The Highlander’s Promise by Mary Wine

Chapter Three

It was hardly the first chance she’d taken.

Terin ordered herself not to look at the sky. She was so close. Staying at the Chattan stronghold now meant she’d be there for the winter. No matter how good she might think she was at hiding her gender, there was no way she’d make it until spring without being discovered.

She needed to go.

And sooner rather than later.

On Duncan land, she’d always worried about being poisoned. She knew how to blend into the comings and goings of the maids. Terin never really stopped. Instead, she moved through the kitchens, picking up odds and ends. She moved a basket, using it to cover up the fact that she took a chunk of cheese from one of the tables.

She kept her face low and her chin tucked into the collar on her way out of the kitchen. It took only a moment to stop in a storeroom and tie all of her food up in an apron that was hung over the back of a drying rack. A good knot in the ends, and she was able to sling it over her head. It hung across her back beneath the part of her plaid which was attached to her shoulder. The clouds were still ominous, but she crossed the yard anyway. The weather wasn’t going to get better. The bundle of food gave her reassurance, too, for she wouldn’t starve.

And Lark Point Tower was only a three-day walk.

She didn’t dare take a horse.

Taking food was bad enough, but a horse, well, someone would notice the loss of the animal. Every horse in the stables cost the laird a great deal. They were essential to defending the clan’s land. So to take one without permission was asking to be run down.

No, she didn’t dare.

But she did stop and stare at the row of leather overcoats hanging from pegs outside the stable door. There had to be more than thirty of them. Constructed of cowhide, each one was double seamed and shiny from beeswax. They’d shed the rain and cut the wind. Many of them were worn and tattered from years of use. The sheer number made her think the Chattan were swimming in abundance, and it wasn’t so bad of her to take one.

But Terin knew every one of those coats was an important resource. The Chattan were strong because the clan worked together, pooling all of their efforts to produce what they needed to survive in the Highlands. She knew it because she’d felt the sharp teeth of being left to her own devices when her husband’s clan treated her like an outsider.

More like an enemy…

For a moment, she was caught in a flare of anger, but she shoved it aside quickly. She wasn’t going to let it fester inside her. No. How much better was it to plan and execute an escape from the early death her mother-in-law had planned for her?

She was too close to success to let the fact that life wasn’t fair get her down. She would get to Larks Point Tower and her aunt Davonna. If there were any place in the world where Terin could find a life for herself, it would be with Davonna.

You don’t know that for certain.

No, she didn’t. But fortune favored the bold. And beyond that, she’d learned in four long years on Duncan land that no one was going to help her except for herself.

Terin focused on the row of coats, searching for the worst, trying to minimize the sin she was about to commit.

“Aye, lad,” Jasper suddenly appeared behind her. “Ye will be needing one of those where we’re going for certain.”

Terin was so startled, she jumped forward. Jasper had been reaching past her to grab one of the coats for her. He ended up locking his arm across her chest, pulling her back into firm contact with his body.

He was so very solid.

Her breath froze in her throat as she felt the connection between them like a bolt of lightning. It was so hot, so intense, all she could do was endure it. Dismissing or controlling her awareness of him was, quite simply, impossible. He seemed to have some ability to impact her senses on a deeper level. Down inside her, in a place that she had never realized she might be affected.

“Ye’re a wee bit jumpy, lad,” Jasper whispered next to her ear, the rich timbre of his voice sending a shiver down her spine.

She was still trying to get her mind to function when he released her. For some reason, she noticed the chill in the air even more with his body separated from hers.

“Ye’ll want this,” Jasper said as he thrust the overcoat toward her.

He pressed the garment right against her chest. Terin managed to get her arms up to clasp it, but she also looked into his eyes.

That glitter was there.

She recognized it well now.

“Lad is nervous,” Knox muttered as he passed by. The Retainer stopped to pluck another leather coat from the row of hanging garments. “Are ye sure ye do nae want to leave him here? I understand Davonna has no patience for whimpering.”

“Why do ye think I am bringing him along?” Jasper hooked Terin around the neck again. This time, he rubbed the top of her head with his knuckles. “I’m going to introduce ye to a woman who will scare ye to death, lad.”

There was a round of chuckles from a couple of more Retainers. They didn’t stop but went inside the barn. Some of the horses were snorting now, sensing an outing.

Terin looked at Jasper. She was tempted to voice her question. Jasper watched her for a long moment, almost as if he was giving her the opportunity to confess.

And trust in his mercy?

She really couldn’t do something like that.

But she wanted to.

Terin bit her lip to quell the urge.

“Come along, lad, we’ve got a fair bit of ground to cover on our way to Larks Point,” Jasper said. His voice hinted at thinning patience.

She honestly couldn’t blame him.

He’s been kind to you.

But trust was something she simply could not bestow. Not on any man.

Knox passed them as he emerged from the stable, leading a horse. The other Retainers came as well, and another man stopped near Terin.

Jasper was still contemplating her, his gaze sharp and keen. His expression was hard as she continued to hold her silence.

“Up with ye,” he ordered her at last. “We’re bound for Larks Point Tower.”

Once more, he was giving her precisely what she craved.

She could become accustomed to having Jasper see to her needs.

Her face burned, and this time, she knew without a doubt that it was a blush. What made it burn hotter was the fact that Jasper was very worthy of it.

He was watching the rows of his Retainers as they made ready to head out and into the storm. Each one was seasoned and sturdy. Their horses were thick-coated and would handle the chill in the air.

Terin turned and grasped the side of the saddle. She took a deep breath, making ready to try and get herself into the saddle, but this was not a mare. The horse was a large, sturdy-looking one, who was much larger than the one she’d ridden up the Chattan land.

