Page 12 of Sighs of the Highland Wind

Maxwell had always thought that he had never had a better friend than Lachlan until he found out the truth. Lachlan had pushed him out of the tree, not on purpose, but with a playful boyish swipe on the arm. Maxwell had not found out until one night when they were on one of their drunken sprees at Kirklieth Castle. They were all laughing about the stupid capers they had all indulged in when they were boys, and suddenly Lachlan said: “You remember that day I pushed you out of the tree, Max?” His voice was slurred, and he wore an expression of comical concentration as he tried to focus on his friend’s face.

“Of course I remember it!” Maxwell replied.

His eyes were not working too well since his friend’s face was blurred. Then a bolt of realization hit him between the eyes.

“Do you mean you—youpushedme? On purpose? Did you try to kill me?” His voice was a squeak of indignation.

“No! Of course not!” Lachlan cried, raising both hands in front of him as if to protect himself. “I pushed you, though, and I am very sorry.”

“Why did you not tell anybody?” Maxwell demanded furiously. “Me, for example.”

“I-I was scared,” Lachlan replied sheepishly. “I am sorry, Max. It was a stupid thing to do, but I thought your father might put me in prison.”

Maxwell glared at Lachlan, then walked out. He was too drunk to take in what had happened, but the next morning his friend had come to him as they were leaving.

“Forgive me?” he asked anxiously. “I was a fool, Max.” He hung his head, ashamed.

For a moment Maxwell looked down at his friend, not knowing how to feel. He was still furious, but how could he throw away a friendship that had endured since they were little more than infants? He could not do it.

“I forgive you,” he answered, smiling at Lachlan. “But my tree-climbing days are over!”

“As are mine.” Lachlan sighed, relieved. “I don’t deserve a friend like you, Max. Thank you.”

Suddenly, he was startled out of his reverie.

“Ewan?” Kenna said quietly as she came in, locking the door behind her.

For a moment, Maxwell ignored her, not recognizing the name as his own, then he suddenly realized that she was addressing him.

“I am so sorry. I was daydreaming,” he apologized.

“We all do it,” she said, smiling at him. “I found these for you.” She thrust a pile of clothes toward him. “I am not sure they will fit a big man like you, but the last laird was quite a big man too.”

“These are the laird’s clothes?” Maxwell asked incredulously, holding them up to inspect them. “Where did you get them?”

“The late Laird McDonald, who died a long time ago. I stole them,” she said frankly.

“You stole them? For me?” He was incredulous. “But what if you had been caught?”

Kenna shrugged. “I have lived here for a long time,” she replied. “I know where everything is. The chances of me being caught are very slim.”

Why have I never met someone like you before?he thought, puzzled. Then he realized that despite her cultured accent, she was still only a servant. Then he pulled himself up short.Only a servant?

At that moment he realized that servants were people as worthy of dignity as he was. Why had he never thought of this before? But he already knew the answer to his own question. It was this astonishing woman who was showing him ways of seeing things in a light that was completely new to him, and she did not even know she was doing it. She was extraordinary.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Kenna asked suddenly. “Do I have dirt on my face?” Her eyebrows were raised in a question, and her green eyes were wary.

Maxwell blinked. “I am so sorry,” he said with an embarrassed laugh. “I can’t seem to stop slipping into daydreams today.”

“I have no time for daydreams. I have work to do,” she announced briskly. “Try these on while I am gone. I hope they fit you, although I have a feeling they might be a wee bit too big.”

“I hope so too,” he murmured. “Kenna?”

“Yes?”

She turned back to him, and once more he was struck by the luminosity of her bright green eyes.

“You should not be taking risks for me.” He looked at the floor, ashamed. “I should be going soon.”