The Highlander's Temptation (6 page)

Aunt Fiona straightened her shoulders, looking down her elegant nose at Lorna. “We shall see about that.”

Lorna kept her lips firmly closed, refusing to fall into another sparring match with her aunt. Instead, she inclined her head with respect and waited for the bitter woman to leave the room.

Lifting her skirts, Fiona swept from the room
in a cloud of citrus and cloves—the way she’d smelled since Lorna was a child—the same way Lorna imagined a greatly revered queen would.

As soon as her aunt was gone, Lorna
took a deep breath, letting all the pent up anxiety flow out of her. She shut the door, thoughts of her aunt pushed to the background as a sound outside reminded her of their uninvited guest. She hurried toward the window. What had Magnus decided to do about Laird Montgomery?

Flinging open the shutters, she searched the courtyard for signs of the
dark warrior, and when seeing none, she looked for her brother. It appeared the two of them had disappeared. A glance over the moors gave her no further information. ’Twas entirely possible that her brother had sent the man on his way, and that he’d made such haste as to have disappeared from view already. Then again, he could be in the great hall now, drinking ale and laughing with her brothers.

Laughing about her.

Lorna frowned and did one more cursory glance around the courtyard, coming up empty-sighted and irritated.

Why today, of all days, did that brawny, handsome, wicked looking warrior have to ride to Sutherland? Why did he have to make an appearance now?

Jamie Montgomery… The name was so familiar... But he was a laird, and her brother often associated with other clan chiefs. She’d likely heard his name in passing. If that were the case, then why couldn’t she shake the feeling that she’d met him before?

“Jamie Montgomery,” she murmured, fingers sliding over the ridges of the shutters.

No bell suddenly tolled her enlightenment. She was still in the dark. But if he happened to be downstairs instead of on his way back to wherever he came from, she would certainly get to the bottom of the mystery. For her own sake. And not because she found him to be altogether very enticing.

The kind of man she could imagine herself getting married to.

The kind of man she could imagine spending the rest of her life with.

The kind of man she imagined bending her backward over his arm as he kissed her.

Lorna shook her head. What the hell was she thinking? She’d just brandished her dagger in the man’s face! He’d scared the wits out of her. The last thing she should be thinking of was falling for him.

His soul could be as dark as his hair for all she knew. Lorna waved away her mad thoughts. For certain
, Magnus would have sent Laird Jamie Montgomery on his way, and every thought she’d had of him since their encounter would be moot.

Chapter Five

After being welcomed by the Sutherland clan, Toby and Donald were pointed in the direction of the barracks while Jamie was given a small guest room to wash up in before meeting the laird in his library.

A guard standing outside of Jamie’s door, nodded. “This way, my laird,” he said.

The man was silent as he led him down a flight of stairs and through a darkened corridor. They stopped at a wooden door and the guard rapped twice with his knuckles. On the other side, a voice bade them to enter.

The guard gave a curt nod to Jamie and opened the door, indicating he should enter first. Jamie took the lead, entering into a spacious library that much resembled his own. Large, imposing, but utterly masculine.
A wide oak desk, tall wooden back chairs, a long high table, a grand hearth, shuttered windows, fur rugs, and shelves upon shelves of books and rolled scrolls. As the windows did not give off enough light, several sconces were lit upon the walls.

“Laird Montgomery,
” Laird Sutherland said, coming around the desk to stand a foot away. Jamie reached forward, grasping the man’s arm in greeting.

A strong grip, for a moment they both competed for strength, before Sutherland broke away with a short laugh.

“I trust ye found ye’re accommodations suitable.”

Jamie grinned. “More than agreeable, Laird Sutherland. I’d not expected as much.”

“Call me Magnus. No need for formalities. I didna forget what ye and your da did for my family all those years ago. I’ve never been able to find a way to repay ye, and I do hope ye call on me whenever ye’ve need of me.”

A good opening as to the reason Jamie was currently at Dunrobin.
“Any man would have done the same.”

Magnus shook his head, his face growing grim. “Sadly, I dinna believe that.”

And he was right. Many were of the mind that every man had to fend for himself. “Did ye ever find out who did it?”

Magnus’ frown deepened. “Nay.”

“I’m sorry to hear it.”

“Aye, me, too. But that is not what ye came all this way for. As I’ve heard it
, ye have a seat on the Bruce’s council, a place within Wallace’s own army.”

