The Imposter (12 page)

“What are you
talking about, Devon McClain?  I most certainly was not using any such thing! 
I think that the only man that I should be worried about is you, you insolent
bastard!  It’s a wonder that any man would dance with me when you were scowling
in my direction all night!”

“I’ll show ye what
a lass like you needs!” he said fiercely, as he trapped me in his embrace and
drew me in for a lengthy, thorough kiss.  

When his lips came
down hungrily on mine, my resolve evaporated.   I knew that I should be angry,
should be resisting his advance, but I opened my mouth and welcomed his kiss. 
My body melted against his chest and my hands raked over his back and down to
his taught waist.  I kissed him back, tongue dueling with his and hated myself
for allowing myself to respond so wantonly to this brute.

 Devon broke the
kiss, and continued, “What you need, lass, is to be kissed fiercely, thoroughly
and often by a man whose fire matches yer own.”

My knees felt weak
from our unexpected kiss and from the implications of Devon’s words.

He wants me.  I
want him back.

I regained my
composure and removed my hands from his back, still taken aback by how my body
responded to this man while my mind screamed for it to stop.

“If I could reach
my dirk right now, I would stab you in the liver,” I spat, angry with myself
for being so wanton.

“Nae, ye wouldna,”
he purred, caressing my hair which had become disheveled during the passionate
kiss.

“And how do you
know what I would or would not do?”  I demanded, straightening my spine and pushing
his hand away.

“Because ye liked
it as much as I did,” he whispered, taunting me.  “Yer body responds tae me in
a way that ye canna control, nae matter how hard ye fight it.”

He was right.  He
saw through me like a pane of glass.  I let my forehead fall to Devon’s chest
for a split second, accepting defeat and drinking in how good it felt to touch
him.  I reached up and kissed him on the neck, reveling in his masculine scent. 
“Good night, Devon McClain,” I whispered as I slid from his embrace and slipped
into my chamber.

The clunk of the deadbold
being slammed into place made Devon laugh.  She had admitted her attraction to
him, a small victory.  “Good night, lass,” he said and walked down the stairs,
cock painful and pulsing from his uncanny response to her.  Small victories, he
thought to himself as he tried to ignore what was going on under his kilt.  She
had admitted her attraction to him, and it was a small victory that he would
accept.

Chapter Seven

  Every move that
I made was watched.  Around every corner was another guard or a housemaid,
maintaining the rouse of a menial task around the castle.   Windows were
cleaned, stairwells were swept, torches were lit, but all the while, I felt
their eyes upon me.  Constantly watching, evaluating me, eyes boring holes in
the back of my head.  I was an outsider in more ways than they could ever
understand and I got the feeling that outsiders were not trusted.  I knew that
Collin didn’t trust me, and I assumed that the reason for my constant supervision
was that he considered me to be a flight risk.

The gray skies and
nearly constant drizzle of rain were starting to get to me, limiting my ability
to work in the garden or walk the grounds of the keep.  I needed something to
keep myself busy with, something to pass the time.  It was the quiet moments
that were the worst for me.  My mind was drawn as if it were a magnet, drawn
back to my fear that my Father would find me and drag me back to my arranged
marriage.  This fear was compounded because I knew that the safety I enjoyed
within the McClain keep was only temporary.  It was only a matter of time until
I would be discovered as an imposter, my rouse as Katherine Berkshire was more
dangerous with each passing day.

It was hard to
suppress the constant stream of thoughts that swirled through my mind as I
tried to decide how to preserve my freedom.   I knew that escape from the
McClain keep would be necessary, but every time an opportunity arose, my escape
was thwarted from a guard or a maid that had been placed to watch me.

 I also knew that
my father would not have just assumed that I had died when I jumped overboard
and into the icy sea.  He would have wanted to see my body as proof, not to
help him grieve the loss of his daughter, but to ensure that his chance to ally
with the McGregors was really gone.  I knew that I was only a pawn in my father’s
greedy scheme, and not for a second did I believe that he cared about me.  He
only cared that I would bring him a blood tie to the McGregors, which would lead
to the fattening of his purse due to the profitable trade routes that they
guarded.

