Page 11 of Highlander’s Wild Lass (Wild McLeans #1)

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A nthony stayed awake after riding out with Celestia to take her home after the rain finally stopped. On his way back, the castle was already bustling with life.

Mrs. Duncan ran out to him in the courtyard, strands of fine gray hair flying around her face. “What are ye doin’ up so early?”

“Ye ken I like to ride before dawn most days,” he said, swinging his leg over his horse and handing him off to the groom.

Mrs. Duncan held her hand to her forehead. “Right, right. Apologies, dear. I have been losin’ my mind gettin’ everythin’ together for Beltane.”

He followed her into the kitchens. A few of the younger maids fled from their path, causing him to chuckle. He wasn’t sure if they were more afraid of him or the formidable Mrs. Duncan.

“Is there anythin’ I can do?”

Mrs. Duncan closed her eyes and exhaled, turning to face him. “Will ye just make sure there is enough firewood for the bonfires? I ken Hamish is gettin’ up there in age and struggles grippin’ an ax on account of the gout.”

“Nae worry, Mrs. Duncan. I’ll see to it.”

He made his way through the courtyard and out passed the stone walls to the woods. He heard the heavy thudding of an ax into wood and followed it.

In a small clearing, that really couldn’t be called a clearing with how many stumps stuck out all over the place, he found Sebastian and old Hamish.

“Ah,” Sebastian called out, seeing Anthony approach. “I see my auntie convinced ye to come and help chop wood too?”

“She didnae tell me she’d roped ye into it too.”

“She must be losin’ it because she specifically woke me up to help Hamish.”

“How are ye, m’laird?” Hamish asked. He was sitting on a fallen oak tree, clenching and unfurling his fingers.

“I’m well, Hamish,” he told him. “Do ye have a spare ax?”

“Always,” he said, pointing a crooked finger to his cart.

Anthony took an ax, felt the edge, and went to the large stump near Sebastian. He grabbed a log and placed it onto the stump. “Hamish,” he said, “go see the healer for some balm for those fingers and find one of the kitchen maids to get ye a hot cup of tea.”

“Are ye sure? We need all the wood we can get today,” Hamish said, already rising from the tree.

“By all means, come back once yer all fixed up.”

Hamish gave a meager salute and disappeared toward the castle, leaving them alone in the quiet, cool dawn.

“Ye look very awake for this early hour,” Sebastian said, a rueful smile lighting his face.

Anthony raised the ax and came down on the log, only barely burying into the top. “I can say the same for ye.”

“Aye, but I’ve been here helpin’ Hamish.”

Anthony shrugged. There couldn’t be any way that Sebastian knew what happened last night with Celestia. He could still hardly believe it himself.

As much as he desired her physically and appreciated how intelligent she was, never in his life did he think that he’d take her into his mouth the way he did last night. And he truly did not think that was ever going to happen due to how adamantly opposed Celestia was to the idea of him.

He rose the ax high above his head and came down again on the log, ripping it in half, the two pieces falling off the sides of the stump.

“Well, I do have to tell ye somethin’,” he said with a grunt, placing another log on top of the stump. “But ye have to promise to nae speak of it to anyone, especially yer auntie.”

Sebastian brought his ax down into a fresh log. “Daenae hold me in suspense.”

“Promise ye won’t tell yer auntie, Bas,” Anthony said, pointing the ax at Sebastian.

Sebastian crossed his heart with two fingers. “I swear I willnae tell a soul, especially auntie.”

Satisfied with Sebastian’s promise, he said, “Celestia came to me last night.”

“Last night? It was pourin’ rain last night.”

“Aye, she still came. Soaked to the bone. She found me last night and finally agreed to marry me.”

“Yer lyin’,” Sebastian told him plainly, his ax faltering in his hand. “There is nae way that stubborn lass changed her mind.”

“I’m nae lyin’.”

They continued to split wood, creating a large pile in easy silence. Hamish still hadn’t come back yet, and Anthony figured he wouldn’t. Hamish had a habit of falling asleep in hay piles after a warm drink.

“Tis a good day to announce a betrothal, Beltane,” Sebastian said, taking a seat on a stump, resting the ax against his leg. “Ye should take advantage of all the good spirits and gods walkin’ about today. Will ye jump through the fires with her to ensure both of yer fertility?”