Well, it’s going to be a rough journey.

There was still a dusting of snow on the ground. Her nose was icy cold, and Terin knew the weather was not going to improve until spring. Fortune had somehow favored her yet again, and there was no way she was going to be intimidated by a horse.

Even a rather large one.

She’d get herself into the saddle.

Somehow.

At least she didn’t have skirts in the way. Still, when she started to go, Terin felt her muscles straining. Her belly clenched tight as she struggled to lift her body weight.

But suddenly, she was rising up fast. The reason was a firm hand clasped right on her backside. Jasper pushed her up with a single hand, dropping her in the saddle as the men around them howled with laughter.

“Should have left the boy in the training yard with us,” Knox declared.

“Be glad there is a lack of men at Larks Point, laddie. Otherwise, ye’d see spring as a virgin no matter how desperate those women are!” Alec added.

Terin felt her cheeks heat. She ducked her chin as the men continued to tease her.

He’d actually had his hand on her bottom.

Well, ye need the help….

Terin scolded herself. She truly needed to find the root of her fascination with Jasper.

“I’m beginning to wonder if Jasper has nae taken a shine to ye because ye do nae offer him any competition,” Hector added.

“I’m simply not so perverted as the lot of ye,” Jasper informed his men. He’d gained the saddle. His horse was a huge beast named Atlas, and he reached down to pat the beast on the side of his thick neck.

“Ye mean yer more suited to the service of the Church,” Knox wasn’t letting up.

It was in good fun, though. Terin admitted to enjoying hearing it.

How long had it been since she’d been at ease?

The answer was, before she watched her father’s men ride away from the Duncan stronghold. She’d never realized the look in the eyes of the older women around her before she, too, crossed the boundary into marriage. It was a time when she’d been blissfully unaware of how precarious her life might become after she was sent to her intended groom.

Beforereferred to a time of no cares.

But her horse followed Atlas as Jasper headed toward the main gate. Kianna came out to watch her brother leave. He waved to his little sister but never slowed down.

He was a good brother.

Better than yer own…

It was a harsh thought. Terin chewed on it for a bit as they took to the road. Kendric had been charged with taking her to the Duncan. Her brother had watched her be wed properly before leaving her in the care of her new family.

He hadn’t known her true circumstances.

Terin let out a low sound of frustration.

She needed to stop thinking about her marriage. It had been a terrible one, and that was that. She was strong now.

So it was time to smile brightly and make the future the way she wanted it.

*

Chattan stronghold…

“Ye are enjoyingthis a wee bit too much, wife,” Neil admonished Seana.

Seana watched her husband finish the letter he’d been writing to Lucas Duncan.

“My patience has borne fruit at last,” Seana replied.

Neil grunted as he reached for the wax, which was melting over a candle flame. He poured a small bit of it on the bottom of the parchment. It made a glossy puddle that he pressed his seal into.

“Aye, I agreed with letting ye wait, and it seems fate has decided ye were correct to make me put off contracting our sons.”

Seana sent him a hard look. “Terin is suitable, and Jasper has a connection with her. How can ye not be relieved that he might not have to face the situation we did?”

“Jasper might only be feeling pity for the girl,” Neil cautioned his wife.

“More than one couple begins in such a manner,” Seana remarked. “So long as Terin remains strong and continues to spit in his face, I believe it will work out splendidly.”

Neil was sending his wife a disapproving look. Seana arched one of her eyebrows at him. Neil ended up grinning.

“Ye know I am correct, husband,” Seana remarked. “Jasper would tire of anyone who was too delicate to get back onto her own feet. Why do ye think he brought her home without knowing who she was? Jasper admires spirit.”

“He does,” Neil agreed.

Neil folded the letter carefully before he lifted a small bell and rang it.

The door of the study opened in response. A Retainer entered, coming straight to the front of the laird’s desk. The man reached up and tugged on the corner of his bonnet.

“Laird?”

“This letter is to be put into the hands of Laird Duncan,” Neil ordered the Retainer.

“Aye,” the Retainer answered.

“What is yer name?” Neil asked.

“Struan, Laird.”

Neil picked up a small purse. “This is for yer trouble, Struan, for ye will likely be caught on Duncan land for the winter.”

Struan had appeared grim as he heard his assignment, but his face relaxed as he weighed the purse in his hand for a moment before he tucked it away inside his doublet.

“Do ye have relations here?” Seana asked.

Struan tugged on his bonnet once more as he shifted his attention to her. “I’ve a maiden sister. I was told to bring her along.”

The Retainer whistled. A moment later, a girl pushed the door of the study open. She blinked, her eyes wide in her young face as her lips twitched up into a hesitant smile.

“Manners, Janet,” Struan spoke to his sister. “Forgive her, my lady. Our mother died when she was just a wee little thing. There has been no one to teach her well, for I needed to earn enough to feed us both. She’s honest and hard working. I promise ye that.”

Janet jumped forward, allowing the door to shut. She lowered herself into a reverence as she fingered the fabric of her skirt.

“Do nae worry,” Seana informed the man. “We ask a great service of ye.”

“I volunteered, ma’am,” he replied. “The chance to have Janet brought to yer attention is worth the time away.”

“I will see to her,” Seana promised.

“This letter is for the Campbell,” Neil handed a second folded parchment over. “Any of the laird’s sons will do, for I do nae expect ye to be allowed to see the laird himself.”

Struan nodded. He tucked the letters into his doublet before nodding and turning toward the door. He paused for a moment beside his sister. Janet’s eyes were glassy now.

