A Beauty at the Highland Court: A Star-crossed Lovers Highlander Romance

Genres: Erotic & Steamy Romance; Historical Romance; Ancient World Romance; Medieval Romance; Scottish & Highlander; Tudor Romance

Synopsis

When the perfect lady-in-waiting isn’t so perfect…

Arabella Johnstone has been held to an impossible standard her entire life. While her beauty surpasses any of the other ladies-in-waiting at King Robert the Bruce’s royal court, the pressure to always appear perfect is growing to be too much for Lady Arabella. Scrutinized for any flaw in appearance or behavior, Arabella struggles with the unattainable expectations placed upon her by her family and those at court. When she can no longer withstand strain, she turns to a reckless, self-destructive habit to cope. Can Lady Arabella accept help when it comes from a man she longs for but can’t accept?

When your sisters’ friend is all you want…

Lachlan Sutherland has admired Lady Arabella Johnstone for years, but she is his sisters’ friend. Every visit to Stirling Castle is sweet agony for Lachlan when he spends time with Arabella. Charmed by her saucy sense of humor, her kindhearted devotion to his sister Maude, and her mentoring of his sister Blair, Lachlan finds himself drawn to the engaging and intelligent young woman. But when he discovers Arabella’s secret, he’s certain he can no longer ignore his love for the beauty. Can Lachlan prove to Arabella in time that he loves her for more than her pretty face?

Lachlan and Arabella have denied their intensifying attraction for one another, both cautious of ruining Arabella’s friendships with Lachlan’s sisters. As their forbidden love grows with time, neither can imagine their life without the other, but Arabella’s father has set in motion plans that will keep them apart. With her life spiraling out of her control, Arabella finds solace in whisky. Lachlan is determined to prove to Arabella that her beauty is far from skin deep. Can these star-crossed lovers fight for a future together? Or will others’ expectations become an insurmountable barrier?

If you love a sizzling HOT star-crossed lovers romance, then you’re sure to enjoy Celeste Barclay’s steamy Highlander romance, A Beauty at the Highland Court. Fans of Eliza Knight, Keira Montclair, and Emma Prince will love this newest addition to The Highland Ladies.

Welcome to Robert the Bruce’s Highland Court, where the ladies-in-waiting are a mixture of fire and ice. The Highland Ladies, the STEAMY spin off series from Celeste Barclay’s The Clan Sinclair series, returns to the Medieval royal court for love and intrigue.

Release date: December 30, 2020

Publisher: Oliver Heber Books

Print pages: 378

Sample

Chapter 1

 

Arabella Johnstone gripped the back of the chair and tried not to groan as her maid cinched her kirtle tighter. She’d already suffered through more than an hour of Eliza curling and pinning her hair. While her maid created some of the most exquisite coiffures Arabella had ever worn—in fact, ever seen—she didn’t have a gentle touch. More than once Arabella was grateful that her hair was auburn, because surely her scalp bled from being a pincushion. Arabella took one more shallow breath as she felt her maid tie the ends of her gown’s laces.

“There you go, my lady. You’re a right bobby-dazzler, if I may say so,” Eliza beamed.

“Thank you, Eliza.” Arabella smiled. She looked across her chamber as Blair Sutherland’s maid brushed out her mistress’s velvet kirtle for the last time. Arabella breathed a wistful sigh. She and Blair had grown closer since Blair’s older sister Maude married and moved to the Isle of Lewis. Arabella had befriended the reserved Maude when the sisters arrived at court. Taunted mercilessly for being unfashionably curvaceous, Maude became the victim of her future sister by marriage’s venom. With Kieran MacLeod’s support, Maude emerged from her wallflower ways and found a love match.

“I just need a few moments more,” Blair looked over her shoulder at Arabella.

“You needn’t rush. We still have time,” Arabella reassured as she dabbed rose water behind her ears and into her cleavage. She knew the Great Hall would be sweltering, and the fresh scent was as much for her as it was for anyone else. It would offer her a reprieve from the stench of too many unwashed and overheated bodies.

