Page 4 of The Veiled Wish of a Highland Bride

"Och, well, what can I do? It is the only way I can chase my worries out of my stubborn mind, ye ken." She pulled back, deflecting a slash of Clyde's wooden sword. "Still, I blame nae one but my wretched father, nae even yer brother. He was nae the one that sold me like a cow. At least my father had the sense to arm me with a sword. And a bow. Ach, I bet that I am a better horse rider than ye too."

"Then it is also yer father's fault that ye are so bonnie," her partner replied with a smirk.

"Yer brother certainly doesnae think so." She sighed. "For the life o’ me, I cannae imagine how those noble ladies do it—sitting all day in their cottages or chambers, embroidering and gossiping. They always have an air o’ agreeance about them. I could nae stand it. Yet a part of me yearns to give it all away… to feel wanted and appreciated and nae to be stuck in a marriage without love."

"Perhaps if ye truly loved someone it would make ye want to be a lady for him."

Mia said nothing. Even to Clyde, she could not admit that she had been trying to be more ladylike, to fall in love and be loved in return. To no avail.

"My lady!” a maid cried suddenly. She ran down the hill at the bottom of which Clyde and Mia stood, clutching her bonnet.

As she got to them, looking white as a sheet, Mia feared the girl would faint.

"The guests," the girl gulped, clutching her stomach, "they are arrivingtomorrow. Word has arrived that they are just over the mountains near Ben Nevis. The rooms are nae ready yet, my lady!"

The maid looked over her shoulder, and Mia regarded her curiously. She recognized her before long as the girl she had caught with her husband.

Mia swallowed down her anger. Most of these women had lived and worked in the keep their entire lives. They were loyal to the Laird now that they were grown, and if the Laird called for him to share his bed they could hardly refuse. With the way the girl refused to look at her, Mia knew she remembered the evening too. However, the maid’s shame did not soothe Mia’s pride.

"Take me to the guest rooms," Mia said as she handed Clyde her sword, waiting for the maid to lead the way. "Let me see how much work still has to be done."

CHAPTERTWO

The sound of music could be heard from miles away. The great hall of the keep swelled with the stylish waltzing of lairds and ladies from far and beyond.

Archie was fully aware of his tardiness, but paid no attention to Lennox. His chief was urging him to walk up the flagstone steps a little faster. Their journey had been arduous. They had crossed a massive loch on a rented boat and had ridden through heath the rest of the way, ruining their travel attire. The Laird was glad to be onterra firmaand would not, no matter how tired he was, pass up such a marvelous evening.

As Archie walked into the keep, he was momentarily taken aback by the number of fine women all together in one place. Spending most of his life on the battlefield, he was not sufficiently familiar with the noble families of the Highlands and their stunning daughters. He thanked God for his good fortune. Laird Murray’s gathering would provide him ample time to make acquaintances, and more, despite the fact that the host himself was a snob of the highest degree.

The large sun-dappled room was beautifully furnished, with damask tapestries and expensive French furniture. The marble floors glittered in the late-day sun.

"Ach, Laird MacDougall! So nice to see ye here," Archie said, gesturing to the gentleman that stood chatting with a few other men, a goblet of wine in hand. "I heard yer wife recently gave birth to a son. Such good tidings. My congratulations to ye."

"Laird Macnab, fancy seeing ye here," MacDougall replied, turning away from his previous party mates to Archie. "Well, what can I say? I would have nae sooner thrown her out of my castle if she hadnae born a son. Five daughters deep we are, and I was beginning to worry that there would be nae one to pass my lairdship to."

One of his men chortled. "Women are only useful for providing us with male bairns and rearing them in our stead, aye?" the laughing man said.

Archie hated such talk. It was one of the reasons he would never put a woman through the torture of marrying him. The conversation carried on between the other men, so he promptly excused himself and found his way to Lennox who was chatting with some ladies by the stairwell.

"Well, hello, fair ladies," he drawled confidently. He noticed that Lennox couldn't help but roll his eyes, which brought him even more pleasure. "How are ye enjoying the eve?"

The women did no more than giggle and bow before they left Archie in Lennox’s company.

Another set of empty yet beautiful heads.

"I am yet to see a woman who catches my fancy," Archie said once the women were out of earshot. By their glances around the ballroom, it seemed they had left to find other, more suitable bachelors.

Lennox glanced around in disbelief. "That shocks me to the bone, it does. Ye have never encountered such hurdles before, my laird. With so much wine and food and women, yer merriment is nae so far from reach."

"Dinnae mock me, Lennox. It seems to me that ye need a woman too, to rouse yer indecency from its slumber. Ye ken—"

"Spare me that talk, my laird, if ye will. There are more pressing issues at hand than mypleasure. Ye cannae avoid the talk of yer brother any longer. We have to make a plan in case Dallas decides to attack."

Archie sighed. "I cannae stand the sight o’ that man, even though he shares my blood. I dinnae want to talk about it, especially nae here.”

“Archie—"

“Nae, dinnae say a thing. He didnae only take away the love of my life, but he also killed her with his damned seed! Now he wants to take my inheritance from me? Do ye really expect me to considerthe scoundrel as anything but my enemy?”

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