“None of that now,” Struan gently lifted his sister’s face up. “I’m but gone for a few months. Ye’ll have the opportunity to learn so many things here. Do nae waste time on tears. Watch and learn, Janet. Mother would have been pleased to see ye finding a place in the stronghold.”

Janet nodded and fixed a bright smile on her lips. Struan was gone a moment later.

“Wait for me outside, Janet,” Seana told the girl gently.

Neil waited until the door shut behind the girl to gesture to his eldest son standing behind a tapestry.

“Ye truly think the Campbell will agree to Jasper taking Terin as wife?” Magnus asked. “They wanted to contract her to me.”

“Yer brother found her,” Seana said. “They have a fate between them.”

Neil made a sound in the back of his throat. “Woman, ye and yer notions of fate.”

Magnus grinned, for it was something he was accustomed to hearing from his father in relation to his mother.

“Fate is really quite wonderful at times,” Seana replied. She placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “For it brought us together, did it not?”

Neil cleared his throat.

“I hear Father begged like a fool in front of grandfather to have ye,” Magnus offered with a smirk.

Neil pointed at his son. “Is that the way ye should speak about me, boy?”

Magnus wasn’t contrite in the least. He grinned right back at his father.

Neil flattened his hand on his desktop. “Well now, winter is a fine time for me to sort through the offers I have for ye.”

“I think I’ll ride up to Larks Point and give Jasper a bit of competition for Terin,” Magnus taunted his father.

“Oh, will ye?” Neil sat back in his chair with a grin on his face. “Ye just want to get out from under yer mother’s rules.”

Seana frowned. “There will be no fighting over Terin. And never between brothers.”

Neil reached over and clasped his arms around his wife. Seana let out a squeal as her husband pulled her into his lap. The door was thrust in as the two Retainers on duty outside it heard her cry.

Neil threw his head back, laughing loud and long at the looks on his men’s faces. Magnus turned and strong-armed them out the door.

“Neil…”

Neil smothered his wife’s words beneath a kiss. She squirmed in his lap until she melted, framing his face with her hands and kissing him back.

“Ye can nae make things too easy on Jasper,” Neil informed his spouse. “Jasper is pure Highlander.”

“Ye know naught, husband,” Seana argued as she tried to get out of his lap. “Jasper is soft for that girl.”

Neil relinquished his hold, and Seana stood up. “If that’s the case, me son has made a grave error in judgment in allowing Terin to go to Larks Point. Davonna will teach that young miss how to never allow a man to get a bridle on her again.”

Seana frowned.

Neil laughed again, only this time, it was low and deep. “But perhaps that will be the chase Jasper needs to make sure he does nae overlook his…fate?”

Seana glanced toward the door to make certain it was closed before she climbed back into her husband’s lap. She wound her arms around his neck as he patted her hips.

“Fate is marvelous…” she muttered before Neil claimed her mouth in a kiss.

*

Jasper raised hishand, his fingers closed into a fist.

Terin stretched her neck out, trying to see what he was stopping for.

“We’ll stop for the night,” Jasper declared. “The horses need rest.”

The men dismounted. Once they were no longer on their horses, Terin could see that they were in front of a rough set of stone crofts. It was the poorest of homes, made of stones stacked up to form the walls. They were circular and had mud pushed into the spaces between the rocks to help stop the wind.

“Come down now,” Jasper said from beside her.

Terin let out a little yelp as he reached up and clasped her waist. She’d been distracted and failed to notice him approaching.

His touch unnerved her.

Even half-frozen, she still felt his hand on her keenly. The way he clasped her hips sent an intense jolt of awareness through her pelvis that touched off a little point of heat. Terin ended up blinking in confusion because she knew precisely what that point was. She’d heard plenty of gossip from the kitchen maids on the pleasure center they referred to as the clit.

It was just that she’d never felt heat flickering in hers before.

“Go on inside, Terin,” he muttered just above her ear.

She stiffened. She jerked her head up to find Jasper waiting for her to look at him. His topaz eyes were full of knowledge as he kept a hand around her lower back to keep her near him when she would have recoiled.

Time froze.

That moment was the only thing she seemed conscious of. Every sense she had was full to the brim of him. She caught his scent as her breathing increased. For some reason, she noticed how large his hand was, covering her lower back so very easily.

His eyes narrowed, but he turned her around and gave her a soft shove toward one of the croft structures. Terin stumbled. It took all her self-discipline to force herself to continue walking and not look back at him.

He did know.

So why was he allowing her to continue?

The answer to her question eluded her completely. She ducked beneath the doorway of the croft hut, still immersed in her thoughts.

Inside, the air was musty. Terin blinked, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the lower light level. Against the far wall, there was a crude chimney. The rocks above it were blackened. But there was a small pile of peat at the base. On either side of the door, there were wide, shelf-like bunks that were smoothed out with more mud and dried chafe. She tipped her head back, taking in the roof, which appeared sound enough.

The hut was likely maintained by the Chattan for Retainers who rode to and from their outer lying towers. The weather could be relentless in the Highlands, and horses were very expensive. Besides the expense, a horse could well mean the difference between life and death when the weather was bad, so caring for them was important enough to have crofts such as this one kept habitable.

Terin stacked some peat inside the little hearth and pulled out the knife she had stuck in her boot. The top of the blade could be used much like a flint sticker. It took a few moments, but she had a flame flickering to life in very little time. She used a stick to push the straw she’d ignited into the pile of peat, leaning in to blow air on it to make the flame grow larger.

She liked the way he’d said her name.

