Page 26 of Taken by the Highland Villain (Breaking the Highland Rules #2)

Jude stood at the door to the Great Hall, his gaze flicking down the corridor leading to the front doors. Everything was prepared for his plan—he could only pray it went as well as he hoped it would.

Craig had scoured the village for some pipers, offering them a silver for the evening. Moira had cooked a special meal, served with a bottle of wine that he’d acquired from traders some time ago.

The soft whisper of footsteps on stone caught his attention, and he turned to face the staircase. When he beheld the figure coming toward him, he felt his heart skip a beat and his mouth go dry.

Valerie was striding toward him, her dress flowing around her. The design was simple—a skirt that fell almost to her ankles and swirled around her legs enticingly with every step. The fabric hugged her hips and bosom, accentuating her narrow waist and full bodice.

The blue-green color enhanced the healthy glow of her skin and brought out the vivid green of her eyes. The soft, silken sheen of the fabric seemed echoed by the shine of her soft, raven-black hair, which fell down her back, unbound save for two thin braids that held it back from her face.

She looked like a fairy, come to walk among his halls and enchant his people.

His breath hitched, and he forced himself to inhale, then exhale, then breathe normally as she came to a stop beside him, gazing up at him with those shimmering, beautiful eyes.

“Ye look beautiful. As if an enchantress bestowed a blessing of beauty upon ye.”

“Ye look fair handsome yerself.” Valerie smiled, and the expression, so warm and generous, made her look even more glorious, almost angelic.

Jude offered her his arm and led her into the hall.

The new curtains were drawn, letting in the light of the setting sun, enhanced by a few torches in their brackets, burning gently. The middle of the hall had been cleared, and upon their entrance, the pipers in the corner began to play softly.

Valerie’s eyes widened at the sound. “What is this?”

“Did ye ever attend a cèilidh?”

There were things she’d said and rumors Craig had relayed to him over the past few days that made him wonder.

“Nae afore my sister’s wedding. My siblings and I didnae have a clan, and we werenae welcome in the nearby villages because of my faither’s reputation.” Her voice was soft, but there was a note of wistfulness and regret in her words that made his heart ache for her.

“It isnae a large celebration, but this is a cèilidh for me and ye. To celebrate yer bein’ here.” He offered her his hand. “Shall we dance?”

“I… I’ve never learned how…”

There was a trace of hesitation, but Jude took her hand and led her into the cleared section anyway.

“It is all right. I could teach ye, if ye let me. This is a slow song, and we can take it easy.”

He guided them into slow, easy steps, the two of them moving across the floor in an odd, strange pattern that was all their own.

Their hands linked, and Jude drew her closer so that the flare of his kilt touched the fall of her skirt, the two of them swirling together like water.

The music danced over them, and Jude let himself flow with the sound, enjoying the closeness and the pleased smile on Valerie’s face, along with the light blush of happiness.

They danced together for some time, until finally Valerie broke the spell with a soft, almost mournful question. “Jude… what is this? Why…?”

“I didnae lie when I said it was to celebrate yer presence here.” Jude considered leaving the matter at that, but he had made a decision, and he was determined to abide by it. “And I want to offer ye a chance to remain.”

Valerie stiffened, and her gaze met his. “What do ye mean?”

“Ye announced a false betrothal, but we dinnae have to discard it. I can still write to Laird MacKane. I can ask him to formally break any agreement with Laird MacOlley, and declare a betrothal and alliance between us.”

“But ye dinnae want to marry. Ye said ye cannae stand to do so.”

“I did. But there are nay rules about how long a betrothal has to last. It can last as long as ye wish, until ye find where ye’d rather be.”

Jude held his breath as he waited for her response.

The soft, sad smile that graced her lips was unexpected. Then, she shook her head. “I cannae.”

“Why?” Jude frowned. “I promise, I’ll nae?—”

“Because I cannae stand it.” Valerie shook her head again, more emphatically. “I despise Laird MacOlley, that is true enough, but it would be less painful to endure a man I hate, in a marriage I never wanted, than to remain here and endure kenning that I’m with a man I care for but can never have.”

