The Scottish Lord’s Secret Bride (22 page)

‘Jessie, they’re here.’

Morven shut her mouth hastily, as his booming tones banked her mind. All thoughts of denial departed as a tall elegant lady with hair as dark as Morven’s own stepped out of the house, smiled at her and glared at Wullie.

Morven blinked. She was so like the lady she’d met when she was out with Murren, but it wasn’t the same person. Two people identical and called Jessie?

‘Wullie Curtin, put the lassie down at once. She’s not one of your beasts to be carried hither and thither where you want her. She’s a lady and needs to be treated as such.’ The voice was different. More refined.

Wullie reddened and grinned bashfully. Gone was the big man, in his place a slightly embarrassed gentle giant. He set her feet on the ground, went to settle her skirts, looked at Jessie and took a step back. ‘Ah… I meant no harm, or offence, lassie.’

‘I know and I took neither,’ Morven assured him and deliberately did not twitch her habit into place. Wullie was embarrassed enough without her adding to it by showing her skirt was twisted sideways and her blouse no longer neatly tucked inside the waistband.

‘Then let’s away in and you have a glass of my rosehip wine,’ Jessie said, and turned to Morven. As she swung around Morven noted her hair. No white streak.

Definitely not the same person. What was going on?

‘It used to be the master, ohh sorry his lordship’s favourite.’

‘It still is,’ Fraser said with a grin that took at lest ten years off his age. A little more of the shield she’d tried to build around her heart broke as Morven looked at the man she’d fallen in love with all those years ago.

Damned if it was not going to be difficult to resist any pressures to do what she didn’t think right for them both. What with her feelings for Fraser, both suppressed and acknowledged, the machinations of her sister and their parents and the knotty problem of wed or not, life was fraught.

She might have bemoaned the fact that life had been flat, but she wasn’t sure she wanted it to be this rocky.

With that thought in mind, Morven followed Jessie into the croft.

‘Do you have a twin?’ she blurted. ‘Or a double.’

Jessie groaned. ‘Jessie-Morag. My cousin. What’s she done now?’

By the time they once more sat in the curricle Morven had a headache. Fraser’s subtle and not so subtle probing with regards to Tam Curtin’s whereabouts produced no more information that an “ach, laddie, they’ll be here when they’re here, dinnae fash yersel’.”

Wullie laughed at Fraser’s expression. ‘Mind you get a beast slaughtered for them.’

Morven remembered that, now as the horses began the pull up the hill. ‘Why do you need to kill a cow?’

Fraser glanced at her as he urged his team to a halt whilst McGurl jumped down to open a gate that she thought had not been closed before. ‘To stop them doing it. Or helping themselves to chickens. Even though they know I’ll provide food, some of the older generation still go for the stealth and steal method. This helps to pre-empt that, as they won’t take the food if they have enough.’

‘But you don’t know when you’ll need it?’ Morven queried, somewhat puzzled by his insouciant manner. Surely he’d have to know dates to work towards?

‘I know they’ll be here a few days before the games at the latest,’ Fraser explained. ‘To set up their stalls. I’ll let the meat hang, to bring the flavour out. Eggs, cheese and milk will be ready within moments for them. What do you think of Wullie these days? And Jessie? She brings the best out of him.’

‘Eh?’ The abrupt change of conversation confused her for a moment and she fought to follow it. ‘Oh, he hasn’t changed and she’s lovely. A nice couple. Although,’ she hesitated. To put into words what she’d experienced when Jessie had hugged her and taken her hand before they left sounded somewhat far-fetched and implausible.

‘Although?’ Fraser prompted as he edged the equipage through the gateway and waited for the groom to shut the gate and rejoin them. Morven checked he was far enough away not to overhear her words.

‘When Jessie touched me I felt faint. My vision went fuzzy and I thought I might pass out from the heat.’

Fraser let the reins drop and hastily grabbed them again as the horses jibbed. It took precious seconds to soothe them before he turned to look at Morven.

‘Was that all?’

‘All?’ she said indignantly and crossed her arms over her chest, even as she tapped a foot on the wooden floor in annoyance. ‘Isn’t it enough?’ She wasn’t going to mention the other Jessie, who this Jessie had told her firmly to ignore. ‘She was after some silver that’s all.’

‘Well she was out of luck,’ Morven had said with a chuckle. ‘We had none.’