Alone, Terin realized how Jasper’s voice had awakened something inside her. It was the part of her she’d secured away in her heart when she’d learned her family and clan were going to send her away.

Of course, she’d always known that she was expected to wed for the gain it would bring her clan, but the reality had been far more painful than she’d ever realized something might be.

It had been the first cut of what would become a terrible wound.

That afternoon had also marked the last time she heard her name as something sweet.

Marriage truly was a moment of transformation for a girl. Now she understood that becoming a woman meant sealing off her tender emotions.

Jasper spoke yer name kindly.

He had. But she couldn’t forget that she was on her own.

Ha! He’s riding through the snow for ye…

Terin wanted to believe he was. She ached with the yearning to have someone to rely upon. But four long, bitter years were simply too much to overcome with longings. No, what she needed to do was decide how she was going to deal with Jasper.

He would be owed an explanation at the least.

Terin drew in a deep breath and let it out. She was not dishonest by nature. And she despised those who lied. Yet there she was, guilty of the crime she detested so very much.

Jasper deserved better.

She realized what bothered her the most was the fact that she had finally encountered a man she would like to impress, only to run into him while she was deceiving one and all.

Why was fate so cruel to her?

At least that question made her shake off her mental musings. Railing at fate would get her nowhere. That was another lesson she’d learned well over the last four years.

No, if she wanted more from life than fear and misery, well, she would have to pick herself up and go get it herself.

So, she was dressed like a boy.

Because women were chattel, and she was finished with taking it as her due because of her sex.

And now she was doing what she dared.

Does that include following yer feelings with Jasper Chattan?

Her face warmed, and Terin knew it had naught to do with the fire growing in the hearth. Oh no. This was a blush born in her scarlet thoughts.

But she wasn’t horrified.

To be honest, it was rather a relief to discover she might be attracted to a man. It would seem that her horrible marriage hadn’t turned her heart to stone after all.

Aye, it was a relief to know she might still feel.

The fire flickered as the front door opened. Jasper had to bend nearly in half to get inside. Once there, he could only stand upright in the center of the croft.

“It’s no’ much, but the horses have shelter,” Jasper muttered. “And we’ve a roof over our heads.”

“Why are ye indulging me?” she asked.

It would have likely been wiser to not begin a dialogue that would bring out her crimes, but he deserved more than her pretending any longer.

Jasper looked at her for a long moment. “Why have I no’ unmasked ye?”

Terin nodded.

Jasper moved closer. One side of his mouth twitched up into a grin.

The man was simply too attractive for her peace of mind. She needed to keep her thoughts focused on the conversation, yet as his teeth flashed at her and his eyes glittered, all she was left with was a sense of breathlessness.

“Perhaps I was taking advantage of being able to toy with ye, Terin,” he said softly.

“Nonsense,” Terin retorted.

“Do ye think ye are not a fine enough woman for me to want to play with?” Jasper asked as he closed the distance between them.

“Play?” The word tumbled straight out of her thoughts and across her lips.

His lips thinned as he made a soft sound under his breath.

Something shifted inside her belly. A crazy tiny bolt of sensation went through her as he stuck his arm out, making a barrier with it on one side. Terin stepped back, colliding with the wall as he flattened his other hand on the wall next to her right shoulder.

“Aye, play, lass,” Jasper said. “I’m thinking ye are dressed this way because yer late husband was a cold bastard who never took the time to appreciate ye.”

“But…I have been deceiving ye.” Her thoughts weren’t connecting. The very process of thinking seemed far too difficult. He wasn’t acting the way he should, or at least, in the way the men she’d known would when faced with dishonesty.

He was understanding.

Even protective.

It had to be a trick of some sort.

Jasper lowered his head, so their faces were only a few inches apart. “Seems to me that it is a good thing the man is dead. Otherwise, I’d be sorely tempted to choke the life out of him for making ye so desperate.”

There was a hard look in his eyes. Terin found herself looking into those topaz depths, trying to understand why he made her tremble. Every sense she had felt keener, more sensitive. The surface of her lips was suddenly aware of each breath she drew in and released. His attention lowered to her mouth, his eyes narrowing.

Was he going to kiss her?

No one ever had.

And she’d never wanted anyone to do it either.

Did she crave Jasper’s kiss?…

Terin didn’t know. At that precise moment, she couldn’t think at all. All she seemed capable of doing was feeling. Sensation was running through her like water in a river. Rushing, tumbling, and plunging.

He moved one hand, catching a section of her hair.

Terin flinched. No man had ever touched her hair.

Jasper grinned at her reaction. “I think I am going to enjoy putting me hands into yer hair, Terin.”

Her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. “Ye will do no such thing.”

One of his eyebrows rose. “Why not?”

Why not indeed.

Terin wanted to think of her reasons, but her ability to form thoughts was still frozen. She was intoxicated by his scent and the way her insides twisted because of how close he was.

“Step back so I can think,” she ordered him.

“This is not something to think about, lass,” Jasper leaned closer.

His breath brushed her lips.

“It’s something ye do when the moment is just right…”

He didn’t waste any more time. She drew in a breath, intending to protest once more, but he sealed whatever she might have said beneath his lips.

But it wasn’t hard.

Terin found herself stunned because the few times she had seen Goron kissing his various mistresses, it had been hard and forceful.

Jasper teased her mouth.

He came closer by small moments, sliding his hands into her hair. She shivered, stunned by just how much sensation his kiss filled her with. She was swept away by the sheer intensity of it all as he held her head and angled his face so he could press his mouth more firmly against hers. She had always known he was large, but as he finished closing the distance between them, she realized her head didn’t reach his shoulders.

