Page 6 of The Mad Highlander

6

C ayden Hart found himself in a predicament he never thought possible. The woman he was about to marry had managed to intrigue him in a mere day. Her silly antics and playful nature in the tavern had caught him off guard. He hadn’t been expecting her to try and provoke a reaction out of him, and he was more surprised that she had stirred a reaction. There was no doubt he wanted her in his bed, but it would be on his terms and not hers. She was a stunningly beautiful woman just as her cousin had promised.

The carriage came to a stop in front of the O’Brien castle, and Cayden noticed how jumpy Iris seemed to appear. Her nervousness was palpable, and for a fleeting moment, he felt an unfamiliar urge to comfort her. He despised himself for it, for he had always prided himself on his stoicism. Trust and attachment were things he couldn’t afford in life.

“Ye dinnae have to be scared, lass; naebody will harm ye inside these walls.” He felt himself giving in a little as he offered her what little assurance he could.

Iris turned to him with a vulnerable look in her eyes.

“I understand that it cannae be easy to leave yer family behind.” He opened the door of the carriage and stepped out before she had a chance to reply or shoot one of her sharp comments in his direction. Cayden didn’t like to admit it, but potential wives were in short supply. It was his decision to marry, but it had been an easy one to make when Laird McCabe had approached him.

As she had been summoned, his sister, Robyn, suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs that led to the castle doors. She hardly wasted any time as she came bounding down the steps toward the carriage, her long, strawberry-blonde hair flying behind her in a loose braid. She threw her lithe figure into his arms as soon as she reached his side. “What took ye so long? I was beginning to worry.”

Cayden lifted her in his arms and hugged her before placing her back on her feet. His time away hadn’t improved her impulsive ways, yet he had missed her cheeky smile. “These things take time, Robyn.” He cocked his head to the side and examined her, noticing the unnatural pinkness of her cheeks. “Are ye well, lass? Ye look as if ye have a fever.” He frowned as she let go of him and took a step back. The unnatural color in her cheeks deepened as she blushed.

“I am nae ill, brother. It’s just a touch of rouge. Maither said I am old enough now to wear some.” She chewed the inside of her cheek and reached for her braid that had fallen over her shoulder.

“It’s too much. I will have a word with Maither,” he grumbled deeply, not liking the fact that his youngest and only sister was beginning to look more and more like a young woman of marriageable age. He had noticed that the men were paying more and more attention to her since her sixteenth birthday, but he had hoped that there was still enough time to prepare himself for the troubled waters ahead.

“It’s nae too much, but enough of me now. Where is yer bride?” She stood on her toes and glanced over his shoulder just as Iris stepped from the carriage behind him.

Robyn’s light blue eyes lit up instantly as she hurried toward Iris, taking her hands in her own. “I didnae think ye would be this beautiful.” She gushed enthusiastically, fawning over Iris.

Cayden watched as Iris blushed, averting her gaze as his sister cooed over her delicate beauty.

She was far more demure than he’d imagined, yet there was a fiery spirit in her that demanded his respect, even if she did choose to display it at the strangest of times. He smirked to himself as he recalled her failed attempts at trying to flirt with him.

“Ye must be Iris Whyte. I am Robyn, younger sister to Laird O’Brien, but I’m sure ye call him Cayden by now?” Robyn turned to her brother with a bright smile, clearly starting her antics despite his warning before he left.

Robyn Hart was a sweet young girl with good intentions; her only flaw in Cayden’s eyes was her meddling obsession with love and her untamed behavior. More specifically, she prided herself in being a matchmaker of sorts. A few of the maids had abandoned their positions and gone off to marry farmhands or even soldiers because of her insistence upon meddling—a fact that was more burdensome to Cayden than amusing.

Cayden had warned her before leaving that she was not to get involved in his marriage affairs, yet the warning seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

“What is all this commotion about?” Margot Hart appeared as if out of nowhere with a welcoming smile, embracing her son before making her way to Iris and her daughter.

“It’s a pleasure to meet ye, Lady O’Brien.” Iris curtsied politely with a warm smile as she met his mother’s gaze.

His heart flittered uncomfortably in his chest as Iris embraced his mother. There was something about the way she seemed to accept them without question that tugged at his heart. She was a stranger to them, an unwilling party thrust into an entirely new world, yet she seemed to handle things with grace.

