Seducing the Highlander (16 page)

Then again, after a few hours of being plagued by a needle, there was no way Hamish was going to retain his charming attitude. Not more than an hour would pass before he would emphatically refuse to continue being a pawn in her games. Craig almost felt sorry for Meriel, for even if by some small chance he was wrong about her inventing this whole nonsense about loving Hamish, she was going to see a side of his friend that would undoubtedly make her rethink things altogether.

Aye. By tomorrow night during their evening chat, Meriel would be telling a sad story about her misguided, broken heart. Whether it be true or the result of a failed plan, Craig intended to be ready to pick up the pieces.

For when it came to Meriel, they were
his
pieces to pick up. And no one else’s.

 

 

Brenna lay stomach down on the bed with her chin propped in her hands. She considered herself a very mature eight-year-old, but she did not think she would ever understand grown-ups’ affinity for talking about dull stuff. Rolling over on her back, she asked in a weary voice, “Are you almost done?”

“Almost,” came Meriel’s reply, muffled due to the number of pins she had between her lips.

“I hate the Warden’s Tower. It’s so boring and musty and—” Brenna stopped midsentence as the staircase began to howl. “And there are ghosts!”

Meriel adjusted the length of the shirt’s hem and twirled her finger to signal Hamish to turn a little so that she could continue pinning. “You and I both know that sound is just the wind coming in whenever someone opens the door.”

Brenna searched for another argument but could not find one. “Why do
I
have to be here?” she wailed.

Meriel weaved the last pin into place. “You know why,” she finally answered, her mouth free of hardware. “Maegan was unavailable.”

Brenna missed her friend. Maegan was more than twice her age, but she was still more fun than any of the other adults. It was not fair that Maegan’s grandmother got sick and required her help. She needed Maegan too, especially now that Meriel had practically kidnapped her and forced her to be a chaperone. She was a kid! She did not even know how to be a chaperone, let alone why having one was so important. “No one cares about Hamish getting new clothes,” Brenna groaned, sitting up to look out the window.

Meriel’s mouth was full of pins once again, preventing her from arguing the point or pointing out that Brenna had been there less than half an hour. Secretly, Meriel also preferred the North Tower. The Warden’s Tower’s bedchambers were large, well lit and in many ways comfortable, but the tower itself was infused with a lingering smell that proved many an unbathed soldier slept in it at night. But when Hamish had come over, she could see his reluctance about meeting alone in her room. Afraid he might change his mind, she had offered to meet in the Warden’s Tower instead. But after being here for an hour, she suspected Hamish would be more willing to convene in her bedchambers next time.

Brenna sighed again and Meriel was about to consider the idea of letting the child go, with the promise to keep this meeting a secret, when she jumped off the bed with an excited scream. Then, without asking for permission for fear it would not be granted, Brenna ran out of the room before Meriel could empty her mouth of pins and object to Brenna’s speedy exit.

“What was that about?” Meriel gasped, spitting the pins into her palm.

Hamish gestured with his chin toward the window and the courtyard below. Meriel stood up to look for herself. Brenna’s brother, Braeden, who usually tried to avoid the castle and his mother’s watchful eye, was in the courtyard playing swords with his best friend, Gideon. The wooden sticks banged together and a second later a slight girl with pale blond curly hair burst onto the scene with her hands on her hips. Both boys looked indignant, but a couple of seconds later all three children began to chase each other around the enclosure.

“Now what are we supposed to do?” Meriel sighed.

Hamish shrugged. “Nothing. The door is open, and even if the servants coming in and out of the storage area downstairs knew where we were, they wouldn’t venture up here. Brenna was right. No one cares about me getting a new kilt.”

“Hopefully one person does,” Meriel murmured as she stood, continuing to look out the window. “I was actually surprised Craig did not conjure up a more painful way for us to spend time together. Not only do you need new clothes, but now we have a reason to meet several times.”

Hamish swallowed. Meriel had always been pretty, even that famous night last year when Brenna had decided to style her hair. The result had been horrifying, and yet anyone could have seen that she and her sister were attractive women. But right now, with the light shining behind her making her smooth, milky skin glow, Meriel’s gentle beauty had transformed into something unexpectedly breathtaking. “Aye, certainly simplified your plan,” he finally managed to say, trying to shift his thoughts to Wyenda and his supposed purpose for agreeing to Meriel’s schemes. “Think Wyenda will find me irresistible when you get done?”

