Embraced by a Highlander Read online

  “I was expecting you sooner.”

  The reason the door had been unlocked, Hannah thought. So Slain MacKewan left his door unlatched for those he wanted to enter, but it remained closed to all others.

  “Do you have a tongue?” Helice snapped and held up the candle to cast a light on Hannah’s face.

  “I believe you will find me sturdy enough for chores,” Hannah said and smiled, hoping to keep herself in good stead with the woman.

  Helice stared at her a moment, then shook her head and ordered, “You will keep your distance from the chief.” She nodded for Hannah to follow, mumbling to herself in a language Hannah did not understand.

  As Hannah hurried to keep step with Helice, she gave a quick glance around the room. It was the Great Hall, a ghost of what it must have once been. Tables and benches were covered in dust, cobwebs dripped from the candelabras that sat in the center of the tables, and a mound of ashes was piled high in the fireplace.

  Why was there no life to this keep?

  Helice blew out the flame of the candle she held as they entered the torch-lit passageway that led to the kitchen.

  Hannah could not keep her eyes from spreading wide when they entered the room. Never had she seen such a well-kept kitchen. There was not a spot of grime anywhere and the delicious scent that came from the cauldron that bubbled over the flames had Hannah’s stomach gurgling and her mouth salivating.

  “That hunger of yours will wait until mealtime. You have chores to do,” Helice ordered.

  “How wonderful.” Hannah smiled again, hoping by staying pleasant the woman might return it in kind. “I have a delicious meal to look forward to.”

  Helice snapped a finger at her. “And more chores to tend to afterwards.”

  “Then it is good I will have a full stomach.”

  “Your stomach will be full here and your hands never idle,” Helice said, though it sounded more a warning.

  “Then I best get started. What will my chores be?”

  “Whatever I decide,” Helice said.

  Hannah had forgotten to ask the village women if she was to sleep here in the keep or return to the village at night. She had no choice but to ask Helice. “Am I expected to sleep here?”

  “You are the first to ask that,” Helice said with what Hannah thought was respect. “A pallet on the floor in the Great Hall is all you will get.”

  “That is more than I have now, so I am grateful for it.”

  Again Hannah thought she caught a hint of admiration in Helice’s cold blue eyes.

  “The solar needs cleaning. I will show you what must be done.”

  Hannah followed Helice to a room tucked away behind the Great Hall. A fire burned in the hearth and several candles helped light the room, and Hannah could not believe what she saw. There were books piled on stools and benches and on top of chests as well as papers and drawings of strange looking things. Books were not something easily obtained. They were reserved more for the wealthy and the literate, and were written in languages many did not understand.

  Thankfully, her mum had taught her Latin, a language the clergy often used when transcribing books. She hoped she would have time to sneak a peek at the books and drawings as well.

  “You will not enter this room without my permission,” Helice directed.

  Hannah almost sighed with regret.

  “I will bring you here when it needs tending, otherwise you will keep your distance from it,” Helice instructed firmly. “You will keep the books piled neatly, though you will not remove them from where they sit. You will keep the dust from gathering, the hearth burning, and the ashes from mounting. You will also keep the wine decanter full and the goblets clean. See to all of that but do not touch anything on the desk.”

  Hannah nodded, pleased with the chore, for it would give her time to glance over the books.

  “You may start here now. I will come fetch you when it is time to eat.” Helice did not wait for a response. She walked out the door, shutting it closed behind her.

  Hannah looked around at where to start and her glance kept returning to the desk. She had one of many faults as her father often reminded her. The one that annoyed him the most was that he could be sure if he told her not to do something, Hannah would be sure to do it. Her mum had warned her that she was too curious. Her father was of a different opinion. He believed that she was obstinate and simply refused to obey. Of which, her mum would remind matched her father’s tenacious nature.

  To Hannah, neither were right. She had discovered that people were not truthful, including her mum and da. That secret and lies were the way of life. Who then was there to trust? Who could she truly rely on?

  Knowledge. That had been the conclusion she had reached. With knowledge she could protect herself, so obstinacy and curiosity had become her shield and sword. Unfortunately, her shield and sword had not been strong enough against evil.

  She went to the desk and looked with interest at the drawings on the parchment. They seemed to be some type of tools. Then there were drawings of buildings. A couple of the drawings struck a familiar cord, but she was not quite sure what it was.

  Curiosity had her reaching for a rolled parchment, but a noise outside the door had her hurrying away to straighten a stack of books on a narrow table against one wall. It reminded her that she did not know how much time she would have to complete her chore and she had better show that she had done something before Helice returned or the woman might send her away and, at the moment, here is where she wanted to be… needed to be.

  Helice returned sooner than Hannah expected, the older woman giving her a tongue-lashing for not having worked fast enough.

  “Keep up your laziness and you will be returning to the village before nightfall,” Helice reprimanded. “I will give you a few more moments. Be done with it.”

  Hannah got busy, ignoring the books and drawings that tempted her. She just finished when Helice returned.

  “Learn to be quicker,” Helice ordered after glancing over the room. “Time to eat.”

