Samantha Holt (Highland Fae Chronicles) (9 page)

Several men-at-arms recognised him when he navigated his horse between the gap in the wall and toward the stables. The small building sat apart from the keep and he found himself slowing, as if to put off the inevitable.

Soon he would say farewell to Lady Katelyn.

Which would be no bad thing, he reminded himself. Though they had maintained a courteous relationship, tension simmered in the air between them. All because of that near kiss. Every time he considered it he had the desire to punch something. What a fool, trying to kiss the lass he was to deliver to her betrothed. He couldn’t decide if Katelyn’s attitude toward him was born of embarrassment or because she too wished to kiss him. He caught her looking at him sometimes and in those moments he convinced himself that she needed to taste his lips just as much.

He dismounted, adjusted his sword on his belt and helped Katelyn down. Colour sat high on the cheek not marred by bruises and he stared at her for a moment. Those green eyes drew him in and under his hands her breaths quickened, her ribs expanding against his palms. A stable hand scurried over as the other men brought their horses in and they broke apart hurriedly. Katelyn murmured her thanks and backed away as Finn saw Dìleas into a stall.

Drawing a breath, he took a moment to pet the horse’s muzzle. All he had to do was hand over Katelyn to Lorna. That was it. Then he could be on his way. So why did the thought of leaving the lass create a knot in his throat?

A careful grin across his face, he stepped out of the stall and offered his hand to Katelyn. She nodded her appreciation and laid her hand across his. The touch of delicate fingers sent warmth to his groin. Many times on their journey he’d held his breath and prayed for those fingers to inch further down. He shook his head and led her up the few stone steps to the keep. Her grip tightened and when he glanced at her, he noted her stiff spine and tense expression. Something made the lass nervous. He gave her fingers a tiny squeeze and pushed open the heavy wooden doors. The slight smile she rewarded him with made his heart skip.

Rosemary and lavender drifted through the air when they stepped in, mingled with the smoke of the fire pit in the centre of the room. While the weather was warming, the stone of the keep held in the cold. It pleased him to note the Great Hall looked well-tended, as did his sister. The years he’d spent dealing with the problems in Glencolum and leaving his sister in the hands of Logan and her late husband did not play on his mind so much when he saw how well she handled things on her own.

His fair haired sister turned and her eyes widened when she spotted Katelyn and then her gaze fell on something behind him. He peered over his shoulder at Logan, whose brow dipped into a frown. He nodded his acknowledgement to Lorna and hastily made his way up the inner stairs to the balcony. Finn scowled and watched his sister carefully as he approached. Lorna had always been close to Logan, so why the cold reception?

At four and twenty—some three summers younger than him—she remained youthful looking though the sweet shape of her face belied her determination and sometimes disagreeable temper. Not that he’d have her any other way, but not many men liked a woman who spoke up readily.

“Well, sister, have ye no embrace for me?”

She laughed, her frown quickly gone and snatched her skirts to scurry over. Wrapping her arms about him, she squeezed his waist before pulling away. “I am pleased to see ye safe.” She took Katelyn’s hands and smiled warmly.  “And ye, Katelyn. I feared greatly for ye. It seems my brother didnae take as good a care of ye as I’d hoped.” A teasing glint lit Lorna’s eyes but she had to know how much it galled him that Katelyn had been harmed.

Katelyn withdrew her hands and touched her bruised cheek. “Oh, nay, yer brother did all he could. He risked a great deal to come to my aid.”

“Well, I am only sorry we didnae come sooner. None expected the Norsemen to cross so soon.”

“It took us by surprise too.”

A heartbeat passed and Finn tapped his foot.

Katelyn, ye must be weary,” Lorna finally said as she signalled to a serving maid who came scurrying over. “Mae, have Lady Katelyn seen to her chambers and fill a bath.”

This brought out a relieved smile from Katelyn. “I thank ye, my lady.”

“Pray call me Lorna. We shall speak more on these sorry events later. First ye must bathe and rest.”

