Page 175 of Taming the Highland Misfits

One of her chief talents was the ability to talk about anything and everything almost without stopping, but she had a strategy; she would pause now and again to let Larry put in a few words of his own. Most people could not bear silence and would fill it in with anything they could, and some of what they said could be quite revealing.

She pasted on a smile and took the arm he offered, and they set off. At first, they walked through the public areas, like the dining room, some of the small parlours, and the music room. Ailsa kept up a constant flow of chatter, praising the architecture, the paintings, the statues, and anything else that caught her eye.

At last, they came to the first tier of the battlements and saw the countryside spread out like a tapestry in front of them; emerald green fields, the first gold of autumn leaves on the ash and birch trees, and the darker hue of pine woods under which deep brown shadows lurked. In the distance, at the bottom of the steep hill was the Braeburn, the peat-brown stream which separated the Balmuir and Mulrigg estates.

Ailsa had to admit, having seen much of the castle, that Balmuir was a beautiful place. Would she like to have been mistress of this castle? There was no doubt in her mind that she would have, but not at the price of John’s life.

Then, as if he were reading her mind, Larry asked, “Would you like to be mistress of this castle? You seem to like it very much.”

Ailsa froze for a moment, and her heart began to thump. She turned to Larry and looked at him questioningly. “What are you suggesting?” she asked, although, of course, she knew the answer.

“I am suggesting,” Larry answered slowly, “that you marry me. I am the heir here now, and I can give you all of this.” He waved his arm in a sweeping gesture around the castle and the countryside in front of them. “I am about to become a very wealthy man.” He stopped and waited for her answer.

“This is all rather sudden,” Ailsa informed him. She was not surprised that Larry had proposed to her, but the timing of it took her by surprise. She had thought that he would wait until the trial was over. For a moment she stood looking at him and saying nothing, then she turned away. However, this was exactly what Ailsa had been hoping for. All she had to do was say yes, and she would be privy to all his secrets, but it would look suspicious if she gave in too easily.

“That is something you will have to discuss with my father,” she replied coyly.

“Of course,” Larry agreed. “But I am not asking your father to marry me—I am asking you. I do not mean right away, of course. Only after a suitable period of courtship.”

Ailsa looked at the floor, uncertain of what to say. There was no question of her marrying him. She would rather marry one of the gardeners or stable boys, the lowest servants in the castle, but she had to keep him on her side since alienating him would be a bad idea.

“May we discuss it later?” she asked. “I am rather distracted by this trial.”

“Do you not like me?” Larry asked. “I can give you a very good life, Ailsa. I will be the most loving husband you could ever wish for.”

“Of course I like you!” Ailsa did her best to sound shocked that he could even think such a thing. “How could I not? You are pleasant, kind, and generous, and I am sure you would make a good husband, but we do not really know each other yet, so perhaps a period of courting is a good idea. If you ask my father, and he approves, and if we feel that we would suit after a period of, say, two months, then we can begin to plan a wedding. What do you say?”

Larry’s face broke into a wide grin, then, to Ailsa’s dismay, he picked her up and whirled her around and kissed her hard on the lips. “Thank you,” he said delightedly. “You have made me so happy.”

Ailsa put a finger over his lips. “Tell no one yet,” she warned. “You must speak to my father first.”

Larry nodded, still smiling, and then he gave her another smacking kiss on the lips. “I feel like shouting it from the turrets,” he told her. “But you are right, Ailsa. I will keep my lips firmly closed.”

“Thank you, Larry,” Ailsa said graciously. “You know how gossip spreads, especially among the servants, and I want my father to be the first to know, not the last.”

“You have my word, my love,” he answered, grinning from ear to ear. He took her hand and began to lead her towards the stairs.

Ailsa thought of Larry’s letters to Molly. He had called her ‘my love’ too, and she wondered how many other women he had declared his affection to. She guessed it was an endearment he bandied about whenever it suited him.

“We cannot hold hands,” Ailsa said firmly. “Someone will see us. Our relationship is meant to be a secret, remember?”

“Yes,” Larry agreed with a sigh, but he was smiling inwardly with unholy glee. Once Ramsay Ormond was convicted and sentenced, he would have everything he wanted. All he had to do was get through the next few hours and all his dreams would come true.

Ailsa was trembling inside. She knew that she was never going to marry Larry Ormond, but even the thought that she had told him she would was scaring her to death. As she walked behind him, she surreptitiously took out a handkerchief and wiped his kisses from her lips.

What have I done?

21

The trial of Ramsay Ormond was to take place in the Great Hall, and Ailsa was shocked to see that there were about fifty assorted strangers there. They were all members of the Ormond clan and allies from other clans, and Ailsa, looking around at their hostile faces, doubted that Ramsay had much chance of receiving a fair trial.

However, she was determined to do her best, and if Ramsay was convicted, it would be a few days till his imprisonment or—god forbid—his execution, and she reasoned that she could use her money and her charm to bribe his way out of Balmuir. She hoped she would never have to do anything so desperate, though.

She was still scanning the assembly when her gaze met the hostile eyes of Moira Jamieson. She gave Ailsa a curt nod before turning away; there was not even a pretence of the frosty politeness she had assumed when she had first met Ailsa. This was the real Moira; cold, hard, and hostile.

Ailsa was shown to a seat right at the front of the assembly, where she had the best view of the proceedings. She was surprised to be given a cup of ale and a few small pieces of bread, cheese, and sweetmeats to eat. It was obviously going to be a long day.

It was only when she had been sitting for a short while that she noticed how much attention she was attracting. Almost everyone had turned around to stare at her, but they quickly looked away when she met their gaze with her own stony, hostile one. She was the only representative of the McBain clan in the place, and along with Moira Jamieson, one of the only two women apart from the serving maids.