Scot of My Dreams by Janice Maynard Read Free Book Online

behind glass.
    Bryce walked me around the room, allowing me to look my fill. The enormous table and chairs in the center were dwarfed by the dimensions of the space. The table could easily seat four dozen people.
    “You promised history,” I reminded him.
    He leaned a hip against a display case as I bent to examine its contents: one fragment of a lady’s lace handkerchief, a piece of broken crockery from the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie, a boar’s tooth suspended from a leather neckpiece.
    “There are castles all over Scotland, as I’m sure you know,” he said. “Dunvarstone is neither the grandest nor the biggest nor the most famous. Truth be told, we have our share of skeletons in the closet.”
    I wrapped my arms around my waist and rubbed my arms. “I want to hear it all,” I said. “This is amazing.”
    He had donned a corduroy blazer over his shirt for our proper lunch. Now he shrugged out of it and draped it around my shoulders. Instantly, I was engulfed in the fleeting warmth from his body and the scent of his skin.
    His hands lingered on my shoulders for a fraction longer than necessary. “I’m sorry it’s so cold in here. Imagine what it’s like in December.”
    “I’m fine. Really. Go on. You haven’t told me anything yet. I want to hear the juicy stuff.”
    Bryce chuckled. “The castle has been in my family for over six hundred years. The main structure is late medieval, but, of course, subsequent generations added sections. Miraculously, nothing of note was ever consumed by fire or destroyed by invading armies. We’ve had scholars and archaeologists here multiple times to study the building and to carry out small digs in the courtyard.”
    “How did it survive when so many others are in ruins?”
    “Aye, well that’s where the dark side of our history comes into play. You know about Culloden, of course?”
    “Not a lot. Only that the clans were slaughtered by the English. I plan to go to the battlefield. It’s close to here, right?”
    “Very close. In fact, the English seized Dunvarstone Castle and used it as a command post to launch their offensive.”
    “But what happened to your ancestors? Obviously they lived, or you wouldn’t be here.”
    “That’s the thing. The English came in the night and surrounded the castle. They knew that if any of the MacBraes slipped away, they would immediately go and warn the gathering clans that the English were close. So all of my family and the servants were locked in the cellars until the fighting was over. Eventually, once the battle was done and it was clear that the clans would no longer be a threat, the English released the captives here at the castle and left.”
    “So in a way, your ancestors were fortunate not to get killed.”
    “They didn’t see it that way. Their honor was besmirched. Not only had they not fought alongside their countrymen, but rumors circulated that the laird at the time had made a devil’s bargain with the English to spare his holdings and his life.”
    “That’s terrible.”
    “Aye. As a boy I used to dream about what it was like…all those clansmen gathered in one place, ready and willing to pit themselves against the greatest army in the world.”
    “A perfect fantasy for a young man. You’re very lucky to have such a heritage…and to have this place.”
    He didn’t answer me. Instead, he took my arm. “That’s enough history for one day. Come out in the garden with me.”
     
     

Chapter 9
     
    Though I was fascinated with the castle, I was happy to get outside and into the sunshine. Even wearing Bryce’s jacket around my shoulders, I was chilled to the bone. How could any building be so cold in August?
    When I removed the borrowed clothing and handed it back to its owner, Bryce tossed it onto a bench. “Let’s walk,” he said.
    I agreed happily. My fascination with the laird made me self-conscious. If we were walking, I didn’t have to look him in the eye.
    Given my height, it was unusual for