“Please, call me Margot, and if ye feel like it someday, ye may call me Maither as well.” His mother winked at her. “But only if it feels right. I want ye to feel right at home with us.”

Clearing his throat, Cayden turned from them, attempting to leave. His mother and sister seemed to have everything under control, and there were things he needed to see to.

“Dearest, will ye nae show yer new bride the castle?” Margot called after him, shooting Iris an apologetic glance.

Turning back reluctantly, Cayden clenched his jaw. “There is nae need for me to do that, Maither. Ye an’ Robyn can show her the castle. Try nae to overwhelm her all at once. Take her to her chambers an’ help her settle in a’fore ye show her everything else. She will be needing a few items as well; send someone to the village with a list.” He turned to leave again but found his path being blocked when his mother rushed forward and glared at him.

Oblivious to the tension between her mother and brother, Robyn took Iris by the arm and led her away, chattering incessantly as they walked.

“Do ye nae want to be the one to show her around?” His mother stared at him, narrowing her eyes the way she had done when he was a child.

Cayden bristled under a piercing gaze, longing for some peace and quiet now he was home. “If I wanted to show her around, I would show her around, but I asked ye and Robyn to make her feel welcome. Laird McLaren will be here soon, Maither. I dinnae have time for things that ye an’ Robyn can do in me absence.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Margot replied a little sheepishly. “I didnae ken Laird McLaren was here so soon, and I only wondered if ye wanted to get to ken the lass better as ye havenae had any time to spend with her except for the coach ride. I suppose that will have given you some time. It is all by the by—ye will have all the time in the world now to get to ken yer bonny lass before ye wed.”

“Aye, and I need to stop a war. There are more important things goin’ on, Maither,” Cayden said, his voice filling the air.

“Aye, ye are right,” she agreed as if she had only made up her mind at that moment that he made a good point.

Cayden didn’t have time to indulge in romance of wedding plans just because his mother wanted a grandchild and had wanted one for many years. At least the fact that he had brought home a woman to wed would get her off his back.

A guard cleared his throat. “I beg yer pardon, Me Laird; I didnae mean to interrupt, but Laird McLaren has arrived.” The man stood to attention.

“You have found a bonny lass, and she looks so polite, too.” Margot lifted her hand and cupped the Laird’s cheek lovingly before stalking off behind her daughter and Iris.

Polite or terrified!

He looked at his wife-to-be, and she stared back at him like a deer that had just heard a crack in the woods. She didn’t want him to leave her side which he understood, given the circumstances. It annoyed him, but not because she wanted him to stay with her. He was annoyed that he wanted to stay to comfort her more.

Cayden shook his head before stalking off in the opposite direction. All the women in his life caused him a great deal of annoyance; Iris didn’t seem to be any different, but for very different reasons.

Iris glanced over her shoulder at Cayden’s retreating figure. She hated to admit it to herself, but she had hoped that he would have at least shown her around the castle. He didn’t seem to care that she suddenly found herself in the midst of a new home with people she didn’t know. “Me brother sure got himself a bonny bride,” Robyn gushed with a sincere smile.

Iris couldn’t help but smile back. The girls’ enthusiasm and zeal for life were quite contagious despite the circumstances.

Unlike her brute of a brother.

“I ken that this must all be quite overwhelming for ye, but dinnae fuss, Maither an’ I will show ye around.” Robyn winked at her, making Iris realize just how alike mother and daughter were. “If there is anything ye need, just let us know an’ we will do our best to get it for ye.”

I’d like to go home an’ have me brother back.

The deep sadness and fear she felt crept back in despite the younger girls’ contagious enthusiasm. It was almost strange to Iris that neither his sister nor his mother seemed to be scared of Cayden. Did they not care that he had killed their father and brother?

The grandness of Castle O’Brien was slightly overwhelming to her as she tried her best to take in all the sights. The structure itself was twice the size of her home with almost double the amount of rooms. She watched as maids bustled about, carrying trays of food or neatly folded stacks of linen. She had known all the maids’ names back home, but she doubted she would be able to accomplish the same here, not soon in any case.

“Dinnae fuss, lass.” Robyn bumped her gently with her shoulder before looping her arm into Iris’. “Dinnae think that ye need to take everything in all in one day. I have lived here all me life, an’ I still dinnae ken most of what has happened in this grand castle.”

Iris found her comment strange but didn’t think it the right time to ask if Robyn had been around when Cayden had killed their family.

