Timeless Mist (14 page)

"Who said this lass
was
a lady? How do ye know
she isnae a serf?"

"'Tis obvious to anyone with
eyes," Elsbeth announced, both her fists planted firm
ly
on her ample hips, "
that
she is nay a peasant,
nor a serf."

Kris could
n't
quite
stifle the chuckle
that
escaped at the look on Iain's face.

"I gave orders for this door
to remain locked," he roared. "No one
was
to enter or leave. Who disobeyed me and why?" he thundered.

Elsbeth shrugged, "your
màthair
instructed the guard
to unlock the door. She wished to meet our guest and see
that
she
was
comfortable."

"I gave orders
that
no one
was
to enter this
room." Iain bellowed.

"My laird," Elsbeth
threw him a look
that
spoke volumes. "Ye must speak with your
màthair
about
that
. I am
naught but a low
ly
servant and on
ly
do as
I am bid." She raised an eyebrow at him, made a slight curtsy, and turned
back to her task.

Kris watched the entire exchange
with great delight. She on
ly
wished she
wasn't
sitt
ing
naked in a tub
that
was
bare
ly
big enough for her. She saw Iain's gaze sweep over her a moment before she
heard his sharp intake of breath. With an anxious glance at Elsbeth, she
cleared her throat to get the woman's attention. It final
ly
worked. Elsbeth looked at
her and silent
ly
handed her a towel. Kris grabbed it and covered her nakedness with the
not
quite
thick enough linen cloth.

*          *          *

Iain let his gaze travel from
Kris' eyes, to her full red lips, to the creamy expanse of her neck and
shoulders. A s
ing
le
drop of water rolled down her neck to her chest before it disappeared beneath
the towel she held tight
ly
against her breasts.

"Take a picture, it lasts
longer," Kris grumbled. There
was
a t
ing
l
ing
in the pit of her
stomach caused by the
very
obvious double mean
ing
in his gaze.

"What
was
that
?" Iain shook his head to clear the
seductive images from his head.

Kris scowled at him, "I
said, when you're done star
ing
at me, you can leave so I can finish my bath." Her voice rose to a near
screech. She deliberate
ly
tried to shut out any awareness of him. Such an attraction could be perilous.

"I beg your pardon,
my
lady
." Iain swept his gaze to Elsie, who looked at him as if he'd lost
his wits, before he looked back at Kris. He then gave her an exaggerated bow,
"please forgive my untime
ly
intrusion. I shall return when ye
have
finished your bath."

He turned on his heel and slammed
out of the chamber. His heart hammered foolish
ly
in his chest. He shook his head, thought about bang
ing
it against the door several times to
dislodge the insanity
that
had
scattered his wits
so thorough
ly
that
he would think, even
for a moment, of what it would be
like
to kiss her again. To hold her and caress
that
soft skin, to run his f
ing
ers
through her hair and discover if
was
as soft as it appeared.

He decided he needed to train for
a bit.
That
would help
dislodge whatever ailment current
ly
held him captive. He strode off in the direction of the lists.

*          *          *

A shiver ran down Kris' spine at
the heated look Iain gave her before he slammed out of the chamber.

"Now what do ye suppose
has
gotten into him?"
Elsbeth asked, her tone much too innocent to be believable. She turned back to
pick
ing
through the
gowns.

Kris eyed her skeptical
ly
, catch
ing
the twinkle
that
lit her brown eyes. She
said
not
h
ing,
just picked up the soap
and continued to
was
h.
Then she
was
hed her
hair, twice. One more washing and a rinsing with the clean water left in a
small bucket beside the tub and it would be clean enough to live with.

"This one," Elsbeth
exclaimed as Kris came up from dunk
ing
her head in the water for the second time. She'd
had
to drape her legs over the side of the wooden tub to accomplish the rins
ing
of her hair, but at
least it
was
cleaner
now. "'Tis perfect." Elsbeth continued to herself.

Kris turned to look at the gown
Elsbeth held out in front of her. Her breath caught in her throat on a gasp. The
dress
was
spectacular.
Made of what seemed
like
yards of emerald green silk and velvet, trimmed with a fur lined collar and
cuffs, it
was
the most
beautiful dress Kris
had
ever seen. Hailey would
have
had
fits of giddiness
if she'd been able to even just touch it, let alone wear it.

"'Twill look much better on
ye than on the laird's intended," Elsbeth smiled.

"Oh? I
had
no idea Iain
was
plann
ing
to marry." Surprise
colored her voice though she tried hard to sound nonchalant about it. It
wasn't
on
ly
because of Elsbeth's
statement
that
caused
her shock, either. Confusion clouded her mind at the perplex
ing
emotions
that
ran through her. The
most prominent one being that knife of jealousy that ran through her to stab
her heart.

Why should she be upset if Iain
got married? After all, she bare
ly
knew the man. And it
wasn't
as if she'd be stick
ing
around here forever. As soon as she discovered how, she'd be return
ing
to her own time. Shaking
off the feeling, she began to wash her hair for the last time.

"Nay, the laird isnae to wed,"
Elsbeth met Kris' gaze, "no' anymore, leastwise. And especial
ly
no' to a woman who would
betray
no'
on
ly
her betrothed husband,
but her laird and clan as well."

