The Highlander’s Promise by Mary Wine

Chapter Two

Chattan land…

The Chattan fortress looked as wonderful as Heaven.

The horses picked up their pace as they neared the village which surrounded the main fortification. Built in the valley of a pair of hills, the stronghold had three large towers. One of them rose a full four stories into the air. The top floor of it had lookout posts that were manned.

Bells started ringing atop that tower as they were spotted.

People stuck their heads out of the windows to see who was returning. In spite of the sleet, the yard filled with members of the clan.

And Laird Chattan himself was standing on the steps of the largest keep. He seemed to be squinting at them, his gaze moving from man to man until he spied Kianna.

“Kianna!”

A woman shouted out from behind Laird Chattan. She came running around the laird, uncaring of the snorting from the horses.

“Easy, Mother.” Jasper was suddenly there, a firm hand on the bridle of the horse Terin sat on. “It would be a shame for ye to be trampled to death as I’ve brought Kianna back to ye.”

Jasper’s mother’s head didn’t even reach his shoulders. Not that many people did measure up against Jasper. But she turned on him and sent her fist into his ribs.

“Ye are only going to live because ye were wise enough to bring my baby back,” Lady Chattan declared. She hit him a few more times as the Retainers around them looked on stern-faced.

The tension in the air was palpable.

“Mother.” Kianna was on her feet now. She launched herself into her mother’s arms as the lady clasped her into a hard embrace.

A moment later, though, Lady Chattan was ushering her daughter toward the keep. The Retainers parted, which allowed a group of women to come forward and surround the lady and Kianna. There was a jumble of female voices while Kianna was taken back inside.

“Jasper,” Laird Chattan spoke.

The tension suddenly doubled. Terin watched the way the men who she’d ridden with all stiffened up. They reached for the corner of their caps, and she did the same as she watched Jasper face his father and laird.

Jasper had done the right thing. At least as far as decency went. But when it came to negotiated alliances, Jasper had disobeyed his laird by returning his sister.

“Now, I never thought ye’d find a way to do it, but…” Another man appeared on the steps. He shot Jasper a grin. “But if anyone could manage to disobey father while keeping him happy…it’s ye, Jasper.”

“Mind yer tongue, Magnus,” Laird Chattan warned the newcomer. “Duty is nae to be mocked.”

Magnus opened his arms wide. Terin saw the similarities between Magnus and Jasper. Magnus had the same midnight-black hair as did Laird Chattan. But Jasper was still taller and wider in the shoulders.

Magnus seemed to share Jasper’s sense of humor, for his grin didn’t fade with his father’s chastisement. Instead, he tilted his head to one side and looked at Jasper.

“Well, I’m right glad to see ye managed to bring Kianna back,” Magnus declared to one and all. But his expression hardened. “I would hate to have had to kill ye, brother.”

“Jasper did his duty to the Chattan,” Laird Chattan declared. “An alliance with the Munro would have served us well.”

“We still have the friendship of the Munro,” Jasper spoke respectfully. “Along with an apology from Rolfe Munro. His father is ill, and as an only child, he cannot wait for his bride to mature enough to celebrate his wedding.”

Jasper reached into his doublet and withdrew a letter. He offered it to his father.

Around them, the rest of the Chattan were silent as they watched their laird contemplate the letter. He took a long time about reaching for it.

“Apology, ye say?” Laird Chattan broke the wax seal on the letter and read the contents. Finally, he looked up and sent Jasper a hard look. “Well then, it appears everything is in good order.”

Everyone relaxed. Terin realized she’d been holding her breath. As she let it out, every ache and pain she’d been ignoring was suddenly unwilling to go unnoticed any longer. She was bone-weary and starving. The insides of her belly felt like they were stuck together because her stomach was so empty.

“Inside with ye all,” Laird Chattan declared. “Ye have served the Chattan well. Eat and drink yer fill.”

The horses had been taken away by men who were not drenched. The Retainers who had ridden with Jasper all hurried up the steps and into the keep. Terin followed them. At the huge, double-doored entrance, she caught the first scent of food. It filled her senses, making her nostrils flare.

Nothing had ever smelled so good before.

There were actually layers to the smells. She caught the scent of fresh bread and a hint of roasting meat. She drew in a deeper breath and discovered a trace of late-season apples somewhere in it.

Her belly growled long and deep.

“Go on,” a young boy said. He was standing just inside the doors of the keep.

Straight in front of Terin, there was a double doorway that led to the great hall. But the boy was pointing toward the left, where another door was open. The Retainers who had ridden with Jasper were all lined up to get through the doorway.

The boy was not more than eight. He stood near the wall, directing the newly arrived Retainers. It was his first position of any true responsibility. He had on a sturdy doublet and a new cap to make his position in the household clear. He would be receiving training in weapons and reading as well, but for the moment, his duty was to direct the returned men to their hard-earned meal.

Terin eagerly followed the rest of the Retainers.

Beyond the doors, there was another chamber. It was smaller than the great hall, which meant the heat from the large fireplace was contained. Terin smiled as her frozen nose registered the heat. Her cheeks began to burn as the skin started to thaw at long last.

A long table was in the middle of the room. Platters of cheese, bread, and other items were there. Maids were hurrying in from a doorway at the other end of the room. They had little curls of hair escaping from their linen modesty caps because of the pace they were pushing themselves to keep.

Large earthenware pitchers of ale were there. A maid was happily pouring out measures of the frothy brew.

“Come on, lad,” Leith slapped Terin on the back. “Fill yer belly.”

“Eat until ye burst,” another man added. “Time for ye to fill out that rack of bones.”

Terin didn’t need any further urging. She went up to the edge of the table and sat down on a bench. A maid slapped a generous helping of meat, fresh from the spit, with steam rising from it. Terin pulled the small dagger from the top of her boot to carve it up and lift a bite to her mouth.

The first taste made her shiver.

Her mouth was actually watering as she chewed and stuffed another piece between her lips. Manners were nonexistent, and Terin truly didn’t care. All around her, she could hear chewing and smacking of lips.

And she was no exception.

But there was a sense of camaraderie. An unspoken understanding between them all to simply ignore pleasantries while they dealt with fending off starvation.

It didn’t last, though. Long before they exhausted the offerings on the table, their bellies reached capacity. Someone let out a long belch which caused the room to erupt into laughter.

Terin smiled.

As she held onto a sliver of cheese despite how full she was, a sense of victory filled her.

She’d made it.

Against all the odds, she’d arrived in one piece.

Strange how following the rules had kept her imprisoned, and only disobedience had yielded freedom.

Oh, you know, thinking like that is a path to trouble…

It was, and Terin recognized that she was twisting circumstances to suit her needs. So she drew in a deep breath and tried to simply be grateful for arriving.

Now you need to find Davonna.

The man sitting next to her noticed her smile. He finished off his mug and wiped his mouth along his sleeve. “Ye are a pitiful sack of bones, lad, but ye do nae whimper. Come on, let’s warm up.”