As Arabella watched Blair, she wondered when her friend would find her match. She suspected that it would happen soon, since Blair and Hardwin Cameron were inseparable. It wouldn’t surprise Arabella if Blair and Hardi (as she called him) handfasted before a priest could read the banns. Thoughts of Maude and Blair inevitably turned her mind toward their older brother, Lachlan. Arabella stifled her sigh as she thought about the handsome, dark haired man who appeared at court every few months. She didn’t envy him his lengthy rides south from Dunrobin. The keep was along the northeastern coast of Scotland, almost as far north as that of the Sinclairs, and marriage linked the two clans. Arabella had long admired Lachlan’s easygoing nature and protectiveness of his sisters. The three siblings were extremely close, and both Maude and Blair had looked forward to his visits. Arabella knew Lachlan looked for excuses to see them. She couldn’t help the sadness she felt when she realized Lachlan would rarely make the long trip to court once Blair left.

“I’m almost done,” Blair said as she bent to pull up her stockings and slip on her shoes. She disliked wearing stockings, so she put them on last.

Arabella thought about her other friends who had left over the past three years. Nearly all her original friends were gone, one after another marrying and leaving court. First to go had been Elizabeth Fraser, a woman everyone assumed would remain a spinster. Despite her beauty, her father made and broke four betrothals, all for the sake of politics. But when Robert the Bruce’s adopted brother Edward came to court, she snared his attention. Edward’s single-minded focus on wooing her eventually won Elizabeth over.

Isabella Dunbar stunned many people when she married the dashing English knight sent to spy on King Robert. Her husband was half Scottish; after his English father married a MacLellan, his father switched his allegiance to Scotland. But both of his parents died while the knight was still a child, and English soldiers captured him in the name of King Edward “Longshanks.” Raised in England, he longed for his Scottish home and found it when he married Isabella.

Maude had been the next to marry, and Arabella rejoiced as she thought about her former roommate and close companion. Then she tried not to grin when she recalled how Allyson Elliot bolted from court when she learned she was to marry the roguish Ewan Gordon. What a merry chase she had led him on! But Arabella sobered when she recalled how Allyson was kidnapped and nearly tortured and what Arabella later learned of Allyson’s family secrets.

Cairstine Grant convinced Ewan’s rakish twin Eoin to pretend to be her betrothed so her younger sister could marry, only for them to marry in truth. Arabella regretted the unkind thoughts she’d had about Cairstine once she discovered Cairstine’s painful past, which explained why she’d kept everyone at arms’ length. Cairstine and Eoin were as much a love match as Allyson and Ewan turned out to be. Arabella wished she could say the same for the start of her friend Cairren Kennedy’s marriage.

Cairren was soft-spoken and kind, but she’d always stuck out at court. Her Arab heritage was apparent in her olive skin, a stark contrast to the creamy Scottish complexions that the other ladies-in-waiting shared. Her appearance had immediately put her at odds with her new clan, the Munros, when King Robert and her father agreed on her marriage to Padraig Munro. Fortunately, he realized what a gem he’d been given and fell in love with his wife. Arabella was glad to know they were no longer enemies, but deeply in love.

Arabella’s thought’s returned to Lachlan. He had returned to Stirling when he accompanied Cairren and Padraig, who needed an audience with the king. Taxes had brought him back most recently. Arabella hadn’t seen him in more than a moon, and she tried to distract herself with the various events at court and the budding romance between Blair and Hardi. While she danced with one suitor after another, she resigned herself to the knowledge that her father was arranging her marriage to a stranger. She didn’t know who her father had in mind, but she was certain it was a Lowland laird who would make a powerful ally to her clan. While life at court wasn’t what Arabella wanted for her future, she didn’t look forward to moving home to the dangerous border territory. The supposed truce between the Scottish and English kings was yet to be seen. The English continued to cross the border and harass the Scots, then cried foul when the Scots retaliated.