Unaware of Hamish’s appreciative thoughts, Meriel glanced back so that he could see the roll of her eyes. “Wasn’t it you who told me that you are already irresistible?”

“I think I might have lost my ability to charm women,” he replied, trying to sound woeful. “Alas, you have not fallen under my spell despite my earnest efforts.”

“You truly are incorrigible,” Meriel said as she swatted his arm and removed the last of the loosely pinned pieces of material from his frame. She really hated the idea that she was helping Hamish win Wyenda’s heart. In reality, Meriel despised the woman. And though she knew it was unlikely Hamish would succeed where all other men had failed, there was still a chance he could. Meriel had been telling Craig the truth when she had described Hamish as a man worth pursuing. Handsome, amiable, and entertaining, it would not be beyond the realm of possibility for anyone, including Wyenda, to fall for him.

A sharp noise caught their attention. Realizing the risk they ran if anyone overheard them talking, Meriel looked at Hamish and mouthed, “Can anyone hear us?”

Hamish broke into a wide grin. “All the men are out training, and only very few guards are manning the battlements this time of day. I have been watching, and with the exception of the baker, whom you just heard drop a box onto the ground, no one besides Brenna has entered or exited the tower.”

“I know you said that Craig would be gone for the afternoon, but . . .” Meriel paused, narrowing her eyes. “Well, I know this castle is littered with secret passages, including one that leads directly from the village into the North Tower. And I wouldn’t put it past a certain someone to use it,” she whispered, unconvinced that Craig was not lurking nearby. It did not matter that he was far more likely to barge in on them than sneak around and eavesdrop; the fact that she had seen no sign of him at all was disconcerting.

Hamish’s dark green eyes locked on to Meriel. “You
know
about the passageways?”

Meriel frowned and picked up the pinned tartan material she had cut for Hamish’s kilt and began folding it. “Of course I do.”

Hamish pulled his chin back and gave her a jealous smirk. “Well, then you are one of the privileged few.”

“You don’t know where they are?”

“Ha! Like any McTiernay is going to hand over an advantage like that to anyone—even a friend. And as far as Craig goes, I made sure he would be nowhere near here for the whole day. He and Seamus are visiting some of the more distant farms and will not be back until dinner—if then,” Hamish relayed proudly.

Relief filled Meriel and she waved her hand for him to sit down and relax. “We’re done. You don’t need to stand anymore. I have everything I need.”

Hamish sauntered over to the chair and plopped down in it. “Really? That didn’t take long.”

Meriel chuckled. “I only needed the basic measurements. It isn’t like a leine and kilt are difficult to make.”

The pounding sound of a horse’s hooves coming through the gatehouse caused them to look at each other, eyes wide. Hamish glanced outside and said, “Good thing you are done. Looks like our temporary chieftain has figured out a way to abandon Seamus and return early.”

Meriel bit her tongue. She
knew
she had been right to believe Craig would find a way to be around. Meriel peeked down at the courtyard just in time to see Craig toss his reins to the stable master and jump down off his horse. “He doesn’t look happy.”

Hamish’s face broke into a large smile. “At least not happy to see Brenna down there playing with the boys,” he said, watching Craig approach the children, his face clearly displeased as he said something to Brenna.

Concern for the little girl flashed through Meriel but died quickly when the girl’s back went rigid and her hands flew to her hips. Brenna was obviously not taking any admonishment from her uncle lightly. “I want to meet the man that little girl marries someday.”

Hamish rolled his eyes. “Not me. He’ll either be spineless, choosing to surrender whenever Brenna makes a demand, or a man to be feared.”

Alarm was growing in Meriel. “But with Craig’s untimely arrival, how are we going to make him believe that we were together in my bedchamber and not here, since Conan’s study was mysteriously bolted?”

Hamish chuckled, grabbing his sword and sticking it through his belt. “I love it when I get the chance to outmaneuver a McTiernay. Leave it to me. I may not know how to sneak inside the castle from the village, but I am expert on traversing these curtain walls after spending endless hours of guard duty on them. I can get from any tower to another without being seen.”

