The Chieftain's Yule Bride - a Highland Christmas novella (Clan MacKrannan's Secret Traditions #10) by Jonnet Carmichael Read Free Book Online

portrait.  She'd shut out whatever ghosts came with it.  First, the big question.
    "Callum, tell me the truth... is this some joke you're playing along with?  Is the painting a fake cooked up for fun?"
    "No' a joke."
    Some of Zavier's friends were pranksters but it would have been too much trouble to go to with the amount of people involved here and elsewhere.  Besides, they'd have set him up with something, not her.
    "I believe you.  Can't see you laughing now."
    "Doubt you'd be amused if I collapsed in a heap."  He took a deep breath that swelled his chest and then let it out.  "I'm thinking it was a mistake to let you see that painting.  Should no' even have told you about it."
    "I'd say I was entitled.  You'd have no right to keep it from me."  She sat up gingerly and put her legs over the side of the bed.  Callum stepped towards her, the worry written on him.  "Honestly, I'm fine now . Look, I'm standing!  I want to see her again.  She might be my great-whatever-grandmother."
    He shrugged without answering, turned away and started closing the windows.  Freya was out the door and into the corridor when he appeared at her side.
    "No' without me there."
    A low voice, almost a grunt.  The deep Scots brogue of this Highland chieftain towering over her sent her tingling. Ridiculous... she was just scared in case he'd try to stop her.
    Straight into the turret room she went, keeping her eyes fixed on the table and blanking out those Celtic deities.  But the singsong chanting was there again when she looked at the perfect image of herself.
    This time she was determined to stay in control.  She'd missed the Argyll Yoga class at the Spa this morning and now wished she could have gone there first, been wholly centred for this.
    She looked up at Callum and found him absently rubbing at the middle of his brow. Third-eye chakra bothering him too, was it?  Little wonder, with the energies in this room.  It felt as if last night's thunderstorm had left this one space electrically-charged.
    Putting her hands on the table to lean over the painting made everything worse.  She ignored the subject now and concentrated hard on the rest of what she was looking for.  The brushstrokes, the style, the background, the color mixes.  All confirmed by the word Minstrel on the label.  Yes, she'd been right.  The artist was many generations back in her family tree.  Auntie Harper still had some of his work.
    Solving part of the puzzle solved only left more questions.  It explained why Callum thought he knew her yesterday when they'd first met.  It didn't explain why she knew him.
    "Okay, I've seen enough."
    Callum took a couple of pictures of it on his phone, and looked as relieved as she felt to close the door.  This time he took her along a corridor she'd not yet seen.
    "Changing the route, are we?"
    His turn to be embarrassed, though he said nothing as he led the way down a steep spiral staircase.  Another door needed his handprint to open electronically, same as on the way up, the sort of doors that would once have had guards posted either side.
    They didn't stop at the treasures on the way past and within a few more minutes had arrived back in the public area, never having spoken a word since they'd left the Celtic room.  She should retrieve her coat and leave him here.  Thank him very much and return to the suite and Zavier.  Freya didn't feel ready for that.
    The Reception Desk was only a hallway away when she said, "You haven't asked me what I saw."
    He didn't reply until a couple of American teenage girls had passed by, saying "Hi, Callum!" through their braces as they openly gave him the onceover.
    "No' for public ears.  We could walk to the Brewery together?  Tara will be wanting to speak to you."
    "Let me leave a message for Zavier.  He thinks I'm at the Spa."
    "He's there at the desk."
    "Oh!"  With his baggage?  "Zavier?"
    "Freya!  Where in god's name have you been?  Call from Dubai.  Nightmare.