“Are you ready?” Blair interrupted Arabella’s thoughts. “We shouldn’t keep the others waiting. Laurel will wonder where we are.” Blair grinned, knowing she was the one who delayed them.

Laurel Ross was the only other lady-in-waiting who had been at court as long as Arabella. She’d once been friends with Madeline MacLeod, Maude’s former nemesis and now sister by marriage. She had a razor-sharp tongue, but nowadays she used it to be a fiercely protective friend. Arabella hadn’t pried into why Laurel became friends with Madeline, but she suspected the latter held some influence over Laurel, and she had either bribed or threatened Laurel into following Madeline’s lead. Now that Madeline had been away from court for years, Laurel was much easier to get along with.

“I’m ready. Are we to meet her at her chamber or in the Great Hall?” Arabella asked.

“The Great Hall. She shall save us seats at our usual table. After my run-in with Henry and Daniel MacMillan, Laurel wants to be certain we sit closer to the king and queen,” Blair explained. It was a little known secret that Blair, Maude, and Lachlan, along with their Sinclair cousins, were the godchildren of King Robert and Queen Elizabeth de Burgh. The royal couple never played favorites, and the Sutherland and Sinclair siblings never asked for favors. Laurel’s suggestion had been coincidental, but Arabella was privy to the secret and agreed with the wisdom of proximity.

The women thanked their maids and left their chamber, winding through the passageways until they entered the Great Hall. Arabella watched as Hardi and Blair exchanged private smiles, and Arabella was certain it was only a matter of a brief time before the couple saw what everyone else did: they were already in love. They took their seats beside Laurel just as the meal began.

“You’re fortunate that Laird Cameron arrived just as your brother left,” Laurel mused halfway through the meal. “You aren’t as glum as usual when your brother departs. I’m glad for you.”

Arabella caught Blair’s darting glance, and she knew her friend was aware that something existed between her and Lachlan, but it was nothing that either would ever act upon. It was by silent agreement that neither dared to make their relationship more than friendship. Arabella didn’t want to jeopardize her friendships with Blair and Maude, and she intuited Lachlan felt the same. It made it painful to watch him leave Stirling without acknowledging their connection, but Arabella resigned herself to it.

“Aye. It has been wonderful to have Laird Cameron here,” Blair agreed. “It was a surprise how easily we picked up our childhood friendship. It pains me to see his grief over losing so much of his family and having to assume the lairdship, but I believe he has the fortitude and courage to be a powerful leader.”

“And he’s not hard on the eyes either,” Arabella teased, happy to move the conversation away from Lachlan.

“No, he isn’t,” Blair responded noncommittally. She studiously kept her eyes on her trencher, though Arabella watched her fight the urge to turn and look in Hardi’s direction.

“He must plan to leave soon,” Laurel pressed. Arabella shot her a warning glare, but Laurel’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

“He will have to. He has duties to return to, and he’s settled his taxes,” Blair nodded. Blair’s bowed head told her friends she was through discussing her relationship with the handsome, broad-shouldered laird, but Arabella knew their relationship was far from over.

The conversation turned to more mundane topics such as fashion, gossip, and the queen’s plans for a picnic the following week. Arabella watched as people moved about the Great Hall as the music began. She partnered with one man after another; some were courtiers she’d known throughout her time at court, while others were visitors. She danced with Hardi once, happily fulfilling her promise to Lachlan that his friend would have more partners than just Blair. She forced her mind away from Lachlan and focused on learning more about Hardi, realizing once more why he and Blair were so well suited. It was a long evening, and Arabella welcomed the silence and dark of her chamber once she fell into bed.

 

 

Chapter 2

 

Only two months after leaving Stirling Castle, Lachlan Sutherland rode through the gates of Stirling Castle, conflicted between his dread of being at court but excited to see the woman he’d often dreamed about while in Sutherland. It had relieved him to see both Blair and Maude earlier that month. He’d met Maude’s newborn daughter, and it reassured him and his family that Blair was safe after she disappeared for nearly a moon. She’d left court to aid Hardi as he learned to read and write while taking on his lairdship.