The Retainer lifted his leg up and over the bench. He wasn’t leaving the matter up to Terin either. He grabbed a handful of her doublet in the middle of her back and yanked her up.

She let out a little squeak which drew another round of chuckles from the men in the room. Now that their bellies were full, most of them were taking the time to sip at their mugs.

“That’s the way, Knox,” someone called out to the Retainer holding onto her. “Get him over there to the fire. By the sound of him, the lad’s cock is frozen.”

Amusement flooded the room at her expense. The Retainer who had hold of her carried her another few paces before turning her loose. He turned his face toward the fire and lifted the front of his kilt high.

Terin froze.

Somehow, she’d missed the fact that now that hunger was satisfied, several of the men had gone to the stand in front of the fire to chase the chill from their bones. They were lifting the folds of their kilts up, flapping the fabric so the heat from the fire would dry it. Steam rose from the wool as the Retainers turned and did their backsides as well.

“Come on, laddie,” Knox called to her. “The maids are hiding in the kitchens now.”

Knox was telling the truth. It was only the Retainers in the room.

“Aye, the Head of House has her chickens accounted for,” another Retainer added. “She does nae want us warming our cocks anywhere but in front of the fire.”

“The lady here on Chattan land keeps all her hens locked away,” someone added. “It will cost ye a wedding to ruffle their feathers.”

Terin felt her face catch fire.

The Retainers were flipping their plaids up without a care for modesty. Witnessing it was bad enough, but she was further horrified by the fact that she was the one invading. She was the interloper. Her tongue was a useless ball, stuck to the roof of her mouth. Not that it mattered much because her mind was frozen as well, offering her no quick excuse to escape the room.

“There ye are,” Jasper suddenly appeared.

He looked past Terin, his lips twitching and rising into a smirk. For a moment, Terin felt a new feeling flash through her.

Did he know she was a female?

She stared at the glitter in his topaz eyes.

“Well, come on with ye, lad,” Jasper reached out and looped his arm around her neck once more. “Since everyone is busy, I’ll show ye around.”

He was too close.

The idea that he knew she was a woman was stuck in her mind, making Terin acutely aware of the fact that his face was nearly in her hair.

It was indecent.

Well, ye’re dressed as a boy!

Jasper pulled her out of the room while Terin was stuck arguing with herself. At least out in the passageway, she wasn’t dealing with the sight of plaids flipping up into the air.

Which allowed all her of attention to focus on Jasper and how good it felt to be against him.

God, ye’re losing yer mind….

Really and truly, she had to be on the path to Bedlam. Men did not feel good. They were hard.

Aye, Jasper is hard…

He really was. And yet, there was something about the embrace which Terin found pleasing. Her eyes rounded with shock as she recognized her own reaction to being close to him.

“Why are ye wiggling?” Jasper asked.

He loosened his grip, and she slipped out of the arm he’d looped around her neck.

“If ye’d rather go back…” he continued.

Terin shook her head.

He was grinning at her.

“Aye, well, I came down here because ye’ve been right helpful.” Jasper inclined his head. Terin followed him as he went in the direction he’d indicated.

“Aye, helpful,” Jasper muttered. “And as ye were good enough to no’ complain, I’m rewarding ye.”

They’d come to the base of some steps. Only these went down. Terin followed as a chill touched her neck. The tingle had nothing to do with the temperature.

If he knows you’ve been deceiving him, he might just clamp you in shackles…

On Chattan land and inside the main fortress, there would be no one to know her fate, much less rescue her from it.

But the light didn’t fade. They went down a full set of steps, and still sunlight came through the arrow slits in the walls. Another passageway lay in front of them.

“The Chattan stronghold has a front and back,” Jasper offered an explanation. “The back is lower than the front.”

They passed the entrance to a tower she’d not even seen from the front gates. “Me brothers and I live up there.”

He kept going, and Terin hurried to keep up with him. As they came to another tower, Jasper turned and began climbing the steps. It was slightly comical because he had to duck his head.

“Me sister has her chambers at the top of this tower,” Jasper informed her. “There is one for me mother as well.”

He stopped halfway up, where a door opened into a room.

“This was a solar once,” Jasper stepped inside a small room. “Back when this was the largest tower in the stronghold. Since the three towers in the front have been built, this room is no longer used.”

It was grander than any palace.

At least to Terin’s eyes, it was.

“Since ye seem to have a good sense of duty toward me sister,” Jasper remarked, “ye can stay here. Keep yer ears open. If anyone comes here who does nae belong, ye know where to find me and….”

Jasper pushed open a small door that was set into the wall. There was a length of rope inside.

“This will ring a bell in the top of the tower. A couple of good pulls and half the clan will come running,” Jasper finished up. “Do nae panic and pull it without good cause.”

He was giving her a duty.

Relief flooded her. Jasper’s eyes had glittered with purpose, not with the knowledge of her gender. He was just happy to find someone who would dedicate themselves to a duty most of the clan would see as insignificant.

Jasper was looking at her. Terin nodded.

He tilted his head to one side, appearing to contemplate her for a long moment. Doubt crept back into her mind as she tethered on the edge of indecision.

Did he know?

Should she confess?

And hope he’d be merciful?

“All right then.” Jasper nodded at her. “Everything ye need is there on the bunk.”

Jasper was gone a moment later. Terin collapsed against the wall, her knees suddenly wobbly and unwilling to hold her up.

*

Leith was waitingfor him at the base of the steps.

Jasper made it to the bottom of them and stiffened before realizing that the man standing there was his captain.

“Taking a risk, aren’t ye?” Leith asked.

Jasper shrugged.

“If yer mother discovers ye’ve put a lad in the maidens’ tower, there will be hell to pay,” Leith continued. “Why are ye indulging her? Do ye know who she is?”

Jasper shook his head.

Leith wasn’t going to let it go, though. His captain fell into step beside him. Leith knew him well. Jasper wouldn’t budge if someone kept at him, but silence, well, that was Jasper’s weak spot. Leith held his tongue as they walked, which left Jasper alone with his thoughts.

“Fine,” Jasper stopped and moved in close to his captain to keep their words from being overheard. A stronghold had a hundred dark corners for people to hide in. “I’ve no idea who she is. I should be worried that she’d been planted in me path by one of me enemies as a spy.”

“Why do ye think I’m sticking me nose so far into yer personal business?” Leith replied. “I’m worried ye’ve gone daft, and that’s the truth.”

Jasper shook his head. “I’ve wondered the same thing. The moment me father insisted I take Kianna to Rolfe Munro, I felt like I was torn in two.”

Leith backed down a bit. “’Twas an unfair thing the laird charged ye with.”

Alone in the semi-darkness, Jasper locked gazes with his captain. “He is me father and me laird, but I swear I have never been so taxed by performing me duty. Kianna is too young for wedding.”

“I agree,” Leith confessed. “As did most of the men who rode with us.”

“I only did it,” Jasper continued, “to control the situation. I’d heard that Rolfe was a decent man. I thought if I took Kianna to him, I’d be able to discuss the matter and bring her back. If I’d refused to escort her, she’d have been dumped on men who could only do their duty to the Chattan. She would have been terrified.”

