Page 17 of Highlander’s Fruit of Eden

The Mistress

V incent sat on the edge of his bed. He had just put his trews back on, but he sat with his shirt off, showing off some definition that men his age did not normally have. Behind him, Ada lay with her eyes closed, but she was not asleep. He would not allow her to sleep here, anyway.

The Laird had his needs, and she met them adequately.

She was five years younger than he was, and that gave him the best of both worlds.

She was young enough that she had a body that excited him but old enough that she was experienced and knew how to please him.

He understood she did not only fulfill his needs, but he did not care about that.

He got what he needed out of the relationship.

“Ye should leave,” said Vincent.

“Just a minute more,” she whispered. “I dinnae have to leave just yet, do I?”

“I have people to meet and places to be,” said the Laird.

“Ye are a busy and powerful man,” she said. Vincent turned his head to see the smile on her face. He reached down under the blankets and gave her rear a tight squeeze. Her smile widened, and she finally opened her eyes.

“Vincent,” she said.

“Mmm,” replied Vincent, staring out of the open window.

“Are ye well?” she asked. “I dinnae mean to intrude, but ye’re nae herself today.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” he said.

“Come on, Vincent, I ken ye better than anyone.” There was a stirring in the bed behind him, and he felt her warm body being pushed into his back, her voluptuous and soft breasts exciting him where he sat.

Ada wrapped her arms around the Laird and played with the hair on his chest. She kissed at his neck and shoulders.

“Enough,” snapped the Laird, standing up quickly. When he looked back down at her, she shrunk before him, naked and small. He sat back down on the bed and let her wrap her arms around him again. “I dinnae mean that, Ada. Will ye forgive me?”

“Ye ken that I will,” she said, holding him tight, cradling him like a child. “Come on, tell me what is botherin’ ye.”

Vincent sighed. “It’s me nephew.”

“What has he done? Is he tryin’ to take power from ye?” she asked.

“Nay,” he said. “Nay, nothin’ like that.

Or, I dinnae ken. I’ve worked hard all me life to get what I have now, and I’ve always done it the right way.

When me faither died, everyone kenned that I should have been made Laird and nae me brother, but he was given the title because he’s the older of us.

What kind of a twisted system is that? Should we make leaders of men based on their age?

What about honor, skill, reputation, and ability?

Everyone kenned that I deserved it more than him, but they gave it to him anyway. ”

“Aye, but ye are the Laird now, and ye deserve to be,” said Ada, wrapping her arms tighter and rubbing Vincent’s chest.

Vincent stared out of the window again, looking out at the red sky as the sun was going down.

Clouds were scattered, painted orange in long strips.

He should not keep his people waiting, but he was not ready to get up just yet, and he liked having his mistress’s hands on his body.

He guided her hand down into his trews so that she could satisfy him as he spoke.

“It’s the same with that nephew of mine. By right, he should be the Laird, but why? Because he is the oldest son of the oldest son?”

“He does nae deserve it as ye do,” said Ada. “Everyone loves havin’ ye as Laird. Word has it that he wouldnae make a good Laird, if people are to be believed. I’ve heard nothin’ but good things about ye, and nothin’ but bad things about him. Fightin’ in the streets and the like.”

“Aye, exactly,” said Vincent. He trusted two people more than anyone else in the castle, Ada and Angus. He had no secrets from either of them, and they had never betrayed him or let him down.

“Do ye like that?” asked Ada as she moved her hand in Vincent’s trews.

“Aye,” said Vincent absently. In truth, while he was enjoying it, he knew that it was not leading anywhere—his mind was much too preoccupied with what was developing around him.

“That’s why I did what I had to do,” he continued.

“Not that I had to do anythin’, I just had to ensure that our Clan was protected and make sure that they were led in the right direction, and that means me being the Laird until I die or am unfit to lead. ”

“Ye’ll outlive us all,” said Ada.

“He always gets everythin’ first, and now he wants to take Amelia too.”

“Who’s Amelia?” asked Ada, her hands stopping.

Vincent took her arm and guided her so that she started her movements again. “Amelia does nae concern ye.”

“Nay?” asked Ada.

“Nay,” said Vincent, turning his head so he could look her in the eye. “She’s naybody, just the next step that I have to take as Laird.”

“And what does that mean?” asked Ada. She removed her hands from Vincent and sat back, pushing herself up with her feet until she was sitting against the headboard. She pulled up the blankets to cover herself.

“It means that it’s none of yer business. But, if ye must ken, she’s going to be me wife.”

“Yer wife?” asked Ada.

Vincent turned around and almost burst out laughing when he saw the look on Ada’s face. “Come on, why are ye lookin’ at me like that?”

“Ye ken fine well why I’m lookin’ at ye like this. Ye told me that if ye were ever going to get married, that ye would wed me.”