No one in the Sutherland family was surprised to learn Blair and Hardi were in love. They’d been inseparable as children when Hardi and his older brother fostered with the Sutherlands. Lachlan shook his head as he considered the conspiracy against Hardi that had nearly gotten his childhood friend and his sister killed. It had been a tumultuous month when no missives came from Blair. He and his family were exhausted but ecstatic to find Blair well and handfasted to Hardi.

Now he was returning to court alongside Blair and Hardi as they paid the last of their taxes, and to report to the king what happened once they arrived at Tor Castle. Lachlan represented his father, Laird Hamish Sutherland, and would explain his clan’s role in the truce settled between the Mackintoshes and Camerons. The Sutherlands were only witnesses, but he understood that his clan’s overwhelming presence after the Mackintoshes’ planned attack had spurred Laird Mackintosh to accept Hardi’s terms.

He glanced at Blair and Hardi, and he smirked as he watched tiny Blair whisper advice to her mountainous husband. His youngest sister had always tended toward being bossy, but it made Lachlan smile to see her protectiveness over her husband. Still new to being a laird and never trained for the position, Lachlan’s worries were soothed knowing that his sister offered sage advice to their lifelong friend. Other than his parents, he’d never seen a more balanced and equal partnership. He saw many of his mother’s qualities in both his sisters, and he prayed he held many of the qualities he admired in his father.

“Bella!” Blair called out as they entered the bailey and watched the queen and her ladies-in-waiting enter the royal gardens. Lachlan’s heart flipped as he caught sight of the red-haired beauty. He couldn’t deny that she was the most stunningly attractive lady-in-waiting. Many argued she was the most beautiful woman at court, and Lachlan was apt to agree. He schooled his expression as he dismounted, and Arabella rushed to greet Blair. The women embraced and chattered until Arabella’s gaze shifted to Lachlan. He watched her swallow as she turned her eyes back to Blair. The hair on Lachlan’s arms stood up as he felt the connection between them, a connection he felt every time they saw one another. And just like every other time, they would both pretend as though it didn’t exist.

When it was Lachlan’s turn to greet Arabella, her hand hovered over his as he bent to proffer a kiss just above the back of her hand. He longed to clasp her fine-boned fingers and bring them to his lips, but he obeyed the rules of decorum. Lachlan and Arabella exchanged the amiable smiles of longtime friends, ignoring the undercurrent that passed between them. Lachlan caught Blair’s sly glance and worried what his sister was about to say. He knew he wouldn’t like it, and the words that flowed forth were a wrenching blow to his gut.

“Has your father made any advances in that betrothal you suspect?” Blair asked innocently. She offered a serene smile as Arabella and Lachlan scowled before catching themselves. Not usually given to violence, Arabella wanted to smack the smug smile from Blair’s face. She was aware her friend noticed what passed between her and Lachlan, but she hadn’t played matchmaker. Though Arabella didn’t doubt that Blair was tempted, she suspected the comment was meant to nudge Lachlan into action. Arabella wondered if that was as close to getting Blair’s blessing as they would come.

The women separated from the men and followed Queen Elizabeth into the gardens while Lachlan and Hardi went to secure chambers. Arabella was relieved to see Blair after hearing about the treacherous plot that some of Hardi’s family members concocted to oust him.

“Have you settled into life at Tor?” Arabella asked Blair as they walked with their arms linked and heads close together.

“I have. Now that the tumultuousness is over and the new clan council has accepted me as a regular member, it is much easier. The Camerons have welcomed me with warmth and kindness,” Blair explained. It was too warm for an arisaid, but Blair wore a sash of Cameron plaid over her shoulder with a twinkling ruby brooch that signified her role as Lady Cameron. “How have things been at court with just Laurel as a confidante?”

