The Highlander’s Promise by Mary Wine

 

Chapter One

Duncan land…

Terin Campbell sat up in her bed.

The chamber was still and quiet. Her bedding was clean, and there was the lingering scent of rosemary clinging to it. The staff was doing their best to gain her favor now that her mother-in-law, Benedicta, was no longer their main focus and making it clear that her daughter-in-law wouldn’t ever be the mistress of the stronghold.

Terin didn’t belong there any longer now that her husband was dead.

It was a feeling she was very used to. She’d expected it to fade in the first year of her marriage, but it never had. Benedicta and her sons had seen to that. Could she have fought harder to make a position for herself? Yes. Of course, she’d needed a son to do it, and she’d just never been quite able to make herself grovel to Goron the way he’d insisted she do to get into his bed. There were plenty of people who would tell her she’d squandered her opportunity to be the lady of the house. If she had a son, she’d have a position. Somehow, Terin just couldn’t lament her choice.

Was it so wrong to think a child should be born into a happy home? Just because she was born the daughter of a laird, did it mean her future was to be one riddled with scheming and power plays?

Well, you have spent four years pondering the matter…

She had. Terin stood and walked over to the window. She opened the shutters and looked out into the yard. Night was losing its grip. The sky was brightening as the stars began to disappear. Still, the first birds had yet to sing.

She felt like those birds. Nestled into her bed while waiting for the morning sun to awaken her.

She was so tired of waiting.

She was sick of waiting. It felt like poison in her veins. Either she fought it off, or it would kill her in the worst possible way.

Slowly. Allowing her to notice every drop of her life dripping away.

No …fortune favored the bold.

Terin turned around and walked to the wardrobe. Inside, there was a spare length of wool. Some maid had placed it there in case Goron ever passed the night with her and needed a clean kilt. It was an extravagance to have a length of wool going unused. But Goron had expected such luxury.

So perhaps she would make use of it. Perhaps it was past time to see it going to use, to see herself having a purpose.

What are you doing?

Terin wasn’t precisely sure, but once she began, there was no stopping herself. She pleated up the wool on the floor and then went back to the wardrobe in search of a shirt. It was too large on her, but she moved the buttons on the cuffs so they would close tightly around her wrists.

She lay down on the wool and used her own belt to secure it around her waist. When she turned to look in the mirror, she saw a lanky lad, if she discounted her waist-long hair. Her legs hadn’t been on display in a decade since she became too old to run wild with her brothers. If the Church discovered her dressed like a man, there would be dire consequences, but that didn’t dissuade her.

She’d done all the things she should.

Now, she was going to do the things she dared.

Determination flared through her. Terin reached for her sewing scissors and hacked off a foot of her hair. She tied a section back from her eyes and tugged a bonnet down over her forehead. The last thing she did was press her fingertips into the soot at the edge of the hearth. She smeared the black ashes on her face to disguise how soft her skin was. A quick look in her mirror showed her a grubby youth. Or at least, it might hold up if she kept her head down and her mouth shut. She gathered up the money she’d hidden around the chamber in case she needed to escape. It wasn’t much, but she wouldn’t starve so long as she wasn’t too picky.

The first bird sang as she walked out of the stronghold.

Terin smiled. The truest, most genuine smile she’d experienced in four years.

*

The seasons didn’tanswer to any person’s whim. Terin tugged the section of her kilt that she’d left attached to her shoulder up and over her head. The rain had turned to slush as she traveled. Now it was snow. The wind blew so hard, the white puffs were going nearly sideways. But it hit the ground at some point and stuck.

Chattan land was still so far away.

And over rough land.

Her belly tried to constrict, but she ordered herself not to give in to fear. She’d made her choice. Now, Duncan land was further away than Chattan land. She would simply have to push on.

Terin stared at the white fluffs of snow, doing her best to scrounge up her resolve. It actually didn’t take too much effort. Yes, her knees were cold, well freezing, but she didn’t have to worry that the next meal she sat down to consume would be laced with poison.

Lord, she’d eaten so many hard-boiled eggs in the last four years because she could gather them herself and boil them in the small kettle in her chamber.

You’re alive…

She was, and all the members of her husband’s family who had wished her an early death were victims of their own schemes now.

Her father would expect her to come home.

Terin wrestled with the anger the thought of her home brought her. Logically, she understood that being the laird’s daughter meant her marriage would be arranged. Her education had been carefully directed so she would be ready to manage a large household. She had not expected love, of course, but respect shouldn’t have been too much to hope for.

Her husband had been a monster.

Even the blowing snow wasn’t cool enough to combat her temper.

Well, good then, because ye have a long walk ahead of ye still…yer temper can keep ye warm.

Her belly rumbled. She couldn’t indulge in a horse because it would attract attention to her. One lone youth in ill-fitting clothing would be cause for notice. So she’d walked or bartered for a spot on a wagon as she could.

Now though, all the wagons were heading for shelter. Their drivers hurrying to secure stable space for their horses before there wasn’t any more to be had.

She needed to hurry, too.

Terin squared her shoulders and headed across the road toward a public house. It was less than a decent place. As she ducked beneath the doorway, she heard the squeal of several women. Inside the dim interior, there were a collection of mismatched tables. Their tops were scarred and stained, a few of them charred from fire.

“Here now.” A man pointed at her. “It’s a penny to come in.”

Of course it was. Shelter wasn’t free. Terin dug out a coin and went to pay the owner. She pointed at the stairs.

“As if ye’d have enough to rent a room,” the owner laughed at her while stuffing the penny into his doublet. “Ye’ll take that bench in the corner and be grateful.”

