The Highlander's Bride Trouble by Mary Wine Read Free Book Online Page A

her concern.
    And yet…it was. The memory of Abigail’s words needled her, undermining the trust Nareen
     had in her position. It might not be as safe a haven as she’d decided it was.
    That didn’t mean she would be taking Saer’s offer.
    No. The Highlander represented another danger, one that was far more personal, because
     she felt drawn to him. The only way to protect herself from that curse was to ensure
     she was nowhere near him.
    Nareen stood behind her mistress, waiting for the woman to finish supper. It was her
     place. She didn’t resent it, because she enjoyed the freedom being a servant provided.
     So what if she had to wait to eat until Abigail dismissed her?
    It was her choice.
    And that was worth everything.
    Nareen shifted her gaze to Saer MacLeod without realizing it. He represented many
     of the reasons she was happy with her position as Abigail’s servant. Saer MacLeod
     would likely please her brother as a match, and then she would become his servant,
     even her body no longer her own.
    But the memory of the way Abigail’s voice had filled with anticipation when she spoke
     of arranging a liaison returned, and it would not be banished. Perhaps Nareen couldn’t
     allow herself to be near Saer MacLeod, but she would be a fool not to heed his advice
     to leave her position. She had no intention of acting the fool.
    With either Abigail or Saer MacLeod.
    ***
    “Saer MacLeod is a beast.”
    Abigail was pacing the length of her receiving chamber. Beyond an arched doorway her
     huge bed awaited, the flicker of candles dancing over the costly cotton bedsheets.
    “I cannae stomach being here any longer,” Abigail wailed. “This banishment from court
     is intolerable!”
    “It is nae forever,” Nareen offered in a tone that betrayed just how little pity she
     had for her mistress. Abigail turned to glare at her, but Nareen offered her no apology.
     “It is only a single week longer.”
    Abigail huffed. “Yet it is too long. The king is a child! Insisting on virtues and
     pious behavior. Just wait, he’ll take a mistress soon enough. Just as soon as his
     beard comes in and his cock starts to keep him awake at night.”
    Abigail sat down and began to fuss with her letters. She reread them with bright eyes
     that glistened with unshed tears.
    Nareen’s belly rumbled, but Abigail was absorbed in her own concerns. It afforded
     Nareen the chance to slip away. Supper was long finished, and the tables cleared.
     Small groups of people lingered in the Hall, enjoying the warmth from the hearth.
     Only a few candles remained lit, allowing the night to creep across the space. She
     enjoyed the shadows. They offered refuge from those who might seek her out when she
     would rather be alone.
    Along one side of the Hall, Ross retainers had pulled out their pallets for the night.
     These were the younger men, the ones without wives. Each one had his sword resting
     beside him, and the portion of his kilt that lay over his shoulder during the day
     raised up to cover his head. At some point during the night, they would trade places
     with the men standing watch on the walls.
    Nareen only peeked into the Hall. The stairs ended at a junction. She could go right
     and be in the Great Hall or straight ahead to the armor rooms. Off to her left was
     the hallway that would take her to the kitchens. There were large hearths in the Hall
     itself for porridge and stews, but most of the cooking was done in the kitchens. They
     were built outside to protect the castle from fire. In the summer, it also served
     to keep the kitchens from becoming too hot to endure.
    There were only a few lanterns left alight in the hallway to fend off the night. The
     gate was down, and most of the inhabitants had taken the Church’s warning to shut
     themselves in to avoid the demons that ruled the night.
    “Yer mistress is a brat.”
    Nareen stiffened, stepping sideways, because she just couldn’t squelch the urge to
     put space between