Something akin to apprehension flickered across Katelyn’s face but it faded quickly and she dipped her head briefly. “Thank ye, Lorna,” she said softly.

They watched her follow the maidservant up the wooden stairs to the balcony. Finn forced his gaze away from the gently swaying curves under her gown. Ach, even in filthy torn garments she tempted him. Dragging his head around, he focused on his sister. “All is well then?”

“Aye, as ye can see, Finn.” Lorna motioned around.

He scanned the Great Hall, noting she was right. He’d only briefly stopped by on the way to Bute but on his previous visits, the red tapestry—a depiction of a great battle—had been threadbare and dusty, the chandeliers looked in need of a clean and the rushes on the floor had likely not been replaced for many summers. Now it looked as though his sister had commissioned a new trestle table for the rear of the hall and the wooden railing surrounding the gallery that spanned the entire length of the hall looked to be new too.

“All looks well indeed. Though Logan didnae look so happy.”

“Ach, the man simply cannae handle a lass telling him what to do.”

He fixed Lorna with a stare and she shifted. She kept something from him. “That doesnae sound like Logan. He normally bows to yer every will,” he observed.

“Well not this day, he does not.” Tugging her skirt, she glanced down before meeting his gaze once more. “What are yer plans then, Finn? Shall ye return to Glencolum?”

“Ye have tired of me already, sister?”

She shook her head and grinned. “Tell me, did all go well?”

Finn sighed, retreated to the table at the rear of the hall and poured himself an ale. Draining it in one long drink, he placed the goblet down and swiped the back of a hand across his mouth. He fixed Lorna with a stare. “We arrived as the Norse were breaking through the walls.”

A hand went to Lorna’s mouth. “Sweet Lord, I didnae expect ye to have to go in amidst the battle.”

“Aye, ‘twas fierce at that. But,” he grinned at the memory, “yer brother wouldnae fail ye so I killed the nearest Viking and disguised myself. Aside from a small scuffle, it worked.”

Lorna let slip a smile. “A fine idea, brother. Ye’d make a good Norseman by my reckoning.”

“Well ye didnae get all the wit in the family, Lorna.”

“So ye rescued Katelyn without incident?”

Terrified green eyes and a trembling body played in his mind. “Almost. Lady Katelyn was set upon before I could get to her.”

“Poor lass…” she breathed.

Finn strolled around the trestle table and drew out one of the large chairs behind it, the one that used to seat Lorna’s husband. He trailed his fingers across the wood carvings before sitting. Weariness suddenly ate into his limbs. “But still, she has ye now.”

“For now. Laird Gillean will be here soon and will wed her here so that she may travel to his home as his wife and without a chaperone.”

“Aye,” he replied quietly.

“Ye know Gillean has threatened war upon Katelyn’s clan. This marriage was to be a peace treaty.”

“In truth?” He snorted. “He is too late though. War is upon Bute already.”

“It matters little to Gillean. The isle will be back in Katelyn’s father’s hands before long and Gillean is land hungry. He knows Bute is weak and ‘twill be even more so once the Norse are driven from it.” She swiped a hand across the table. “And then no doubt, he will turn his attention to my lack of a husband.” She laughed but Finn did not miss the tension in it.

“He shall find ye a good man, surely? He would not want his castle in the hands of a fool.”

“Gillean’s notion of a good man and my own differ greatly I fear, but alas, if I want to keep my home, I shall have to bow to the will of my overlord.” Lorna sighed. “Such is the lot of a woman,” she added drolly.

“Ye know ye always have a place at Glencolum should ye need it. Morgann and I will protect ye from aught should ye need us.”

A soft smile slipped across her face and she patted his hand. “I thank ye, Finn. Ye are a noble man. But I have survived worse and I shall survive again.”

Finn forced down the knot in his throat. He knew little of Lorna’s marriage. She had been sold into it at six and ten before their father died. Her husband was an old man but a good warrior. Likely there was no love between them, but how many marriages were made of love in times of war and politics? Still the churning of his stomach told him there was more to Lorna’s marriage than she let slip. And that gnawing sensation also said he’d failed her by not being a better brother to her during it. If only the cursed fighting at Glencolum had not taken such a toll.