  Her stomach ached for food and her body ached for rest, having walked since before dawn in hopes of reaching here. The hardy stew was delicious and Helice was generous in her helping of it as well as the freshly baked bread, both easing the gnawing in her stomach.

  As she ate, she wondered over Slain MacKewan. There was no sight nor sound of him since her arrival, and she wondered where he could be. After the meal, Helice had her washing garment after garment and laying them over strips of wood positioned between tables in a small room that burned with roaring flames in the fireplace.

  Hannah’s cheeks were burning red by the time she got done and her sore arm ached beyond belief, though she made no mention of it. By the time the evening meal came, she barely had the strength to eat and she was never so glad to seek the pallet Helice had her carry to the Great Hall and place in front of the cold hearth.

  “You will stay here. No matter what you hear, you will not leave this room until I come fetch you in the morning,” Helice warned, her blue eyes glaring at Hannah.

  Hannah was barely able to force a nod, she was so tired and as soon as Helice left the Great Hall, she collapsed on the pallet. She pulled the blanket, that had been rolled up in the meager bedding, over her and curled into a ball. Sleep claimed her before the chill of the hard wood floor seeped into her.

  A noise broke through her sleep and woke her, and she froze at the sound… footsteps. They had found her. They were coming for her. She had to run. She had to get away. Fear froze her limbs. She could not move. She could barely breathe.

  Run! Run! Run! She screamed silently to herself.

  Her courage broke through the fear and she jumped up, fighting to keep her legs strong as she stared into the darkness, appearing as if it was ready to swallow her whole. There was no time to think. She had to get away. Her eyes caught sight of a faint light in the distance.

  Good God, they were here… they had found her.

  She turne
d to run when out of the darkness stepped a man. Shadows followed him, hugging at his shoulders, falling partially across his face, but it was his eyes that stole her breath… they were darker than the pits of hell.

  She stepped back away from him so quickly that she lost her footing and tumbled backward, the back of her head catching on the stone fireplace. As she dropped to the floor, she heard the man speak.

  “Who is she?”

  As darkness claimed Hannah, she thought she heard Helice answer, “A servant, no one of significance.”

  Hannah woke confused and, surprisingly, to a small fire burning in the fireplace. The warmth eased the aches in her body. Last night’s incident returned to her, though she wondered if it was nothing more than a dream, fears of the past haunting her. She stretched as she sat up and winced when a pain struck at the back of her head. Her hand instinctively went there and she felt a small lump.

  Last night had not been a dream.

  She shivered recalling the man’s dark, ominous eyes.

  Had she met the savage?

  She shook her head, though stilled, the movement causing her slight pain. Savage was not his name.

  But he was called it for a reason.

  “You will keep a small fire burning in here, to keep the chill off you.”

  Hannah turned much too fast to face Helice and grimaced against the pain that shot through her head once again.

  “Eat, for you are already late in starting your chores.” Helice placed a bowl of porridge on the table and a tankard with a steaming brew in it. “When you finish come to the kitchen, and do not take long.” She turned and left Hannah to eat alone.

  Hannah sat at the table and sipped at the brew, while glancing around at the darkness that hugged most of the room. She missed the light, the sunshine and its warmth, even more so with what she had gone through.

  Darkness harbored secrets and concealed truths, and festered old wounds, never letting them heal. It tore at the heart and withered the soul until there was nothing left. She did not want that for herself. She was stronger and braver than that.

  As soon as she finished her meal she went to the kitchen and Helice wasted no time in shoving an empty basket at her.

  “The young, wild onions should be plentiful in the woods. Fill the basket, and stay to the edge of the woods, and do not dawdle. There are still many chores to be done. Wear that cloak.” Helice nodded to a worn brown cloak hanging from a peg on the wall near the door. “It may be spring, but winter remains an unwanted guest.”

  Hannah was pleased with the task that would take her outside. The confines of the dark keep and Helice’s constant scowl did nothing to keep hope thriving.

  Gray clouds tormented the sun, which managed to shine through now and again and did much to improve her spirits. The air was far from warm, though it lacked the sharp chill of winter. It was perfect and far more refreshing than the musty keep.

  She got busy, knowing Helice would keep watch on how long she was gone. She was so pleased to be enjoying her morning task outside that she did not realize she had drifted further into the woods until the basket she carried was near full. She turned to head back when her ears caught a sound. Her head snapped from side to side.

  Footfalls.

  Fear sent a chill racing through her and she gripped the handle of the basket as she frantically looked for a place to hide. Footfalls would forever frighten her since that night. She had heard them coming, but there had been no place for her to go. No place for her to hide. The steady sound of the boots against the wood had sounded more like the steady beat of the drum of approaching warriors ready for battle, ready to defeat the enemy.

  She hurried to a formation of boulders and squatted down behind it, her heart thudding so madly that she feared it would be heard. Her stomach joined in, roiling more strongly as the footfalls drew closer.

  They stopped suddenly and Hannah closed her eyes tight and folded her lips in her mouth to keep any sound from escaping, since it seemed as if the person had stopped directly on the other side of the boulder.

  A bird let loose with a wobbly whistle and when it was returned, Hannah knew it was no bird, but a signal.