“Aye, aye,” Leith agreed. “It was a terrible mess and then to have Rolfe not even there.”

“Well, that part was nae so bad. At least I knew Kianna wasn’t going to be wedded that very day, and Rolfe’s father is in his last days. May the Lord forgive me for taking comfort in seeing how near death the man was, but it allowed me to think that Kianna was in no danger in his home.”

“So that is why ye agreed to take Kianna,” Lady Chattan suddenly emerged from the darkness.

Jasper stiffened.

“Aye,” his mother confirmed. “I was pressing myself against the wall in order to listen. I wanted to hear the truth as I just did.”

Jasper let out a short breath before reaching up to tug on his cap. Leith followed his example. Lady Chattan took a moment to think through what she’d heard.

“Yer father placed ye in a very difficult position, Jasper,” she said.

“I would never have left Kianna in a place that was not safe, Mother,” Jasper answered her. “I would have taken her to Davonna instead, and ye know well that father avoids Larks Point Tower.”

“True,” Lady Chattan made a sound beneath her breath. “Yer father would no’ have thanked ye for that. But Davonna does nae deserve to have our personal troubles arriving on her doorstep. Ye seem happy living there as well. I would not see ye told to leave Larks Point.”

Jasper offered his mother a steady look. “Kianna is too young to wed. If the price was to have Davonna angry with me, I’d have shouldered it.”

“Ye are a good brother, Jasper,” Lady Chattan declared. “And a fine son.”

Her voice rose, echoing down the passageway. But Jasper didn’t have to warn her to be cautious with allowing their conversation to be overheard. She looked both ways before making an effort to control her emotions.

“Now explain why there is a lad in the maidens’ tower?” his mother asked pointedly.

Jasper tilted his head to one side.

“That will nae work,” his mother informed him. “I raised ye, Jasper, and ye know me feelings about the maidens’ tower.”

The entire clan understood that the tower was a place men did not venture to. Younger lads even made sport of stepping onto the lowest step and daring one another to set foot on the second. For certain, a few might have gotten away with it, but most tended to brag about their courage in challenging the Lady of the Chattan’s decree, and when that happened, there was no saving them from her ire.

“Something must be amiss,” his mother decided as Jasper continued to hesitate. “Ye would not disobey me over something which relates to yer sister’s reputation. Not when ye just challenged yer father over her marriage.”

His mother didn’t lack intelligence.

And she knew him too well.

“It must be a lass,” his mother concluded. “Who is it?”

“I do nae know who she is,” Jasper confessed. “Ye are correct, though. It’s a lass in a kilt.”

His mother’s eyes narrowed. “Ye brought a stranger into our midst?”

“I’m feeling a wee bit sympathetic toward lasses who feel like they must flee,” Jasper admitted. “She appears to be a kind sort, and well, simply consider it me good deed toward someone who appears to need a bit of help.”

His mother had been ready to take issue with him over the matter. Jasper couldn’t really blame her. Placing a stranger in the same keep with Kianna was bound to raise his mother’s protective instincts.

He was taking a risk.

“I do nae understand it, Mother,” Jasper spoke softly. “I just need to make sure this lass is safe, and she was heading here, so it was nae too great a trouble to bring her along.”

“She came in useful when Kianna was shivering,” Leith added. “We did nae need to worry about them riding together since they are both females.”

“Kianna believes she is a lad,” Lady Chattan remarked. “I was looking for ye to discuss that very matter.”

“Kianna was too cold, Mother,” Jasper remarked. “I’d have taken her up in front of me if I did nae have the little lass along. If I’d left Kianna to herself, ye’d be thrashing me now for delivering a sick daughter to ye.”

His mother held back whatever else she’d wanted to say. She nodded but looked at the steps for a long moment.

“I placed her in the old solar,” Jasper added. “Showed her the bell rope and told her to keep her ears open in case anyone came up the steps. She’s half-frozen herself.”

“Ye are being kind toward her,” his mother said.

Jasper narrowed his eyes. His mother smiled at him. It was one of those expressions which put him on guard because he knew without a doubt that his devilish side had come straight from his mother. Seana McRae was pure Highlander stock.

And there were plenty of maids sleeping in the storerooms. A private room was a luxury in any stronghold. Jasper stared straight back at his mother. No matter what anyone thought, he was going to stand behind his choice to make personal arrangements for the lass.

“Fine.” His mother lifted her hands into the air in surrender. “Ye brought Kianna home to me, and I know ye must have been torn over the matter since it was yer father’s decree. I will not bother with yer lad. As ye have pointed out, it costs us little to be kind to her. I will save me attention for being grateful ye managed to resolve the matter with the Munro.”

His mother turned and went down the passageway. The growing darkness swallowed her up.

“Sweet Christ, I need a drink,” Leith declared under his breath.

Jasper fell into step with his captain, but he realized he wasn’t craving a mug of ale. No, his cravings were all focused on the female settling into the old solar chamber.

The need to confront her was strong.

But the look of desperation in her eyes when she’d been sent toward the floor for the night haunted him. He needed to give her the space to quiet that desperation more than he needed to confront her.

It made no sense.

None at all.

Normally he despised liars the most.

Now he was sheltering one.

In the end, the mug of ale went almost untasted because Jasper left Leith to his refreshment in favor of walking. His thoughts felt tangled with his emotions, a state he had only ever experienced when he’d had to escort Kianna to the Munro.

Now there was a lass tying him in knots.

He stopped at the base of the steps, slightly irritated with himself for returning.

Who was she?

Well, ye can confront her easily enough…

Yet, it wouldn’t hurt anyone to let her come clean in her own time. Winter was going to trap her in the Chattan stronghold. She would know that, too. So she must have kin somewhere among his clan. There was no other reason for her to have come.

Unless she is a spy.

If someone had forced her to become their eyes and ears inside the Chattan stronghold, it would account for the look of desperation on her face as well.

Jasper wrestled with his thoughts. His family meant everything to him. Placing them at risk was unthinkable.

So he’d have to keep a watch on their guest. He climbed the steps, careful to place his feet silently. At the top of the tower, his sister’s door was closed. He took a breath and opened the other chamber door just a tiny bit. After he peered inside, he nodded because it was dark.

Even furious with her husband, his mother was still sharing a chamber with him.

Or yer father is sleeping in his study…

Jasper grinned as he went into the chamber. The sun was setting, so there was just enough light for him to find the tinder bowl sitting on the table. He picked up the flintstone and struck it with a piece of iron. Bright sparks flared to life, falling down into the straw inside the bowl. He blew on them until they ignited. He picked up the candle sitting on the table and turned it upside down so he could light the wick. The side of the candle was dirty, proving no one had been in the chamber for some time.

The candlelight surrounded him in warm, yellow light. He was a third son. His own chamber was comfortable, but this one was larger. Even if his mother didn’t use it, as the layer of dust on the tabletop confirmed, it was still held in reserve for her.

