Tempting the Highlander (17 page)

Laurel shrugged with reluctant acceptance. “So what will you both do in the meantime?”

Aileen, Laurel’s best friend, sat forward and said, “You both are to get married in a month, correct?” After seeing two slightly bobbing heads, she added, “Then why don’t you make your wedding dresses?”

Laurel nodded. “I’ll even supply the material.” That made Conor slump farther down into his chair with his lips pursed even more in irritation. He had bought those beautiful materials for his wife, not for two dresses that were not going to be worn any time soon or by someone related to him by blood or marriage.

Sensing her husband’s tension, Laurel reached over and clasped his hand, but continued to study the other end of the table. “And if you wouldn’t mind helping out with Brenna. I have to address some responsibilities and will be in and out of the castle for the next few days. Braeden will spend most of his time with his friend Gideon or his father. Glynis, our head housekeeper, has agreed to look after Bonny, but having Brenna as well is just too much for her.”

Meriel nodded her head; Raelynd bobbed hers more enthusiastically. Taking care of Brenna was a gift. Meriel would be thrilled to make a dress, but to Raelynd, the chore would be sheer torture. Besides, looking after the little girl would be easy for Brenna could practically take care of herself.

Conan opened his mouth to make a sharp retort, but Raelynd’s gaze swiftly descended upon him and she pointed up to the imaginary floor above them. “Meriel and I are ready for our apology. And just be glad we are not demanding it to be even more public.”

With a great show, Conan rose slowly to his feet and coughed several times into his fist. Pasting on a fake smile, he said to the group at large, “I would like to humbly apologize for my behavior at the arrival of Lady Raelynd and her sister, Lady Meriel. It was my intention to provoke my brothers as I had not seen them in several months, rather than inflict pain on either of them.”

“Why, I almost believe you,” Raelynd whispered teasingly.

Conan produced an earnest grin and with his chin, he gestured to the group on the other end of the table. “If I had known such a statement would cause the looks on Hamish’s, Finn’s and Aileen’s faces down there, I would have done so much earlier. Thank you.”

Raelynd fluttered her eyelids and sighed. “Ah, Conan, I will always be available to help you become a better man and brother.”

“Lucky me.”

Crevan was about to choke. The insincere flirting between Raelynd and his brother had transformed to one of a different nature, and if possible, one that was significantly worse. Their banter’s tone had transitioned from caustic to affable. Too many times had Crevan witnessed Conan woo women, and even those who knew of his brief attention span fell prey to his charms. Unfortunately, at the moment, all of his brother’s charisma was focused on Raelynd, and it was working.

“Stop it,” Crevan heard himself hiss.

The angry pitch seized Raelynd’s attention. “What?”

“Stop encouraging my brother,” Crevan answered, his voice barely above a soft whisper.

Straightening her back, Raelynd stared Crevan directly in the eye. “At least your brother goes after what he wants and doesn’t suppress his feelings by calling them friendship.”

Conan, picking the worst possible time to physically intrude, leaned over and stuck his head close to theirs. “Can I listen? Or are you afraid, brother, that I just might steal her away from you?”

Furious, Crevan pulled back, his eyes cold and proud. “From me?” he scoffed. “O-once again, you are mistaken. Raelynd thankfully is not my problem, she’s Craig’s.” Then he stood up and with a small nod to Laurel and his eldest brother, left the Great Hall.

Later that night, Meriel leaned back in the big chair situated in Raelynd’s room to stretch her arms and release a long yawn. “I cannot believe how little Crevan spoke this evening. Do you think it was because of how he talks?”

The comment momentarily stunned Raelynd. Aye, Crevan was not as talkative as his brother Craig, but in her mind, he was far from silent. And even when Crevan was more quiet than usual, to believe his speech was behind the reason was absurd. “I doubt it. Crevan seeks approval from no one.”

Meriel shrugged her shoulders and yawned again. “I guess you are right, but I would think his speech would seriously annoy you.”

“Me? No. Why?”

“I don’t know. You just always demand perfection from everyone regardless of who they are or what faults they have.”