Terin ducked her chin. She’d not moved the buttons on the collar of the shirt, instead leaving it too wide for her neck because she might duck her chin into it and hide how smooth her skin was. Besides the sin of dressing like a man, a lone female might run into men who had no morals.

It was the very first time she’d ever been alone.

In a way, she discovered the experience to be something interesting. As she went to the bench and sat down, she was able to be overlooked by everyone in the place. It wouldn’t last too long, though, for the owner would be looking to sell her food and drink and perhaps the serving women as they went around the room so that all the men could get a look.

Her bench was the furthest from the fire.

Terin suddenly realized she was sitting straight up. Just as she’d been taught, but she needed to blend in. She slouched, glancing around the room to see how the other men sat. After a moment, she put her elbows on the table and even rested the side of her face in one of her hands.

*

Jasper Chattan wasn’tone to stop because of a bit of snow.

All right, it was a fair bit of snow.

He knew how many days he had yet to ride before he’d make it home, and the clouds were getting lower and lower, pressing down on them so that he couldn’t see more than ten paces in front of him.

Aye, maybe he might have pressed on, but he looked back to where his sister was clinging to the back of a horse. Kianna was barely sixteen. She was half his size, but she’d not muttered a word of protest over the conditions.

Aye, she was pure Chattan.

Strong and stubborn.

He’d have to recall that his mother would skin him alive if Kianna caught a fever because Jasper had insisted on riding home through a snowstorm.

His mother was pure Gordon. While his father would argue that Chattans were tougher, Jasper would have to side with his mother in saying that any woman who could marry a Chattan and make the union work, as she had for the last twenty-eight years, was far more resilient.

Besides, it was far more enjoyable to watch his mother take aim at his father or one of his other brothers than it was to have her ire directed at him. Kianna was his only sister. Jasper had been tasked with taking her to her wedding while their mother was away. Something Jasper would bet his father was regretting just about now. Sorcha Gordon wouldn’t much care if her husband felt he’d needed to settle an old debt by marrying off their daughter, especially when Kianna was too young.

Aye, well, Jasper had obeyed his father and managed to retrieve his sister, as well. All he had to do was get Kianna home in one piece and in good health.

So, he pulled up on the reins and looked around to see what was to be had in the way of lodgings.

It was slim pickings, to be certain.

The small village had grown up at a crossroads. MacPhersons and Grants made use of the area as they traded. There might be lowlanders, as well, or even some of the Highlanders from further up near Sutherland. There were mostly warehouses. Large stables with blacksmith shops set up alongside. He could see several houses of pleasure as well, but those certainly would not do.

Jasper settled his attention on a public house. It was less than acceptable, to be sure, but there was nothing else.

Jasper whistled. His captain, Leith, looked his way.

“Find some shelter for the horses,” Jasper instructed him.

“Aye,” Leith replied.

Jasper dismounted and went toward his sister. Kianna made a little sound as she slid off the horse. He caught her when her knees didn’t quite hold her.

“Let’s find some warm supper, Kianna,” Jasper encouraged her.

“Yes,” she responded.

She was just sixteen but had already begun to master the composure of a lady. Jasper could feel her trembling, but her tone didn’t give it away. She straightened up after a moment and sent him a composed little smile.

Two of his Retainers went in front of them. They pushed through the front door of the public house.

“It’s a penny a piece to come inside,” the landlord shouted.

*

The squealing ofthe women was beginning to get on Terin’s nerves.

The bowl of stew she’d paid far too much for wasn’t sitting on her stomach very well. The small section of bread she’d been given wasn’t helping in the least.

And the squealing continued.

What was it about fornication that made women squeal?

Terin honestly didn’t understand it.

Well, ye’re a virgin…

Still, as she lifted her face to sneak a glance at one of the women who was sitting on a man’s lap and smiling at him, Terin just couldn’t seem to understand why the woman’s eyes sparkled. It was one thing to maintain a pleasant expression, but Terin had never quite been able to make her eyes sparkle upon demand. For sure, she could force a smile even when on the verge of tears, but the sparkle in the eyes was just beyond her reach.

So, the woman must be enjoying herself.

That was the part that had Terin perplexed.

All right, and curious.

Someone else came through the door.

“It’s a penny a piece to come inside!” the landlord cried out immediately.

The noise in the common room suddenly died down. The reason was clear. These men were Retainers. They had a harder look to them, and their clothing was neat because they represented the laird they wore the colors for. Each of them was looking both ways, getting a clear look at every person in the room. It was something they would have trained for since they were only ten. Now that they were men, they were truly a notch above the other men in the room. Truly the elite among Highlanders.

And they had earned everything they had through hard training and loyalty. Their kilts were finer than the rest of the Chattan clan might own. The dyes richer, deeper, and more brilliant. The wool itself was the highest grade of cloth to be had, and each kilt was a privilege to wear. A mark of the position they’d likely persevered through difficult times to be awarded the right to wear.

But the man who came behind them was even more awe-inspiring. He had to duck beneath the top of the doorway. Once he straightened up, Terin felt her eyes round as she took in his towering height. And he had brawn to go with it. He had a head of midnight-black hair and a close-trimmed beard. His colors declared him a Chattan, and the two feathers sticking up in his cap said he had a high position in the clan. He might be the war chief or one of Laird Chattan’s sons.

The landlord snapped his mouth like a fresh-caught trout. His eyes widened until they bulged.

“I am Jasper Chattan,” the man introduced himself. He looked around the room, making eye contact with many of the patrons. “Please forgive me, but I have me sister along, so I’ll be asking ye all kindly to mind yer tongues.”

More Retainers had been coming in as Jasper spoke. There were a few grumbles from the more intoxicated patrons. They quickly became the target of those Chattan Retainers.

