Cursed (3 page)

He smiled as he made his way back to the
attic which seemed to call to him. He stationed himself in his
usual corner and reflected back to his protests over Addie. He
could see now that, in hindsight, he was rebelling against what his
father wanted, and that his choice of a bride was stripped from him
at Addie’s cradle. It was sealed legally at her birth. So in the
years of her visits he was neglectful and hurtful, even though she
chased after him and adored him.

It was not until her visit just before he
proposed that he finally saw her as a desirable woman, a woman he
wanted desperately. He could remember the day she came to the manor
on her eighteenth year. She had reached her maturity, and they were
supposed to be wed that year. Feeling his skin stretch tight over
his massive frame, he was bade to greet her and her family upon
their arrival. He had been in his cups the previous night,
complaining to his lads that he was about to marry Addie.

The next day he had been severely sick from
the drink and looked it. His parents had gritted their teeth and
made him bring her down from the carriage as was custom year after
year.

The moment his hand touched that of her
delicate gloved one, he felt warmth spread through his wholly brain
and settle within his genitals. His weary eyes looked up to the
darkened carriage and settled upon her form. He gasped in a breath
of air when he saw the look within her eyes. Instead of blind
adoration, he found indifference. Instead of a smile, he was
greeted with a tilt of her head, which was piled with glorious
mounds of curled black hair. Her eyes were the color of brilliant
violet. He could not say that she had changed much physically, but
it would seem she had finally grown into her tall frame. Her thin
body filled out in all the most delicious places. It would seem she
now had a bosom. She currently had a bottom, delicious enough to
swat and grab a hold to during intercourse.

However, the most distinct change within her
was her attitude towards him. She seemed indifferent to him. No
grins that showed an indecent amount of teeth. No glint of fire or
possession within her eyes.

She greeted him with a decorum befitting her
station. Do not mistake the idea that she had not been a cultured
thorn in his side, but she also had been running around the
countryside chasing him at every turn, which, changed during that
visit.

When he brought her person down from the
vehicle even through his blood shot eyes, he could see the distinct
change, and the feeling that began to build within his breast was
new and not entirely uncomfortable. For the first time since he met
Addie, the prospect of marrying her was…appealing. This woman
standing now before him was Addie yet not.

Whether it was the circumstance of distance
and time, or her new decorum, he wanted her. And to have her, he
must wed her. His passions grew to the point in which he was
willing to be leg shackled to her. For her spoke with her daily,
began to woo her befitting her station. He asked her questions at
length to ensnare her company, and she would respond as a friend
would to another acquaintance. It was maddening.

He kept his hands to himself for the first
month, acting the gentleman and paying her court, but one evening
when she was looking out at the loch, he was bewitched by her
silhouette against the pale moonlight. The gentleman inside of him
vanished, and the driven Highlander came forth. He wanted to claim
the woman that was indifferent towards him. He wanted to ravage her
mouth and take possession of her beckoning body.

“Lass, what’re ye doin’ out ‘ere alone?” he
called out.

She turned around and stated, “Conall, good
evening. I was just pondering the day’s events. I could not find
sleep, so I came to look upon the moonlight.”

He walked over to her side and balled his
fists into his sides and said through gritted teeth, “Ye, shouldna
be ‘ere alone, lass. Ye’re a gently bred lady an’ can be taken
advantage o’.”

She had a look of confusion on her face, and
that was the moment his patience snapped. He had been wooing the
gel for a month. Playing the gentleman, paying her court, showing
her the kind of kindness any man would when seeking a lady's hand.
He had even bloody taken up his father’s request, to run the estate
as a laird. He had left his lads behind and grown into a man
befitting his Addie. And she just stood rooted to the ground with a
blasted look of confusion in her eyes!

He stalked over to her and grabbed her
shoulders. She then gasped as his mouth took hers with force.

He moaned at the taste of her. She was just
as he anticipated, tasting of cream and sweets. She was the most
delectable creature of his acquaintance.

She was stiff within his arms at the
beginning, but she eventually melted into his embrace and kissed
him back hesitantly and innocently. It brought a wolly feeling to
his brain as her shy tongue met his in a slow fashion.

He grasped her shoulders and brought her body
to the hard planes of his own. She moaned into his mouth as he
began to nibble her lips and his hands explored the contours of her
back.

