Page 13 of A Highlander's Bride

She looked around to make sure no one saw him. Or heard him.

After about a half hour of playing, as Lady Alice was beginning to show the strain of performing, which led Beth to believe the poor lass was not used to showing off her skills to a group, Laird Mackenzie stood. “That was lovely, Lady Alice. Thank ye so much for sharing yer music skills with us.”

The lass smiled and scurried from the instrument like a mouse escaping with a bit of a biscuit.

“Oh, but Laird Mackenzie, I was hoping ye and Lady Alice could play something together,” Lady Chisholm said, actually tittering.

Beth was wiggling in her seat by then. She was not used to sittingstill for so long. She groaned when her mam said, “We should have my daughter play now.”

“Mam, I haven’t played in a long time. I could ne’er play as good as Lady Alice.” There. If Laird Mackenzie was hoping to have a musically-talented wife, even though he suggested another occupation for him and his wife in the evenings, she could be ruled out.

“Oh, no, Lady Beth. Ye must show us yer skills also.” Lady Chisholm smirked and looked over at her husband who was softly snoring.

Mam nudged her. “Go play, Beth.”

With a sigh she stepped up to the piano forte and sat. It had been months since she had the patience to sit and play music. She cleared her throat and decided that cracking her knuckles would send her mam over the edge. So she wiggled her fingers and then began to play the only piece she could do from memory.

Once she started to play and sing a very famous rather nasty tavern song, her mam stood, her face red. “I think I agree with ye, Beth, perhaps ye can practice while ye’re here.”

Beth stopped playing and looked over at Laird Mackenzie who was sitting next to Gregory. Both of them were doubled up with laughter. She would love to march over and knock their heads together. The arrogant oafs.

Chapter Five

Daniel was sosure of his choice of wife that he would have loved to invite Laird Munro into his solar right then and negotiate the betrothal agreement. Lady Beth was everything a young lass was not supposed to be. She rode a horse like a man, drank ale at the inn, also whisky if she was to be believed, and just now began to sing from memory one of the most popular tavern songs in Scotland.

But he knew if he pushed too hard too fast, she would find a way to completely step away. He needed to convince her, but he had to work at it. But then, anything worthwhile had to be won with hard work. He’d learned that as a warrior. If he hadn’t had the training his da had insisted on, he would have been killed in one of the few battles in which he’d been involved.

Lady Beth made a quick exit from the room and he felt a tad let down since he’d intended to spend some time speaking with the lass and finding out what other outrageous things she was capable of.

*

The next morningDaniel headed to the stables just as Lady Beth was speaking with the stable master, her arms waving as she spoke.

“Is there a problem, lass?” he asked, knowing precisely what the issue was.

The lass turned to him, her hands on her hips. “Aye. Yer stablemaster said I couldna have a horse.”

He shook his head, attempting to look regretful. “’Tis true, lass. I told him no’ to let ye ride alone. As I said before, ’tis dangerous to be out there by yourself. Since ye are a guest in my home, ’tis my job to protect ye.”

She growled. “From what?”

He smiled at that remark and took the reins of his horse from the stablemaster and said, “Yerself.”

She scowled and he had to hold in his laughter. He’d given those instructions to his stablemaster because he wanted to make sure she couldn’t leave without him. Despite the fact that he wanted to ride with her, it was truly dangerous for a woman to be outside the castle walls unprotected.

Even though times were quiet right now, the Jacobites were beginning to rattle their swords, which caused a lot of stress among the clans.

He’d heard recently that some clan folk were either tossed from their clans or left on their own because of a division in politics. These men roamed the area, attacking men for their coin and women for what they could get from them, whether they agreed or not.

“I am taking a ride now, so we can go together.”

Instead of answering him, Lady Beth turned to the stablemaster. “May I have the same horse I had yesterday?”

She huffed when the man turned to him and looked for permission. “Aye, James, she can have the same horse. She had no trouble handling Tiger.”

Once they were both mounted, Daniel led them from the outer bailey, across the drawbridge and off to the hills and valleys. They rode for about an hour before he shouted to her to follow him.

He led them to an area with a pond.