Highlander's Moonlight Seduction (Scottish Medieval Historical Romance) Page 4

  Clearly troubled, Grace got up and started to pace. “There was a time when I wanted nothing more than for Grace and I to be sisters, but now I feel nothing but dread. She may very well hate me, Connor, and continue to hate me.”

  “She isnae the lass that I remember,” Connor admitted. “But we are not the same people, either, Grace. We must all live with what we have done, but I doonae think Moira will hold it against ye forever. Support our marriage and be kind to her, Grace. ’Tis all that I am asking of ye.”

  “All?’

  “That and quit trying to sneak past the guards. They catch ye every time.”

  “Not every time,” she reminded him smugly. “Last night, I saw ye riding in with Moira, only she had her hood up so I didnae know it was her.”

  “Grace,” Connor groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. At twenty-one, she should have married by now, but her rebellious nature was well-known throughout the clan, and no man in their right mind had come forward to ask for her hand. It didn’t matter that she was a beauty or that she came with a large dowry. Connor took care of his people, and no one was desperate enough to chain themselves to the likes of Grace Sinclair.

  And she refused to marry anyone outside the clan.

  “’Twill be a trying few weeks, Grace. Do ye think that ye can behave yerself long enough for Moira to get settled and the clan to get used to her being the new Sinclair mistress? Please?”

  “Will she be at breakfast?” she asked, without answering his question.

  “I hope not. She hasnae slept much in the past two nights. ‘Twould make me feel better if she slept all day. Doonae bother her, Grace. And doonae push her. If she is uncomfortable with ye, give her time.”

  “Ye are cranky this morn, Brother,” Grace said as she grinned mischievously. “Ye should eat breakfast and then check in with yer men and ask them why they didnae see me.”

  She flounced out of the room before he had a chance to demand she return the key, and Connor groaned. He hadn’t even gotten out of bed, and already his day was slipping away from him.

  5

  Moira had only spent a few months there, seven years ago, so it surprised her when she remembered how to navigate the halls. She woke up around noon and discovered that the kitchen had instructions to feed her no matter the time. After her meal, she found herself wandering to her old chambers. At first, she’d been installed in the guest wing until she and Grace had grown so close, then she moved into the empty chambers near her.

  As she walked the halls, she smiled at the memories. For part of her stay, Ainsley Carruthers and Senga Sinclair were staying in the keep as well. All close in age, they’d become fast friends. Senga was a distant cousin, raised in England, but tended to be stowed away in the Highlands when she became too much for her mother to handle, which was often. Ainsley’s parents were close friends with Grace’s parents, and Ainsley would apparently visit often as well.

  Fast friends, they’d made several silly promises to each other. The promise to always be friends, which seemed the silliest since it was the first one broken. Other than a few letters that she’d received from Grace, she’d never even heard from Ainsley and Cecily, both of which she’d heard had married now.

  Poor Alec. He bore the brunt of their practical jokes. At one point, they’d collected a jar of beetles and released them into his bed. Remembering his shrieks still brought a smile to her face.

  Just four girls who had no idea what was waiting for them.

  “I moved into the chambers that I am in now once we tried to return to normal,” Grace said quietly from behind her. “I wouldnae let any of the guests stay here, but I come here frequently. Some of my fondest memories were created in this hall.”

  “Followed by some of the cruelest,” Moira said tightly as she turned and faced her. She’d thought about what would happen if she ever saw Grace. Time and time again, she played out the scenarios in her mind. The accusations she wanted to hurl at her. The vivid descriptions of how her actions had hurt Moira. But now that they were here, Moira just felt pain. “I never read yer letters.”

  “I suppose that is better than ye reading them and not responding. They were apologies.”

  “I hoped they were, but I didnae think I could handle it if they werenae.” Wrapping her arms around herself, Moira told her that it was the draft. “I let go of my anger a long time ago. Ye were facing yer darkest moment. I have had several since then, and I know how that feels.”

  Hope lit up in Grace’s eyes. “So ye doonae hate me?”

