Wedded to the Twisted Highlander (Taming the Kilmartins #3)

Chapter 10

10

“ L ady Astrid.”

A soft rustle disturbed the stillness of the night.

Astrid jolted awake, afraid that Laird Chalium was breathing over her. She hunted the darkness for his face, only to be met with the gentle, apologetic smile of a maid.

“Lady Astrid,” the maid whispered as Astrid rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Forgive me for disturbin’ ye at such a late hour, but ye’ve been summoned to Tavish’s room.”

Astrid’s mind raced as the sharp chill in the night air nipped her skin. She glanced over at Melody. The fact that the child was still sound asleep was both comforting and alarming. What if the intruder had been Jenson?

The thought was quickly squashed as Laird McFair’s face flashed before her eyes. His promise to protect her felt like granite, sure and solid.

“I’ll see to it that the lass is looked after,” the maid added. “But ye must go quickly—he’s nae doin’ so well.”

With a swift nod, Astrid slipped out of bed. The icy wooden floor might as well have been made from stone.

Putting her robe on, she made a beeline for the door. She stole one last glance at Melody before exiting. Hurrying through the dimly lit corridor, her bare feet pattered against the floor.

The flickering torches that lined the walls cast long, ominous shadows over the hall. The flames sputtered and flickered to the rhythm of her frantically beating heart. Each step she took seemed to echo the urgency that gnawed at her heart.

“Och, thank God ye’ve come,” another maid whispered the moment Astrid rounded the corner. “He’s nae doin’ so well. Old Lady McFair is in there wit’ him now.”

Astrid swallowed past the lump of fear in her throat. She understood all too well that Tavish’s death was inevitable. Yet, it wasn’t a situation she enjoyed being a part of.

With a steady hand on the door, she entered the room. The warm air inside swirled around her and invited her in, as opposed to the chill in the hallway.

She pulled in a deep breath as her eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room. There, writhing in pain on the grand bed, was Tavish. Every muscle in his body spasmed, and he looked as if he was turning into a fossil.

“Oh, thank the heavens,” Alba cried as she motioned for Astrid to come closer. “I’m sorry for summonin’ ye at this hour, but the tonic ye gave him… I need more. He’s goin’ through it like it’s water.”

“Ye are aware that the tonic isnae a remedy. It’s only a means to ease his pain,” Astrid said, her voice cracking with emotion.

She hated seeing the suffering, especially when it was someone so loved. How Alba had managed to remain by her husband’s side so faithfully puzzled Astrid. It was something that rattled her to her very core.

Was marriage something more than just submission and control?

Confused by the emotions swirling inside her, Astrid turned to Alba. She rolled her shoulders back. After all, she hadn’t been summoned to just watch Tavish’s demise but to ease his pain.

“I’ll go to the garden and get more herbs. The tonic will take at least an hour to be ready. In the meantime, there is a balm on the table next to ye. Ye can massage it into his muscles, and it should stop the spasms while I prepare the tonic,” Astrid said.

Alba flashed her a grateful smile that made her heart swell.

Astrid turned back and reached for the doorknob. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I’m sorry,” Alba whispered.

For a moment, Astrid thought Alba was talking to her, but when she turned to respond, the woman’s eyes were trained on Tavish. The love that radiated from her was unlike anything Astrid had ever seen.

“Please, me love, ye must get better for me. Ye cannae leave me in this world without ye.”

Astrid’s heart stuttered as she stepped back out into the chill of the hallway. With a new purpose, she rushed through the castle like a phantom. There was no telling how much longer Tavish had, but the love between him and Alba had just shattered her core beliefs.

She burst through the side door and ran to the garden. It didn’t matter that her robe was the only thing separating her from the harsh cold of the night. She was on a mission. If she could give Alba just one more day with her husband, she would do it.

The cool night air enveloped her as the moon hung low in the sky, casting a silver glow over the lush landscape. Her heart skipped a beat as she made her way down the cobble path.

For a moment, she wished she had put on her shoes to protect her feet, but how was she to know that she’d end up wandering in the garden in the middle of the night?

“Say the name, banshee, and be done. Ye come for me faither, do ye nae?”

Astrid froze. The sound of the Laird’s harsh voice behind her rippled through her like a northeastern wind.

Slowly, she turned around as her heart pounded in her chest.

“Astrid? What are ye doin’?” Laird McFair asked as he lowered his dirk, his eyes as wide as the moon overhead. But then his shock faded into amusement as a smirk tugged at his lips. “And in nothing but yer shift, I might add. Do ye sleepwalk?”

Astrid watched as he took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders. His warmth still lingered on the fabric. As much as she wanted to refuse it, she couldn’t. She was far too warm to give it up now.

“Nay, I’ve come to collect some herbs.”

“At night?” The Laird leaned closer and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Are ye a witch then?”

“Nay,” Astrid snapped, clearly irritated by the remark. “Yer faither is havin’ an episode, and yer maither ran out of the tonic I had made for him.”