Raelynd turned to argue, but closed her mouth slowly without saying a word as memories of life at Caireoch Castle came to mind. Too many of them were of her being highly critical of those around her. “I’m tired,” she lied, “and you keep yawning.”

Meriel rolled her eyes, but pushed herself out of the padded chair and headed to the door. “I know when I am no longer wanted.”

The door closed and Raelynd went to sit down and think in the chair her sister had just occupied when she heard a soft single knock. Letting go a deep, perturbed sigh, she called out, “What did you forget?”

Raelynd had hoped her sister would just pop in, grab whatever item she had left behind, and quickly retreat back to the second floor, but only silence filled the room until another single knock was heard. Meriel would not be going away. Rising, Raelynd strolled to the door hoping her slow speed would irritate her sister as much as being forced to get up and answer the door did her.

Grabbing the rope, Raelynd gave it a yank. Nobody was there. Raelynd narrowed her gaze and stuck her head out into the corridor just in time to spy Conan sneaking up the staircase. “Was that you knocking on my door?”

The disappearing foot halted in midair and then stepped back down, followed by its mate. A second later, Conan was in view, sauntering up to her door. “First, it’s not
your
room, and secondly, your question makes it seem like I was pounding desperately to get your attention.”

Raelynd crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame, refusing to let him think he could intimidate her with his swagger, his close presence, or his words. “Normally I would agree that two knocks are hardly the sounds of desperation . . . unless of course they were made by you and upon
my
door.” She paused and then looked down the empty corridor once more. “How did you get in here? Lady McTiernay has ordered at least two soldiers to guard this tower to prevent
those not allowed
from coming in,” she finished, pointing a finger toward his chest.

Conan smiled and deep dimples appeared. On most men they would have come across somewhat feminine, but not on him. Strangely, they caused his cheeks and chin to appear more angular and therefore more rugged. The man was devastatingly good looking, maybe the best looking of all the McTiernay brothers, but he lacked qualities that Crevan had, which kept him from being anything other than nice to look at—if he weren’t such a
burraidh
.

“I doubt Laurel posted them to guard you from me,” Conan countered.

Raelynd blinked once. “We finally agree. Nevertheless, how did you get in?” The question was more than just mild interest. If he could sneak in, then she could slip out.

“I have my ways.”

Raelynd rolled her eyes. She was not in the mood for his games and stepped back to close the door. But before she could do so, Conan whipped out his hand and stopped her. She gave him what she hoped was a withering glance. “I’m sorry, Conan. If you are looking for a good night kiss, you’ll have to go elsewhere.”

“Raelynd, you don’t need—”

Raelynd held up her hand and interrupted, “I’m Meriel.”

Conan opened his mouth and Raelynd readied herself for a caustic remark. But instead, his face transformed from the normal confident one filled with arrogance and self-conceit to one of weariness. “Let’s call a truce, shall we? I know you are not Meriel and it is obvious that no matter how quiet I try to be, you are going to know when I’m in my study. So I won’t tell Laurel about you and your sister’s little act of defiance—and believe me when I tell you that I am doing you a great favor in that regard—and you don’t tell her I’m still staying upstairs.”

With a small shake of her head in disbelief that she was about to agree to anything Conan put forth, Raelynd shrugged her shoulders in acquiescence. “First tell me how studying maps creates all that noise.”

Just the mention of his favorite subject changed Conan’s demeanor yet again, this time into one of an eager youth. “Whenever I’m trying to work out a problem, I walk. Helps me think and nobody does that better than me,” he finished with a wink, and turned to saunter back to his room.

Raelynd just shook her head. “Good night,
a bragadair na mblat is na mbreth
.”

Conan pivoted back around at the satirical compliment but instead of issuing an insult he just studied her. “You, Lady Schellden, I just might have underestimated.”

“Oh, surely if you did it was only by a little.”

Conan licked his lips in a poor effort to hide his smile at the clever rejoinder. “I’ll admit you are not nearly the insipid, dumb creature I originally thought you to be, but that doesn’t mean I like you.”

Raelynd laughed at the concept. “And I doubt that I will ever truly like you. But I have good reason behind my contempt.”