  “I doonae know that I ever hated ye, Grace.” Moira chose her words carefully. “I was angry at the situation. I was angry with yer brother, but hate? Nay.”

  Hesitantly, Grace took a few steps toward her. “I spoke to Connor this morn. We are to be sisters, and I am so happy. I know that ye made an arrangement with him, but I am hoping that ye will still accept me as a sister. Or as a friend. Please, Moira. May we start fresh?”

  “Start fresh?” Moira chuckled. “I doonae think that is possible. Even now, looking at ye, I am reminded of the time we snuck to the river and nabbed Alec, Connor, and their friends’ clothes while they were bathing. I will never forget them storming into the village stark naked and how angry yer parents were.”

  Grace giggled. “I believe that every time Connor punishes me with kitchen duty, he remembers that moment.”

  “Aye. We have a history, Grace, and more of it was good than bad. I would like vera much for us to be sisters. We doonae have to start from scratch.”

  With a shriek, Grace launched herself at Moira and threw her arms around her. Unused to physical attention, Moira stiffened before she awkwardly hugged Grace back. Then she extricated herself quickly. “Do ye have anything planned today? I amnae certain that Connor wants me wandering about on my own. I doonae know how he plans to make the announcement.”

  Grabbing her hands, Grace jumped up and down. “I have actually found the perfect cottage for ye. I doonae know why ye doonae want to live in the keep, but I believe ye will love this place. It has plenty of land for ye to grow flowers if ye still like that kind of thing. ’Tis not far from the keep so I can visit plenty, although if ye doonae want that, I understand.”

  “I would vera much love it if ye could visit, and I would love to see it.”

  “Excellent! If this had not gone well, I was planning on using the cottage as a bribe,” Grace grinned. “I am pleased that instead, we can explore it together. There are rumors that ’tis haunted, but ’tis just foolishness. Ye can tell me all about this Hamilton Hero that I have been hearing about.”

  Grace wants to talk about men? She really had changed. “Ye heard about how handsome he is?”

  “Handsome? Why would I want to talk about that? I want to know about how he ended the feud!”

  Much more Grace’s speed. Although she was hesitant to step back into the dream she’d had as a young girl, she found herself a little more at ease with Grace by her side. And if talking about the man she’d refused to marry would help pass the time, then Moira was more than game.

  “Ye were supposed to make sure that Grace was never left unattended, yet she saw my arrival an hour after midnight,” Connor growled as he stared at Mungo. The biggest of his guards, Mungo had the strange ability to become nearly invisible when he wanted, so he was the perfect guard to tail his sister.

  “She retired at ten,” Mungo said with a frown. “I saw her to her chambers myself.”

  “And it didnae occur to ye that she would leave her chambers?” Connor demanded as he worked to fix the axle on the cart. He’d stayed busy, perhaps on purpose, and hadn’t had a chance to see how Moira was doing. At some point, he would need to make the announcement that he’d chosen a wife, and make arrangements to marry Moira, but right now, sniping at his guards and fixing the wheel was all he could handle.

  Mungo looked down and shifted his feet. “She was complaining about women’s pain,” he muttered. “I didnae think she would be moving around.
”

  Groaning, Connor shook his head. He couldn’t even be all that angry at Mungo because Grace had the ability to slip past any guard when she was in the mood.

  Himself included.

  “One of these days, she is going to escape right into the arms of someone who wishes her harm.” Closing his eyes, he silently tried to calm his temper. “Find her. Have her show ye the spot where she was spying. I want to know how she was able to get there without any guard seeing her.”

  “I will. Laird?” Mungo hesitated.

  “Aye?”

  “Laird. Connor.” Mungo switched from guard to friend. “Is it true that ye installed Moira Hamilton to the mistress chambers?”

  “I will marry her, Mungo. I intend to make the announcement at dinner and marry her as soon as the Father will allow. I have already sent a letter to Tyree. I expect I will be hearing from him soon.”