  The whistles went back and forth for several minutes before Hannah heard another set of footfalls approach.

  “Hurry, I do not have much time?” a whispery voice cautioned as footfalls approached the boulder.

  “Either do I,” the other man said.

  “Have you heard anything yet?” the whispery voice asked.

  “Nothing of significance. All continues as is, though a change is expected soon. One that will prove beneficial.”

  “Good. Patience wears thin and time grows slim.”

  “Soon it will be done. Soon things will be made right.”

  “Soon we will celebrate victory,” the whispery voice said.

  Hannah heard footfalls fade away in opposite directions, but she remained where she was, too fearful to move. Too fearful that she might be discovered. She would give it time before taking a chance and stepping out from behind the safety of the boulders. In the meantime, she wondered over what she had heard. Was someone betraying Slain MacKewan? If so, who would be foolish enough to betray the savage?

  “Hannah!”

  The relief in hearing Helice’s curt tongue made her realize just how long fear had frozen her. She stepped around the boulder quickly and hurried toward Helice’s shouts.

  “What did I tell you about staying to the edge of the woods?” Helice demanded. “If you cannot follow simple orders then there is no place here for you.”

  That could not happen. She had to stay.

  “Forgive me,” Hannah was quick to plead. ‘I was so busy with the task that I did not realize I wandered.”

  “Fail to obey me again and you will be gone,” Helice warned her tongue so sharp Hannah felt the sting.

  Hannah bobbed her head and followed behind Helice as she turned and stomped off.

  It struck her as she was walking to keep pace with Helice that the woman had warned her twice to remain at the edge of the woods. Could she have possibly known of the meeting? Was she part of the possible betrayal?

  What secrets and lies did the keep hold?

  Chapter 3

  Hannah was about to see to her chore the next morning after a hardy meal when Helice announced that she was to follow her. The stone staircase they climbed curved considerably and after traveling two floors up, they stopped on a small landing with a door to the right and one to the left.

  Helice took hold of the door latch to the right and gave a nod to the door on the left. “That is the east wing and you are never to go there. Never. Do you understand?”

  Hannah nodded and followed Helice through the open door, though curiosity had her glancing back at the forbidden door. Why was the east wing forbidden to her?

  One glance told her this was Slain MacKewan’s bedchamber. It was large. It had to be for the huge sized bed that dominated the room. Three people could easily sleep in it, if not more. The bedding was rumpled and garments lay strewn about. A small table and chair sat by a window and Hannah walked to it as Helice spewed out orders.

  “You will change the bedding,” —she nodded to fresh bedding folded on a chair near the hearth— “wipe the room of dust, fold the garments and place them in the chest,” —she nodded again, this time to the large chest at the foot of the bed— “clean out the hearth and set a new fire. Do not dally. I have another chore for you as soon as you finish here.” Helice turned and left, leaving Hannah to her task.

  Hannah looked out the window surprised no tapestry covered it and that light was actually allowed to shine through, unlike the rest of the keep that seemed shrouded in darkness. A field of heather laid beyond and she thought how wonderful it would be to collect some and set them in the various rooms and add sprigs to the fire to mask the musty odor that permeated the keep.

  She turned away, knowing her time was limited to complete her chore. She got busy chang
ing the bedding first, not wanting to leave it for last since her hands were sure to be covered with soot and ash after cleaning the fireplace.

  The potent scent washed over her as soon as she picked up one of the pillows. Her nostrils flared as she breathed in the mix of earth and pine and… the other scent was more potent than the two familiar ones, the unknown one stirring her senses. It was as if she could not get enough of the tantalizing scent. She wanted to bury her face in the pillow and breathed deeply until it consumed her, became part of her.

  The foolish thought had her dropping the pillow as if its touch suddenly scalded her. She hurried to the window and fumbled with the latch to open it and let in the chilly air. Then she went about her chore, trying desperately to ignore the tempting scent that refused to leave her nostrils.

  She saw to folding the garments which managed to brand her even more with the alluring scent, it was so heavy upon them. Even the dust she cleaned away that had her sneezing did not help rid her of the provocative scent that seemed to grow stronger as she worked.

  Finally, she returned to tackle the bed, a more difficult task than she would have imagined. Not only did the scent grow stronger as she pulled the bedding off, but her thoughts betrayed her by thinking of the women that Slain MacKewan had entertained there. That he had entertained so well, they had begged to return to him.

  Hannah shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, but his intoxicating scent continued to hold her spellbound.

  Once the bed was done, blankets folded back, the pillows fluffed, she hurried to the fireplace, wanting to be done and out of here. It was after the ashes had been cleaned out and logs piled to start a new fire that Hannah realized that the room was being prepared, but for what? Slain MacKewan’s return? Or was someone about to visit him?

  Hannah stood staring at the bed, wondering if he would have a companion tonight.

  “What are you doing?”

  Hannah jumped at the sound of Helice’s reproach, though recovered quickly. “I was looking to make sure the room was done.” Helice’s scrunched expression told Hannah that she did not believe her, though Hannah was glad she did not question her lie.