“However,” Jasper turned toward the landlord, “I will be most happy to rent a room abovestairs where me sister will no’ be a bother to anyone.”

“Aye.” The landlord suddenly found his tongue. He held his hand up in the air. “I’ll be needing a wee bit to get the sheets changed.”

One of the women snickered, making it clear why the bed linens would be in need of changing. Jasper turned to survey the rest of the room. His men proved their worth, as they seemed to know precisely what their master was thinking.

Jasper looked toward the side of the area where Terin sat. He suddenly offered everyone sitting there a friendly grin as he reached up to tug on the corner of his cap.

“Sorry to trouble ye all,” Jasper said.

His Retainers closed in, making it clear they wanted the section of room cleared for them to sit together. Terin stood along with the two men sitting near her. The landlord had crowded as many benches as possible inside the common room that he could, so moving was a tricky business. Terin hit her shin and caught the corner of a table with her hip as the others around her made a dash away from the glowering Chattan Retainers.

She ended up on the edge of a longer bench that already had two men on it. Masking her recoil wasn’t easy, but a lifetime of lessons on modesty were ingrained in her as she pulled away. She ended up with only half her bottom on the bench and her elbows resting on her knees to keep her balanced. The position promised her an uncomfortable night at best.

A tumble onto the floor at worst.

Perhaps walking in the storm wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

*

There was somethingabout the lad.

Jasper really didn’t need to worry about one lanky, half-starved boy.

Except that the lad wasn’t half-starved.

Jasper had been trained to know what condition the men under his command were in. It was an essential skill in any commander, and his father had raised all four of his sons to be ready to shoulder command when needed by the clan.

The lad’s face wasn’t sunken in. So he ate regularly enough.

Let it go…

Jasper disregarded his inner voice.

Aye, it was sound advice. And if he wasn’t looking at being stuck inside the common room for the next day or so, he might have heeded it.

The lad had landed on the very end of a bench. He was perched there, his elbow on his knees. He was tense, though. The common room was stuffed full of an odd assortment of men. Age and wealth didn’t make any difference when an early snowstorm hit. Every man in the room had been out trying to survive. Just seeking that last bit of work before winter settled in, and they all had to wait until spring to travel. No one else was nervous, though, for weather in the Highlands was never hospitable. You simply learned to take whatever mother nature threw at you in stride.

This youth wasn’t doing that.

Once he began, Jasper just couldn’t stop picking apart the details in front of him. The lad’s face was dirty, but his hair was neatly combed and clean. He had his chin cradled in his hands, and his fingernails were clean as well. His clothing was clean, too, and better quality than most had on their backs. Which made Jasper wonder just why the shirt was clearly too big for the lad.

The man next to the lad was talking. He shifted as he lifted his arms, bumping into the lad’s backside. The boy’s eyes widened, and he stiffened.

Jasper went still.

The lad’s hands shook just a tiny amount as he rubbed his cheeks and set his teeth into his lower lip. A lip that was soft and pink and, without a doubt, female.

A lass…

Jasper looked at the ends of her honey-blond hair, silently bemoaning the fact that she’d cut the silken strands. It hit him harder than he’d expected, twisting his insides as he discovered himself becoming protective of her.

Who had driven her to such extremes?

Kianna came into the room. His sister’s eyes widened as she took in the number of men. She became the instant center of attention. She hurried over to sit on a bench against the wall where Jasper and his men were between her and the other occupants of the common room. But her hands curled into the fabric of her skirts, betraying how nervous she was, even if she managed to keep her features controlled.

Jasper felt something stir inside him.

His father had ordered him to take Kianna to her betrothed. As a son, he’d had to perform his duty, even as he’d argued with his father about how young Kianna was. Barely sixteen was too young for a wedding.

Oh yes, Jasper knew men who didn’t agree. When it came to alliances, girls such as his sister were sent out too young. The hope their mothers had was that their grooms might be decent men who would wait to celebrate their unions. But such a courtesy was inviting disaster because an annulment could be had.

This lass wasn’t as young as Kianna.

Jasper could see it in her eyes.

Ye should leave her alone…

But he wouldn’t. There was a reason he was escorting his sister home. Jasper hadn’t left once he’d delivered Kianna to the Munro. And Rolfe hadn’t disappointed him either. The man had looked at Kianna and recognized the gross error Laird Chattan had made.

The lass in front of him wasn’t so fortunate.

Aye, but she’s got courage…

Some might call it foolishness, for she was risking trouble with the Church as well as those she encountered along the way to wherever she was bound.

His belly twisted as Jasper realized she was tense because she knew very well the risks she was taking.

“I’ve yer room ready,” the landlord said.

*

A room.

Terin indulged in a moment of thinking it was for her.

She’d been raised just like Kianna Chattan, sheltered from the ugliness of the world. Right then, the Chattan Retainers were making a wall of themselves to give her a spot of her own, even in a crowded common room.

Jasper Chattan rose in response to the landlord’s announcement.

Christ, he was large.

Something shifted inside her. Terin discovered herself completely confused over the sensation. She had absolutely no idea what it was.

“Get the girl abovestairs,” someone grumbled.

“The only good which comes of early snow is the excuse to drink!” another man responded.

Kianna was on her feet. She’d begun the process of threading her way between the benches and tables to get to the stairs. She stopped as the room filled with chuckles. Uncertainty appeared on her face as she froze.

Terin clenched her fingers into fists.

Men were beasts…

Terin suddenly stood up, her need to hide forgotten. She moved forward, pushing the legs of the men in front of Kianna aside.

There were annoyed looks from the men before one shrugged.

“Ye’re wasting yer effort, lad,” one of them growled at Terin. “That little lassie is nae ever going to look at ye.”