  “Hearing from him? That man loves his niece. He will want to attend the wedding. I imagine a few lairds will want to attend. Ye willnae be able to keep this quiet, Connor.”

  Connor hadn’t even thought of that. The last thing he wanted was a big affair or visiting clans. It was bad enough that his marriage to Moira would be the talk of the Highlands for years to come. “We will accept Tyree and any representatives he may have from the Hamilton clan, but that is it. We doonae have the manpower or the supplies to house and protect more.”

  It wasn’t entirely true, but it was the best excuse he could come up with. If he was lucky, Tyree wouldn’t even show up.

  With the wagon fixed, he straightened and turned to Mungo. “Make sure the other guards are on notice. Moira is to be my wife, and I willnae stand to hear any harsh words against her. I want her welcomed into this clan. She intends to keep to herself. I have an arrangement with her. She will reside in a cottage and do as she wishes. In return, she will provide me with an heir.”

  “All right,” Mungo said slowly, but didn’t ask for more information. He must have sensed Connor’s mood. “Should we put a guard on her?”

  “No need.” Sighing, he wiped his grimy hands on his kilt and glanced back at the keep. “I should be heading back to see if she is awake. Mungo, yer vow of loyalty aside, do I have yer support in this?”

  “Aye, Connor, and ye will have the guards’ as well. None of us believe that sweet Moira was the perpetrator of that horrid day.”

  No, they didn’t. Only the two people who mattered most to Moira.

  Checking with the kitchen staff first, Connor learned that Moira had been up for hours, and Grace was missing as well. Annoyed, he scoured the keep and found no trace of them. He hadn’t expected her to leave the keep, but after speaking with a number of people who caught sight of them, he figured out their trail soon enough. Grace had to be with her because they were on their way to the widow Miriam’s cottage.

  “Grace,” he growled as he stomped in their direction. Miriam’s cottage was the last place he wanted Moira to be.

  As he neared the ramshackle shelter, he heard Grace’s boisterous laugh from inside. “Ye cannae be serious!” she shouted. “With a goat? He proposed with a goat?”

  Who proposed with a goat?

  “Aye.” Moira giggled softly, and Connor neared the open window to hear what she had to say next. “It was actually vera sweet. He thought I wanted to farm instead of garden. I think I really did break his heart when I told him that the goat would eat all of my flowers.”

  Annoyed, Connor threw open the door and marched inside. “Grace!” He glared at her. “I thought I told ye to give Moira some space?”

  “Does she look bothered to ye?” Grace replied hotly.

  “And here? Ye brought her here?”

  “’Tis the perfect place for her, unless ye want to hide her away in another village?”

  “Grace.” Gritting his teeth, he took a few deep breaths. “Ye are to find Mungo and show him yer hiding spot from last night.”

  His sister just planted her hands. “’Tis a security risk, Grace.”

  As always, her loyalty to her clan outweighed her need to annoy him. “Moira, I will see ye at dinner. Doonae let my brother bully ye into anything ye doonae want.”

  “I would never,” Moira promised her. His sister shot him one more heated look before she hurried out of the cottage.

  Alone with Moira, he tried to get a feel for her mood. “I apologize that it took me so long to check on ye. I expected that ye might sleep for most of the day.”

  “’Tis all right. I slept well, and I feel rested. I was exploring the keep when I ran into Grace. Doonae be angry at her. We are to be sisters, and we needed to clear the air.”

  “And I take it since the two of ye were in here laughing, that all is well?”

  “We are finding our way, and we will be fine. I appreciate that ye care for yer sister. I remember how she used to be.”

  “Used to? Believe me, not much has changed, only I became her guardian instead of her brother.” Walking further into the room, he looked around the cottage. It was as sparse and dirty as he remembered. One large room with several false walls to separate the kitchen from the sleeping space. In the corner by the large window was a rickety table and two weed-woven chairs that seemed to be leaning sideways. Everything smelled of dust and mold. No one had been in the cottage since Miriam died because most still believed her to be a witch who’d cursed the place. “I admit that the location is ideal, but the last resident was strange.”