Jude’s heart skipped a beat, the force of his surprise making him stumble. “Ye…”

“I’ve come to care for ye. And I ken that I can never have ye. That nay matter what ye offer, it will never be yerself and a proper place at yer side.”

The soft, frank admission made Jude’s heart clench, his whole body aching with the impact of her evident sorrow. Despite himself, his resolve faltered.

“Does it mean so much to ye?”

“Aye. I never thought it would, but… I dinnae wish to be claimed by a man who isnae willin’ to truly claim me. As much as I value my freedom, if I must be bound to a man, then I would have it be a true connection or no connection at all.”

Jude slowed their steps, then lifted one hand to stroke her cheek and cup her chin. He tilted her chin up gently, then claimed her lips in a passionate but chaste kiss.

They broke apart when Valerie’s breath stuttered, and he bent close so he could whisper in her ear, “I dinnae ken what I can offer ye, but I can promise ye this—ye have me, for as long as ye wish. As much or as little as ye wish of me.”

“But ye… ye said…”

“As much or as little as ye wish of me,” Jude repeated.

He bent and kissed her again, and this time Valerie surged up to meet him, her passion matching his own, her fingers tangled in the soft fabric of the shirt she’d made for him.

He drew her closer, his arousal beginning to build, desire surging like a warm wave through his blood and filling his muscles with heat and need. Valerie responded, her fingers beginning to tug on the laces of his shirt and the buckle of his belt.

He was just beginning to consider taking her into his arms and carrying her to a more private location when there was a commotion at the door. A moment later, Craig staggered inside, his face taut with barely concealed fear and anger.

“My Laird, I am sorry. But please… Please, I beg ye, help her.”

He stumbled further into the room, bringing with him the slight and unexpected form of Lady MacAllister.

One moment, she and Jude were standing close, the heat of desire beginning to surge through her; the next, Craig staggered through the door, Lady MacAllister in his arms and a stricken look on his face.

For all that Valerie had suspected that Lady MacAllister was being abused by her husband, if not her brother as well, the woman’s condition shocked her now.

There were bruises on her hands and forearms, and bloody scrapes on her hands as well.

Her right eye was blackened, the cheek below so puffy that Valerie suspected a cracked cheekbone.

The way she held her elbow close to her body suggested bruises and wounds to her chest and abdomen as well.

“Lady MacAllister… what happened?” Jude’s voice was gentle, a contrast to the thunderous expression on his face.

“My husband…” Her voice was shaking. “My husband… he… he…”

Lady MacAllister was shaking badly, her face deathly white underneath the bruises. “I dinnae ken what set him off so badly, but…” She broke into sobs.

She needed comfort, warmth, and support. Answers could wait.

Valerie rose and hurried to the kitchen door. “Moira, I need some warm broth and a wee dram. Then some blankets and a change of clothes. Perhaps a hot bath. And whatever salves and bandages ye can gather in a hurry. And a balm for bruises if ye will.”

“Aye, of course, Miss Blackwood.” Moira looked through the door, and her expression softened into motherly concern. “Och, the poor lass. She looks as if she’s been chased by wolves or worse.”

A moment later, the maid was back with the broth and the whiskey, her expression set in determined lines. “Ye get that into the lass, and I’ll be back with a warm blanket and then draw a bath for her. And ye tell the Laird that he had better keep her here rather than send her back.”

Valerie smiled softly. “I am sure Laird MacFinn already intends to do that, but I will tell him ye said so.”

She took the broth back to Lady MacAllister and knelt. “Lady MacAllister…”

“Ailsa. Please. I cannae bear bein’ called by that name.” Ailsa sipped at the broth, then drank down the whiskey, and a little bit of color came back to her cheeks.

“Ailsa, I dinnae ken what’s happened to ye, but rest assured that ye’re safe here.” Jude reached out and gave her shoulder a quick, reassuring squeeze.