“I think we should start with the rooms downstairs an’ head to the grand hall for a bite to eat a’fore I take ye to yer chambers.” Robyn started their tour, leading her up the enormous stairs that led to the entrance hall of Castle O’Brien.

Her breath caught in her throat as she stepped through the doors. She had been expecting a lot of things when she’d pictured the castle. Dungeons, chains, damp, and even cold stone, yet she had been wrong on all accounts.

Castle O’Brien was just as grand and well-kept as any home she had seen before. The walls were lined with portraits of the family, and the stone floors were swept with not a speck of dust in sight. She marveled at the elegant vases of heather that had been placed on tables beside the doors leading to separate corridors.

“It isnae much, but it is home,” Robyn announced proudly as she led Iris past the giant staircase that led to a gallery overhead.

Iris found the girl’s characterization of ‘not much’ a tad strange, but then again, nothing that had happened to her during the past few days could have been classified as normal.

Robyn led her down a long hall with a red carpet as she chattered on about the various decorations and how her mother had warned Cayden not to change a single thing while she was still alive.

The thought of a man as strong and cool as Cayden seemed to be deferring to his mother brought Iris a great deal of amusement as she relaxed a little in the girl’s warm company.

“Eilis!” Robyn suddenly stopped and excitedly beckoned one of the maids over.

The girl seemed startled at first, allowing her dark brown eyes to sweep over Iris before coming forward. She was shorter than both Robyn and Iris with wisps of dark hair that had been tucked beneath her white cap. Her light complexion made the spray of freckles across her nose stand out in stark contrast to her pale skin.

“Don’t be shy, this is the Laird’s bride-to-be; she will ken everything about the castle soon enough. Ye dinnae need to be scared.”Robyn continued to beckon the girl forward enthusiastically until she relented and came forward, leaving her bucket of rags beside the painting she had been dusting.

Eilis curtsied respectfully, giving Iris a long stare with an uncertain smile.

“Have ye sent the letter yet?” Robyn gripped her hands and held them tight, practically bouncing on the spot.

“Aye, I have Me Lady, but will the Laird nae be mad? He was awfully angry when Tilly left last month to get married.” Eilis shifted from foot to foot before glancing over Robyn’s shoulder.

“Ye leave the Laird to me. Maither is the one who hires the maids in any case. We will find a replacement for ye soon enough.” Robyn wrinkled her nose and waved the question away as if she were shooing a fly.

The maid brightened considerably. “Thank ye, Me Lady; I cannae even begin to thank ye. Hamish an’ I would never have been able to realize our feelings for each other if it hadn’t been for ye.”

Iris found herself intrigued by the situation and turned to Robyn with a frown when the maid practically skipped back to her bucket of rags.

Giggling gleefully, Robyn shook her head and pulled Iris along as they walked past the maid and rounded a corner. “Dinnae tell Cayden just yet, but Eilis will be leaving us to marry one of the nearby farmers. I noticed a while ago that they seemed to fancy one another whenever he delivered eggs to the castle. It took a while, but I eventually got them to write letters, and now, they will be getting married as soon as she leaves. Matchmaking is something of a hobby of mine,” she confessed sheepishly.

Iris couldn’t help but laugh at the glee in Robyn’s eyes. “And why should I nae tell the Laird?”

Robyn wrinkled her nose again. “Cayden finds it bothersome when his men an’ maids keep leaving to find love. He says I’m constantly trying to undermine the running of the castle, but that doesn’t matter when people are in love.” She thrust her chin in the air, unbothered by whatever consequences would come from her brother.

“There ye girls are; I’ve been looking everywhere for ye.” Margot caught up to them and smiled at Iris.

“We were just having a grand tour, Iris was taking in the great history of our castle,” Robyn announced proudly.

Margot raised an eyebrow in question. “Oh, and does that history involve the hordes of maids that have been replaced because of yer meddling?”

Robyn pursed her lips and glanced at Iris but said nothing of the conversation they had just had with Eilis.

“Never mind, I willnae ask any questions; I think it’s safer for me if Cayden thinks that I am unaware of yer meddling. Come, let us have a spot of tea; I’m sure ye must be hungry. I have asked the maids to prepare some food in the great hall.” Margot laughed and gestured for the girls to follow her down the hall.

The great hall.