  Moira’s eyes lit up with delight. “Aye, Grace was telling me about the widow Miriam. Said she spoke to spirits. Apparently this cottage is haunted by her ghost and the spirits that she attracted.”

  “Ridiculous rumors. The real problem is that while Miriam lived here, she refused to let anyone work on the cottage. Said that people’s energies made the spirits angry. The roof leaks. The floor is splintered. The windows are cracked. This is no place for my wife.”

  “If ye can spare the men to fix it, then I can wait.”

  She sounded so nonchalant, and his breath hitched. Was she suggesting that she might remain in the keep for a short while? “It could take some time. We can find a cottage that ye can move into right away.”

  Moira studied him closely. “Connor, it willnae bother me if ye doonae want me so close to the keep. I understand that our arrangement is unusual. If ye want me in one of the outlying villages, then we will find another cottage.”

  “Nay,” he denied quickly. “I like the cottage because I can still make sure that ye are safe. Ye will remain in yer chambers while we make the cottage habitable.”

  “Excellent.” She looked so pleased, and for a moment, he was captivated by her smile. It was the first time she’d actually looked happy. What he wouldn’t give to make sure that smile stayed day after day!

  Clearing his throat, he stepped back toward the door. “All right,” he said gruffly. “That is settled. Come. I am on my way to the church to speak to the Father, and I’d like to introduce ye.”

  “’Tis not Father Glen?”

  “No, Father Glen left several years ago. He claimed he wanted to be closer to his brother, but we fear that it was Grace’s antics that drove him away. Father Charles is here from England. A strange man, but he’s made the Highlands his home. Tonight, we will announce our betrothal at dinner. I expect word from yer uncle soon, and then we will marry.”

  “If the announcement is not well received, I understand if ye change yer mind. Truly, Connor. Our history is complicated, and yer first responsibility needs to be to yer clan.”

  “Moira, I abandoned ye once. I willnae do it again,” he swore.

  She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, and he knew that it would take some time before she could trust him again. She may never, and that would be part of his penance as well.

  6

  Her uncle must have left the moment he received Connor’s letter for he arrived on Hamilton lands with Hamish and two dozen guards the next morning. Connor retrieved Moira from the fields
where she’d been exploring and stood with her at the entrance of the keep. Tyree had come with fire in his eyes. “Ye bastard,” he roared as he dismounted. “Ye promised to return her safely, and now I find that ye have kidnapped her and forced her to marry ye? I willnae stand for it, Connor. If ye doonae return her to me, then I am prepared to go to war with ye right now! When I have gutted ye, I will…”

  “Uncle!” Wanting to avoid the bloodshed and whatever imagery he was about to provide, she hurried forward and took his hands. “Connor hasnae kidnapped me. He may vera well have saved my life. Tell me that ye received my letter.”

  “Aye.” Cradling her chin, he looked down at her adoringly but with a touch of sadness. “Has yer life truly been so hard that ye felt the need to run, Moira? Ye had to know that I would have scoured the mountains looking for ye.”

  “It was never my intention to hurt ye. I just wanted to be around people who would not look at me and see a woman who lost everything. Around people who didnae whisper about me behind my back.”

  “My dear, people will whisper about ye here, even worse. Ye willnae find anonymity on Sinclair lands.”

  “Aye, but I will have no responsibilities here. No clan to look to me constantly and wait for me to make a decision.”

  Tyree looked beyond frustrated. “Moira, ye arenae making any sense. Ye will be the wife of a laird!”

  “Aye, but he wants nothing from me. Only an heir. I doonae even have to live in the keep with him. I can garden and live in peace.”

  “Moira.” Grumbling, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “We will speak in private but for now, I have forced my men at a grueling pace to get here as quick as possible.”

  Connor must have sensed unease in Tyree’s disposition. He stepped forward. “Laird Sinclair, if ye have decided that war is not necessary, my people will stable yer horses to water, feed, and rest them. We have chambers ready and are happy to have ye as our guests.”