“Thank ye, Laird MacFinn.” Ailsa sipped more broth. “I am sorry to intrude, but I couldnae think of anywhere else to go.”

The way her gaze slid very briefly to Craig made Valerie think she had a very good idea of why the lady had come to MacFinn Castle.

They’re lovers, or they’re fond enough of each other that they wish to be.

Valerie kept that thought to herself, keenly aware that it wasn’t her secret to tell. Whether Craig had revealed his relationship with Ailsa to Jude or not, it was his life, and she was not about to invade his privacy and speak of matters that were none of her business.

Moira arrived then with a warmed blanket, and together the two of them eased Ailsa off the floor and over to the table. The four of them sat briefly together to eat while Moira drew a bath.

Once Ailsa lowered herself into the warm water and started washing away the dirt and grime, Valerie went and retrieved one of her dresses. The fit wouldn’t be perfect, but the lady was so thin that Valerie’s clothes would suit until they could find or make something better for her.

A little later, Ailsa was settled in a guest room that Moira had hastily prepared, and Moira and Valerie were tending to her cuts and bruises.

With a good meal and some warmth in her, full color returned to her cheeks, and her hands stopped trembling.

Nothing, however, could hide the fact that she was still far too thin, or conceal the bruises and cuts she had sustained.

Finally, the last of the wounds was tended to, and Moira rose, her knees popping as she patted Ailsa’s shoulder. “I’ll get ye some more blankets, water, and a cordial with somethin’ to help ease the pain.”

Ailsa nodded, but when Valerie moved to step away, she caught her hand. “Stay a moment, please?”

Valerie nodded and waved Moira away.

Once the maid was gone, Ailsa took a deep breath. “I’m sorry to speak if I shouldnae, but… ye ken who my braither is.”

“I ken.” Valerie nodded slowly, wondering where the conversation was headed.

“He wants ye, but it is clear that ye ken what sort of man he is. And as ye may have guessed, he was the one who arranged my marriage to Laird MacAllister.”

Valerie nodded again. “I guessed. But why are ye bringing this up now?”

“My braither doesnae see women as human beings, only possessions. To him, ye’re like his favorite painting, nothing more. There’s nay kindness or compassion in him, nor in anyone he claims he favors.”

“I ken, but I dinnae understand why ye’re tellin’ me all of this.”

“Because I overheard my braither conspirin’ with my husband to force yer hand—and that was before they did this to me…” Ailsa indicated her battered state. “He wants to force ye to be his bride, one way or the other.”

She shivered, her eyes filled with fear.

“Nathan will stop at nothin’ to have ye, but it is clear that yer heart belongs to another.

” She squeezed Valerie’s hand, her strength surprising, seeing her frail appearance.

“I dinnae ken if ye have a plan for escaping him, but I will tell ye this—follow yer heart. Dinnae let my braither decide the course of yer life. If ye have someone ye care for, go to him. Stay with him. Dinnae let Nathan’s twisted desires bind ye. ”

Valerie felt her stomach twist. “I wish I could follow yer advice, but it is too late. I’m leavin’ in the morning.”

“But what ye told my braither…” Ailsa’s face was stricken. “Ye cannae let him destroy yer life like he did mine.”

Valerie shook her head. “I spoke too soon and too rashly. There’s nothin’ between Laird MacFinn and me but affection, and tomorrow, I must return to my clan.”

And keep my promise, since I cannae escape Laird MacOlley, nay matter how hard I try.

Ailsa looked as if she wanted to burst into tears, and Valerie pulled her into a gentle embrace. “Dinnae fret. It will work out in the end.”

Somehow. I dinnae ken how, when Laird MacOlley threatens my kin and Jude is unwillin’ to make any claim or stance of his own, unless it is based on a falsehood that folk would soon see through. Still, somehow…

Somehow, I will make things right. And I will do whatever it takes to protect all of us, including ye, Lady Ailsa. Ye, my sisters, my niece… and even Jude Reid and his folk, whom I’ve come to care for as much as my own.