‘Believe me, you’ll not be bothered again.’ Jessie had replied firmly. ‘Put her out of your mind.’

‘Isn’t it enough?’ Morven asked Fraser now with a snap. ‘What more do you want?’

Fraser shrugged. ‘You tell me.’

She sighed in aggravation.
Men.
‘Actually, she added that I was the right one and we both needed to accept it. Plus she gave me a ring, which she said was ours. Not mine, ours. She said I had to hold it next to my heart until we were able to…to be it. But that doesn’t make sense does it?’

Chapter Twelve

Oh Lord no.
Whatever he’d expected Morven to say it wasn’t that. Especially if she’d been given the ring. The two interlocking circles that split so the chosen couple wore one each. The rings that were only shared once in a generation, if then. The damned circles that tied you together come what may. How could they commit to that without knowing… Damn Jessie why did she have to choose now, before they knew who they were? ‘Are you sure?’ he said carefully, in a non-confrontational tone. ‘I didn’t notice or hear anything.’
Or see that ring passed over.

‘I’m not likely to forget something so cataclysmic as that,’ Morven said waspishly. ‘Nor would you have perceived anything, because she shielded me from you until I recovered. It was only a few seconds but I’ve never experienced anything like that before.’ Morven shivered and wrinkled her brow. ‘I’m not sure I want to again, to be honest. The world went black.’

Fraser could sympathise. He’d only encountered that once, just after he first met Morven, and again it had been with Jessie. Food for thought, when he had time to think. ‘I would imagine not.’ He checked how close McGurl was. Too close to be sure they would not be overheard. ‘But there is an explanation of sorts. Allegedly. Look, we can’t talk now,’ he said rapidly. ‘Grooms are the very devil when you need to be private. I’ll explain later. Just try to have an open mind and accept there is more to you than you imagine and Jessie picked up on it.’

Morven twisted sideways and spoke through an almost closed mouth. ‘Eh?’

The curricle swayed as the groom got up behind them. Fraser gathered up the reins and clicked his teeth at the horses. ‘She has the sight and I would hazard a guess she saw something in you that is empathetic,’ he said under his voice. He didn’t have to worry if Morven heard him or not. Her mouth dropped open and she went rigid.

Not a good start. Now all he had to worry about was when they could find time to talk without an audience.

Luckily, the opportunity occurred as they walked from the stables to the castle, Morven very properly holding his arm with her fingertips and trying, he decided, hard not to show impatience. As soon as they left the environs of the yard, she cleared her throat. ‘The gardens are so pretty,’ she said clearly, so anyone within eavesdropping distance would hear her. ‘What do you need to tell me?’ she asked in a flat whisper. ‘Oh is that an eagle?’ She pointed up to a speck in the sky.

His lips twitched. ‘A crow.’ Something he understood fine well she knew. It had been one of their pleasant pastimes when they had been together before to go up to one of the viewpoints and look at the birds. As well as looking at each other.

‘Ah, then…’

‘Then I will make sure I’ll re-disable the locks on the stair and come to you tonight. After the castle is quiet. But with Jessie’s revelations we need to talk.’

She inclined her head. ‘But what did you find out? About anything.’

‘That Wullie knows fine well where Tam is, and how many people will arrive soon, and isn’t inclined to tell me. That Jessie is nicer and says they are resting up the glen around twenty miles away and will be here the day after tomorrow, with around twenty other adults. She had no idea how many children. That we better get this state of our relationship sorted as soon as possible. That I ache for you, our mamas are approaching, and that darned ring complicates everything more and more. Wear it somewhere hidden and for goodness’ sake don’t lose it.’ He didn’t have time to say any more, before their respective mothers were upon them.

‘Fraser, where have you been?’ Lady Napier asked crossly. ‘I needed you.’

‘And here I am,’ Fraser said in a pleasant voice. He prayed his annoyance at being challenged showed in his expression and warned her his temper was now on a very short fuse.

Lady Napier opened her mouth and shut it hurriedly.

Beside her the duchess examined Morven with narrowed eyes. ‘You look dishevelled.’

‘It’s breezy.’

‘Where…ah…’

Fraser frowned. Evidently his expression worked on the duchess as well for she swallowed and cleared her throat. ‘We wondered, that is to say your mama did and I agreed it was a good idea if…’ Her voice trailed off and she brushed a non-existent speck of dust from her elbow. ‘Morven, you are flushed.’