For the moment, though, Jasper pulled a couple of pieces of leather from where they were laid over chairs to protect them from grime. He knelt down and set fire to the wood in the hearth. The crackling sound it made as it caught made him smile.

The Chattan stronghold was a fine place. But it was due to the diligence of every Retainer who wore the colors of the laird. Jasper was no exception to the requirements of duty. He’d brought a stranger into their midst, so it would fall to him to be watchful.

His lips curved up as he admitted he was looking forward to their next encounter. It was going to be his pleasure to test his guest’s resolve to remain dressed as a lad.

*

Jasper had gone,so he didn’t suspect. Terin stood still for a long time, listening to be certain he didn’t return.

That’s hopeful thinking.

It really was, and she’d be a fool to dismiss the possibility that Jasper knew her game.

He was not a man who would be tricked easily.

Still, Terin drew in a deep breath. She was here in the Chattan stronghold. Somehow, she’d even managed to get a chamber to herself. Yes, it was small, little more than six feet across by five feet wide. The tower likely dated back a hundred years. Without a fireplace, it would only be warmed by a brazier.

It had a window, though.

Terin opened the shutters, allowing the last of the daylight inside. It was still gray and sleeting, so she turned around to get the room put to rights immediately before she was left in the dark.

There was a bunk across one end of the room. It had likely served as a bench as well. Terin tested it and found it sturdy. A bundle was sitting on the floor.

She lifted it up, but there was no dust plume as she sat it down.

He saw to yer comforts.

Now she nibbled on her lip because her suspicions were growing too large to ignore. The Retainers would sleep in the great hall if they were not wed.

He knew…

Terin knew it in her bones, even if she shied away from the truth.

Well, be grateful…

That was the only thing to do. Perhaps he’d brought her along just to ride with his sister. Jasper was an experienced Retainer. He must have known his sister wasn’t going to do well. Since Jasper was in command, it would have been distracting to have his sister ride with him, and it was highly improper for the daughter of the laird to ride double with a Retainer.

So, they had helped one another.

That made a great deal of sense. And it put her mind at ease.

The bundle was full of wonderful things. In the center were a candle, flint, and a comb. Once she lit the candle, the little flame transformed the small space into a warm, welcoming place. There was a pallet and two thick blankets.

Even a pillow.

Terin made up her bed, certain she had never been so grateful in her life.

Something was between the blankets. When she shook out the second one, it fluttered to the floor. Terin picked it up, recognizing a shirt.

Oh, aye, he knew she was a woman for sure.

Why hadn’t he challenged her for the truth…?

She might ask, but Terin realized she was far too tired to do anything more than work the snarls from her hair and lay down.

It wouldn’t matter what his reason was anyway. The air was very crisp now. Her breath was making little white puffs in front of her face. Winter was going to make sure she was there to face Jasper Chattan whenever he was in the mood to unmask her. The best she might do was hope she could discover where her Aunt Davonna was before the man tired of her game.

*

“Yer daughter ishome, Seana,” Laird Chattan declared.

Seana opened their chamber door and stood in it with her hands propped on her hips. “Do ye think ye are forgiven?”

Laird Chattan frowned. He looked at his wife, but she narrowed her eyes at him.

“I owed Cian Munro a life debt,” Neil Chattan reminded his wife. “He’s no’ going to last much longer. When he asked for Kianna to be contracted to his only son, I thought it would be a fine match.”

“Kianna is too young,” Seana snarled softly.

“Cian Munro is a decent man,” Neil argued. “I half expected this very result. Why do ye think I had Jasper escort her there? I knew my son wouldn’t just leave her.”

“And what if Laird Munro had pressed for an immediate wedding?” Seana demanded.

“Rolfe Munro would have waited to celebrate it,” Neil insisted. “Rolfe is a good man. I would not have sent Kianna to any man I had not already gathered information on. He keeps no mistress and has no bastards. I’ve got two women in his kitchens who tell me he is not the sort to dally with the staff. Kianna could do much worse. If he’d been willing to wait a year or so, it would have been a fine match.”

“I am still angry with ye,” Seana said, but she left the doorway and didn’t close the heavy door in his face.

“Aye,” Neil muttered as he set foot in his bedchamber for the first time since his daughter had left the stronghold. He closed the door before facing off with his wife again.

“It was not just because of the life debt I owed,” Neil continued. “There are nae many men who hold themselves to the standards Rolfe Munro does. He would have treated Kianna well. More offers are coming for her. I will have to make a choice. Can ye no’ see I was looking out for her best interests?”

Seana whirled around and pointed at him. “I see ye sent me daughter away while I was at Lark Point. I will take her with me next time.”

“Ye shall not,” Neil declared. “Davonna is not a fit example of the woman Kianna will have to become.”

Their gazes met, and for a moment, they were lost in silence and suffered the weight of a sacrifice Davonna had made for their happiness. Even thirty years later, the knowledge gave them both pause.

“Davonna is to be respected,” Seana remarked softly. “We both owe her a great deal.”

“We do,” Neil agreed with a somber expression.

Seana sat down in front of her makeup table. She picked up a comb and started to pull it through her unbound hair.

“Seana…” Neil took issue with her silence.

Seana placed the silver comb down on the table with a hard sound.

Neil let out a sigh of frustration. “Ye understand well that Davonna made her own choice.”

“That sounds so nice,” Seana answered. “Until ye make it plain that both you and I enjoy the benefit of her unselfishness. Yer father was a bastard for deciding to send either Davonna or myself to that remote tower. Yet Davonna even lifted the guilt from yer shoulders by going.”

“Why do ye think I wanted to see Kianna with Rolfe Munro?” Neil pressed his case. “I know things can go so badly for a daughter of a laird. I did not want to see our daughter facing a man who simply did not love her. I did not make a choice between ye and Davonna. You and I fell in love. Davonna is a good woman to have relinquished her claim on me so you and I might be together.”

Seana lost her rigidness. Neil raised her chin so that their gazes met. “I admit I was a bit desperate to send Kianna to a man I knew would not see her end as Davonna has. Or worse.”

Seana snorted. “Careful, husband or I will tell Davonna what ye just said. Davonna fancies herself quite a success.”

Neil chuckled. “Well, Davonna has raised Larks Point Tower and no mistake. It’s a fine place now. Even Jasper has made a place for himself there. It’s more than I could have given him here.”

Seana shook her head but stood up and allowed her husband to wrap her into his embrace.

Neil patted her back. “The years have flown too fast. How can our wee baby girl be old enough to wed?”

“Better to ask yerself why all three of our sons are still unwed,” Seana answered. “However, that might be changing soon.”

Neil lifted his wife’s chin, so their gazes met. “How is that?”

Seana walked over to their bed and climbed into it. She settled into the bedding as her husband joined her.

“Going to leave me in the dark, woman?” Neil asked as he pulled her against his side.

“It’s simply too soon to tell, really,” Seana answered as she closed her eyes. “But I believe there just might be a woman who can hold Jasper’s attention at long last.”

Neil chuckled beneath his breath. “Well, that will be something to see.”