“Indeed, and ’tis part of the reason I’ve come.”

“Sit.” Magnus backed away, shadows crossing over his features that made Jamie wonder if he’d be receptive to joining the cause. “Whisky?”

Jamie pulled back one of the wooden chairs from the
desk and sat. “None, thank ye.”

“None?” Magnus jerked back and winged a brow.

Not accepting a drink was considered rude. Highland hospitality bade Magnus offer, but it also required Jamie to accept. He ground his teeth. “I’ve had a long journey, my laird, and if ye dinna find it too offensive, I shall pass on the dram until I’ve had more time to rest.”

He’d not tell him the real reason. The fact that he’d never liked the stuff other than for medic
inal purposes. Because ’twas no secret in Montgomery country that when Jamie’s father picked up a mug his fist usually landed on their mother. He’d respected his father. But he’d hated him for that.

Jamie had no interest in becoming a monster, and so he stuck to watered ale and wine, and left the whisky to others.

Magnus grunted. “Then I shall also refrain.” He walked around the table and sat down opposite Jamie. “Let us speak plainly about why ye’ve come. Has it to do with my sister?”

Jamie held
back his splutter, heels digging into the wooden planks of the floor. “Nay.”

The man sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, a skeptical look upon his face. “Nay?”

Trying to offset the man’s obvious doubt, Jamie leaned forward his elbows on the table. “I assure ye, my journey here had naught to with your sister.”

“Huh. I’d assumed it did.”

“Why?” Jamie frowned. Aye, the lass was intriguing, and a spit-fire, but marriage? Nay. Not yet. And when he did marry, it was likely to be to a woman who would submit to him. Not one that wouldn’t think twice about wielding a dagger in his face.

“Well,
she’s of marrying age, and ye did save her all those years ago. And, ye were the one that brought her back to the castle. Stubborn lass that she is.” He shook his head. “A man will have a hard time taming her.”

Jamie happened to like a woman with spirit
—but not for a wife. A daredevil was what Lorna was. Taming wasn’t so much what she needed as training. Aye, and if he’d come for her hand, he might have offered to be the one to do it. As it was, his venture was far from anything to do with marriage. “Ah, so it was she,” he said awkwardly to fill the space.

“Ye didna know?”

“She didn’t tell me her name.”

Magnus grinned. “Sassiest lass. Well, besides the hellion.”

“The hellion?”

“
My youngest sister, Heather.”

“Apologies for any misunderstanding. ’Tis not that I dinna find your sister—”

Magnus raised a hand, cutting him off. “Och, Lorna is not quite ready to wed. Besides, I had hoped to cut ye off before ye asked.”

Jamie grinned, although inside he felt a twinge of irritation. And why should that be? He’d not come to beg for the lass’s hand. Yet, the idea of asking her to spend the rest of her life with him, having her sit beside him at meals, mend his
shirts and lie naked in his bed was extremely appealing. He raked a hand through his hair and blew out a breath, reminding himself she’d more likely argue with him than acquiesce.

“Well, I didna come to ask.” The last of Magnus’ words seemed to hit Jamie all at once. “What do ye mean ye’d hoped to cut me off?”

Magnus looked at him gravely. “Ye live in the Lowlands. Not a place I’d want my kin to live, ye see.”

Jamie nodded slowly, refusing to get into a battle on that fact. “
I came on the business of the council.”

Magnus looked relieved that Jamie had chosen not to continue with questioning his ideals.
“What has that to do with me?”

“I’m hoping quite a lot. The Sutherlands are
a powerful clan. Well respected not only in the Highlands but the Lowlands, too.” He added that last bit after hearing the distaste the man had for his fellow southern countrymen.

“Aye
, and?”

Hell and damnation, the man was going to make him work for it.
“My laird, we need ye. Scotland needs ye. This fight against the Sassenachs, this fight for our own country’s freedom, is costing us greatly.”

“And ye want coin?”

Jamie nodded. “Among other things.”

“Which are?”

Jamie leaned forward, keeping his gaze steady. “We need men. We need forces, weapons, supplies. We need support from the Highland clans in order to save all of us from Longshanks’ tyranny. He’s taking brides on their wedding nights and stealing their virtue for himself, allows his lords to do the same. Every man who weds is at risk of their wives birthing an English bastard. Not to mention we have no law that is our own. If Longshanks had his way we’d all be murdered in our sleep, and hanged just for breathing. We need your allegiance, and we need your allies.”

