The Laird of Stonehaven (13 page)

“I suggest ye listen to MacKay’s proposal before demanding promises from us,” Niall said. “What he has to say should be of great interest to ye.”

Graeme sincerely doubted he’d be interested in anything either of these two scoundrels had to say. The thought of their hands on his wife left him outraged. Placing an arm around Blair and holding her hard against his side, he strode toward the keep. He cared not if Blair’s brother and MacKay followed, for his thoughts were consumed with the indignity Blair had suffered at their hands.

As they started down the path, Heath, Stuart and Aiden joined them. When Graeme had run from the shearing pen without a word of explanation, they’d become worried and decided to follow. Knowing Graeme as they did, they knew he wouldn’t have rushed off without good reason.

“What are
they
doing here?” Stuart asked, jerking his head toward MacArthur and MacKay.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“What made ye run off like that?” Heath wanted to know.

Graeme gave Blair a squeeze. “A premonition.”

“We thought ye could use help and followed,” Aiden explained. “But I see ye have everything under control.”

“Thanks to my resourceful wife,” Graeme said grimly. “What they had planned for her wasna pretty.”

When they reached the keep, Graeme gave Blair’s shoulders a squeeze and said, “I would speak to your brother and MacKay alone.”

Blair gave him a mutinous glare. “Why? What they have to say involves me.”

“You’ve been through enough today. Obey me in this, Blair. Things could get ugly.” She continued to stare at him. “Please,” he added.

His heartfelt plea convinced her, though she liked it not. “Verra well, but I’ll expect a full report after they leave.”

Graeme sent her a cocky grin. “Ask your spirits, sweeting. They seem to know things before I do.”

Blair sent him a sizzling look, then flounced off.

“Sending her away was wise,” Niall said when he joined Graeme. “Our proposal is for yer ears alone. Where can we talk in private?”

“Follow me,” Graeme said, leading them to a small anteroom off the hall where he often consulted with his steward and housekeeper. He seated himself behind a desk and tented his fingers. “I would offer a wee drop of uisge breatha but you willna be here long enough to finish it. State your business so you can be on your way. I canna forget what you tried to do to Blair, and my temper is dangling by a slim thread.”

Unapologetic, Niall shrugged. “ ’Twas the only way to prove no real marriage exists between you and my sister.”

“You could have asked
me
about the state of our marriage,” Graeme charged. “What you intended for Blair was despicable.”

“ ’Twas necessary,” Niall maintained. “There was a prior betrothal. If yer marriage wasna consummated, I intended to give Blair to MacKay.”

“I know of no prior betrothal,” Graeme said evenly. “Douglas MacArthur gave Blair to me while he was alive to make the decision. Father Lachlan waived the banns and performed the ceremony in Douglas’s bedchamber. According to law and the Holy Church, Blair and I are husband and wife.”

“Douglas wasna in his right mind,” Niall charged. “I acted in his stead when I betrothed Blair to the MacKay.”

Graeme’s lips tightened to a bloodless line. “Douglas MacArthur’s mind was clear when he asked me to wed Blair. Our marriage is legal and binding.”

“Not if the marriage wasna consummated,” MacKay persisted.

An air of menace was inherent in Graeme’s words as he responded. “What makes you think our marriage wasna consummated?”

“The servants at Gairloch Castle, for one thing,” Niall replied. “They gossip, ye know. I heard them whispering about the lack of virgin’s blood on the sheets after ye left Gairloch.”

“You call that proof?” Graeme scoffed.

“There’s more,” Niall said with a smugness that set Graeme’s teeth on edge. “Blair fancies herself a Faery Woman and sets great store in her powers.”

“Do you believe in her powers?”

“My beliefs are my own,” Niall said evasively. “ ’Tis Blair’s beliefs we are talking about. And what of the rumors about yerself? ’Tis said ye returned from France a changed mon, that ye fell in love with someone unattainable. ’Tis likely Blair heard the gossip. The MacArthur Prophecy says a Faery Woman will lose her powers if she loves in vain, so it stands to reason she would withhold herself from ye rather than risk losing her heart as well as her powers. I also believe ye wouldna press her since ye love another.”

“You’re wrong, MacArthur,” Graeme charged. “We left Gairloch rather abruptly, but our marriage was consummated at Stonehaven.”

“Prove it!” MacKay barked.

