Page 51 of Never Fall for a Highlander

Finn took the seat across from Robin, Craig settled next to him.Finn waved at the serving lass.She sashayed over, no doubt taking in the three handsome men.“What can I get for ye?”

“That depends, lass.What do ye have to offer?”Finn asked, the typical smirk on his face.

Her eyes lit up.“Anything ye want, lad.”

“Lad?I haven’t been a lad for many years.”He smiled at her.“My brother and I will have a whisky.”

She grinned.“What else?”

Finn winked at her.“I’ll let ye ken.”

Off she went, looking over her shoulder at them.Robin sighed.“Do ye find it necessary to tease e’er lass ye see?”

“Nay, just the bonnie ones,” he said.

Once they were settled with their drinks, Craig took a gulp of his and slammed the mug down.“It’s time to speak up, brother.”His eyes narrowed as he stared at Robin.“What happened back at Clyth Castle that made ye change yer mind?‘Tis obvious to anyone who’s watched ye for weeks that ye and Helena Ross have something between ye.”

Finn jumped in.“I doona believe ye are so interested in pleasing the council that ye’re willing to make yerself miserable for the rest of yer life.”

Robin ran his hand down his face, cupped his chin with his index finger and thumb, and studied these two men who he was closer to than anyone else in his life.They grew up together, playing, fighting, sharing lasses and sparring on the lists.They’d fought shoulder-to-shoulder and back-to-back many times.Either of them would give their life for him and not just because he was their laird.

And he would do the same for them.Mayhaps it was time to unload the burden he’d been carrying for the past week and a half.

Robin gulped down the rest of his ale and waved at the serving lass to bring them all another drink.

He looked at his two brothers.“If I doona marry Lady Leonara Gordon, she intends to take her life.”

Two sets of identical wide-eyes stared back at him.

* * * *

After days of grueling riding, eating oatcakes and sleeping on the ground—mostly wet, Helena was prepared to just stop and walk the rest of the way to Dornoch Castle.Her escorts had been very nice, and pleasant, but with stronger, warrior bodies, they didn’t seem as worn out as she was.In fact, they looked as though they could go into battle.

She was grateful for their escort.When she announced to Jena that she was leaving, she immediately hurried to the great hall to find Blair, who arranged an escort for her.

It would have been much too difficult to say her goodbyes to everyone because of how raw her emotions were, and she would probably have made a fool of herself.Somehow Maude had found out she was leaving and insisted on packing food for the trip.The cheerful friendly cook had been a friend to her since Helena had spent so much time in the kitchen mixing up herbs.

The woman patted the corners of her eyes.“’Tis wrong, what the laird is doing.When I see him, I will tell him.”

Helena hugged her and hurried to the stables to join the men who would be escorting her to Dornoch.She felt as though she would begin crying again if she didn’t leave the brooch immediately.She hadn’t seen Robin, but for that she was grateful.She didn’t know whether she would wrap her arms around him and hold on tight, which would have been quite foolish and humiliating, or slap him in the face, which was even more foolish.

The walls of Dornoch rose from the ground, both welcoming and depressing.As much as she’d been telling herself for weeks that she would need to return here to help her aunt, in her heart she had nurtured her fairy tale.

Her fairy tale had ended, and she had been foolish to even allow it to grow a place in her mind.

And her heart.

Chapter twenty-two

Helena had been back at Dornoch Castle for almost a week.Truly the longest week of her life.She’d been surprised and a tad disconcerted to learn that in her absence, Aunt Dorathia had trained two young lasses, sisters, in healing and midwifery.

“I thought ye were anxious for me to return so ye could step back from yer duties.”She hated how sullen her voice sounded.Almost like a bairn deprived of a sweet.

“To be honest, lass, I had my doubts ye would return.”She smiled softly.“I ken how verra much ye and yer sister loved each other.Ye were heartbroken when she married and left us.”

Heartbroken?Her aunt had no idea what heartbreak meant.“Aye.I did miss her a great deal, but I thought I was needed here.”

“I am no’ chasing ye away, Helena, but I do think ye might be happier with yer sister.Now that she has a lovely bairn, ye will be wanting to enjoy watching him grow.”