“I don’t know that I would call her a confidante as yet, but I appreciate her company in a way that I never did before. The newer ladies are the upstarts they were a moon ago, and now that there are so few of us experienced ladies, they believe they shall have the run of the place. Laurel and I are content to remain out of their way.”

“How does the queen receive these new attendants?” Blair asked.

“The same as she always does. She appreciates being surrounded by young and attractive women who entertain her and do her bidding. She is just as any queen is, I suppose. With the bairn on the way, she is even more fervent in her prayer, but fortunately for all of our knees, she spends much of that time alone.”

“How do you fill that time?” Blair wondered.

“The same way we always do.” Arabella looked away as she considered how she’d spent much of her time as of late. It was something she would never admit, not even to Blair. “Sewing, reading, archery, riding. The endless cycle of being pretty and smiling.”

“I must admit I don’t miss that. I didn’t realize how much my cheeks ached each day from plastering a smile on my face until I no longer had to do it.” Blair grinned. “Now when I smile, it’s because I mean it.”

“That must be nice!” Arabella chuckled but lowered her voice when several heads turned back to watch the two friends. “How long will you be here?”

“Not long at all. Less than a sennight. It’s a sennight each way, and Hardi doesn’t want to be away that long. Things are better, but the strife with the Macphersons hasn’t been resolved, and neither Hardi nor I are convinced the Mackintoshes won’t get up to naughty tricks again. I swear, Laird Mackintosh was like a petulant child when Laird Shaw insisted they sign the truce. I’m positive I saw him pout,” Blair giggled. “I suggested to Maude that a nap alongside her weans might make him more agreeable.”

“I hope no one overheard you,” Arabella pretended concern.

“Only Lachlan. And he laughed before shaking his finger at me. He was standing beside me, and I snapped my teeth at him; nearly took off the tip of his wagging finger.” This time Blair laughed and didn’t bother trying to sound ladylike. Arabella’s stomach clenched at the mention of Lachlan’s name. She could picture the sisters with their brother. Their closeness was so unlike Arabella’s relationship with her siblings. She and her brothers had little to do with one another, and she was younger than her sisters by nearly a decade. None of them had batted an eye when she left for her position at court.

“How is your family?” Arabella hedged.

“Maude and Kieran are blissfully happy. Kieran’s sister Abigail just entered a handfast with Laird Lathan Chisholm, so she is no longer at Stornoway. She’d come around quite a lot from when Maude first met her, and I suspect my sister misses her. Madeline, as I’m sure you know, is still at Inchcailleoch Priory. I don’t know that she will ever see the light of day,” Blair explained.

“And at Dunrobin?” Arabella pressed. Both women knew what Arabella hinted at.

“Much the same as usual from what I understand. Lachlan, Mama, and Da went home after visiting Tor. I’m so happy that they and Maude, Kieran, and their weans could come. I know it was because they were frightened not knowing what might have happened to me, but they were there to see Hardi and me marry in the kirk. Lachlan came back to Tor just before we were set to leave and said Da wanted him to accompany us. He is to stand witness to what happened with the Mackintoshes, Shaws, and MacThomases.” Blair turned to look at her friend and met Arabella’s gaze. “Hardi and I shall be here for nearly a sennight to settle the last of the taxes. But I don’t know that Lachlan plans to leave with us. I don’t know his intentions.”

The pointed comment made Arabella want to squirm, but she nodded once and smiled before turning her gaze back to the path before them. Her stomach churned as she prayed Lachlan would remain longer, but she knew she was a glutton for punishment if he did. It would only make saying goodbye that much harder. With her father’s plans in the works, it might be the last time they ever said goodbye.

 

 

Chapter 3

 

“I canna believe the Master of the Bedchamber thought to separate a mon from his wife. A newlywed mon from his bride!” Hardi fumed. With little time spent at court and Blair’s tutoring as his only formal education, the Highland laird never attempted to hide his brogue as others did when they visited Stirling. He’d teased Blair that she would sound like a “bluidy Lowlander” once they rode through Stirling’s gates. He warned her not to lose her plaid, lest she forget she was really a Highlander. Lachlan roared with laughter at his sister’s scathing set down that she made sure only her brother and husband could hear.