There was a round of snickers. Kianna ducked her chin and scurried toward the stairs. There was a tapping of her feet against the steps as she climbed to the floor above.

Terin went to sit, but the man sitting next to her very deliberately slid his bulk over to cover the spot she’d occupied. He sent her a smirk before crossing his arms and ignoring the fact that she was left standing.

Jasper was standing next to the landlord. He reached inside his doublet and withdrew some coin for the man.

She didn’t dare ask for a room…

There was no way the landlord would rent her one. Not when he was clearly running a brothel abovestairs.

“Guess it’s the corner for ye lad,” another man remarked. “Like a good doggie.” Someone tossed a crust of bread at the wall, causing the room to erupt into laughter.

There weren’t any other options.

Such had become her plight since she’d been contracted to wed.

Helpless…

Her emotions rose up, trying to choke her. Terin fought against the surge. It was a battle she was overly weary of, but there was no way she was going to dissolve into tears. Not when she was free and on her way to a better place.

No, she would not pity herself. The key was to keep going. Force herself to think of the next thing to do.

Well, at least she wouldn’t be bumping up against anyone. Terin turned and looked toward the wall. There was already one bedraggled man sitting up against the wall. He’s taken the corner, clearly more experienced in grabbing the best there was to be had among the scraps.

“I appreciate decency in a person,” Jasper spoke behind her. “Come here, lad.”

Terin continued on toward the wall. But the bedraggled beggar lifted a gnarled hand and pointed behind her. A second later, he’d snatched up the crust of bread and tucked into inside his tattered doublet.

“He’s talking to ye, boy,” the beggar informed her. “He’s not the sort of man to turn yer back on.”

Jasper Chattan certainly wasn’t.

Terin whirled around. Her eyes widened as she realized just why the beggar had been warning her. Jasper was two paces from her.

Well, one, actually. His legs were simply so long. What would have taken her two steps only troubled him for one.

He reached out and grasped a handful of her shirt. “Come along.”

The men who had so brazenly left their legs in Kianna’s path hurried to clear the way for Jasper as he went back toward the stairs, pulling Terin along with him.

“What are ye doing?” Terin lost the battle to maintain her silence.

“Just putting ye to good use,” Jasper replied.

He was tugging her up the steps as the common room burst into conversation.

About her.

Her face heated.

Terin was horrified. She didn’t need to be blushing now. Jasper Chattan wasn’t the sort of man who missed details.

“It’s better than the floor belowstairs,” Jasper told her.

She’d been absorbed in her own thoughts. Now, Terin looked around to see that Jasper had pulled her up the stairs to a landing outside a closed door. There were two plain, humble bunks built against the wall. She blinked, not daring to believe the turn in her luck.

“Ye can be my watchdog tonight,” Jasper informed her. “Sleep here and mind the door.”

Finally, luck was with her!

Terin nearly jumped onto the bunk. Jasper offered her a cocky grin. The blush on her face didn’t fade.

No, it intensified.

He was far too roguish.

Truly, Terin had seen handsome men. Along with gallant ones, strong ones, mean ones, and so on. Jasper Chattan was a rogue. When he grinned, he often tilted his head to one side. He also parted his lips and flashed his teeth at her. The expression carried all the way into his topaz eyes.

Right now, he was focused on her. Those eyes glittered as he contemplated her.

“Thank ye,” Terin mumbled.

His eyes narrowed. “With the way ye squeak…are ye sure ye are no’ a little lass?”

“I’m tall,” Terin exclaimed.

Jasper had his lips pursed together. “For a girl, ye’re tall.”

Terin bristled. She wanted to argue. In fact, she couldn’t recall when she’d been so interested in disagreeing with someone before. The urge to tell him what she thought of him was nearly driving her insane. It took every bit of self-control she had. Terin forced herself to settle into the bunk, focusing on how much she appreciated the turn in fortune that had given her a private place to sleep.

“Do nae worry too much, laddie.” Jasper placed his foot onto the lower bunk.

Terin bolted upright. She hit her head on the upper bunk as Jasper used the foothold to step up and lay on the top bunk.

“Ye squeak like a female,” Jasper remarked from above her. “Maybe ye’ll grow some more.”

Her heart had nearly stopped, but Terin let out a sigh of relief as he finished his statement.

He couldn’t know she was a girl.

Well, woman.

At twenty-two, Terin wasn’t in the first blush of her season.

Thank Christ for that!

It really was little wonder that daughters of lairds were married off so young. It was because their families needed the alliances and compliance. When she’d been just seventeen, and her father had announced her betrothal with Goron Duncan, no one took care of her. No, independence was something that had come with the passage of time.

Now she was accustomed to seeing to her own needs.

Well, Jasper Chattan has provided for ye tonight…

That bit of truth stung a bit.

Don’t look the gift horse in the mouth.

Terin was going to mind that advice. Or at least keep her mouth shut. Her alternatives were too grim to allow her pride to get in the way.

The bunk was hard, but with a solid wall against her back, she might unwind the length of wool which served as her plaid during the day and roll up in it.

It seemed so long since she had been warm.

Terin let out a sigh as she pulled some of the fabric up and over her head. The days of being on the road and always fearful of being discovered took their toll. As soon as she was no longer shivering, keeping her eyes open was impossible.

*

She was sleeping.

Jasper heard the little sounds his mystery lass made as she surrendered to sleep.

She had dark circles beneath her eyes.

There was really no reason for him to feel responsible for her, except that he was fairly certain he’d never forgive himself if he’d left her below to spend the night on the floor.

He’d seen the desperation in her eyes.