Graeme shot to his feet. “My word is all the proof you require. I will say it one more time: Blair is my wife in every way.”

“Maybe so, but that doesna stop us from striking a deal,” MacKay ventured.

“What kind of a deal did you have in mind?” Graeme demanded harshly.

“Let me be blunt,” Niall began. “Can ye be happy with a witch for a bride? We all know ye wed Blair to repay a debt to Father.” He held up his hand when Graeme started to protest. “Dinna deny it. Everyone knows why ye wed my sister.” He leaned closer. “MacKay and I are offering ye a chance to rid yerself of the witch.”

Outrage darkened Graeme’s face. “Get out of here and dinna return!”

“Hear me out,” MacKay said. “If ye swear yer marriage wasna consummated, my clansmen will never steal from ye again.”

“I’ll not lie,” Graeme said from between clenched teeth.

“Ye’ll be sorry,” Niall spat. “Blair is more trouble than she’s worth. Once she starts casting spells, ye’ll wish ye had accepted MacKay’s offer. I’ve lived with her all my life and I know what she’s capable of.”

“Aye, let me take her off yer hands, Campbell,” MacKay urged. “I swear she’ll come to no harm.”

Graeme’s probing gaze searched deep into MacKay’s hard, cold eyes, and he liked not what he saw. “If Blair is so much trouble, why do you want her?”

“ ’Tis none of yer concern,” MacKay said with deliberate vagueness. “ ’Tis enough that I am willing to deal with her.”

“You intend to exploit her powers,” Graeme charged. “For your information, Blair has no powers.”

“Ye’re a fool if ye believe that,” Niall hissed.

“Aye, a fool,” MacKay agreed. “Blair can give me something I want verra much. Furthermore, with Blair’s ability to ‘see’ things, Niall and I can become invaluable to King James. Blair can use her powers to tell us who supports James and who does not. We can become the most powerful men in Scotland. The king already trusts us and looks to us for support.”

“Get out!” Graeme shouted. “You will be driven off my land if you attempt to return.”

“Dinna be too quick to refuse us,” MacKay warned. “We can make ye verra sorry ye did.”

“Get out!” Graeme repeated. “I assure you I am more than capable of defending myself and those I care about against the pair of you.”

“The witch isna worth yer life,” Niall blasted as he edged toward the door.

“Let me be the judge of that. Out, both of you. And dinna darken my doorstep again.”

He strode to the door and held it open. He was not surprised to see Heath and Aiden waiting on the other side.

“Do ye need help?” Heath asked.

“Nay. MacArthur and MacKay are leaving.”

Suddenly Blair came skidding around the corner. “What did they want? I hope you didna let them talk you into anything.”

Graeme grinned. No one could say his wife wasn’t impetuous. Her pugnacious stance, hands on hips, chin raised, was almost comical.

“I thought I sent you to your chamber.”

“Ye dinna know how to handle the lass,” Niall sneered. “Ye should have let MacKay take her off yer hands.”

Blair’s gaze collided with Graeme’s. Then she rounded on MacKay, her eyes blazing with fury. “You’re despicable. Do you recall that spell I spoke of earlier?”

MacKay stared at her, his hand flying downward to cover his groin. “If ye value yer life, witch, dinna try to work yer evil spells on me.” He backed away, his face contorted with fear.

“Ye shouldna be allowed to live among God-fearing people,” Niall charged, waving his fist in Blair’s face. “Ye’re dangerous, Blair. Dinna come to us for help when Campbell turns ye out. Ye deserve whatever fate brings ye.”

“Shall I escort them back to Gairloch?” Aiden asked.

“Just to the front door,” Graeme said. “I am sure they can find their own way back home without an escort.” His gaze found Blair. “What spell did you threaten them with?”

Blair sent him a saucy look. “I told them I’d shrivel their man parts.”

Heath made a gurgling sound in his throat while Graeme threw back his head and laughed. “Could you do that?” he asked, wiping away mirthful tears.

Blair shrugged. “I doubt it.” Then she turned and flounced off, her skirts swishing about her curvy hips.

“That wasna funny,” Heath charged. “Heed me, Cousin, ye should have given her to MacKay. Any woman who threatens to shrivel a man’s cock must be a witch.” He brushed his hand over his groin as if to make sure his own manhood was still intact. Apparently satisfied with what he found, he stomped off.