*

The Chattan treatedtheir Retainers well.

The first meal of the day was plentiful. Terin hurried down to the great hall when she heard the main tower bells ringing. The Retainers who had slept in the hall were all up and busy placing the long trestle tables which had been stacked against the wall during the night.

The moment those tables were in place, maids came in with porridge. Younger boys, no more than six or seven, had the task of bringing in the bowls. The Retainers passed them down the length of the table as the maids returned with pitchers of small beer. There was bread from the day before, as well, and late harvest fruit to round out the meal.

Simple fare, yet there was plenty of it.

Terin caught a bowl of porridge as it was slid down the table to where she’d managed to get a seat. Conversation rose around her as the younger boys took their seats at the end of the benches. They’d eat and then clear the tables. Life inside a stronghold was one that included meals for everyone who did their share.

And there was much to do.

Terin was scraping her bowl clean with a hunk of bread when the first of the Retainers climbed to their feet. For certain, they would have liked to stay and chat with their comrades, but the winter promised shorter and shorter days, so they began to head out of the hall.

“Well, do nae sit there, laddie,” someone chastised her.

Terin looked up with her mouth full to recognize one of the men with who she’d ridden to Chattan land with. His name was Knox.

“Come on,” Knox scolded her. “If anyone needs time training, it’s ye!”

Someone grabbed a handful of the back of her doublet and lifted her off the bench. Terin ended up scrambling to get her feet untangled from the bench before she fell to the floor. She stumbled once but succeeded. There was a sea of Retainers around her, carrying her toward the door. She had to move or just get pushed by the sheer numbers of them.

The hall was left behind as Terin followed along.

Are you planning to train with the men?

Terin recoiled from the very idea of trespassing into the training field, which was the domain of men. Every fiber of her being rebelled. She tried to turn and head in a different direction.

“Come along, lad,” someone caught her around the neck as Jasper had done. “I’ll show ye the way.”

Terin twisted, but there was no breaking free unless she outright fought against the hold on her. The Retainers were so thick around her, she had to quell the urge to struggle because it would undoubtedly draw attention to her.

So she landed on the side yard with the rest of them. The clouds were thick and dark, promising more snow. But for the moment, the weather was decent enough. There were racks of weapons along the side of the yard. Three rows of adolescent boys were hurrying to form up as many of the Retainers took up positions among them as trainers.

Someone called out a command. A moment later, there was the hard sound of wood hitting wood. The boys were training with wooden swords. Strikes and blocks being called out by the more experienced Retainers.

“Now, what to do with ye, lad,” a Retainer named Tate began.

Terin turned to see Tate contemplating her. Knox and Arran turned to look at her as well. The need to straighten up was strong because all three men were weighing her abilities.

“The lad might be lanky but strong,” Knox said.

“Aye, some are,” Arran agreed. “Let’s try a wee bit of grappling and see how it goes.”

The three men separated, creating a space in the middle of them. Knox rolled his shoulders and cocked his head from side to side, making the bones pop before he lowered himself into a wrestling stance in front of her.

Terin’s eyes widened.

Unlike Jasper, these men really did think she was a lad, and Arran was about to charge at her. Her heart felt like it stopped as she tried to think of some way to escape. Or deal with the coming attack. Escape was impossible, so she raised her arms, trying to mimic Arran.

“That’s the way, get yer arms up, lad,” Knox encouraged her.

Arran’s lips split into a grin, promising her he was going to flatten her.

“Ye’ll kill the lad,” Jasper suddenly appeared.

“If he does nae train, he’ll end up dead when he rides out with us again,” Arran straightened up, shooting Jasper a questioning look. “I won’t hurt him…too badly.”

There was a chuckle around her from the other men. Jasper appeared to share in the moment of amusement, but he ventured closer, hooking her around the neck when he got close enough.

All of a sudden, her heart resumed function.

Pumping hard and strong inside her chest.

“Another time,” Jasper told his men. “I’ve something I want the lad to do just now.”

The Retainers looked at Jasper as though he’d taken leave of his senses.

He knew…

Terin’s suspicions from the night before had to be correct. The perplexed looks on Arran, Knox, and Tate’s faces proved it. All around her, boys were being challenged to work harder, to shake off blows, and to persevere as they trained. It was the only way they would become strong enough to defend the Chattan clan.

Yet Jasper was sheltering her, making excuses as to why she didn’t have to face the same regiment of training.

Her belly twisted with dread, but at the same time, something else filled her. A sense of security that she’d not felt since the day she’d been told about her upcoming marriage. That had been the moment when her entire world crumbled. The moment when she’d realized she no longer had anyone to rely on except herself.

But now, Jasper was there, again. Popping up just as she was facing disaster.

Jasper was pulling her toward the side entrance of the hall. He was ignoring the looks from his men, but more of the Retainers were turning to give him confused looks. Activity in the yard was slowing as they became the center of attention.

She was so close to her destination….

But Terin realized she was about to be unmasked.

“Thank ye for remembering, Jasper,” Lady Chattan suddenly spoke from the inside of the hall.

Jasper froze. Terin felt his body stiffen as his mother came out onto the landing at the top of the steps which lead down into the yard.

“Ma’am,”

The single word echoed around the yard as the Chattan men recognized their lady. It was muttered in a gruff, somewhat begrudging tone because the lady of the house wasn’t supposed to be on the training field. Those who had been training stopped abruptly and straightened up so that their kilts fell back down.

“My apologies,” Lady Chattan addressed them all. “However, as it seems my daughter is growing up, I have been remiss in making sure she can defend herself if needed. Kianna will have to do her duty and wed for the benefit of the Chattan. I feel it is important that she be taught a few points of personal defense. She is, after all, a Highlander, not an English woman.”

Lady Chattan knew her husband’s men well. Her last few words drew chuckles from the men in the training yard. She came forward and right down the steps as Kianna appeared behind her, looking very surprised by her mother’s actions.

“Yes, Jasper, I agree,” Lady Chattan spoke again. “This youth is the right one to be helping ye train Kianna.”

Jasper turned her loose, stepping in front of her. Terin felt something new flash through her. A sense of security she hadn’t experienced since before her father announced her engagement, and she’d faced the reality of knowing there was absolutely nothing in her life that was promised. Of course, she should have known her happy existence was only a façade that would be shattered by her duty to wed. Yet, she’d ridden all the way to Duncan land without truly grasping how precarious her circumstances were going to be once the marriage blessing was finished.

But Jasper was shielding her with his body.

He had no reason to do so, not even a hint of a possibility that she might favor him, for she was still acting the part of a boy.

Yet, she was staring at his wide back as he argued with his mother.

“I have nae had the chance to explain the matter to the lad just yet,” Jasper remarked. “Best to wait for another time.”

Lady Chattan wasn’t deterred. She stood a full two feet inside the training yard as her daughter’s face turned red over being someplace women didn’t belong. Kianna was tugging on her mother’s skirt, clearly trying to bring her mother to her senses.