Meriel grinned. With Brenna and her penchant for relaying gossip, there was a slim chance of outwitting Craig today, but Hamish obviously relished the idea. Meriel gathered her things and followed him out the door and up the staircase. Bending below the openings in the battlements, she crept behind Hamish until they came to the North Tower. For a moment, she thought their plan was doomed. For there, perched and surveying the lands, was a guard. Hamish signaled for her to wait until he gave her a sign. He next strode onto the tower and waved hello to the guard as he yanked open the tower door. Then, as if he had changed his mind, he walked over to the younger man and pointed somewhere in the distance, allowing Meriel a chance to slip by unnoticed and down into the tower stairwell. Seconds later, Hamish met her on the third floor outside her bedchamber.

Meriel was beaming with delight. “Thanks, Hamish. For everything. For agreeing to my plan, being agreeable about getting new clothes . . . for all of it.”

Hamish gathered one her hands in his. “My lady, there really is no need to thank me. I said I would be glad to help, and I am. Besides, I actually rather enjoyed myself today. It certainly wasn’t nearly as tiresome and painful as Craig made it sound.”

“That man has no idea what he is talking about. I honestly wonder how he came by the clothes he is wearing.”

“So what is the next step in this grand idea of yours? Need to see me tomorrow?”

Meriel bit her bottom lip. “Craig thinks you are suffering. If you consent to coming back too soon, it might counter that belief.”

“What if we say that you
want
to see me again tomorrow, but I refused because I was . . . oh, too busy. The reason why I am unavailable, Craig can just assume.”

Meriel clasped her hands in delight. “Perfect!”

“You know I should feel a little guilty helping you, but in all honesty, I’m enjoying myself. Craig likes to think of himself as the most amenable of his brothers, when in truth he is just as stubborn in his ways as any one of them. So consider me your humble accomplice. So, farewell, until next time.” Hamish gave her a flamboyant bow and then disappeared down the spiral staircase.

Removing the smile on his face, Hamish pushed open the tower door, unsurprised to find Craig on the other side.

Craig stepped forward. “So, how did things go?”

Hamish drew his lips into a grimace and said, “Wasn’t expecting this to last for days.”

Craig crossed his arms and rocked onto his heels in a failed attempt to hide his pleasure. Brenna had already revealed how boring it had been with Hamish and Meriel in the Warden’s Tower, but it was obvious they both wanted him to believe that they had met in her bedchamber. Seeing Hamish’s frustrated expression only added to his feeling of triumph. Just as Craig predicted, the man had been in hell. “Come drown your sorrows with a drink.”

Hamish shook his head. “Next time. I’ve got some things to take care of.”

“So I take it things were not quite as
pleasant
as you thought they’d be,” Craig said with a smirk.

Hamish’s jaw tightened and his mouth formed a stubborn line. He could feel beads of sweat forming across his forehead and he knew at any minute Craig would interpret his angst for what it really was. “There are many words I could use to describe today’s experience.”

Craig inhaled and pursed his lips, shaking his head. “I guess Meriel wasn’t happy to hear you wouldn’t be coming back.”

Hamish started walking away, eager to end the conversation. “She wants me back tomorrow,” he corrected over his shoulder. “I told her I was busy but agreed she could finish Wednesday.”

Once inside the stables and out of Craig’s sight, Hamish leaned against the railing in relief. Normally he would have been reluctant to deceive anyone, especially a close friend. What he had told Meriel was true—he did think Craig needed a reminder that he was not always right. But after spending an afternoon with her and seeing Craig’s unconcerned response to their being alone, Hamish’s reasons for helping Meriel with her plan had morphed from amusing pastime into something far more serious.

Fact was, Rae Schellden’s daughter was
nothing
like Hamish had originally thought. She was funny, smart, and could dole out sarcasm as well as receive it. Combine that with a smile that could instantaneously warm a man throughout his body, she was someone men would fight body and soul to make their own. And Craig knew it; worse, he refused to accept that he wanted her for his own. But if Craig thought he could prevent anyone else from discovering just how special Meriel was, he was a fool.