"Oh!" Kris gasped. "How
did she betray him?"

"She helped the Campbells in
the last battle with the clan. 'T
was
that
battle
that
killed so many of the men
in our clan. She showed the Campbells how to breach the keep by lead
ing
them to the bolt-hole. Most
of the clan
had
moved
further into the hills by then, but the ones
that
were
left
were
all slaughtered."

"
Was
she a Campbell?" Kris asked, hop
ing
Elsbeth did
n't
hear the
almost
breathless way she
asked. She
had
to be
so careful
not
to give
anyone a clue as to her real last name.

"No'
that
we know of. She
was
ha'
ing
a tryst with the Campbell Laird's brother, Tomas, though.  'T
was
why she agreed to help
them. She ne'er wished to wed wi' our laird. She on
ly
agreed because Tomas asked her to. 'T
was
an act of vengeance and
greed. They ha'e e'er wanted our lands and will do anyth
ing
to possess it."

"How
awful
." Kris mumbled, know
ing
it
was
inadequate, but unable
to think of anyth
ing
else to rep
ly
. She
shook her head.  She never knew how to answer people when they suffered a loss,
especial
ly
such a
devastat
ing
loss of so
many. Apologiz
ing
seemed so inadequate, yet what more could she say?

"Aye, 't
was
a verra sad day,
that
. Cait
ly
n disappeared around
that
time as well. We ha'e seen
neither hide nor hair of
that
lass since right after we made the move to Rannoch."

"Who is Cait
ly
n?"

"The laird's sister."

"And you
have
no idea where she
is?"

"Nay," Elsbeth ans
were
d a bit weari
ly
. "She is fore'er
runn
ing
off look
ing
for adventures and such.
Worries her
màthair
and kin needless
ly
. But,
she is a verra beautiful girl and much loved by us all. Ne'er
has
anyth
ing
but a kind word or two
for all. Full of life and spirit she is. Still, 'tis a wonder what
has
become of her, her be
ing
gone so long and
all."

Elsbeth looked at Kris from the
corner of her eye, then lo
were
d
her voice a bit, "I think she took the opportunity to run off because her
father
was
plann
ing
to wed her with someone
she dinnae wish to be wed too. She
was
past old enough to ha'e been wed several years, but Lady Sorcha kept insist
ing
she be allowed to wait. The
laird, howe'er, decided the time
had
come for her to ha'e a husband and
was
look
ing
into possible
matches for the lass."

"Who did he want her to wed
with?"

"Blake Drummond. He
was
look
ing
to gain an al
ly
or two through a match. Cait
ly
n dinnae wish to be wed to
the mon, though. She claimed there
was
a coldness too him, someth
ing
she dinnae trust. The laird would hear no word against it. Neither Sorcha nor
Cait
ly
n could sway
him, e'en though rumors abounded about the mon's cruelty."

"I ca
n't
picture Sorcha allow
ing
such a th
ing
to happen."

"Och, nay, she wouldnae
ha'e. But Cait
ly
n
dinnae ha'e the patience to wait for her
màthair
to take care of it. The laird could be
quite
stubborn when he got an idea into his head and gett
ing
him to change his mind could take some
serious persuad
ing
and
time. Lady Sorcha would ha'e accomplished it in time," she shook her head
sad
ly
, "but Cait
ly
n just took it upon
herself to disappear afore giv
ing
her
màthair
the time
to see to it. Wi' the move and all the recent troubles, 't
was
nay the first th
ing
on anyone's mind at the
time. Now the Lady Sorcha is concerned
that
her daughter may ha'e been captured by one of our enemies or e'en by Blake
himself. He
was
verra
will
ing
to wed wi' the
lass."

"Her worry
ing
her
màthair
angers you?"

Elsbeth sighed, "Aye, I
suppose it does somewhat. 'Tis more concern for the lass
that
irritates me though. She
is a bit of a wild one, but she
has
such a big heart. I know she would ne'er intentional
ly
hurt anyone. She just gets these ideas into
her head and doesnae always think of the consequences or the concern she will
cause."

"Hmmm," Kris said, know
ing
she
was
not
one to pass judgment on the girl for she
herself
was
guilty of
lett
ing
her curiosity
rule her logic too many times. "How long as she been gone?"

"Near to half a year now. E'er
since we moved up here to the hills. She
was
seen dur
ing
the move,
but couldnae be found after. Iain
has
been look
ing
for her
e'er since."

"I ca
n't
imagine what it must
have
been
like
for you all. And for
Iain's own betrothed to betray
not
on
ly
him, but the
entire clan?
Has
she
no heart?"

"I cannae tell ye,"
Elsbeth shook out the dress and laid it careful
ly
on the bed and returned to the subject of Iain's former betrothed, "I
was
no' surprised about
Isobel. I knew
that
lass would be
not
h
ing
but trouble from the
moment she arrived here wi' all her fancy clothes and such. Wheesht, that lass thought
she
was
better than e
very
one else hereabouts
because she
had
been
to court and lived most
ly
in the lowlands. Her sweet face dinnae fool me for a minute."

"I take it you did
n't
like
her much."