It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare Read Free Book Online

ghost?” Crissa Fyfe asked, sliding forward in her seat.
    “I doona believe in ghosts,” Blaire informed her.
    “Blaire is a brave lass,” Aiden added.
    “Well, Captain,” Mr. Fyfe pushed away from the hearth, speaking for the first time since Blaire had entered the room. “My girls and I had best be off. I hope ye will enjoy yer time here in Strathcarron.”
    Both girls shot quelling looks at their father as Aiden rose to his feet. “It was such a pleasure meetin’ ye both. I do hope ye will visit Blaire again while we’re in residence.”
    Neither Heather nor Crissa Fyfe spared Blaire a glance, as they were too busy batting their eyelashes at Aiden. “We’d love ta,” Heather Fyfe gushed.
    “Well, why doona ye all join us for dinner tomorrow?” Aiden asked, offering his arm to Heather. “Then ye can become better acquainted.”
    Blaire resisted the urge to grind her teeth together. “I’m no’ sure if the servants will be quite ready, Aiden. We’ve been workin’ the poor dears ta their bones.”
    Her brother waved her off, as though they truly did have a castle full of servants. “Such a tenderhearted lass,” he confided to Heather Fyfe.
    He was a tenderheaded dolt.
    “Thank ye, Captain.” Mr. Fyfe and his younger daughter followed Aiden from the great hall. “We’ll look forward ta it.”
    Blaire settled back against the settee, waiting for the imbecile that was her older brother to return from seeing the Fyfes out. What the devil was wrong with Aiden? She sighed.
    She didn’t have to wait long. A moment later, her brother entered the great hall, a grin spread across his face. “They were delightful.”
    “Our ideas of delightful differ wildly.”
    He rolled his eyes. “So do our ideas of what constitutes a decent name. Gulverness? That was the best ye could do?”
    It wasn’t the best name, but she wasn’t about to admit to it. “Apparently my talent for prevarication isna as well developed as yers.”
    He had the audacity to chuckle.
    Blaire rose from her spot. “We have ta talk, Aiden.”
    “I ken ye dinna care for the Fyfe lasses. Just give them a chance. That’s all I ask.”
    She couldn’t care less about the Fyfe sisters. “Aiden, I have somethin’ ta tell ye. Brannock and I—”
    “What the devil was wrong with the lad? Where is he?” Aiden started for the door. “Brannock!” he called.
    Havers! Getting the man’s attention was next to impossible. “Aiden Lindsay!” Blaire barked. “Will ye shut yer trap for a minute and listen?”
    Her brother’s brow furrowed. “There’s no reason ta talk ta me that way.”
    Oh, there were plenty of good reasons to talk to him that way. Dragging them all into the Highlands. Inviting the Fyfe twits for dinner the next evening. The stream of lies that had flown from his mouth to impress the magistrate and his daughters. But that was neither here nor there at the moment. “Brannock and I found a chest, Aiden. It’s filled with guineas.”
    “Guineas?” Aiden finally looked interested.
    “More than I’ve ever seen,” she confessed. “The key from the solicitor. It opened the trunk.”
    “Indeed?”
    “And there’s more. Brannock found some little pewter figures.” She tugged the pieces from her pocket and dropped them in her brother’s hand. “Just look at them,” Blaire ordered.
    He did take a good long look, and the color from his face drained away. “The Còig .”
    “Exactly.” She heaved a sigh. “And there’s a portrait gallery, Aiden. A paintin’ of Mama is among the collection.”
    Aiden collapsed back onto the settee, but he said nothing. He just stared blankly at the pewter figures in his hands.
    “Tell me again what the solicitor said. How did ye inherit the castle?”
    Slowly, his gaze rose to meet hers. “It was Mama’s,” he finally said. “Her dowry, her birthright. The home of the battle-born witches. An entire trunk of guineas, ye say?”
    But that didn’t make any sense. Again uneasiness