Jasper hadn’t been sheltered from life’s rougher elements. He knew everyone had challenges to face. Still, he felt like the look in her eyes was branded into his memory. What had sent her out into the world? He wanted to know. Wanted to know who to thrash for putting that look into her eyes.

There was a soft step on the stairs. Jasper turned his head. Leith came into view. His captain contemplated the lower bunk for a moment before he nodded and settled down on the landing.

Jasper owed Leith for being a good sport about the matter.

The bunk should most certainly have gone to the captain who rode beside him and guarded Jasper’s back. Leith wasn’t quibbling, though. He was already rolled in his plaid, taking the chance to sleep while he might. Jasper should do the same.

But his mind was churning.

Questions flooded him about who slept beneath him. Why was she in disguise? There was no way she didn’t understand the risk she was taking in ignoring the dictates of the Church about dressing unnaturally.

Yet, she risked it.

Something shifted inside him once more. This time it was a need to shelter her. It really didn’t make any sense, for he wasn’t a man ruled by his sentiments.

At least not until now.

Jasper shifted, searching for a comfortable position. He wasn’t likely to find it. He was folded into the bunk because it hadn’t been built for a man of his stature.

Well, that was hardly a first.

It was dry and much warmer than the weather outside. One advantage of having the common room packed full was that the heat rose. Just like a herd of cattle huddling together for shelter. Aye, his knees were bent, and his chin tucked against his chest, but his sister was cared for.

Understanding dawned on him at last.

The little lass was striking the guilt festering inside him over following his father’s order to take Kianna to Rolfe Munro.

Aye.

That made sense.

The knowledge was a relief. For a moment, he’d worried he was going soft.

As for the lass, well, aside from owing Leith a favor for making his man sleep on the floor, she hadn’t cost him anything. Perhaps he’d even be rewarded with a restful night for doing her a service.

And tomorrow?

Jasper really would have liked to ignore that question.

Actually, he wished he’d never even thought of it.

But a man who commanded others had to think ahead. Jasper’s laird and father had set him a task, one which would impact the entire clan. His personal feelings aside, Jasper had done as commanded because he knew that alliances were essential in the Highlands.

She’s just a little lass. How much trouble can she be?…

That thought allowed Jasper to calm his mind. Whoever she was, she was, in fact, just a wee lass. In the morning, she’d not be any great deal of trouble to him.

Not a bit.

*

“Morning, lad.”

Terin’s eyes widened.

Jasper Chattan stood in front of her in naught but his shirt. She’d never even seen her husband in so little. Her cheeks erupted into flames as she pressed herself against the wall.

“Thought ye were going to sleep the day away,” Jasper continued.

He lowered himself to his knees and leaned over the fabric of his kilt. With a practiced hand, he folded it neatly.

“The weather is of the mind to be kind today,” Jasper continued on. “The storm broke during the night.”

“Truly?” Terin asked before recalling it was best not to speak.

“Aye,” Jasper replied. His attention was on the fabric he was pleating.

Good.He wasn’t noticing anything about her voice, at least. He finished up and lay down in the center of the pleats he’d formed. His belt was already on the floor beneath the fabric. He drew both sides of the cloth up and around his middle before grasping the ends of the belt and buckling it.

The son of a laird, and yet he dressed by himself.

Goron had known how to pleat his kilt, but he’d dumped the chore on others as often as possible.

“Well, are ye getting up or not, laddie?” Jasper was on his feet. He was still on his haunches, his head just about level with hers as he asked the question.

Terin nodded.

His lips split into a grin. “Back to being quiet? Eh, sort of a shame that ye’re a lad. That trait of holding yer tongue would make ye a perfect wife.”

Terin snorted.

The sound just escaped as her temper flared.

Jasper reached across and ruffled the top of her head. A moment later, he’d turned and headed down the stairs.

Terin was aghast. Men did not ruffle the top of women’s heads!

Except you told him you are a boy….

Her heart was hammering away inside her chest; it felt like it just might come clean through. Terin gulped down air, trying to control her reaction.

It was a good thing, actually.

He truly thought she was a boy.

Otherwise, he never would have touched her in such a…well…in such a manner.

A little doubt pricked at her, but Terin didn’t have time to give it much of her attention. She had privacy for the moment. She really couldn’t afford to waste such an opportunity.

She rolled out of the bunk and tossed her plaid onto the floor. Her heart continued to race, warming her to the point of sweat trickling down the sides of her face. Every little noise made her more and more nervous that one of the Chattan Retainers would appear.

She was clad in just a shirt, too. And with the increasing light, the fabric was not going to help her keep her gender secret. At last, she lay down and buckled her belt into place. Once she stood up, the pleats were held tight against her waist. She grabbed the tail, which was hanging loose, and secured it to her right shoulder.

*

He was shameless.

Jasper didn’t deny the charge.

It wasn’t precisely a deadly sin, though. The lass was dressed as a lad. So maybe it was a wee bit of a service to show her gently just what happened when a lass didn’t dress appropriately.

So ye are taking to tutoring her now?

Now there was an idea.

One Jasper found a little too much to his liking.

No matter her reasoning for venturing out as a lad, whoever the little lass was, she was bold.

Heat stirred in him.

The weather was cold enough to help him manage. Jasper stood for a moment, enjoying the fresh snow. There were only a few inches of it. The sky was gray, promising him more snow to come.

Ye need to get yer sister home…not be distracted by a lass who clearly does nae want to be noticed.

Lament went through him. He was no stranger to his own affection for a fair lass. This situation was a bit different, though. In fact, he was rather relieved to discover he could find attraction for a woman who was not doing her best to catch his eye.

Perhaps he wasn’t as much of a rogue after all.

Yes, ye are…

Jasper chuckled because the stunned look on her face filled his mind.