“At least he offered to let us share,” Lachlan reasoned. “If worst came to worst, I could have found somewhere else to sleep, and Blair could have come to you.”

“And where would that have been?” Hardi waggled his eyebrows. Lachlan shot him a warning glare as he looked around him to ensure no one could hear. They were moving through a busier part of the keep as they went in search of Blair. Lachlan didn’t want gossip flying around the castle that he was looking for a bedmate. He wasn’t entirely celibate at home, but he always was at court.

“In the barracks or next to my horse,” Lachlan grumbled.

“Worried she’d hear of it?” Hardi pressed.

Lachlan cast another mutinous stare in Hardi’s direction. Arabella was exactly the reason he never sought female companionship while at court. He was uninterested in anyone at Stirling Castle or the surrounding town, and he wouldn’t slight her by choosing someone else in her presence. Neither spoke of their feelings, and neither ever would. But they were there, and they both knew it. He found diversion from time to time at Dunrobin, but he was far from being the rogue people assumed he was because of his looks and charm.

“Ye can cast that brooding sulk somewhere else,” Hardi grinned.

“Leave be, or I shall tell my sister that you were the one who filched her bannocks this morning,” Lachlan threatened.

“She already kens, and I’ve promised to make it up to her.” Hardi waggled his brows again.

“Disgusting. It’s bad enough I ken the two of ye are just like Maude and Kieran. I dinna need reminding,” Lachlan’s burr slipped into his voice as he turned his nose up. “That’s ma wee baby sister.”

“The only bairn is the one Blair is carrying,” Hardi guffawed.

The men shaded their eyes as they walked into the brilliant late morning sunlight. Hardi elbowed Lachlan and pointed toward a group of women emerging from the gardens. The men caught sight of Blair and Arabella and joined them at the end of the path.

“Ye look weary, mo ghaol,” Hardi murmured as he tipped Blair’s face up. His thumb brushed the dark shadows under Blair’s eyes. Arabella tried not to stare; she lowered her eyes and twisted away, embarrassed by her longing for such tenderness from a man. One particular man, who happened to be standing on the other side of the couple. “Do ye wish to retire?”

Blair nodded, and Arabella regretted dragging her pregnant friend on such a lengthy walk after a week on horseback. It was still early in Blair’s pregnancy, and she’d shared with Arabella that she found herself exhausted for no reason other than rising from bed. Hardi wrapped his arm around Blair’s waist, but she hung back to look at Arabella.

“Will you sit with us at the evening meal? I’ve missed you,” Blair pleaded.

“Of course,” Arabella nodded. She watched the couple walk away before turning toward Lachlan. His expression was speculative, almost as though he were assessing her. She opened her mouth, but he spoke first.

“Must you join the queen?” Lachlan kept his voice low.

Arabella shook her head as she observed Queen Elizabeth and her ladies enter the keep. She looked back at Lachlan. “No. My absence won’t be noticed since the queen knows Blair is here. She will assume I’m with her.”

“I ken you’ve just been for a walk, but would you humor me and accompany me on another? I’ve been on horseback for nearly a fortnight straight. I arrived at Tor in the evening, and we departed the next morning. I would like to stretch my legs.”

Arabella forced herself not to look at the bare knees and calves that showed below Lachlan’s plaid. The muscular limbs covered in black hair seemed indecently masculine compared to the leggings that courtiers wore. While the leggings left nothing to the imagination, the sight of his bare skin felt like an illicit treat to the Lowland lady-in-waiting. She nodded, then gulped as Lachlan wrapped her arm through his.