And that fact made her shiver once more.

Jasper suddenly stiffened, withdrawing from her. Terin blinked, grateful to have the wall to lean on. She doubted her knees would have held her. She caught a quick look at Jasper’s face before finally hearing someone coming around the croft. Jasper scooped her off her feet. She let out a breathless sound as he turned and deposited her into the bunk built into the wall.

“Rest while ye can,” he muttered.

Terin had to bite back her response as Knox entered. He grunted as he eyed her sitting on the bunk.

“Looks like we’re sharing that bunk,” Knox declared.

“Take the other one,” Jasper sat down on the edge of the bunk, forcing Terin to scoot back or be sat on.

Knox looked confused.

“The least the little scrapper can do is keep me warm after biting me this morning,” Jasper declared.

Knox reached up and stroked his beard for a long moment. He suddenly grinned at Jasper.

“No’ that sort of keeping warm.” Jasper glared at his man.

Knox snorted. “I’m not going to argue about having a bunk to meself.”

The Retainer sat down with a contented sigh. But his belly rumbled. “Bad turn of luck to be here so late in the season. Not a single rabbit out there for supper. Naught but the oats stored here.”

Knox started to pull a stone from the wall. Once he had it out, he pulled a small sack from the space behind it. But it was nearly empty. Knox weighed it in his hand with a frown. Someone had nearly emptied the sack.

“Seems as though it will be a lean supper for us all,” Knox remarked. “I’ll go take a portion of what the others have.”

“I have food,” Terin said. “It will be enough for us all with that bag of oats.

The bundle she’d made up was still concealed by her plaid. Terin pulled it free and held it out. Jasper cocked his head to the side as he caught the motion. He pulled the bundle from her hand. Knox was watching as Jasper untied the ends of the fabric and opened the edges up.

“It appears the lad has some merits after all.” Knox sent a grin toward Terin. “Good thinking, lad. We might make a decent Retainer out of ye yet.”

Jasper laid the food out on the bunk. He used a knife to section up everything. Woden appeared as Jasper was cutting the cheese.

“Is there enough for the others in the stable?” Jasper asked the newly arrived Retainer.

“Aye,” Woden remarked. “A few of the lads thought to bring along supper, as well. I just came for the lad.” Woden pointed at Terin. “There is space with the horses for ye. Let the chief have that bunk.”

Terin started to scoot down the length of the bed.

“She stays here,” Jasper declared as Knox came to claim a portion of the food.

Terin stiffened. Both men were staring at her as Jasper’s words sunk in. But Jasper was looking back at his men, and once they’d met his gaze, they were all suddenly in a hurry to turn around and leave.

Jasper turned to contemplate her. While riding with him, she’d seen the side of him that his men knew. His expression was hard now, the look in his eyes making it clear he expected obedience to his will.

“Ye did well, Terin, gathering up enough fare for us all.” Jasper picked up the fabric and deposited it in her lap. “Best for this to end now before anyone at Larks Point Tower has reason to gossip about ye. My men will not say a word against ye.”

“Aye.” Knox proved he was listening. “That’s a fine bit of reasoning. No need to suffer the sharp side of people’s tongues if ye do nae have to.”

The sun had set now, leaving the little hut dark except for the glow of the coals in the tiny hearth.

Terin nodded.

Jasper’s expression softened a bit. He turned around a moment later, leaving her to her meal and her musings.

*

Jasper lay onhis side, his head pillowed on his arm as he watched Terin sleep.

Strange the way it made him feel…to be able to watch her.

He smiled but sealed his chuckle inside his mouth. Terin was already restless. She shifted in her sleep, her lips moving in silent words.

Some of her hair fell across her face. He reached out, smoothing the strands back behind her ear without even thinking about it.

Touching her was an impulse.

The sort he seemed to have no warning for. He was simply responding to her the moment something needed attention.

As though they were two parts of one whole being.

There had to be something wrong with him.

He knew next to nothing about her. Fine, she was still a maiden, but it might have been her doing.

Jasper frowned. The thought felt wrong as it crossed his mind.

Very wrong.

He was irritated with himself for even thinking against her. The need to shelter Terin had fused with his bones now. Protecting her came as naturally as shielding Kianna did.

Well, ye never wanted to kiss yer sister…

Jasper rolled onto his back.

He certainly never had wanted to kiss anyone the way he’d felt in those moments when he’d been alone with Terin. Even in the dead of the night with the wind howling on the other side of the stone wall, he felt his skin heat up with just the memory of the way he’d been drawn to Terin Campbell’s lips.

He should have had reservations.

Yet, as he lay there, Jasper realized he’d never felt so comfortable in his life. There was something about the way her scent teased him that made him realize having her next to him made him complete.

It wasn’t something to debate.

It perplexed him to realize just how set he was about having Terin in his life. It had happened instantly, without contemplation.

What now, lad?

Well, he had no idea.

He’d have to give his mother a lot more credit for her ideas of fate, though, for it seemed he was face-to-face with his now.

Ye’re going to have to court Terin…

Jasper shifted as he felt a few sharp points of rocks in his back.

Aye, he was already dancing to Terin’s whims because he just didn’t want to be looking at the ceiling when he might see her.

He rolled back onto his side. Somehow, she’d become as essential as his next breath.

Fate?

Aye, well, he was a believer, it would seem.

*

The Retainers hadtreated her like a lady when they saw her in the morning, tugging on their caps and giving her knowing nods. Terin could only hope she was as easily accepted at the tower by the rest of the people who lived there, including her aunt.

Larks Point Tower was far more than Terin expected.