‘It’s warm here. What did you agree, Mama?’

Fraser turned away to collect himself and bring his amusement in check. Evidently Morven also wanted to know what plans were afoot.

The duchess looked at his mother and a look passed between them. One he couldn’t decipher. His mama put her hand on his arm in supplication. It was not an action she did well, or with much credence to. His mama had never been humble. He said and did nothing and waited to see what happened next.

‘Fraser, I’ve heard that someone had been messing about up at Ardfoot. Now it might only be a hunting lodge, inconvenient and infrequently used, but it is part of the estate and…’ She sighed and looked tremulously at him. ‘It was special to your papa and I.’

‘As far as I know no one has been there lately, although I think I need to soon. I’d better tell you that, special or not, it will have to house two families until I get the new cottages built.’

His mother opened her mouth and shut it as he gave her a warning glance. If he had to he’d challenge her statement over how special it was. Unless they had taken to changing their habits whilst he was away, he reckoned his parents had not been there more than a couple of times together.

‘Then that fits in splendidly,’ Lady Napier said. ‘I thought as it is such a pleasant day you could perhaps go and check it out, and take Morven and a picnic with you.’

Morven not Murren. Now what? He slanted a glance at Morven who he noted had a blank expression on her face. No help there. He had no idea what she thought about this turn of events.

‘Morven? Are you too fatigued to go out again?’ She did turn to face him then, and as her back was now to their parents, her expression relaxed. He hoped, willed her to say she wanted to accompany him. It would be the perfect time to talk.

Say on horseback,
he beseeched her silently.
So it is just us. Push it, please.
He nodded so infinitesimally, he was sure no one but Morven would notice.

‘I…’ She grinned and dipped her head, just in case, he assumed, anyone else
did
notice her impudent expression. ‘I’d like to, but please can we go on horseback?’

Yes.
He would have hugged her if he could. ‘I don’t see why not. I’ll go and get the horses saddled up and hunt out a picnic for us.’

‘Oh I’ve done that,’ Senga said hurriedly. ‘Here’s Nancy and Hughie with it now. I had it put into saddlebags for you. I thought you might prefer to ride.’

Oh did she?
‘Are the horses saddled and bridled as well then?’ he asked in a tone designed to show he was not best amused at being managed.

Lady Senga flushed. ‘Well, no, for how was I to know you’d need them?’

‘Or the food?’

‘Ah well, that was just in case,’ she said flustered, and looking somewhat hot and bothered.

Serves her right.

‘Now if you two want to head off Lucretia and I are having tea at the vicarage. Murren is going to spend today with Thomasina and stop overnight.’

Before either he or Morven had time to say any more, his mother and hers marched smartly back across the lawns. ‘So we take the food and depart,’ Fraser said under his breath and turned to smile at the two puffing servants who hurried towards them. It wasn’t their fault his teeth had been put on edge.

‘Play-acting time again,’ he whispered.

‘If only I knew what was going on, I could make contingency plans,’ Fraser said as they trotted along the ridge of the hill and away from Kintrain. ‘However, their ideas and intentions seem to change direction as often as the wind, and I have no idea which direction they will come from next.’

Morven glanced at him. ‘What do you suspect?’

‘Honestly?’ He shrugged, not a sensible thing to do when trotting and Misneachail broke stride. Fraser swore. He needed to get a grip on his emotions and behave in a cool, calm and rational manner. Yes, he was rattled, but that was no excuse for bad horsemanship. ‘Sorry, not concentrating properly.’ He brought the horse back under control. ‘I am as much in the dark as you. My mama told me before you arrived that she thought we wouldn’t suit as we hadn’t seemed on friendly terms when you left last time, and although love is not necessary a modicum of respect is.’

‘What?’ Morven let
her
reins drop and Fraser lunged over to take hold of them before Bonny took the bit between her teeth, and Morven in the wrong direction.

‘Grief, I’m sorry,’ Morven gasped several seconds later. ‘But where did she get that idea?’

‘Lord knows. She then said Murren might suit. I soon disabused her of that idea.’ Fraser pondered over those days and weeks when he had wondered what next would be sprung on him. ‘But since you have arrived she seems not to know what she wants.’