Laird Sutherland sat back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest and gazed off somewhere behind Jamie. ’Twas a lot to take in. Jamie had only been able to deliver the news so easily because he’d been dealing with it for some time.

Magnus stood up and paced the length of the room. “I’m in need of a whisky, Montgomery. I hope ye dinna mind.”

Jamie shook his head. “By all means.”

The man had more than one whisky, his jaw clamped tight between knocking them back. After a few minutes, he returned to the table and pulled out his chair, taking a seat.

“Ye have my allegiance, and if war comes to the Highlands, I will protect the lands and the people with every ounce of power I possess.”

Jamie nodded. “We need more than that.”

“I am uncertain if I can give ye more than that. Already this year I’ve sent a chest of silver to the Bruce. Any more than that before next year and I risk the safety and health of my people.”

Jamie knew it would be hard to convince a man to support a war he could not see. “And what if Longshanks marches his men across the mountains, burning your villages and cotters?”

“He will never make it that far,
” Magnus said with confidence.

“How can ye guarantee that?”

The laird’s nostrils flared in irritation. “Are ye threatening me, Montgomery?”

Jamie held up his hands in a show of yielding.
“Nay, man, I am simply asking ye an honest question.”

“I have scouts not only all across my land, but the Highlands themselves. H
e’ll never make it to the village.”

“Have ye that many forces on hand? Longshanks marches thousands of knights across our fields, trampling crops and
murdering cattle, sheep. He does it for the entertainment and cruelty of it, not for the supplies. Whole villages have starved to death if they were not burned.”

“What are ye asking for exactly?”

“Men. Supplies. For ye to encourage your allies to join our forces.”

“If I send my men to the Lowlands and the bloody English defeat ye, like they did with Wallace not a fortnight ago, then they will march into the mountains and I am left without the men I sent to ye. We are unprotected. ’Tis best my men remain behind to protect the north.”

“I disagree. With your men in the south, we can defeat Longshanks before he crosses the Grampians.”

Magnus shook his head. “Too much of a risk.”

“And if your future Scottish king orders it?”

“The Bruce?
” Magnus leaned back in his chair. “Has he?”

Jamie frowned.
He’d probably have more luck in convincing a virgin to have raw, sweaty relations in front of an audience—not that he’d ever done such a thing, but damn Magnus was making this difficult. “It has been requested that ye offer support in your country’s fight for freedom.”

Magnus’ lips thinned in a line and he stared hard at Jamie. The man was stubborn. Good thing he’d not come to offe
r for Lorna’s hand. Sutherland would no doubt come up with every reason not to agree just to get a rise out of Jamie. It appeared there were more than a few stubborn arses in the Sutherland family.

“I will need a day or two to think over what I shall offer. Is that suitable? In the meantime would ye
and your men care to stay on as our guests? We’ll have a Beltane celebration on the morrow, and I shall give ye my answer after that.”

Now it was Jamie’s turn to frown. He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest as he assessed the Sutherland laird. Remaining at Dunrobin for two additional days was not in his plan. However, if he could convince
Sutherland to send out messengers to the neighboring clans encouraging support, then it just might be worth it, and save him time in the long run. He truly needed to get back to Glasgow. Malcolm knew how to run the keep, how to protect their family, lands and clan, but Jamie was chief, and not a messenger. Glasgow was where he belonged.

He blew out a deep sigh. “Aye. I’ll remain. But I’ll need your answer no later than two days. And I’ll need your word that whatever means of support ye decide on, ye’ll send out word to your fellow allies, encouraging them to do the same.”

Magnus gave a curt nod. “Ye have my word. And my thanks for allowing me some time to think over my answer.”

“Your gratitude is nay
required. ’Tis a weighty thing your future king has requested of ye. But it does not come lightly, nor without much appreciation. Your assistance will go a long way in helping free us from Longshanks’ tyranny. The Sutherland name will go down in history as being part of that.”

Magnus chuckled. “I but wonder what that history will be
. My men are fully capable of fighting one on five to the bloody Sassenachs, but that’s with me as their commander. Under another man, if they obey and he has not fully prepared for the attack, there is no telling what could happen.”

“Wallace is a great leader.”

“Aye, but he is not me.”