They rode hard, the bite of the wind making the horses more than receptive to keeping their pace brisk. During the late afternoon, they crossed into forest land. The trees were thick, and the road diminished to just a path. It wove around trees with huge trunks.

Her first sight of Larks Point Tower was precisely what Terin expected.

A four-sided tower. When it had been built, it had been very modern. Now, it was darkened by moss and looked like a relic. However, in the remote area where it stood, shelter was very valuable.

The Duncan stronghold had been very modern…

Terin smiled.

Oh, yes. When she’d arrived as a young bride to Duncan land, she had been encouraged by the new buildings. Duncan land was considered lowland Scotland. Their markets offered fine cloth and food from all over the known world. Oranges from Spain. Spices from the Holy Land. Sugar from the Caribbean.

It hadn’t taken her very long to realize all of it was poisoned with the ambitions of her new husband’s family. Her husband squeezed his clansmen in order to fund the building of her mother-in-law’s manor house.

Larks Point shone considerably brighter as Terin recalled all the stories she’d heard about her Aunt Davonna.

She’s unbridled…

Answers to only herself and God…

Runs her own estate…

Terin sincerely hoped at least half of the rumors were true.

Well, ye have Jasper now…

No, she didn’t!

Terin had forbidden herself to think about the kiss.

Ha! Ye shall never forget that moment!

There really was no arguing with that point. Jasper’s kiss was something she had never even believed possible in the real world. For certain, there were stories and whispered tales that she’d heard in the darkened corners of the kitchens when no one thought she was listening. She’d heard the way the maids talked about their lovers. About being breathless and melting into their embraces. But such things weren’t true.

Oh, really?

Her inner thoughts were becoming far too bold.

Another moment and ye would have been wild to kiss Jasper back…

She focused on the tower. The horses had picked up their pace yet again, clearly realizing that the journey was about to end. Ahead of them, a bell began to toll. It was a normal enough greeting when anyone came near a fortification. But since the tower was the only building in sight, Terin was still surprised to realize that someone was on watch duty.

And that was not the extent of the surprises Larks Point Tower had for them.

As they left the trees behind, Terin felt her eyes round. There were walls stretching out from the tower. They were two-stories high and ran for a long distance before turning.

“Larks Point,” Jasper informed her. “Boasts some of the finest archers in the Highlands.”

As they crossed the open space between the edge of the forest and where those walls were, Terin could see that they were in the open and easy pickings for anyone standing up on the wall with a bow and arrow.

“I thought Knox said there were few men here,” Terin responded.

Jasper slowed Atlas so that the larger horse allowed Terin’s mount to come up beside it for the last few paces of the journey.

“Aye, that’s a fair enough truth,” Jasper replied. “Larks Point has become a place where widows and their children can find shelter and training. Do nae allow that to fool ye, lass. Davonna has put every set of hands that arrives to good use. She does nae tolerate unlawfulness. And orphans grow into men.”

Jasper pointed at a platform that sat just to the left of the gate. It was the only thing there in the open space. Built up and off the ground, a solid beam ran above it. The center had a trap door that was hanging open. Terin felt her throat constrict as she realized it was gallows.

“Sometimes those coming here donae have good motives,” Jasper continued. “Davonna maintains a tight stronghold.”

They’d never had a conversation.

Of course, it was her fault because she’d been intent on concealing her gender from him. But now that she was unmasked, Terin discovered herself oddly tongue-tied. They crossed through a gate and inside the fortification. She looked up at the walls to see women coming down. They had their skirts tucked up and quivers full of arrows slung across their backs.

“Chief,” a woman called out from where she was coming down from the walls. “Glad to see ye back before winter sets in.”

Jasper turned his attention toward the woman. He reached up and tugged on the corner of his cap before he slid off Atlas’s back. He paused to give the animal a pat on its neck before it was led away by a lanky youth.

Chief?

Terin watched as several others passed Jasper and reached up to tug on their bonnets.

Jasper had come home, it seemed.

A strange jolt of happiness went through her as she watched the way the inhabitants of the tower greeted him.

As one of their own and as their chief.

Chief was something different in the Highlands. It was a position a man had to carve out and earn for himself. As Terin watched Jasper, she realized he was worthy of the title.

A woman appeared, the rest of the people in the yard parting and clearing her path.

“Aunt Davonna,” Jasper addressed the woman in a respectful tone.

Terin discovered herself staring at the woman who had so much gossip attached to her name. Davonna wasn’t very large. Her waist was still trim but what caught Terin’s attention as Jasper came around to help her off her horse was the way Davonna watched them. Her gaze was sharp and keen. No one passed too close without inclining their head or reaching up to tug on the corner of their bonnets.

She wasn’t dressed grandly either.

No, Davonna had on a well-made dress of sturdy wool, and that was it. No lace or embroidery to set her above the other women. What made it clear that she was the mistress of the house was the way everyone deferred to her.

“Who are ye?” Davonna asked. “Whose daughter?”

Terin blinked in surprise as Davonna unmasked her so quickly. Davonna’s lips twitched into a little smile.

“Ye are hardly the first female arriving at Larks Point in male attire,” Davonna answered Terin.

“She is Terin Campbell,” Jasper supplied her name.

“Laird Campbell’s daughter?” Davonna asked.

Terin nodded.

A small crowd had gathered around them. Davonna drew in a quick breath as her expression became unreadable.

“Follow me,” Davonna instructed them.

Davonna didn’t move toward the main tower. Instead, she crossed the yard and started to go down. Terin marveled at the ingenuity of the construction. Just like the main Chattan stronghold, there was an entire portion of it that was not visible from beyond the walls.