Ruffling her hair was roguish without a doubt.

He’d just been unable to resist the temptation.

*

Tarin didn’t finishtoo soon. The door opened, and Kianna stood there. She took Terin in, blinking. She really was young. Too young.

“Good morning,” Kianna spoke from the door. “Ye were kind to me last night. Thank ye.”

Terin started to smile.

How long had it been since she’d had a friend?

Kianna was offering her a shy smile. In the younger girl’s eyes, Terin saw herself when she’d been sent away to wed.

“Did me brother set ye to waiting on me?” Kianna asked. “I’m sorry to be late. Let’s go,”

Kianna stepped out of the room. She looked at Terin for a long moment, clearly waiting for something.

“Don’t ye want yer cap?” Kianna asked.

“Oh.” Terin jumped, realizing that Kianna had been waiting for Terin to reach up and tug on her cap in respect.

As the laird’s daughter, such a greeting was expected, even if Terin wasn’t a Chattan.

Terin turned around and nabbed the bonnet from where it was lying in the corner of the bunk. She pulled it down in her head while whirling around to discover Kianna still poised a single step in front of her.

“Ye have very long eyelashes,” Kianna said with the innocence of youth. Any of the Retainers riding with Jasper would have growled at such a comment except for the fact that Kianna was still tender in age.

If the Chattan had sent her to wed, it was possible Terin was making a grave mistake in going there.

What choice do you have?…

None really. Even a convent wouldn’t want her without a dowry. And the moment she tried to enter one, they’d send someone to Campbell land quick as could be to sue for it.

Her father would send her brother after her. Terin felt her heart twist. She missed her brother Kendric fiercely. In the last four years, she’d only written him a few letters because she didn’t like deceiving him about her circumstances.

“We’d best hurry,” Kianna said. “Jasper is always up at first light.”

Terin looked toward the stairs. The morning was gray, but there was plenty of light now, which confirmed that first light had come and gone. Kianna was plucking at the front of her skirts, looking at Terin, waiting for…of course! To Kianna, Terin was obviously left there to escort her. Kianna wouldn’t descend the stairs into a common room until Terin went first to deal with any trouble.

She really wasn’t very good at being a boy.

Still, Terin remembered to reach up and tug on the corner of her cap while going toward the steps. It didn’t take long to make it to the ground floor of the building. The common room, which had been bursting at the seams the night before, was now empty. A young girl was making her way along the tables with a pitcher. She poured any remains of ale from mugs on the tables into the pitcher to make up the house ale for that night.

The door was open, showing Terin that the snow had stopped falling.

The air was brisk, promising her that the weather wasn’t going to hold.

The road was full of wagons as those who had been driven in by the snow the day before hurried to get back upon the road. The Chattan Retainers were no different. They had their horses out and were making quick work of saddling the animals.

Terin walked with Kianna until she was next to two Retainers.

It was time to go her own way.

Terin might not have been very good at being a lad, but she was extremely accomplished in the art of going unnoticed. Her very survival in the Duncan stronghold had depended on her ability to hide and make certain no one could learn her habits.

She shifted back, turning and stepping into the bustle of activity.

“There ye are, lad,” the man who owned the wagon she’d been riding on the day before smiled at Terin. He stepped out from where he’d been watching one of his assistants working to cover his goods with leather hides to protect them from the weather.

“Now I’d be happy to sell ye a wee spot on me wagon again for four silver pennies,” the man held up his fingers. “Chattan land is still a long way, no need for ye to walk in the snow.”

It was double the price he had offered her before. Terin narrowed her eyes. The man was clearly intent on making the most of the inclement weather.

“Heading to Chattan land are ye?” Jasper surfaced from the other side of the row of horses his Retainers were making ready.

The wagon master’s face twisted with anger. “The lad and I have already come to an understanding.”

Jasper raised an eyebrow. The wagon master paled a little as Jasper took several steps toward him.

“Me hearing is very fine,” Jasper informed the man.

The wagon master managed to stand his ground, which Terin would have found impressive if the man weren’t trying to milk her like a goat.

“The lad is naught to ye,” the wagon master stated firmly. “Do nae bother with me business.”

Jasper was peering down at the wagon master from his greater height. Terin shifted back. She wanted the spot on the wagon but continuing to be unnoticed was by far more important.

Jasper suddenly reached out and grabbed a handful of her shirt. She let out a little yelp as he easily pulled her back toward him.

“Well now,” Jasper declared. “Ye might have noticed that last night this young lad stepped up for me sister.”

Several of the other Chattan Retainers joined Jasper in support. They formed a wall of hardened brawn which made the wagon master retreat.

“I see how it is.” The wagon master lifted his hands into the air. “No need to trouble yourselves. I’ll be on me way.”

He turned and began to hurry back around his loaded wagon.

“I’ll pay,” Terin declared.

Jasper looped his arm around her shoulders.

“Now lad, let’s discuss the matter,” Jasper cooed from above her head as he patted her on the chest.

He turned them both, and Terin stumbled along, following his lead as shock held her stiff.

Was he really embracing her?

Right there?

It was unthinkable.

Unfathomable.

Unbearable!

But no one looked their way. Dressed as a boy, Jasper’s actions weren’t audacious. They were the act of a mentor.

“Ye’re a decent one,” Jasper continued on. “No one else in that room stood for me sister. Now I’m sure they would have thought to correct their behavior after a moment or two, but what draws me to ye is the fact that ye did nae need to think the matter through. Ye were in action, because ye knew it was needed.”

Jasper had walked her back across the road to the line of horses his men were making ready.