Iris’ heart suddenly began to beat a little faster again as she recalled the stories of the mad laird. Hadn’t he murdered his father and brother in the great hall? Images of a blood-stained floor flashed across her mind as they neared the end of yet another hall where two giant doors loomed before them.

Two guards came forward and opened the doors, revealing the sinister room that had been the setting for many stories of horror.

“I dinnae understand,” Iris uttered with a sigh.

“What is that, dear?” Margot turned to her with a frown.

Snapping out of her daze, Iris quickly attempted to save face. “It’s smaller than what I was expecting, nae that that’s a bad thing,” she added quickly.

Robyn gave her a funny look of amusement but let go of her arm and skipped after her mother.

The great hall was a long room that looked as if it would have been able to accommodate a large number of guests. The table that ran down the center seemed far too large for a small family. The large hearth crackled with an inviting fire that filled the air with warmth.

The floor is clean.

Iris found herself trying to check under the table for any kind of stain that may have been hidden by the table or even the chairs.

“Did ye lose something?” Robyn asked as she pulled back a chair and took a seat at the end of the table where a small feast had been assembled.

“Nay, I’m just a little overwhelmed.” Iris took a deep breath as she chose a seat beside Robyn, feeling at home at the girl’s side.

The table had been set with various kinds of fruit, freshly baked bannocks, cheese, and several kinds of meat. They instantly tucked into the delicious delights as Margot and Robyn chattered away about something that had happened with one of the farmhands.

Iris found herself wondering just how much of the rumors had been true when she couldn’t find a shred of evidence to support any of them at all.

“Why did the Laird nae wish to show me the castle himself?”

Iris suddenly blurted out before she could stop herself. They hadn’t seemed to speak of Cayden at all since they left the carriage.

Margot and Robyn exchanged glances that Iris couldn’t quite place.

“Cayden is a complex man, Iris. He has faced many hardships in his life, an’ it has shaped him into the Laird he is today. He can seem distant at times, but deep down, he has a kind heart.” Margot spoke up first and offered an explanation with a reassuring smile.

Robyn chimed in; her eyes filled with affection for her brother. “Cayden cannae show it easily, but he cares deeply for those he loves. He has a sense of duty and responsibility which makes him appear cold at times, but once ye break through his walls, ye’ll find a man who is fiercely loyal and protective.” She spoke so passionately that Iris began to wonder if they were talking about the same person. “He is often misunderstood.” Robyn bit her bottom lip as she added the last part.

“Many men are,” Iris agreed. “In fact, almost everyone is misunderstood until ye get to ken them. I am sure the same is true of Laird O’Brien.” She hoped it was true of the Laird, for she could tell that his sister was not telling her the complete truth. Not every rumor told was the truth, but there were so many rumors about him that there must be truth to some of them.

“Ye will come to ken me son in time.” Margot seemed to tease her with an encouraging smile.

“Ye give me hope for the future, Margot, I will say that.” Iris felt a little more at ease knowing that the man she was going to marry wasn’t entirely bad. It spoke well of his character that his mother and sister seemed to love him so much. “Have ye ever loved someone before, Iris?” Margot tilted her head to the side and searched her face.

“I loved me parents very much an’ me brother an’ cousin are very dear to me.” She smiled at the older woman, feeling a tinge of sadness at the thought of her family.

Margot shook her head and straightened the fork beside her plate. “Nay, nae like that. I’m talking about the kind of love that a woman has for a man. The kind of love that ignites a fire deep within yer soul.”

Iris felt herself blushing at the passionate way the older woman spoke. “Nay, I have never been in love with a man.” She answered a little reluctantly, feeling Robyn’s gaze boring into her.

“Neither has Cayden,” Margot remarked with a broad smile, pushing herself up as she stood to leave the table. She suddenly laughed. “I mean he hasnae been in love with a lass before, nae a lad.”

The laughter broke the tension a little, but Iris could not laugh along with her. She was in an unfamiliar castle with a new family, and her brother was missing.

Margot’s smile slowly left her face, and she left Iris and Robyn alone at the table. What was she trying to imply? That she and Cayden could fall in love with one another? The idea seemed utterly absurd.

Robyn leaned a little closer as her eye began to sparkle mischievously. “I ken that it may feel as if ye an’ Cayden dinnae have anything in common, but perhaps this can be the one thing that ye do. Use it, Iris, an’ ye might be the one who saves him.”

Her heart fluttered a little as she drank in the hope that Robyn exuded. What could a man like Cayden possibly need saving from?