At the bottom of a set of steps, there were rows of buildings. They were long with numerous windows. Here there were many, many people, and most of them were women. Terin could hear a steady noise coming from the open doors of those buildings, but she had no idea what was being done inside.

One of the buildings was larger than the others. It was a manor house, although there were no grand gardens in front of it. On the far side, there was a huge garden that had a sprinkling of snow now. Davonna went inside the manor house, and Terin followed with Jasper close on her heels.

Davonna led them past the great hall, then down a length of a passageway to a small room. One side of the room had pieces of fabric hanging from the wall. More than a dozen swatches were there, with a long worktable that had several bolts of linen sitting on them.

“Explain why ye are here,” Davonna began without ceremony. “Although I imagine I can guess yer answer, Terin.”

“My husband was a bastard, and his mother tried to poison me so he could wed again,” Terin spoke the truth. It was harsh, but she didn’t lower her chin.

“Ye’re certain of that, how?” Davonna asked directly.

Terin felt something shift inside her. A sense of confidence in her choice. She stared straight at Davonna.

“Because I dressed as a maid and took the tray she had prepared for me to her room. She died before sunset.” Terin told the tale. “And I heard her maid tell the rest of the maids to stay away from my chambers. The Head of House confessed before the new laird of the Duncan to knowing the plot and doing naught to interfere.”

Davonna stared straight back at Terin for a long moment. Terin never wavered. Even if she were marched straight to the execution platform, she would not apologize for her actions. Not even when she felt the noose being tightened against the base of her neck.

“Even with a new laird,” Davonna remarked, “I can see how ye would not feel very comfortable staying there if the staff was involved.”

Ever steadfast in her position, Terin was still relieved to hear Davonna agree with her.

Or at least not be shocked by Terin’s actions. For it was clear that Davonna ran Larks Point. A single word from her, and Terin might find herself tossed out into the merciless grip of winter.

“How long were ye wed?” Davonna asked.

“Four years,” Terin responded. “I’m widowed now.”

“Who cut yer hair?” Davonna continued.

“I did,” Terin answered clearly.

A woman’s hair was chopped off before she was whipped or burned. The gallows outside the gate were a warning to any convicts to stay away from Larks Point. Terin saw Davonna looking at her hair. Reaching up, Terin pulled off her knitted cap. She turned around to show the length, for a convicted woman would have had her hair cut much shorter so the strands might be sold to a wig maker.

“Why did ye nae return home?” Davonna continued with her questions.

Terin turned back to face her. She felt her cheeks heat, but there was only one way to stay at Larks Point, and that was to admit the truth of her circumstances.

“I am a maiden still,” Terin confessed. “I proved it in order to stay alive when the Duncan were ready to elect a new laird.”

“That would save ye from being too connected to the old laird,” Davonna agreed. “And yet, me brother would only wed ye again since ye are a maiden if ye return to Campbell land.”

“I heard there is a place here for women in my circumstances,” Terin said. “And ye are me aunt.”

“Ye need not belabor that point with me, Terin,” Davonna replied. “I know very well that once a noble daughter is contracted, she is as good as a bowl of water which has been poured out. I am dependent on the Chattan, for my dowry is in their accounts.”

And lawyers could argue for decades if Davonna had tried to go home. It was the fate of more than one noble daughter. To go home meant to die a spinster. The only other option was a convent, for when the Church was involved, lawyers tended to close their mouths in favor of their immortal souls.

“I traveled as a boy so no one would know where I went,” Terin said. “I hope ye will not turn me away.”

“Me mother knows who she is,” Jasper spoke at last.

“She does?” Terin turned on Jasper to find him standing behind her with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Of course she does,” Davonna answered Terin’s question. “As Lady Chattan, Seana keeps all the correspondence. With three sons, I would guess yer father tried to match ye with a Chattan, which means Seana would have a portrait of ye.”

Of course.

It made perfect sense.

“That is all well into the past now,” Terin answered.

Davonna looked between Jasper and Terin. She drew in a breath and made a sound in the back of her throat which made it plain she didn’t agree with Terin.

Well, Jasper is standing right behind ye…

Terin really didn’t need to ponder why he was there.

Ye mean ye are too timid to think about him…

Davonna took only another small moment to contemplate Terin. Her expression tightened as she prepared to make her judgment. Terin felt her belly rumble in anticipation.

“Everyone works here,” Davonna announced firmly. “Even daughters of lairds. So long as ye do nae have difficulty with that rule, ye are welcome. Ye shall dress as yer gender, for we donae need trouble with the Church.”

Davonna started to leave. She looked over her shoulder at Terin.

“Welcome to Larks Point.”

*

Larks Point Towerhad other rules beyond working, too.

Jasper followed Terin out of the study only to discover a row of matrons waiting for him. They were grinning and clearly looking forward to what was about to happen.

“Come now,” Jasper spoke up. “I know the rules. And me men know the rules.”

“We can’t be ignoring our duties,” one of the women exclaimed gleefully.

Jasper tried to evade them. But they were simply too great in number. They were looking for sport, and he and Knox were going to provide it.

“Terin, I would have a word with ye,” Jasper called out.

“I am faring no better than ye,” Terin answered.

Jasper turned his head to look toward Terin. Several women had surrounded her as well. Terin had her hands up in surrender, walking along the direction the women indicated.

His hesitation earned Jasper firm grips on his wrists. He snapped his head around to see several smug expressions as the matrons around him reached for him and began to drag him down the passageway.

He’d have laughed if he weren’t honest enough to admit they’d brought along sufficient numbers to have their way with him.

