I dare nae refuse myself any pleasure I desire, knowing full well I almost lost my life in that battle."

"Have ye considered that, perhaps, a single woman would give ye just as much pleasure? A single lass like a wife?"

Archie laughed. It wasn’t as though he had never considered marriage. However, the idea didn’t appeal to him. "Nae, my friend. I would soon grow bored and weary of her, I ken it. I would rather have any beauty I please than be bound to one lass for the rest of my life." Moving to lay back in bed, Archie continued. "Tell me something. Have ye received any news that will lift my spirits, or are ye here simply to hound me all day long?"

"Well, the invitation to the Murray annual ball arrived this morning. We should be leaving nae later than dawn on the morrow."

"Och, nowthatI like to hear! A distraction is just what I need. Are the horses ready for the journey? There is nae reason to wait for dawn where lassies are concerned," Archie quipped, crossing his arms behind his head.

Heaving another sigh, Lennox left the room to make the final preparations for their travel. And despite his friend’s protestation, the Laird was convinced he heard the man chuckle down the hall.

* * *

Swords clattered all around as Mia and Clyde sparred behind the castle. The sound of battle was enough to wash away her shame from the previous night. She planted her bare feet firmly in the grass as Clyde’s sparring sword came down on her shoulder.

"Got ya, lassie!" he exclaimed, filling the air with his carefree laughter. "Ye can pretend it is nae so, but ye are still a lady," he added with the singsong voice that never failed to amuse her.

"Clyde. Och, Clyde... Ye ken for a fact that ye are going to be beaten by a woman for the umpteenth time one way or another. These fighting words will nae protect ye forever," Mia mocked. Today would be like every other day. Shewouldbest her husband's younger brother before sundown.

Clyde had been her only friend at the keep since her wedding a year ago. The man was different than his older brother, who stalked around the castle like a quiet tyrant. Clyde was genial, always doingsomething, his hazel eyes glittering with mischief. His good humor had nothing to do with his age. Mia was only two years older than him, but she looked twice as glum, andhewas twice as tall.

"What is that look on yer face? Is my brother really that awful to ye?" Clyde asked, attempting to knock her sword out of her hands. "So awful that ye choose to come and spar with me? Something ye swore to me that ye would never do again, by the way. What was it ye said the day before last?‘It is time I stopped acting like a lad.’”

Mia scoffed. Aside from Clyde, the whole clan thought that she and Bram were the perfect match—noble, beautiful and powerful. It couldn’t have been further from the truth, and at least Clyde was brave enough to say it.

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