“Me men are rough, and it is no quite right for me sister to be in too close contact with them. Now ye,” Jasper squeezed her a little tighter before she yelped, and he released her all together.

Terin went stumbling away from him, earning a round of chuckles from the Chattan Retainers.

“Ye,” Jasper stated clearly. “Can be useful as a buffer between us and me sister.”

Kianna was watching them, a little mischievous smile on her lips.

“And we’ll take ye along with us to Chattan land,” Jasper finished.

His men returned to saddling the horses, clearly seeing the matter as settled. Kianna was smiling in her direction as Terin glanced back to where the wagon master had gone. He was already on the road. All Terin saw was the back of his head.

So it was Jasper’s offer or walking alone.

Even dressed as a boy, Terin wasn’t fool enough to travel alone if she was offered another way. She just might end with her throat slit by someone desperate enough to resort to murder in order to gain what little money a scruffy-looking youth might have stashed in his doublet.

Terin looked back to see Kianna smiling at her. Jasper’s sister offered him a little curtsey by touching her foot in front of her and then placing it behind her. She bent her back knee, lowering herself slightly in the respectful gesture.

“I won’t be any trouble at all,” Kianna assured Terin.

Terin stopped herself from returning the reverence just in time. She reached up and tugged on the corner of her cap instead.

*

“There is somethingodd about that boy,” Leith confronted Jasper that night after they’d ridden hard.

“I would nae call it odd,” Jasper replied.

The place they’d stopped was a private home. The widow of the house took in boarders from time to time in order to feed her half-grown children. At the moment, the widow was busy keeping a sharp watch on her two daughters. She had them sequestered in the kitchen, well away from Jasper’s Retainers.

He’d skin them alive if they trifled with the girls.

Leith was contemplating Jasper, trying to decide why Jasper was so merry about the matter. Having a stranger along wasn’t his style. It was a risk Jasper normally wouldn’t have even thought about taking. Kianna was worth a great deal as the only daughter of the Chattan Laird. If someone managed to get their hands on her, they could demand a stiff ransom, for Jasper’s mother would insist on paying it to retrieve her only daughter.

“He’s nae comfortable in his own skin,” Leith remarked as he settled down on a bench across a narrow table from Jasper. “Seems to be always unsure what to do.”

Jasper fought to contain his mirth. He rubbed his chin to keep himself from grinning.

For certain, there was likely something wrong with the way he was enjoying his guest’s fight to contain her gender. But he was taking her where she wanted to go, wasn’t he? He was curious as to who she was related to on Chattan land. Not that it mattered all too much. The Chattan took care of their own. If she confessed her plight, he’d still escort her.

But the truth was, he was having a fine time watching her try to blend in with his men.

“Ye are keeping something from me,” Leith accused him.

Jasper lifted his mug, intent on taking a long sip of ale, but his captain grabbed the mug and glared at him.

“What manner of a friend are ye?” Leith demanded when Jasper merely stared back at him.

“In this case,” Jasper remarked, “it’s every man for himself.”

He and Leith had ridden together since they were old enough to climb into the saddle. His captain knew his humor well. Leith’s forehead was furrowed as he thought through Jasper’s words and actions.

“No,” Leith arrived at the correct conclusion. He turned and looked toward the kitchen, where the lad was fetching a bowl of stew for Kianna.

Jasper waited for his captain to look back at him. “What else could it be?”

Leith watched their guest climb the stairs. She had her hands full and was standing up straight for a change. It allowed the sway of her hips to be noticeable.

“Well…” Leith cleared his throat. He locked gazes with Jasper as his face reddened slightly. “Well…I simply do nae spend much time looking at lads too closely.”

Leith reached for his own mug and lifted it to his lips. He swallowed several large mouthfuls before coming up for a breath of air.

“No need to be so smug about it,” Leith admonished him. “Unless ye have a fondness for lads.”

Jasper’s grin melted, leaving him sending a warning look toward his captain.

“That is no’ going to work.” Leith held his mug up between them. “Ye had it coming, do nae be sour.”

Jasper picked his own mug up and tapped the side of Leith’s with it.

“Aye, I suppose ye have it right,” Jasper said with a renewed grin.

*

The house they’dmanaged to find hospitality in wasn’t an inn.

Kianna was sitting on a bunk, very much like the one Terin had used the night before. Abovestairs, there was one large loft where the family slept. There were bunks against both walls. There were hooks there for each family members’ change of chemise. Kianna was sitting on a bunk with a shirt hanging next to it. She brightened up as she saw Terin appear.

“Thank ye for bringing supper up,” Kianna spoke cheerfully. “I would have gone and fetched it myself, but me brother forbade me to show myself belowstairs.”

Kianna let out a huff. “Why is everything fun forbidden to girls?”

Terin’s lips twitched up into a little grin. She just couldn’t help it.

Kianna laughed in response. “I suppose I should not ask ye something like that.”

Terin sat the tray down on a rough table. Kianna moved over to one of the benches. “The widow is putting one of her sons out into the stable tonight, so I can sleep here. I really would rather not put the boy to such trouble, but me brother will not have it any other way.”

Kianna didn’t expect Terin to reply.

Of course not, ye’re a boy.

And of lower station.

But with no personal attendant with her, Kianna was alone. Terin knew the feeling well. The past four years rose up to fill Terin with resentment.

Ye need to forget it…

She truly did, for the only person to suffer would be herself. Her husband was dead. His scheming mother, also gone. Somehow, against the odds, Terin had survived.

And that is why ye are taking such a risk…

Terin felt her back stiffen. Her confidence was renewed as she looked at Kianna. The girl was so young and everything that Terin had been herself when she’d been sent off to marry.

Aye, she wouldn’t apologize for dressing like a boy.