So he went down the passageway and out a side door. A chicken squawked as they startled it on their way to a smaller building. Inside it was slightly smoky because the hearth was full of a blazing fire, in spite of it being full daylight.

“Sweet bleeding Christ!” Knox declared. “Woman, ye go too far.”

Jasper might have said something very similar, except that his kilt was falling toward the floor after one of the numerous pairs of hands on him had unbuckled his belt.

“Here now,” Jasper argued. “I can manage on me own.”

There was a collective round of laughter.

The women converged on him, tugging, untying, loosening buttons, and stripping him down to his boots. The bathhouse was their domain, and for the moment, he was their prey.

“Sit.” One of them pushed him back.

Jasper landed on a stool as the mob reached for his boots.

“I’ll get even with the lot of ye,” Jasper exclaimed.

The women paid him no mind. Every last scrap of clothing he’d arrived in was being carried away and out the door as he was left bare as a newborn with naught but his hands to cover his cock. At least his greater height afforded him a good view. Jasper spied a tub. It was half full of water and even had steam rising from it. He took one long step and jumped over the edge of the tub to sink down where the water would at least grant him a sliver of modesty.

“Chief!” Knox appealed to Jasper as he was being stripped.

“Get in the tub, man,” Jasper advised. “Ye only get out of here after a scrubbing.”

Knox was holding onto his shirt for dear life. His face twisted in an expression of outrage. Jasper pointed at a second tub, and Knox began fighting to get to it. There was a splash as he made it.

“Give us that shirt now,” a matron demanded.

“It needs washing,” Knox argued as he hugged himself to maintain his last garment.

There was a matron who appeared to be in charge. The others turned and looked toward her for direction.

“Ye think ye have something I have nae seen?” she asked pointedly.

Knox frowned at her. “I’m rather more accustomed to showing what I have to one woman at a time.”

“I see. Would ye prefer we were alone?” She softened her voice. The matron leaned over and gripped the edge of the tub. Knox’s expression relaxed as he fought to keep his eyes on her face and avoid looking at her cleavage.

Knox grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

The woman looked past Knox’s shoulder to another woman. A moment later, a pitcher full of cold water was dumped over his head.

“Ye do nae even know my name. So, mind how cheeky ye are,” the woman said once Knox had wiped the water from his eyes.

But Knox grinned. “What is yer name?”

“None of yer concern,” she admonished. She straightened up and snapped her fingers. “Scrub him. Right down to his toenails.”

There was a splash as Knox tried to escape from the woman wielding a brush. But the tub was small, and there were three other women surrounding him, all armed with brushes.

“I’ll know before sunset,” Knox promised. She scoffed at him before turning to look toward Jasper.

Jasper swallowed roughly, suddenly feeling like he was seven years old and fresh from fighting in a bog with one of his brothers. The woman in charge looked very much like he recalled his mother looking as she marched him down to the bathhouse because he’d appeared at the supper table wearing enough mud to plant a crop in.

“I can manage very well, ma’am,” Jasper used a respectful tone in hope of avoiding Knox’s fate.

“As if any man knows anything about how to clean,” the woman announced to the delight of her teammates.

The women around him had just been waiting for her word. Now, they came up to the tub side, dipping their brushes and cloths into the water. One was slapping a lump of soap back and forth across her brush as she sent Jasper a menacing grin.

Jasper stuck his foot out.

He grinned, though, because he realized courting should be done after a good bath.

*

Terin was exhausted.

She realized it was more than the ride from Duncan land. For four years, she’d fought to stay alert, always thinking before she did anything, so she didn’t fall victim to one of her mother-in-law’s schemes.

She should have slept deep and soundly.

What if Jasper was finished with her now that he’d heard her confession?

Don’t you want him to be done with you?

Terin stared at the ceiling of the room she was in. It was small but clean, and she had a bed, along with clean clothing and a full belly.

Yet ye are restless.

Terin let out a groan and turned over onto her side.

She’d enjoyed his kiss.

There in the darkness, she just couldn’t seem to get her mind to stop replaying the moment.

Had she gone insane after all?

It was an honest question. The years of marriage had felt endless. Fear had been her constant companion, isolation her most faithful friend.

She’d often feared she’d not last. Certainly not long enough to see her mother-in-law buried.

Yet, she had, and it seemed so poor a choice to spend even one more moment unsettled. Sleep should have come easily.

Ye are not too old to wed again.

Heat was swirling around her insides. Terin wanted to dismiss it, but she was frankly curious. Was it passion? Was she being foolish to not seek out Jasper and take a taste of it before he tired of chasing her?

Oh yes, she knew he was chasing her.

Terin smiled because no one was there to see it. The darkness afforded her the chance to simply be honest.

Well, being at Larks Point was all about her going forth into the rest of her life honestly instead of having to maintain appearances.

Maybe she should be more grateful for the ghastly turn of events her marriage had taken. Otherwise, she might have lived a life there on Duncan land as no more than a figurine.

Now?Well now she had options.

Aye, but do ye have the courage to be bold?

She really didn’t know.

And ye have forgotten the most important point, Jasper might be well done with ye now.

Not only had she deceived him, she’d confessed to killing her mother-in-law. It wasn’t direct murder, but Terin knew many would argue that she was guilty of a crime no matter her justification.

It had been justice.

Terin felt a burn of certainty she’d rarely experienced in life as she contemplated her actions. She’d go to her execution with her chin held high before she ever apologized. Four long years of pent-up fear and rage were still burning brightly inside her.

Well, it might well cost ye Jasper.

So be it.

Yet even as her confidence remained firm, Terin felt a shaft of lament pierce her heart.