“There is not so much to explain,” Lady Chattan answered Jasper. “Ye can let the lad work with Kianna. He is small enough to do so.”

Lady Chattan looked straight at Terin. There was a glitter in her eyes that Terin recognized as the same as the one Jasper often displayed.

“Mother, I need to train the lad first,” Jasper argued.

“Ye can train them both at the same time,” Lady Chattan remained firm. She looked behind her at Kianna. “Step up here, Kianna. I know it is nothing ye haven’t any experience with, but ye are nearly grown now, and it’s best to be prepared for the next time ye venture out onto the road. Ye are old enough to understand what villains want with captured women.”

Kianna didn’t move.

Her mother let out a delicate little sound before she pointed at the spot beside her. Kianna stepped forward almost in the same moment, clearly accustomed to obeying her mother.

Lady Chattan looked back at Jasper. Knox and Tate had kept up with them as Jasper pulled Terin toward the side of the training yard. Now, the two Retainers looked at their lady and took a huge step back, leaving Jasper and Terin to face her demands.

“Well, I suppose me mother has a valid concern,” Jasper said slowly. He turned to contemplate Terin.

“Right,” Jasper decided on something. He looked at his sister. “I should show ye how to use yer elbows first.”

Jasper cupped his right fist with his left hand. “Ye’ll want to twist yer waist, Kianna, like so.”

Jasper had widened his stance and bent his knees. He jammed his elbow backward as he twisted.

Kianna tried to mimic her brother’s actions.

“Aye, no’ too bad.” Jasper went over to his sister to correct her motions a bit. “See, ye want to send that elbow right into the soft belly of yer attacker…”

“Ye need to show her Jasper,” Lady Chattan insisted. “Get behind this lad, so yer sister understands the way to use this attack.”

Someone cleared their throat.

Terin wasn’t certain who, though, because her attention was snared by Jasper coming up behind her.

Why was she so affected by him?

She was acutely aware of him.

Time felt like it was slowing down, allowing her to notice every breath she took as she waited for him to come closer.

Jasper didn’t disappoint her. He closed the space between them, coming up behind her. A shiver shook her, raising goosebumps along her arms and legs. Her breathing became harder as his hand settled on her forearms.

Terin jumped. The contact was so jarring, she cupped her right first with her left hand and twisted to send her elbow into his belly. She heard Jasper suck in a gasp. Her elbow connected with his body a moment before he was shifting and turning. The hold he had on her forearm hardened.

Terin let out a hoarse cry as he turned her around, and she tumbled to the ground. She didn’t go willingly, grabbing a handful of his doublet as she fell. The ground was hard as she landed on it, and then Jasper came down on top of her, catching his body weight on his hands on either side of her head.

Their gazes fused.

Jasper’s eyes opened wide as his lower body settled flat against her own.

Terin was sure she was going to die right there. The connection was too acute. It felt like lightning had hit her. She jerked and then turned her head and bit him on the wrist.

He let out a growl, lifting his hand. Terin shoved at his shoulder, and he rolled over, giving her an avenue of escape. She scrambled to her feet but couldn’t flee any further because more of the Retainers had joined Knox and Arran.

They all snorted in amusement.

“Well, that was certainly effective,” Lady Chattan remarked from behind her.

“Aye, it was that,” Jasper groused.

The Retainers snorted again.

Terin turned around. It took all of her willpower. Lady Chattan was watching her with the same sharp gaze Jasper often used on her. Terin tucked her chin down, hiding as much of her face as she might inside the collar of her shirt. She reached up and tugged on the corner of her cap.

“Ma’am,” Terin said gruffly.

Kianna was looking between her mother and Terin. She shook her head and turned around, taking flight. Her skirt billowed up as she ran, disappearing inside the hall a moment later.

“Oh, for Heaven’s sake,” Lady Chattan declared. She turned around and climbed the steps.

The moment the lady of the stronghold was gone, the men in the yard erupted into laughter. Their voices filled the air as more than one of them pitched forward to brace their hands on their thighs because they laughed so hard.

Only Jasper didn’t join in.

He was watching Terin when she looked his way. His eyes narrowed as he shook his right hand. The desire to take issue with her was glittering in his eyes. Terin fell back a step, but Knox and his friends pushed her toward Jasper.

“Another time,” Jasper warned her before he, too, turned and climbed the steps to disappear into the hall.

“Ye weathered that well, lad,” Knox declared as he slapped Terin on the shoulder.

“The question is, though,” Arran added, “how are ye going to deal with Jasper after biting him?”

Those still clustered around her chuckled. It died away as activity in the yard resumed.

At last, Terin found an opportunity to escape. So close to the edge of the training field, she slipped through an opening in the half wall.

She still didn’t know where her Aunt Davonna was, and she didn’t dare ask too many questions. Someone was bound to notice she didn’t sound like a boy if she used her voice too much.

Still, she was out of the training yard.

One step at a time…

*

“Mother,” Jasper wascaught in one of the biggest dilemmas of his life. He wanted to rail at her, but she was, after all, his mother. He clenched his jaw shut, trying to gain control over his temper.

His mother appeared to be waiting for him. She was sitting at her desk, several letters open in front of her.

“Are you displeased with me, Jasper?” Seana asked the obvious question. In fact, unless he was wrong, she was enjoying his frustration.

Jasper narrowed his eyes, but he looked past her at the personal maid standing still behind her.

“Mirin, ye are dismissed,” Seana said.

The maid looked up, hesitating. Jasper found his ire shifting because it was clear Mirin was intent on spying on his mother.

But Mirin had to obey a direct order from her mistress.

Jasper watched the maid lower herself before she left. He followed her out of the room, sending her a stern glare when she stopped just one foot outside the threshold. He pointed at her, and she quickly hurried away.

“She’ll be back,” Seana informed him when he turned back toward her. “And soon. Yer father does like to know what I fill my time with.”

Jasper’s temper had cooled off as he realized his mother’s position. She was lady of the stronghold, and yet, the fact that her blood was not Chattan was never forgotten.

“Why are ye so displeased, my son?” she asked boldly.

“Why?” Jasper looked exasperated. “How could ye put that little lass in such a position?”

“I see,” his mother responded.

Jasper bit back the next thing he wanted to say. He didn’t care to admit how he seemed to recall every detail of the moment when he’d been behind her. This time, he clearly recalled the scent of her skin, and it was raising a response from him.

One he was having trouble controlling.

And his mother noticed.

But instead of being horrified by the idea of his mother being involved, for the first time, Jasper realized he wanted others to notice that the little lass belonged to him.

“Perhaps I am attempting to save her soul by having her confess to her true gender,” Seana continued.

Jasper snorted.

His mother smiled.

There was a glint in her eyes that he recognized from his adolescence when he’d thought he was going to fool her only to discover just how clever his mother was.

“What game are ye playing, Mother?”

Seana moved her hand. She picked up something that was lying on her desk. “At yer age, Jasper, there is only one game I should be concerning myself with. Matchmaking.”

Jasper felt satisfaction move through him. It wasn’t something he decided on. It was simple. Hard. Certain. And he recognized that even he wouldn’t have a prayer of dislodging it.