They moved toward the garden path in silence. While Arabella sensed Lachlan wanted to speak, neither broke the companionable silence. They strolled together until they reached the center of the gardens and stood beside an enormous bed of hydrangeas. The bright blues and purples were in full bloom, and bees quietly buzzed from one bud to another, industriously working while ignoring all else around them.

“You look well, Bella,” Lachlan commented softly.

“Thank you.” Arabella smiled but couldn’t hold his gaze. “You don’t look like you’ve been on horseback for a fortnight.” Arabella’s eyes widened as she snapped her mouth shut. She realized she’d made more than one faux pas with that comment. She shouldn’t have commented on a man’s appearance, and she shouldn’t have offered such a backhanded compliment. Lachlan’s deep chuckle eased her misgivings, and she returned his smile.

“What is the news of court since last I was here?” Lachlan released her arm and turned to look at the flowers. Arabella wanted to sigh, but she understood he did it more for her reputation than because it was something he wanted. Anyone walking by would surely comment if they saw the couple standing arm-in-arm while engaging in a private conversation.

“There’s not much to report. People are still buzzing aboot Blair and Hardi, but mostly it’s those who supposedly predicted their marriage who have plenty to say. The initial surprise has worn off, and with the royal couple acknowledging their marriage, there’s no scandal. They are back to being boring,” Arabella grinned.

“Blair is hardly ever boring, but I’m certain she’ll be glad there isn’t too much gossip. I was worried,” Lachlan confessed.

“I’m sure that you were, but Blair proved quite clearly that she has a sharper mind and a sharper tongue than most. I think there are few who will challenge her, be it out loud or behind her back. And God’s mercy on them if they make Laird Cameron their target. We’ll need a priest to give last rites.”

“My sister is a little protective of her husband.” Lachlan glanced over his shoulder as if to see whether Blair might spy them. He lowered his head to whisper to Arabella. “Repeat a word of this, and I will deny it. But I have seen nothing more endearing than the way my sister defends Hardi. And he isn’t insulted or embarrassed. He’s proud to have the little termagant stand up for him.”

“So she’s really as happy as she seems?” Arabella wondered.

“More so. Besides my parents, I don’t think there has ever been a better matched couple,” Lachlan nodded.

“Even more than Maude and Kieran?” Arabella challenged with a smile.

“Aye. Maude and Kieran trust one another implicitly and understand one another as only soulmates can. But Kieran still fears for Maude and is overprotective. Between what she endured at court, the cold welcome at Stornoway, and the wildcat attack, he barely wants her out of his sight. I don’t blame him, but I know Maude feels suffocated at times. She doesn’t say aught because she knows he’s doing the best he can to show his love the only way he knows how. She doesn’t want to hurt him.”

Lachlan shook his head but smiled softly as his thoughts moved to his youngest sister. He was overjoyed to know both of his sisters had found partners who loved them unconditionally.

“Blair and Hardi are just different. I can’t explain other than they’re two sides of the same coin. It’s not just that they understand one another and accept each other for it. It’s as though they share the same thoughts and way of thinking on everything.” Lachlan shrugged and raised his hands. “I don’t really know how to explain it.”

“I understand what you mean. I saw it when they were here,” Arabella agreed. “Maybe it’s because they grew up together. Their way of thinking is so similar because they were with each other so much. From what Blair says, it was always you and your cousin Michael while Laird Cameron had his older brother Dougal. But whenever there was trouble with the other boys, Dougal and Laird Cameron made themselves scarce so they wouldn’t anger your father. It meant Laird Cameron spent a lot of time with Blair.”

“It did. And they had a great deal in common even then. They both loved archery, climbing trees, throwing knives, and being a pain in my arse,” Lachlan chortled. “Bella, I’m certain you can call him Hardwin, if not Hardi. You’re like a second sister to Blair.”

A second sister. All the more reason naught can happen between us. If Blair thinks of me as her sister, it would horrify her if Lachlan were to pursue me. And does that mean he thinks of me like a sister? Have I completely misread everything?