“Calm yerself, Sebastian. We willnae be wed until she tells her family. And I daenae need help when it comes to fertility.”

Sebastian flashed him a smarmy smirk. “Fathered a few bastards that I daenae ken about?”

“No, ye fool, I havenae.”

Once they were through, they piled it high on the cart Hamish left behind and pulled it around the castle to the large field where the festival would take place in a few short hours.

They stacked the wood high inside two large circles of small boulders where the main bonfires would be while Mrs. Duncan was ordering a group of men on where to place the casks of whisky and honeyed mead.

“It’s McLean whisky!” Mrs. Duncan exclaimed as she passed them, raising her brows in excitement. “I cannae wait to finally taste it again.”

“Playin’ favorites, now?” Sebastian joked, throwing a small stick at Anthony.

Anthony laughed and threw the stick back. “Ye ken I have nothin’ to do with the food and drink that comes into the castle.”

He was happy with Celestia finally agreeing to the marriage, but he didn’t fully understand why. Of course, he was attracted to her, there was hardly a man who wouldn’t be. But there was something more there—like the fluttery feeling he got in his stomach whenever he saw her or how vexed she could make him with her smart mouth—that he hadn’t expected.

* * *

The rain had cleared, and the Beltane festival was in full swing. The fires were lit, the village was aglow and the large field near the castle was filled with clan members from far and wide. Bagpipes and other instruments played, people danced, and people drank.

Mrs. Duncan had ordered a dozen McLean whisky casks for the festival and there were large barrels of honeyed mead at every turn.

Celestia found herself in a joyous fast-paced dance with young Jamie from the village and other random couples taking part. She only came to the festival after her father reassured her more than a hundred times and nearly begged her to attend with her siblings so he could have some peace.

So, she went to the festival and tried her best not to feel any guilt for leaving her father home alone. She had no idea where Chester and Hugo were, but Auralia was nearby dancing with a handsome young man.

The song slowed to a stop and young Jamie bowed respectfully low to Celestia. “It was a pleasure, Mistress Celestia.”

“Always, Master Jamie,” she told him with a wide grin. And with that Jamie dashed back to his parents.

Auralia linked arms with her, face flushed and a smile as big as her own. “I need somethin’ to drink after that.”

“Because of the dance or the handsome young lad?”

“Huuuush,” Auralia shot back, laughing.

They wove their way through the crowd and passed a group of men butchering a folk song. They grabbed one tankard each and dipped into the mead barrel, both taking a long drink.

Celestia wiped her mouth free of any foam. “Cheers?”

“To what exactly?”

“To…us?” Celestia said, raising her tankard toward her sister. “To havin’ a night without a single worry.”

Auralia crashed her tankard into Celestia’s, causing mead to spill down their hands and the length of their forearms.

One of the pipers inflated their bagpipes again, causing a long, low wailing sound over the field. Another song was about to begin. Celestia took another long sip and noticed a handsome young man coming toward them. It was not the same young man that had just danced with Auralia, but she noticed that he only had eyes for her.

“May I dance with ye, Auralia?” he said, extending out his hand to her.

Auralia smiled. “Of course, Johnny.”

Celestia grabbed the mead from her as Johnny pulled her back into the fray of dancers. She finally spotted her brothers sitting with Sebastian, Anthony’s man-at-arms. They had been acquainted with one another since he came to live with his aunt, Mrs. Duncan, when he was about twelve.

“Are ye two drinkin’?” she asked accusatorily as she came upon them, but she knew she could not hide her smile.

“As are ye, sister,” Chester said, raising his cup to her. “Why nae indulge in our own whisky?”

“Aye,” Hugo said, raising his mug to her too. “We do make a fine drink, do we nae?”

“Ye surely do,” Sebastian said.

Celestia took a seat across from Sebastian, noticing the twins looking off into the distance. She followed their gaze and saw two young girls, similar in features walking toward them with flower wreaths in their hands.

“If ye stare too long, ye can scare off a girl,” Sebastian said, lowering his head closer to the twins.

Hugo, who sat beside Sebastian, elbowed him in the ribs. “We arenae starin’.”