Graeme stared after him, a thoughtful expression on his face. Was he the only one who refused to believe that Blair was a witch? He had seen firsthand what happened to witches, and he couldn’t bear the thought of Blair suffering the same fate. He might not love Blair, but he didn’t want to see her hurt. Not just because Douglas MacArthur had charged him with her safety, but because he wouldn’t wish Joan’s fate on anyone. It was a horrible way to die. Until he had solid proof, he refused to believe Blair capable of evil.

Blair entered her chamber and slammed the door. Anger simmered beneath the surface of her calm. If Graeme had not heard her silent plea, her body would have been violated in a most disgusting way. Furthermore, she knew she had powerful enemies in her brother and MacKay.

Blair didn’t need to consult spirits to know those two wished her harm. The aura surrounding them was black, a dangerous color. She felt their animosity to the marrow of her bones. Niall had always feared her powers and been jealous of their father’s love. She couldn’t count the times Niall had tried to turn her father against her. Even more frightening, she feared their hostility extended to Graeme. It would serve them right if she actually did try to shrivel their man parts.

The door opened and Graeme stepped inside. Husband and wife stared at each other, separated by more than the width of the room. Between them stood the Prophecy and all it represented. She knew intuitively what Graeme was thinking, and she recoiled inwardly.

“Nay, dinna even think it,” she said. “I am not a witch.”

He strode toward her. “How do you know what I am thinking?”

Her gaze slid down the length of his body. He was wearing trews today. The material clung to his muscular thighs like a second skin, and she recalled with vivid clarity how those hard thighs had clasped her hips as he thrust inside her. A shudder passed through her, and she shook her head to clear it as she considered Graeme’s question.

“Your aura suggests what you are thinking, and it isna good.”

“My aura? What in the devil are you talking about?”

“Colors. I can read people’s moods and sometimes tell what they are thinking by the color surrounding them. Right now your aura is purple, the color of doubt and accusation.”

“Nonsense,” Graeme snorted. “That kind of talk can get you into trouble. Let’s hear no more about auras and reading people’s minds.”

“I canna change what I am, Graeme. Faery Women throughout the ages are born with powers few understand. I am not ashamed of my powers, for they come from God.”

His mouth thinned. “Can you cast spells?”

She nibbled her bottom lip as she considered Graeme’s question. How much should she tell him?

“Some might call them spells, but I do not.”

“What
do
you call them?” Graeme pressed.

“Graeme, must we continue this conversation? I would never do anything to harm another human being.”

“Niall and MacKay seemed convinced you could shrivel their cocks.”

She shrugged. “Let them believe what they will. ’Tis not important. I fear we have both earned their animosity. Niall and MacKay were at Inverness recently, meeting with the king. They have his ear, and I fear they will convince James to act against you in some way.”

“I dinna think that’s possible,” Graeme scoffed. “I have done naught to offend the king.”

“What about his plan to unify the Highlands? Most of the Highland lairds are against it, and I assume you are too.”

“Aye, unification isna welcome in the Highlands. We prefer our own laws and our own lairds. That, however, doesna make me the king’s enemy.”

“Mayhap not, but dinna discount Niall’s influence with the king, or his deceitful ways.”

“Let me worry about that, Blair. Neither your brother nor MacKay will bother you again. They are banned from Campbell lands.”

Somehow Blair doubted that her brother would accept defeat. Niall’s pride had been damaged, and she knew he would retaliate in some way or other.

Blair rubbed her forehead as the beginning of a headache throbbed behind her eyes. She had been under a lot of stress today and it was beginning to catch up with her. Using her powers was draining, and she had called upon them this morning to summon Graeme to the village.

Graeme’s concern was immediate. “You’re not well.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” He swept her up into his arms, carried her to a chair and sat down, settling her in his lap. He didn’t speak for a long time. Then he said, “Tell me how you were able to summon me to the village. I distinctly heard you calling to me. Was I the only one who could hear you?”

“Aye. I used mental telepathy to summon you.”

“What? I dinna understand.”

“I dinna expect you to. I sent my thoughts to you across time and space.”

“Can you do that with anyone?”

“Only with someone I am connected to in a special way.”

“You mean because we are husband and wife?” Graeme probed.

Blair considered their connection and decided it went much deeper than that. Just how deep, she wasn’t yet ready to explore. Because she still possessed her powers, she couldn’t possibly love Graeme.