He coughed. “Forgive me, sister, I—”

She waved her hand. “All is well now. I shall not worry until Gillean arrives and in the meantime I shall occupy myself with caring for our new guest. No doubt she has endured much.”

“Lorna, ye are so very fond of taking in strays.”

“Ach, ye are soft-hearted too, Finn. Ye just keep it hidden beneath yer quick grin and rakish ways.”

“First, Logan, now Katelyn.”

“Logan was no stray.” Her brows dipped and she drew her chin up.

He fought the urge to chuckle. Something about Logan riled Lorna. “Nay, he was but a peasant boy, was he not?”

“Finn, dinnae talk of him that way. Ye fight beside him and know well enough he is more than that. Ach, ye could learn some lessons from him. At least he knows how to behave as a gentleman.”

He snatched the goblet and poured himself more ale, using the earthenware to disguise his grin. So righteous. Lorna loved to jump to the defence of anyone whom she felt needed her. Logan had been nothing but a poor man when he’d come to Kilcree looking for work. And while there might be no noble blood in him, Finn had to admit, he knew few men who fought as well as Logan.

“So,” he traced the wood grain of the table with his free hand, “when are we expecting Katelyn’s marriage to take place?”

“Gillean travels from the south on business. I think it likely we shall not see him for at least two sennights.”

“Would ye object to yer brother staying for a while?”

“Ye know I wouldnae, but does Morgann not need ye?”

“Ach, Alana has him in hand. My duties have lessened vastly of late.” Indeed, his responsibilities at Glencolum had decreased since the fighting with Alana’s clan had ended and the lass took to running the castle with ease. It left him with too much time. Time to think on the past, on his future….

Lorna smiled and leaned over, pressing a hand to his forearm. “Finn, ye are the best kind of a brother.”

He shifted. “If I were the best kind of brother, I would have been here more often.”

“Ye had much to deal with at Glencolum. The fighting took up much of yer time. I am only grateful ye were never harmed. Of course, losing Ali....”

He stood abruptly, his heart wringing at the mention of his wife. “’Tis settled then. I shall extend my stay.”

She blinked at the sudden interruption but gathered herself, squeezing her hands together. “I am sure I can tolerate ye just a wee bit longer, but I fear ye shall find yerself tired of the slow pace of life here. There are no battles for ye to fight.”

“Nay, and for that ye should be grateful.”

 Aye, the more he thought on it, the more convinced he became he should stay a while longer. He’d already spent too much time away from his sister and he perceived trouble in her eyes—something to do with Logan mayhap. An undercurrent of
something
fizzled through the air. He contemplated the jug of ale in front of him. Of course, his decision to stay had little to do with Katelyn. Her fate was of no consequence to him.

Chapter Four

Catriona blew the soapy bubbles from her hands and leaned back in the wooden tub with a sigh. Warm water caressed her skin and removed much of the fatigue and aches from her body. But while her muscles eased, her stomach churned with worry. What had she done? Lorna appeared as kindly as Finn had suggested.

She released a breath. Deceiving either of them rankled. Finn had been so kind and courageous. She shut her eyes. Fair hair and deep blue eyes lingered in her vision behind her closed lids. Catriona clenched her hands together until nails dug into her palms. Why did Finn make her tense again? Being attracted to him only further complicated things. And besides, he would be gone soon.

At least that put one problem behind her. Even if it made her heart ache a wee bit. She had to remember why she was continuing this deception. It was not for her father, nay, but for the people of Bute. The Norsemen would be expelled from the isle and it would be vulnerable to Laird Gillean’s advances. It had to appear that her father at least wanted to continue with the contract. Both she and her sister had large dowries but even to offer herself as a replacement would be seen as breaking the contract and might tear apart their tentative peace. Not that she wished to be sold to the laird. Likely her father never intended to go through with the agreement anyway. He had much higher ambitions for his daughters.