Page 15 of Highland Ghost

“Aye. His name was Bernard MacAully. Sylvia fell in love with him, but Bernard turned out to be a spy.”

“Oh, nay. Is that why he was missin’ fingers?”

“Aye. My grandda cut off his fingers of one hand, tryin’ to discourage both Sylvia and Bernard, but it only seemed to make their love stronger.”

“Yer grandda killed the piper, didna he?”

“He did,” admitted Ian with a slight nod, not liking where this conversation was going. “When he realized Sylvia was still plannin’ on runnin’ away and marryin’ the traitor, Sholto hanged Bernard. When Sylvia found out, she was so distraught that she threw herself from the balcony of her chamber into the garden where Bernard had spent many nights playin’ the bagpipes, wooin’ her from below her window.”

“So she no’ only died, but killed herself in the gown I was wearin’?” Caitlin’s body shivered, and Ian pulled her closer.

“She did. I’m sorry, I didna even ken that her gown was still here. I have only been laird of the castle for six months now.”

“Who had it before ye?” she asked.

“Gowrie Castle has been in my family since the time of my great grandda. However, it was seized many times in between by many clans. Each time, the clan either left on their own, or it was taken back by the MacBains.”

“Because of the ghosts,” she said, and he nodded.

“The MacBains have tried to keep the story soundin’ like more of a tall tale. Because of the curse.”

“The curse?” she asked, prompting him to tell more.

“Just before Sylvia died in my grandda’s arms, she cursed him. Ye see, she dabbled in witchcraft, but I didna even ken that until a few years ago. So, since her brathair kept her and her lover from bein’ together, she cursed all of Sholto’s descendants.”

“From bein’ married?” she asked. “Well, that canna be true, since ye are here. Yer parents must have married.”

“My parents married, but died within two years. My grandda and his wife died within two years as well, shortly after Sylvia killed herself.”

“Och, that is terrible. So, what happened to them all?”

Ian was reluctant to tell her, but still he continued. “My grandparents perished when their horse was spooked and their wagon went over the side of a cliff.”

“That’s tragic. What about yer parents?”

“I was told my faither and mathair never loved each other. Ye see, they were enemies who only married for the purpose of an alliance between their clans. Just like my grandparents did as well. My parents perished from the plague. I was just a baby at the time, so, ye see, I never even kent my parents.”

“I’m so sorry,” said Caitlin, rubbing her hand over his. “I was very young when my parents were killed, too. By our clan’s enemies.”

“I’m sorry, too,” he said, boldly leaning over and kissing her atop her head. She let him do it, and that told him that she enjoyed it. It was a good start to their relationship.

“So, how does the curse affect ye? And how can it be broken?”

“Well, the stories I’ve been told say that after Sylvia cursed her brathair, she told him she’d be back in two years on All Hallows’ Eve to judge him, and then do the same for his first-born son, and so on, down the line. She said if a male MacBain was married, and truly in love within two years, then he and his wife would be spared, and the curse would be broken. If no’, they would die tragic deaths.”

“So then, that is how they really died? Because of the curse?”

“Mayhap their deaths are just a coincidence, but my direct ancestors havena lived more than two years after bein’ married.”

“Oh,” she said, letting go of him and leaning the other way. “I’m surprised any male MacBain even wants to get married. Or that anyone would agree to marryin’ a MacBain first-born man with so much at stake. Ye are the first-born son?”

“I am the only baby born to my parents before they died. I have to admit, my faither and grandfaither before him, never told their wives about the curse until after they were married. If they had, I’m sure the lassies would have objected marryin’ them at all.”

“And they were sure to get their wives pregnant immediately, tryin’ to sustain the MacBain line before they all died.” Her voice sounded harsh and cold now, and he couldn’t blame her.

“Aye,” he said, clearing his throat. When he peeked at her from the sides of his eyes, he saw her scowling at him. “I suppose ye’re goin’ home tomorrow now, instead of marryin’ me.”

“I dinna like bein’ deceived,” she spat. “Ye were hurryin’ to marry me before I found out that in doin’ so, I could be signin’ my death warrant.”