“As do I,” Conan stated with complete seriousness. “You would be no good for Craig. You do not have true feelings for him.”

“Do not worry about Craig. He is aware that I do not love him, just as I know he does not love me.”

“And yet supposedly you are to be married.”

Raelynd locked her jaw and with an unwavering stare, answered, “Aye.”

Conan quickly marched back to where she stood and, moving in very close, he whispered, “Why? Why
marriage
? Just who are the four of you protecting? Your father?”

Conan just asked her the one question she wanted answers to herself. But as she had none to give, Raelynd merely shrugged, trying as hard as she could to maintain a blasé persona. “What was it you just said? You have your ways? Well, we have our reasons. Your brothers know what they are doing.”
They better,
she added to herself.

“Well, if they do, then it will be the first time—at least for Craig,” Conan rejoined.

“Unlike you, who always knows what he is doing and never makes a rash or unwise decision.”

Conan arched a brow at the sarcastic, but fierce defense of his brothers and openly assessed her. Raelynd forced herself to remain motionless and act unfazed by the candid scrutiny. “I think I just might have been wrong to think you weren’t pretty enough to marry. If you ever need anything, I am only a floor away.”

Raelynd could not help but let her jaw drop in shock as he left her side and disappeared up the stairs. The man was incorrigible, but at least they were no longer trying to verbally flay the other alive . . . at least for now. But his singling out Craig about not knowing what he was doing had her perplexed. What did he mean? And why had he not included Crevan?

Crevan snuck into the North Tower through the murder hole located in a hidden spot on the external side of the tower’s plinth. His anger still simmered inside and he knew it would not dissipate until he spoke with Raelynd and made sure she understood the dangers of flirting with Conan.

The man was notorious for treating women poorly and then seducing them. The illogicality of it still confounded him, but he had accepted the fact that, with very few exceptions, his little brother could charm almost any woman into doing anything. And after tonight, it was clear that Raelynd was not among those impervious few.

“Good night,
a bragadair, na mblat is na mbreth
.”

Hearing Raelynd, Crevan stopped abruptly in the stairwell, remaining hidden.
Good night, oh boaster of might and knowledge?
And he did not need to wait long before his guess of whom she was talking to was confirmed.

“You, Lady Schellden, I just might have underestimated.”

The
gaduiche
! Crevan felt his insides turn. It was one thing for Conan to charm women, but it was another when he himself was beguiled.

As Crevan continued to listen to both of them claim to dislike the other with obvious joy, his usually wellcontrolled temper started to rear. What was Raelynd thinking? First Craig, then him, now Conan? Did she intend to seek out every McTiernay brother?
Good thing you aren’t around, Clyde, or you would be mincemeat in this woman’s hands.

The sound of Conan’s footsteps continuing up to the fourth floor reclaimed his attention and the image of Raelynd going upstairs with him suddenly flitted through Crevan’s mind. Unable to shake the unthinkable idea, Crevan ascended the last few stairs to the third floor. He did not know what he expected to find, but he was not prepared for Raelynd to still be out in the hall, lost in thought. That was until he came into view.

“What are you doing here?”

The cold welcome in contrast to her demeanor toward Conan left him feeling empty with only anger to fill the void.

“Maybe I should be asking what
Conan
was doing here,” Crevan snapped.

The jolt of seeing Crevan just as she was thinking about him instantly disappeared, leaving only a wintry feeling in its wake. How the man got along with anyone was beyond her. Even Conan was easier to handle for he was always contemptuous; one just had to be ready and refuse to respond to his barbs. But Crevan was another matter. The friction between them was personal and it was not in her power to keep his words from hurting.

“What do you think he wanted?” she asked sarcastically. Crevan had been right there at the dinner listening to her threaten his brother with her knowledge of his being upstairs.

Crevan took a deep breath and sought to get a firm grip on his resolve. One of them had to stay calm and rational and he was determined it was going to be him.

Refusing to have an argument in the hallway where his brother and her sister could hear, he marched down the hall and, catching Raelynd’s arm in a light grip, brought her into his room and closed the door. Instantly, he knew he was in trouble.