When my problems
weren’t controlling my thoughts, Devon was.  As much as I had tried, I could
not deny my feelings for Devon.  I was tormented by the memories of his kiss
last night outside of my chamber.  Butterflies fluttered in my stomach each
time I remembered how his lips felt over mine, how his body felt pressed
against my own.  I yearned for the safety that I knew that Devon could give me,
but at the same time, every fiber in my being screamed at me to run, to
escape.  In the past couple of days, my mantra of escape had been gradually
replacing itself with one of tentative acceptance.  Maybe Devon was my best
chance to protect myself from my father.  Maybe he could help me.

 I took a deep
breath, holding it in my lungs before slowly letting it out.  With the identity
that I had unintentionally taken on, I had been saved from marriage to the
Laird of Clan McClain due to his untimely death, but I wondered how long I would
be safe.  I had overheard discussion of Kate Berkshire’s sizeable dowry, and I
knew that Clan McClain was in need of finances.  How long would it be before I
was married to someone else so that the dowry could be collected?

I needed my full
wits about me to play this game.  I would not be a willing pawn in Collin’s
schemes to finance his petty wars and cattle raids.  I had escaped my father’s
intention of selling me as a bride to McGregor to bring an alliance between our
families, and I refused to fall into the same situation with Collin and his
lust for money. 

If I was not able
to find a way to escape, I could at least resolve to determine my own destiny
in this strange new place.  I scanned my meager list of acquaintances, looking
for allies.  I immediately knew that Leti was my best bet,and that her
relationship with the Laird, her brother, might help.  I needed to stay close
to Leti, kindle our friendship and use it to my advantage.

With my new
mindset making me feel a little more in control, I decided to implement this
plan immediately.  I walked a little taller from my chamber down the long
hallway that lead to the great room, hoping to find Leti.  After Brennan’s
return to the keep, Leti rarely left his side and was totally engrossed in
nursing her betrothed back to health.  I missed her company, missed having
someone to share my day with.  Most of the women in the castle still kept me at
arms length, wary of my uncertain position with the Laird, refusing to talk to
me unless it was absolutely unavoidable.  My conversations with Leti had been
so natural, so easy and full of laughter.

Now, I realized
just how important my friendship with Leti might be in postponing an unwanted
marriage.  I needed her not only as a friend, but also as an ally against
Collin.

I found them
lounging on one of the settees next to the fire, holding hands and totally
wrapped up in each other.  Brennan was clearly on the road to recovery, his arm
draped casually around Leti’s shoulder as he held her close in the firelight.            I
watched as Brennan nuzzled Leti’s neck and whispered something in her ear that
caused her to let loose a familiar giggle.  I felt like an intruder in their
private bubble of happiness.

  I turned heel
and decided that tonight would not be the night to initialize my plan.  Leti
was busy and a true friend would not interrupt what she was currently occupied
with next to the fire.  I couldn’t begrudge her the joy that she found in
Brennan’s return to health.  

 I reluctantly
decided that maybe I could find solace in a book from Collin’s library.  I
grasped the wooden banister at the edge of the large stone staircase that lead
to the second level of the castle, thankful that after a week, I had finally
learned to navigate the hallways and levels of the massive castle without
getting lost.  Or, at least without getting lost very often.

 I took a left at
the top of the stairs and headed down the narrow passage that led to Collin’s
private library.  He was often found here during the day, overlooking figures
and managing all aspects of the lairdship from his enormous oak desk.  He had
once offered me a book to read from his library, an offer that I had declined
at the time, not realizing that the weather was about to take a turn towards
rain. 

“Ye fucking
bastard!” Devon yelled, the sound of his fist striking something solid
accompanied his exclamation.  I recognized his voice immediately, although I
had never heard it booming with such anger. I stopped in my tracks.

“Who’s the bastard
here, Devon?  I ken that bitch of a mother of yours was already pregnant with
ye when she wed my Father.  That swiving bitch entrapped him and ye ken it!”