A hint of gratitude crossed his face.

She noticed that he and his mother shared many features, including the kindness in his eyes. Had it always been there? She didn’t know. But now that she could see it, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to ignore it.

“And here I was, hopin’ that this was a dream and that I could persuade ye to…” he trailed off as his eyes roamed over her.

Flames of desire slithered through her veins, waking her dull and slumbering senses. Suddenly, Astrid no longer needed the Laird’s coat, for she felt extremely hot.

“Alas, ye are on a much nobler quest than I. Go and tend to me faither.”

Astrid removed his coat and handed it back to him. He shook his head as his gaze flicked to the shadows in the courtyard.

“Keep it,” he said. “Ye may nae think there are eyes on us at the moment, but trust me when I say that we have an audience. Ye shouldnae be so careless. I promised I’d protect ye, and I will, even if that means protectin’ ye from yerself. Now, collect what ye need and be on yer way.”

Astrid did as she was told, fully aware that he was watching her every move. She couldn’t help but feel the weight of his protective eyes on her as she gathered the herbs. Her body tingled with pleasure, knowing that she had his full attention. But he was right. She should have been more careful.

Plucking the last herb, Astrid rose from the patch of earth and swiftly made her way back to the castle. The Laird towered over her as she passed him. There was a playfulness to his stern gaze that made her feel like a child. He was protecting her not just from Laird Chalium but also from any danger that lurked about.

Stealing a glance at him, her heart fluttered. She pulled in a deep breath, savoring his musky, wild scent. It was as strong as the stone walls that made up the castle.

“Ye dinnae have to follow me,” she called over her shoulder when she noticed him trailing after her, as if he was her shadow.

“Aye, I do,” he answered. “Ye’re runnin’ about in yer shift.”

“Dinnae tell me that ye’ve never seen a lass in a shift. I’ll bet that ye’ve seen yer fair share of young lasses in even less,” she said.

“Clearly, ye dinnae ken what ye do to a man. The temptations that ye put before them… well, some may nae be as disciplined as I am.”

“Then I should thank ye for lookin’ after me,” Astrid said, her voice dropping as she studied him.

His lips twitched with delight as he gave a slight shrug. “Ye dinnae sound like ye’re actually thankin’ me,” he pointed out.

Astrid swore that she had seen the same glint of admiration in his mother’s eyes when she looked at Tavish.

“I can look after meself,” she insisted.

“Aye, yer little dagger,” the Laird drawled with a nod of his head. “And do ye sleep wit’ it?”

Astrid’s blood ran cold.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips, giving her away.

“Ye dinnae have it, do ye?” he asked. “See? It’s a good thing that ye have me with ye, is it nae?”

“Aye, but me question is,” Astrid started as she stopped at Tavish’s chamber door. “Ye’re the Laird, and ye could have easily told yer men to leave me be, so why come down with me? Unless this is all for show.”

The Laird’s expression shifted as he took a step back. “It’s nae every night that a phantom is sighted in me garden. I had to see for meself if a specter really had come to McFair Castle. And instead of a ghoul, I found an angel.”

“Och, good, ye’re back,” Alba said the second the door swung open. Her eyes flicked to the Laird. “Thomas? Have ye come to help?”

“I’ve merely escorted me future wife here,” he answered as he took Astrid’s hand in his own. Her eyes widened as he planted a kiss on her knuckles.

She held her breath as he flashed her a thoughtful smile. Then, without another word, he turned on his heels and disappeared down the hall.

“Wife?” Alba echoed as Astrid stood dumbfounded in the doorway.

“It would seem so,” she answered as she moved to the fireplace and tossed the herbs she’d gathered into the pot.

“And when was I goin’ to be informed of this?” Alba asked. “I am his maither, after all.”

Astrid watched as Alba kicked up a fuss over the news, yet something about it seemed fake.

“Ye kenned about his decision to marry me, did ye nae?” she asked flatly as she let the herbs steep.

Alba dropped her shoulders and flashed her a sheepish smile. “Thomas is a good man,” she began. “He learned from his faither. Ye see, Tavish has never once raised a hand to me. We have been together since I was sixteen. We’ve had a very long and very wonderful marriage. Ye could have the same wit’ Thomas.”

“The Laird has made it very clear what he wants from our marriage,” Astrid said. “And I dinnae think I could give him the things he wants.”

“An heir? Are ye barren?” Alba asked. Tavish moaned, causing her to hurry to his bed and apply more of the balm. “I thought the lass was…”

“She’s mine,” Astrid answered without delay. “But I dinnae ken if I’m able to have another.”

“I see,” Alba murmured. “Some men dinnae ken how to handle the women God gives them. Some beat them, tryin’ to mold them into people they’re nae. Then, ye have men who see the beauty in the world and vow to protect it. Thomas may nae seem like it, but he is doin’ his best to preserve the beauty he sees in ye.”