“I am, I willnae be ashamed,” Chester said dreamily.

Celestia laughed into her drink. “Ye very well should be. Sebastian’s right, ye should nae be starin’ so greedily and openly at a lass.”

“They look eerily like one another,” Sebastian said, directing this to Celestia. “Are they twins?”

“Nay,” Hugo answered at once. “The one with her hair in that beautiful plait is the older one, Nessa.”

Chester sighed. “And the other one, the one just a wee bit shorter, is Flora.”

The girls boldly walked up to them, arms linked together and smiling. One, Celestia was sure it was Nessa, offered up her wreath. “For ye, Hugo.”

Hugo lowered his head for her to place it on him.

Sebastian threw Celestia a surprised look.

“We think it’s grand how ye torment mean old Gavin,” the shorter one, Flora said.

Celestia’s eyes widened, and she took a sip of her mead to hide her laughter. These girls must be more mischievous than they looked.

“Will ye take this wreath, Chester?” Flora asked.

Chester abandoned his drink as he stood. “Of course, I will.”

“And will ye dance with us?” Nessa asked.

“How could I say nay?” Hugo said, standing and taking Nessa’s hand.

Chester took hold of Flora’s and off they went.

“That was impressive,” Sebastian said, looking amazed.

“Who ken they were so… gallant,” Celestia said.

Sebastian laughed as he placed his cup on the table. “Ye must have taught them how to treat lasses.”

Celestia shrugged. “I’m sure I’ve mentioned it once or twice, but never as well as that.”

“Ah, well. When a woman presents herself before a man, it’s almost nature to ken how to be.”

Celestia blushed a bit, grateful that it was night, and much of the light came from the huge bonfires in the middle of the field. “I suppose ye must be right.” Sebastian’s comment had made her think back to last night.

“Should I wait to congratulate ye now or after ye and Anthony have walked down the aisle?”

She blinked, brows furrowing together. Words formed on her lips and then disappeared before she finally took a sip of her drink and found her voice again. “What?”

“Anthony told me ye finally agreed to marry him.” He raised his cup to meet hers.

Reluctantly, she did. “Do ye ken where Anthony is?”

“I do.” He nodded and pointed behind her. “He’s just there, comin’ this way.”

She turned to see Anthony, dressed in his finest kilt and plaid pinned perfectly to his jacket. His hair curled just above his ears with the humidity that lingered still from last night. A jolt rushed through her body, and she felt more alive than just a moment ago.

“Good evenin’, Celestia. I didnae think I would ever find ye in this crowd,” he said when stood before the table. He nodded in acknowledgment to Sebastian.

“Evenin’,” Celestia answered.

“Will ye dance with me?” he asked, holding out his hand to her.

Celestia could hardly say no to him, especially in front of Sebastian who already knew of their arrangement. She nodded and grabbed hold of his hand. Flashes of last night came to her when he pulled her enthusiastically from her seat and toward where the others were dancing.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the twins spinning around Nessa and Flora. Auralia was still dancing with the young man who had taken her away earlier.

Anthony pulled her attention back to him when he wrapped his arm around her back, guiding her along to the beat.

“Do ye have any regrets about last night?” he asked.

“I told ye last night that I dinnae,” she said, looking up at him through her lashes. She felt a bit bashful after the intimacy they shared last night, wondering if it was just a fluke because she’d felt so emotionally spent and raw. “Are ye regrettin’ it?”

“Nay, lass,” he said, but there was something in his voice that she couldn’t pinpoint. Maybe it was the mead she smelled on his breath or maybe it was just the whirlwind that was last night.

“Have ye told anyone?” she asked. “That I said yes.”

“Nay.”

“Then why did Sebastian congratulate me just before?”

Anthony gave himself away with the nearly imperceptible grimace. “Sebastian is family, and he kens to be discrete.”

“Are ye sure?”

“Aye.”

“If he’s like family, then I assume ye have told Eleanor?”

He shook his head. “I have nae told my sister yet. She still has the biggest mouth of the family.”

“I hope so because I havenae told my family yet,” Celestia told him in a rush of air as they spun together passing between two other couples.

“I promise ye, Celestia. I’ve only told Sebastian.”

Celestia nodded, deciding to trust him.