His mother laughed. It was a husky sort of sound. “Jasper, my son, it pleases me greatly to see ye in here ready to champion yer little ladybird. Ye have a connection with this girl. It’s as clear as the sun in the summer sky.”

“Mother,” Jasper spoke quietly. “Let the lass be. She is clearly fleeing a dire situation.”

“Agreed.” His mother looked him straight in the eye. She slowly turned the item in her finger over. It was a small painting. No bigger than her hand. It was the sort of thing noble families used in marriage negotiations. He stepped closer, peering at it.

“Christ…” he muttered as he took the painting, seeing the face of their foundling.

Of his ladybird…

Jasper cupped his hands around the miniature, satisfaction surging through him at the idea of being able to know her name.

Of having a way to make her his.

“Terin Campbell,” his mother supplied her name. “That was done when she was just seventeen and ripe for wedding. It was sent here when her family tried to lure yer father into contracting Magnus to her. Yer father was very interested in the match, but yer brother wasnae. By the look on yer face, Jasper, it would seem ye owe yer brother a debt.”

Jasper sent his mother a hard look. “Tell me about her circumstances.”

His tone was hard, and Jasper realized there had scarcely ever been anything he’d taken quite so seriously in his life as he did finding out about Terin.

Discovering if he could claim her.

“She was wed to Goron Duncan some four years ago,” his mother supplied the details.

Jasper jerked his attention back to his mother only to discover her watching him intently.

But Seana was very serious now. Jasper didn’t shield his emotions from her. He doubted he could if he tried. Every fiber of his being was involved in the moment, in the sheer level of need he had to succeed in clearing a path between Terin and himself.

But he couldn’t keep another man’s wife.

“Goron Duncan is dead,” Seana said. “Lucas has taken the lairdship.” His mother tapped on a letter. “It seems Terin proved she was still a maiden before a midwives’ council and then…disappeared from Duncan land.”

He ached for her.

For the years she had clearly been an unwanted bride.

And yet, Jasper felt a surge of satisfaction sweeping through him. He’d honestly never felt so intently about a female before in his life.

Terin could be his…

“Thank ye, Mother,” Jasper spoke gruffly.

The letters open on the desk in front of his mother represented one of the things a noble wife did. She kept up correspondence with all the other noble households, even if he suspected that the letter his mother had out at the moment was from spies placed in those households instead of the ladies of those same places.

“Davonna is her aunt,” Seana continued.

“No wonder she said she was bound for Chattan land,” Jasper responded. He looked back at the painting.

Terin Campbell.

Knowing her name gave him another jolt of emotion. A sense of being able to do…well, he wasn’t precisely certain just what it was he wanted to do.

Only that he was very pleased to know who she was and that she was bound to stay near at hand.

Terin Campbell.

The bite on his wrist suddenly throbbed.

Christ, he’d lain on top of her…

“If ye knew who she was,” Jasper found himself tongue-tied because the scene was replaying in his mind, thrashing him with just how inappropriate it had been.

“Why did I have ye treat her as I did?” Seana finished for him.

“Yes,” Jasper declared.

His mother was smiling at him. His tone should have drawn disapproval from her, but the way she smiled made it clear she was very pleased with herself.

“I wanted to see how the pair of ye responded to one another,” his mother answered.

“By humiliating the lass?” Jasper asked, exasperated.

His mother grew serious. “It’s past time ye and yer brothers were matched.”

Jasper straightened up.

“I can see that ye know this,” his mother continued. “Since yer father matched Kianna, it appears that my efforts to delay matchmaking in favor of allowing ye and yer brothers to sow yer wild oats is at an end. By next spring, ye can expect contracts to be negotiated and signed. Weddings to follow before summer’s end. I did not have time to allow ye to overlook how ye feel about her.”

He’d be a fool to argue with her. His mother knew how to press on him. Every word had been true as well. As a son of the laird, it was his duty to wed for the benefit of the clan. His bride would have just as little choice, and the best both of them might hope for was mutual respect.

But Terin made him feel.

Jasper looked at the portrait once more.

He had no idea what he felt for her, but whatever it was, he’d never experienced it before, and he found it far more enticing than waiting for his father to select a stranger for him to wed.

His mother knew it because she understood him. Jasper felt his shirt collar biting into his neck. His mother was watching him, her eyes narrowed as she granted him just enough time to realize what she’d been doing and why she was correct to push him closer to Terin. Just to see what effect they had on one another.

Of course, his mother had been a contracted bride, too. Jasper drew in a stiff breath. The topic was forbidden, but he knew very well how Davonna had ended up at Larks Point Tower. It had simply been the way his father felt, but even knowing his own feelings were fickle and not his to command, Jasper still realized how harshly life had turned against Davonna.

His mother was making sure he didn’t miss the opportunity to wed a woman he was interested in.

“I do nae care to scare her, Mother,” Jasper said. “The lass needs a bit of time, most likely.”

“Which yer father will nae grant ye,” his mother replied firmly. “A sound strategy will gain ye the victory.”

Jasper crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Terin Campbell is a prize, Jasper,” his mother informed him sternly. “Fail to see her in that light, and someone else will steal her out from beneath yer nose. I know ye will return to Larks Point and spend the winter there. If ye leave Terin here, yer father will have her wed to one of yer brothers before spring. Turn yer back on Terin, and she will likely take the chance to flee instead of going back to the chamber ye gave her.”

Jasper stiffened. He looked toward the window. It was growing darker by the second. The mass of clouds thickening and coming lower. He’d intended to wait until the storm passed before finishing his ride to the northern point of Chattan land, where he spent most of his time.

Terin was fleeing dire circumstances…

Strategy.

His mother was correct to use that word in relation to Terin. Jasper needed to think, or he’d make a fatal mistake.

Terin had cut her hair off and challenged the rules of society to make it to Chattan land.

Snow wouldn’t deter her.

But it could most certainly kill her.

Jasper turned and nearly ran toward the door. He stopped just shy of the doorway, turning and sending his mother a sincere look.

“Thank ye, Mother,” he rasped out before he turned and left.

*

Seana let outa little chuckle.

Her husband emerged from behind a tapestry, a sour look on his face.

“He’s going to make a fool of himself over that lass,” Neil began.

Seana fluttered her eyelashes. “Of all yer sons, Jasper is the one who will submit the least when it comes to whom ye think he should wed.”

Neil grunted. “Aye, I suppose ye are correct. As a third son, he is more dependent on his own merits for his life, for he’ll not inherit much.”

“Yet with that lack of inheritance comes freedom to wed as he will,” Seana replied. “It’s truly a stroke of fortune to have him bring Terin Campbell home with him. She is a much better catch than we might have secured for him.”

“The Duncan will nae be quick to relinquish her dowry,” Neil argued.

“Lucas Duncan needs to forge relationships,” Seana countered. “He might have secured the vote to become the Duncan laird, but he is still just an offshoot of the family. It’s in his best interest to negotiate with us.”