“He loved her and yer
jealous of what they had together. I swear I’ll kill ye if ye bring up my mother
again.”  His voice was seething with rage.  “I’ll not do it, Collin.  Ye canna
force me tae marry her!”

My hand steadied
my body against the cold stone wall.  I was committed now.  I feared moving
back into the hallway because they might hear me, knowing that I was
eavesdropping on a very personal conversation.  I was frozen in place.

They’re talking
about me!

I had anticipated
that Collin would try to marry me off as soon as possible, but this was
ridiculous.  His father was barely cold in the grave and already he was intent
on marrying me off so that he could claim Katherine Berkshire’s dowry.

“No, I canna force
ye to it.  However, I do have an alternate plan in case ye won’t cooperate,”
Collin threatened.  There was an underlying tone of challenge in his voice. 
“I’ve received a letter from Willis Cameron expressing his desire tae claim the
lass.  He will pay for her hand, but not as much as her dowry would add to our
coffers.  I would gladly hand her over to Cameron, pain in the arse that she
is, if it were not for the dowry her father promised upon the confirmation of
her nuptials.”

“Have ye no
shame?” Devon’s voice was seething with anger.  “Wedding her tae the Cameron is
a death sentence.  Ye ken what he did with his last wife when he tired of her,”
Devon warned, recalling the “accident” that befell Cameron’s first wife when
she fell out of the warlord’s favor.  “Collin, ye ken that Cameron is a wicked
man.  Think of Kate.”  Devon said, the tone of his voice more controlled now,
trying to reason with his brother. 

“I’ve no responsibility
towards her other than tae secure her a marriage after Da’s passing.  I have nae
care for her feelings or best interest.  We need the money from her dowry.  I’d
prefer that ye marry the lass, as that would be the most profitable outcome for
the Clan, but if ye refuse, I’ll send her packing to the Camerons immediately.”

A feeling of
intense dread filled the pit of my stomach and I felt as though I might be
sick.  I fought every urge in my body that told me to run, to escape this
fate.  My mind forced my feet to be anchored to the floor and I fought against
the bile that was rising in my throat.

“Ye ken that the Camerons
have a price on my head, brother.  If ye force me tae marry the lass that
Cameron wants for his own, that price will be tenfold.  They will hunt me,” Devon
said matter-of-factly.

“I’ve made my
decision.  Ye shall marry Miss Berkshire, or she goes to the Cameron.
Protecting ye from the Camerons is no my concern.”

“Ye ken full well
that I can protect myself,” Devon raged.  “We are on the verge of war with the Camerons
already and ye choose tae taunt their Laird by marrying the woman that he
desires to his worst enemy.  I see through yer plan, brother.  If Cameron has
me killed, yer life would be sae much easier.”

“True,” Collin
sighed. “He might even take the wench off my hands when ye are killed, that is
if he doesn’t mind having yer seconds.”

 “I canna be tied
down, worrit about Kate, when I should be out leading our men.  This is not
what is best for the Clan, and ye ken it, ye bastard!” Devon’s fist thundered
as it struck something in the room, possibly the wall or the desk.

“She’s not at all
bad tae look at, in fact, I wouldn’t mind having her warm my bed.  Ye can think
of this as a favor, brother.” I could imagine Collin’s vindictive smile as he
taunted Devon.  “Let me ken your answer by morning.  If I doona hear from ye,
I’ll make preparations to transfer the lass tae the Camerons tomorrow
afternoon.”

“Fuck you,” Devon
said harshly.

Numbly, I strode
forward into the library, knowing that Devon was about to leave the room.  I
would be caught if I tried to flee down the hallway.  Hearing Devon’s clear
aversion to marrying me had quite surprisingly hurt, his rejection stung even
though I didn’t want to marry either. Given the choice between him and this
Cameron fellow, I was quite sure that Devon was my best option. 

  As I pushed
though the door, both men turned, faces flushed and jaws clenched with the
anger of their confrontation.  I had caught them off guard.

“Kate!” Devon
exclaimed, green eyes glancing nervously towards his brother.