“Bella?” Lachlan nudged her. Arabella turned a blank stare toward Lachlan before she realized he’d continued talking. She hadn’t a clue what he’d just said. From his grin, she understood he knew that. “Where did you go just now?”

“Nowhere that interesting,” Arabella grinned. When she didn’t say more, Lachlan shrugged and returned to looking at the flower bed. It was Arabella’s turn to find something to say, having pushed Lachlan into silence when he assumed she was no longer paying attention. She struggled to find something to say. “How are Laird and Lady Sutherland?”

“Mama and Da are well, but it hasn’t been easy for them now that Maude and Blair are married. My sisters seem to cause more trouble as married women than they ever did as lasses. I don’t think my parents worried as much about sending them here as they do now that they belong to new clans.”

“I can understand that. Your father is no longer responsible for them. He has to trust his sons by marriage to protect his lasses. Laird MacLeod and Laird Cameron are up to the task, but it must be hard to ken that neither of them will return to Dunrobin and call it home.”

“It is. The keep is empty without them. For two such small women, they filled the keep, and their absence is keenly felt by everyone.”

Arabella glanced up at Lachlan, her brow furrowed as she considered what he didn’t say. On a hushed voice, she asked, “Are you lonely?”

Lachlan started, then nodded as he looked down at Arabella. “Aye. At times. First Hardi and Dougal left when they finished fostering. Then a couple of years later, my cousin Michael left to join the priesthood. Then Maude and Blair came here. But their position as ladies-in-waiting was always meant to be temporary. They still felt part of our clan, even if they were away. Now they belong elsewhere.” Lachlan shrugged. “I never thought I would feel left behind when I ken I’m to one day become Laird Sutherland, but Dunrobin seems empty now.”

“No keep is ever empty,” Arabella teased.

“The family quarters then,” Lachlan conceded. “It does sound ridiculous since Dunrobin is rather large, and there are servants buzzing aboot everywhere.”

“Rather large?” Arabella giggled. Dunrobin was one of the largest keeps in Scotland, and easily the largest in the northern Highlands.

“It just isn’t the same,” Lachlan grumbled in mock consternation. Their eyes locked, and their smiles slipped. The charged energy between them was palpable. Lachlan dredged his mind for something to say, but when the words came out, he realized he’d erred. “How is your family?”

Arabella stiffened. “All is well. Thank you for asking.”

“Bella?” Lachlan was unaccustomed to such a perfunctory response from Arabella. He knew he’d misstepped, but he thought he would have gotten more than such a curt answer. When she turned a studiously innocent expression on him, he didn’t press the matter.

“I am glad for the extra time outdoors, but the nooning approaches. The queen will notice if I’m late for that.” Arabella dipped her head and offered a fleeting smile before sweeping from the garden. Lachlan was left staring and wondering how their conversation went adrift so quickly.

Because ye mentioned her family. She never likes talking aboot them. And bluidy hell, her father may be arranging a betrothal. Christ on the cross, I dinna want to ken if that’s the case.

Lachlan rubbed his fist over his heart, but it did nothing to ease the ache. When Arabella was no longer in sight, Lachlan wandered through the gardens. He needed to clear his head and stretch his legs. He was stiff after so much time on horseback, but his mind felt addled as he kept returning to the notion that Arabella might soon be another man’s bride.

Can I live with that? Do I have a choice? Aye. There’s always a choice, but what if Bella isnae the right one and it ruins her friendship with Blair and Maude? What if I ruin things with them? Why canna I get the bollocks to make a move? I can slay an enemy, but I canna let a wisp of a lass ken that I love her.

Lachlan wound his way through the gardens until the noon meal bells pealed, and his stomach rumbled in response. He entered the Great Hall and searched for Hardi and Blair, but they were nowhere to be seen. He noticed Arabella immediately. She sat with Laurel Ross and a handful of ladies Lachlan recognized but didn’t know. He sighed and made his way to where the Sutherland and Cameron guardsmen sat together.