CursedLaird by Tara Nina Read Free Book Online Page B

but
clothing fashion of the past wasn’t her forte. Kip had handled dating items of
that nature they found. She shook the unwanted image of him from her head and
focused on Mary’s ancient dialect. She didn’t want to miss one word.
    “Many years past, a curse was cast upon the brathairs o’ Clan MacKinnon. It turned them into stone statues. For their safety, the brathairs were hidden so they could not be destroyed. Ye have found the brathair ,
Struan MacKinnon, fourth son o’ Farlan MacKinnon.”
    “Fourth son,” she repeated. Caledonia’s eyes widened as
another piece of the puzzle fell into place.
     
    Chained within the center floats thy fourth
     
    Was this fourth son of Farlan MacKinnon the fourth from the
poem?
     
    Safe beneath thy watchful eye of Breadalbane
     
    What did she say her name was? Mary Campbell of Breadalbane.
Was she this watchful eye? This ghost. A forgotten image from her past shot to
the forefront of her exhausted brain as recognition kicked into gear. Caledonia
slid from the bed and spun to face this ghost, this Mary of Breadalbane.
    “You were the one who screamed at us in the root cellar.”
    “Aye,” Mary simply replied as if it were common knowledge.
“It was mi sworn oath to protect Struan. Ye stole the riddle.”
    “Riddle?” Caledonia’s brow bunched. “It’s not a poem?”
    “Nay,” Mary answered. “The brathairs were separated
and given to different people in league with the MacKinnons to hide. Mi cousin
accepted the responsibility but he took ill before he completed the task. I
stepped into his place and upheld his oath o’ sanctuary for Struan. Once he was
hidden, we were obliged to provide clues on how to find him. It was mi which
chose his location and mi which writ the riddle.”
    Caledonia paced. This had to be a dream. Her mind whirled. A
curse. A brathair , which she knew from studying Gaelic meant brother.
Brother. Brothers? She stopped and faced Mary, who still sat on her bed as if
she belonged there.
    “ Brathairs as in plural?” When Mary gave her a
confused look, she quickly added, “Was more than one brathair cursed?”
She said the word but she wasn’t sure if she believed it. A curse? Really?
    “Aye.” Mary nodded. “Clan MacKinnon was blessed with seven
boys. All fell victim to this curse. One piuthar , sister, Akira survived
and saved them from destruction.”
    “Seven brothers,” Caledonia stated on a hushed breath as she
plopped onto the bed beside Mary. “And this Struan was the fourth brother, umm, brathair ,” she quickly corrected and used the Gaelic term so as not to
add to Mary’s confusion.
    “Aye.”
    Caledonia stared at Mary. Disbelief warred with the
incredible information this spectral being shared with her. This was a definite
test of her faith in the other world. Time and time again, she’d fought with
Kip over the fact spirits walked among them. She’d sworn to have seen them.
Even heard them. But never had one sat beside her and held a conversation with
her. Man, would Kip take back every mean word if he could see this. He was a true nonbeliever.
    But was she truly a believer in the supernatural? Here sat
the test of a lifetime. Caledonia studied Mary from head to toe. Though
transparent, her overall appearance was that of a lady, prim and proper,
perfectly dressed and not one hair out of place. The look in her green eyes
touched Caledonia’s heart.
    Before she could stop herself, she said, “You were in love
with him, weren’t you? That’s why you hid him.”
    Mary did the first nervous thing Caledonia saw her do. She
bit the edge of her lower lip as if she contemplated her answer. The sight of a
crystal-clear tear slid down the spirit’s face then disappeared. No moisture
hit the floor. No sign of wetness followed its path but Caledonia knew what she
saw. The woman cried for the man she loved.
    “Aye,” she finally admitted on a soft sigh. “Mi heart
belonged to Struan. But it was not meant to be.”
    “Did he