“Aye, and that was a long time ago,” said Vincent. “That was back when I did nae need to have a child.”

“I can give ye a child,” said Ada.

“Come on, Ada, ye are nae getting’ any younger, are ye.

Ye cannae really be jealous of her, can ye?

This is nae a competition between the two of ye.

Ye serve a purpose, and she will serve a purpose too.

Just because I’m marryin’ someone else, it does nae mean that I won’t have time for ye too.

We can sneak around behind me wife’s back. That’ll be excitin’ won’t it?”

Ada did not say anything and pulled the blankets up until they were tucked under her chin.

“Come on, Ada. Are ye really bothered by this? Ye kenned what this relationship was before we got into it.”

“I thought that I had earned yer heart,” said Ava.

Vincent smiled at her, but he quickly removed that smile when he realized that she was not joking. “I like ye, Ava, I really do, but this is not love. Ye come up to me room, and we have sex, but it’s not more than that.”

“We talk. I thought that we had built somethin’ between the two of us. I ken things about ye, don’t forget that.”

Vincent backed off the bed and stood up. “What are ye sayin’? Are ye trying to blackmail me?”

“Oh, nay, ye ken that I wouldnae do that.”

“I hope not, Ada, for yer sake. I really do like ye, but if ye threaten what I have here, I will have nay option but to take care of ye.”

Ada burst into tears, burying her head into the blanket.

Vincent rolled his eyes and wanted to get out of there as quickly as he could, but he knew that he had to deal with this situation first. He walked back to the bed and sat down beside Ava.

She had never been jealous of him before, and he thought that they had an understanding, but her feelings had grown while his had not.

“Come here,” he said, pulling her close. She buried her head in his chest and continued to cry. “It might nae even happen with how things are going.”

“What do ye mean,” she whimpered.

“It means that me nephew thinks he can take everythin’ from me.”

Ada stopped her sobbing and looked up at Vincent. He sighed. He had not expected to talk about this, but voicing his problems always helped him to analyze and conquer them.

“I dinnae ken if Jon took an interest before I talked with Amelia about marriage—”

“Ye already proposed to her?” asked Ada, shocked.

“Nae in so many words, but aye. I’ve had Angus followin’ Jon these past few days.

Me nephew has nae been the same recently, and I always kenned there would come a time when he would try and wrestle power from me, and I need to make sure that I can keep it.

At least, I have the people on me side. Anyway, Angus saw them together only yesterday.

He couldnae be sure if anythin’ had happened between them, but if it had, he must have forced her.

Nay lassie is stupid enough to accept a proposal from a Laird and break his trust the day after.

He gets everythin’ handed to him on a platter, and it’s still nae good enough, is it. ”

“I feel for ye, Vincent.”

“Nay, ye dinnae, but that does nae matter. I always get what I want in the end, and this will be nay different.”

An owl hooted outside, capturing Vincent’s attention. He took a deep breath and wished that his life could be simpler. If only people knew their place and did as they were told, everyone could have a happy life. But it was not to be.

“I have to go,” he said. He got up from the bed again and put on his shirt this time, buttoning it up quickly.

“She sounds like a harlot,” said Ada. “She’s the English one, right? Ye ken that ye cannae trust them. Comin’ up here, and she’s playin’ both ye and yer nephew. Yer better off stickin’ to Scottish lassies.”

“She’s a means to an end. She’s young enough to give me bairns, and when she has, she’ll do whatever I tell her to. Me son will become Laird, and me name and legacy will continue for years. That’ll teach me nephew to try and take this castle from me.

“He would be better off dead,” said Ada.

“What?” asked Vincent as he put on his jacket and boots.

“Both of them, right?” Ada sat up straighter in the bed, a wicked look in her eye.

“Yer life would be a lot easier without yer nephew. I mean, yer practically raised him, and he stabbed ye in the back. That harlot too. Yer heart is too open, and people try to take advantage. They need to be warned, and if they dinnae listen, then ye need to do what ye need to do. If ye dinnae, then who kens what the two of them will do to take power from ye. It cannae be a coincidence that yer nephew is actin’ strange and then he plots with this English lass.

How many more of them is he plottin’ with? ”

“I have to go,” said Vincent. “See yerself out.” He left the room and descended the stairs toward the Great Hall.

He knew that Ada was jealous and wanted to drive away Amelia, but perhaps she was right.

His nephew wanted to grab power, and the English lass has arrived at the castle at an opportune time.

She was incredibly sweet in his presence, and then she was consorting with Jon. Was this part of some elaborate plan?

Vincent tried to think of the best course of action as he made his way downstairs.

He needed to be careful. His nephew was becoming a problem, there was no doubt about that, and he would have to deal with that sooner or later.

He would give a little nudge at first and, if that did not work, then he would have to become forceful.

He was the Laird, and no one was going to take that from him.