“He made a mistake in letting the lass escape since she proved she was a virgin,” Neil remarked.

“A mistake which can become our gain,” Seana said.

Neil was nodding his head. “Jasper is needed at Larks Point. Needed there more than I care to admit, for the men there respect him the most.”

“Respect Jasper has earned,” Seana remarked.

“Aye, aye, I know it well,” he agreed. “Being able to get the little lass up there without anyone knowing will give us an advantage in negotiating with her family.”

Her husband was satisfied with the turn of events. He sent her a pleased look before he left her study. Seana was left with her own thoughts. She smiled softly, recalling the way Jasper had looked when he’d come through the doorway.

There was something brewing between Jasper and Terin for certain.

It was the sort of thing that took time to identify and accept. It was also one of those things which could not be cultivated. No, affection and attraction were fickle, wild emotions.

Seana recalled the summer when she’d arrived to wed Neil’s brother. It had been arranged and agreed upon while Davonna was contracted to Neil. His brother had died so very unexpectantly. Her husband didn’t know that she’d hidden in his father’s study and heard him beg his father to allow him to wed her instead of Davonna.

Even now, the memory sent a ripple of pain through her because Davonna had been there as well. The pair of them clinging to each other as they tried to make a home out of the place they’d been sent to by their families.

Thirty years earlier…

“Mind what yeare saying, Neil,” Laird Chattan chastised his son. “I have seen the way young Davonna trips over herself to please ye.”

“I love Seana,” Neil stated firmly. “If ye insist on me wedding Davonna, it will be a cold union, and it will not stop me from seeking Seana.”

Laird Chattan raised an eyebrow. “Well, that would have advantages. Keeping both those pretty little hens in our keep means we don’t have to send the doweries back. So long as we weave the tales right.”

“Father,” Neil exclaimed.

His sire sent him a stern look. “Marriage is business, son.”

Neil bit back his next words because he knew full well, he would not win the argument through anything except hard reasoning.

“I am yer only child, Father,” Neil began after a moment of contemplation. “Yer claim on the lairdship has been weakened because ye and my mother do not care for each other.”

In truth, the laird and lady of the Chattan could barely stomach one another for the length of a meal.

“Humm,” Larid Chattan flattened his hands on the tabletop as he thought the matter through. He suddenly looked straight at his son.

“Ye’ll bed Seana often if I allow her to be yer bride?” Laird Chattan asked bluntly.

Neil cleared his throat, which made his father chuckle.

“This is business, lad,” Laird Chattan pressed his son. “I agree that it would have been better if ye had some siblings. Legitimate ones, that is. I do nae care to have to kill Seana to keep ye from her either.”

Neil sucked in his breath.

His father showed no remorse for his words.

“This is about the lairdship,” his father said firmly.

“I do nae care for Davonna,” Neil told his father again. “I’m ashamed to say it, for she does everything she can think of to please me. But my feelings are only those of tolerance.”

“Fallis,” Laird Chattan called out to his chief Retainer. “Take Davonna Campbell up to Larks Point. Make sure she stays there.”

“Father,” Neil protested.

Laird Chattan slapped the tabletop. “Are ye a woman, Neil? Do ye think ye can allow Davonna to tell anyone that she is being pushed aside because of yer tender feelings? She is a Campbell. If ye want Seana, there is a price to be paid.”

“Davonna is innocent,” Neil protested.

“When there is a price to be paid, it is always the innocent who are sacrificed,” Laird Chattan continued. “One of them is going to Larks Point, son, for I will not give up either alliance or dowry.”

“Larks Point is a crumbling ruin,” Neil continued to argue.

“No one will ever think to look for Davonna there,” Laird Chattan answered his son. “If she is kept here, someone will tell the Campbell. There will be blood spilled over it.”

“Send her home,” Neil insisted.

“And have the Campbell learn ye chose a MacRae over their daughter?”

Neil shut his mouth. There was no peaceful way out.

“Do nae ever come into me study again until ye have grown up,” Laird Chattan warned his son. “As me only child, I will listen to ye, but I will not coddle ye like an infant. Fallis?”

“My laird?” Fallis answered.

Laird Chattan pegged his son with a hard look. “Neil will bring Davonna to ye before nightfall, or ye are to take Seana to Larks Point Tower.”

*

Seana had agood life, and she was properly grateful.

Yet she’d stolen it, or at least she’d watched fate gift her with happiness at the expense of someone else.

She smiled because Jasper had a chance. Fate had delivered to him a woman who put a glitter into his eyes. She’d been delaying her children’s matches, using every argument she could to keep her husband from arranging unions for them all in the hope that affection might blossom.

Aye, fortune had truly favored Jasper, but it seemed she was going to need to give her son a bit of a shove because he didn’t realize how easily he might face wedding a woman he simply had no affection for.

A gust blew in through the open door. It chilled her to the bone, making her cast a worried look toward the window.

Fortune might have favored them in bringing Terin to the Chattan stronghold, but the weather wasn’t going to hold off any longer. Seana nibbled on her lower lip, torn between staying where she was and allowing fate to rule what was to come, or get up and stop Jasper from leaving.

Her mother’s heart was tested.

But in the end, she remained in her study. Jasper was a man fully grown, and fate favored the bold.

Like any other mother, she would have to wait and see what happened.

*

Jasper was ina hurry.

His captain, Leith, put his arm out to stop Jasper as he appeared in the yard.

“She’s right there.” Leith pointed across the yard.

Jasper rocked back on his heels because he’d been moving so fast. He took in the sight of Terin standing near the stable door, blinking to make sure he wasn’t imagining what he wanted to see.

“Ye are a fine captain, Leith.” Jasper grasped his man’s shoulder. Leith was as indispensable as his right arm. “Ye know what I’m thinking.”

“Thank ye,” Leith replied. “But I needs ask ye for leave, Chief.”

Jasper turned his attention to Leith.

“Me mother is here and not likely to last the winter,” Leith said. “She can no’ make the trip to Larks Point.”

Jasper nodded.

“Take Knox along,” the captain suggested. “He’ll think it’s a fine idea until those matrons get a hold of him.”

Knox stepped up. “They can handle me all they like. I won’t whine as ye do!”

Jasper turned back toward Terin. His men were good natured, and poking one another was part of their bond.

Besides, Larks Point had a uniqueness about it. Davonna had built it out of stone, somehow raising an estate from nearly naught with her will and cleverness.

Word got out about it as well.

Orphans and widows made their way to the tower, and Davonna found ways to make them all useful. Jasper discovered himself grinning as he contemplated what Terin’s reaction would be to the way her aunt ran Larks Point. To be truthful, he was suddenly hopeful that Terin would thrive at Larks Point. It was likely the only place she’d be able to let her demons go. A place where she wouldn’t be an unwelcome bride, living under constant suspicion.

Aye, Larks Point was the best place for Terin.

Even if Jasper doubted she would be happy to know Larks Point was his home as well.

But he grinned as he contemplated her discovering that fact.

For better or worse, fate was placing them neatly together.