Even if you are deceiving Jasper?

Terin tugged on her cap and headed for the steps as that thought rose up to claim her attention. It surprised her because it shook her.

No man liked being deceived.

It was true that she had never lied to him, but many would argue that appearing in men’s clothing was the same thing.

Terin paused on the steps. She sat down, hugging her knees to her chest.

She’d never met a man such as Jasper Chattan.

He was a rogue. In the very essence of the word.

But you like it…

Terin nibbled on her lower lip. She wasn’t going to admit she liked him, well, in the way some women liked men. But she was willing to admit that she found his brash, forward nature mesmerizing. It was likely due to the fact that she longed to be able to be so free herself.

That made sense.

She was envious.

But she wasn’t foolish enough to think his teasing demeanor wouldn’t evaporate the moment circumstances demanded he be serious. No, he was one of the Chattan brothers. The son of the Chattan Laird.

And he’d delivered Kianna to her marriage in spite of her tender age.

Terin felt her resentment return in full force.

Aye, Jasper might mesmerize her with his teasing and boldness, but he’d still put the clan’s needs first. No matter that Kianna was simply too young for wedding.

Many disagree with you.

Terin let out a little huff. Oh aye, she knew full well that many thought Kianna grown enough for marriage. But any midwife would say it was better to wait until eighteen.

Ye’re twenty-two now.

She was, and Terin wouldn’t be going back to her father so that he might arrange another nightmare of a marriage for her.

No.

She’d take the risk of dressing like a boy. Her Aunt Davonna had wed the Chattan Laird’s brother. He’d died before the union was even celebrated, yet Davonna lived on Chattan land. The rumors claimed she was her own woman by Laird Chattan’s decree.

Terin smiled.

Her own woman…

Only a few women ever achieved such a standing. It was only possible because Davonna had the backing of the Chattan Laird.

And Davonna was a Campbell.

So no matter what it took, Terin was going to get to her aunt’s side.

She might not take ye in.

Well, nothing in life was guaranteed. Except that if you never tried, you would never fail.

Or achieve.

*

Two days later,the weather turned to half-frozen rain. It felt like it was biting through the layers of her clothing as the horses continued north.

Terin had never been so miserable in her life.

Kianna, though, was suffering even more. Still half-grown, her young body didn’t have the reserves to battle the elements. But there was nothing to do but continue on. The wind had started to howl, signaling the beginning of its reign.

“Hold,” Jasper called out the command as he raised his fist into the air.

His Retainers pulled up on their reins, but the animals sidestepped and tossed their heads in revolt. The horses knew the weather would only deteriorate, and every moment they were stopped was that much more of an opportunity for the temperature to drop.

Terin held tight to the reins in her hands. It wasn’t just the weather making her desperate to keep going.

But Jasper slid off his horse. He stopped to say something to his captain before he turned and came directly toward her.

“Ye’ll ride with me sister,” Jasper informed her when he came up beside her horse.

“Kianna is near frozen, and ye are the closest thing we have to a proper companion,” Jasper grabbed the reins to steady the horse.

Leith was helping Kianna off her horse. He had to hold Kianna up as she did her best to walk. She stumbled, proving that Jasper had read her body language correctly. Another Retainer had joined them. He laced his fingers together to form a step for Kianna.

Kianna tried, but she still failed to be able to get herself into the saddle. Leith and Jasper pushed her up while Terin tried to get her into the right position.

“Tuck yer hands into yer skirts, Kianna,” Jasper instructed his sister. “The lad has more fortitude than ye.”

Kianna was shivering.

Terin discovered herself warming, though.

Jasper had praised her.

Oh, he didn’t know he had. Or at least he didn’t understand that she was also a woman and had given her quite a compliment.

But she knew.

She discovered herself enjoying the words far more than any compliment she’d ever been paid. The reason was simple enough to understand. As the daughter of a laird, she’d been seen as a possible way to get to her father. Praise had been given in abundance by those interested in making connections with her and her father.

But this was different.

Genuine…

Kianna shifted again. She let out a little sigh as she settled against Terin. Jasper made quick work of returning to his horse. His kilt flared out, giving her a glimpse of his thighs when he mounted.

Something new went through Terin. A new flicker of heat. It was a good thing her horse wanted to get home and started moving on its own, because Terin was absorbed with trying to decide just what she was feeling.

The heat flickered in her belly, her insides feeling as though they were twisting.

What was it?

She had never felt the same way before about anyone. Yet it was there, almost impossible for her to sweep aside in favor of focusing on controlling the horse.

Ye’re simply worn out.

Well, that was likely the root of it all. At least they were moving north again. Kianna stopped shivering, and Terin was grateful for their combined body heat. Her back still felt like it was burning from the cold, but there was more warmth for sure now that Kianna was pressed against her.

That was the key to making it through what you had to face in life.

Endurance.

The horse continued because it longed for a warm stable.

Kianna didn’t complain because she knew there would be a warm meal and bed for her at the end of the road.

And Terin knew that there was nothing behind her.

*

Jasper knew hewas a rough man.

He had three older brothers. Swinging a sword and riding hard to protect his clan’s land was the path he’d been on since drawing his first breath.

Yet his position in the clan was far more than many were given at their birth.

Jasper had never lamented his harsh edges before.

Today, though, he discovered himself fighting to keep his head from turning back to look at his lad.

Damn, he wanted to know her name.

That need was needling him.

Which confounded him because women didn’t have any permanent spot in his mind. Oh, he liked females. Liked spending time with them too much for his immortal soul, as he’d been told.

But he didn’t long for any one woman in particular.

So not knowing her name shouldn’t have distracted him as many times as it did during the rest of their journey.

Yet it did.