He then heard her father yell out. Conall
immediately released his hold upon her and looked towards the
booming English voice. It would seem luck was smiling down upon
them. Her dad was yelling from the door of the manor and could not
have possibly seen their kiss.

Addie was shaking under his hands. He placed
his finger under her chin, and smiled at the sight of her reddened
face.

“Addie, angeal, donna' feels embarrassed o’er
our kiss. We both needed the release.”

“Conall, I am unsure of what you are speaking
of. I was not seeking to kiss you in such a manner. As a matter of
fact, I have given you no inclination that I wanted such
affection.”

Feeling the same frustration build within his
chest, he grabbed her hand and dragged her into the trees.

When she was about to protest he slammed his
lips upon her once more. To show her their kiss was, in fact,
mutual.

He removed his lips a fraction away from hers
and stated, “Ye, ken why I kissed ye. We both ken why. I ‘ave been
playin’ the gentleman tae win yer affections. Albeit, I see now
tha’ I need tae play the avid Highlander an’ lay siege tae yer
heart. Ken this me sweet, Addie. I will kiss ye, every day,
whenever we are alone. Until ye see how much me want ye an’ tha’
yer me wife in every way ye can be.”

She gasped as he placed his lips upon her
less forcefully, but with more passion and tenderness. Her wee arms
wound their way up to his neck to clasp him. He groaned and began
to play with her tongue, but his seduction came to a close when the
gel’s father called her name yet again, closer this time.

He let her go enough to lean in and whisper,
“We are tae be married, Addie. Ye need tae learn tha’ I am tae be
yer husband an’ I will claim ye fer me own.”

Watching her eyes dilate, he smiled and said,
“Ye go on tae yer father, an’ ye will break yer fast with me upon
the morrow.”

Which, she did and every morning after.

Bringing himself back to the present and
feeling the need to claim Addie once again, he smiled at his
memories of the few months he did, just as he threatened. He laid
siege to her heart and one the fair maiden’s hand. He had succeeded
once before he would again.

Chapter Three

Addie awoke late the next morning since she
had been up well into the night. Her poor body was just getting
used to the time change and the massive journey that was now behind
her. Other than last evening when she woke to find a gust of wind
seemingly to come from nowhere, caress her face and hair, there was
no other incident.

She walked through to the kitchen to grab
something to eat. That was the moment she met Missus King.

“Guid morn, dear. Howbeit, morn fer ye I
should say. Please take a sit down an’ me will pour ye a cup o’ tea
an’ make ye somethin’ tae break yer fast.”

She smiled and replied, “That would be
lovely, but do you perchance have any coffee?”

Smiling in return she stated, “I do indeed. I
was told ye Americans lo’ed yer roasted coffee. I will make ye a
cup.”

“Oh, bless you, Missus King. I will take the
tea as well. I am thirsty. I am also famished. Anything you cook I
will gobble up.”

Watching as the older woman efficiently made
her coffee and tea, and then fixed her breakfast; she muddled
through her new idea for her next novel. She had yet to put pen to
paper, or fingers to laptop. She did, however, have a mind to write
a story about scandal and murder that came pretty close to home
with her family’s history. It was a fascinating story, and she had
a mind to ask Missus King and her husband about the genealogy of
her family. She was even prepared to leave outside the estate to
visit the shopping village further down the hills to ask if anyone
had a story tell about, Addie and Campbell's manor.

The thought struck her strong when she picked
up an old picture of her uncle, which led to her creeping about the
house early this morning. The home was gorgeous and old with tragic
stories. She could feel the energy within the walls. The moment of
wind caressing her hair and face last evening was too coincidental.
It was as if someone was pleading with her to find her story. It
was there written within the walls of the home. She just had to
listen and learn and then write.

“What do you know about the history of the
home, Missus King?” she asked.

“Oh, aye, I ken much. The home has been me
an’ me husband’s workplace since we were young. The home was
previous purchased fer the Lairds wife. Addie an’ Gregory’s
parents, the daughter ye were named after. Do ye ken tha’ ye’re the
first daughter born within the Campbell family since her
birth?”

Feeling fascinated, but knowing that small
tid bit she nodded and smiled.

“O’course, ye ken. Howbeit, they purchased
the home next tae the MacLaren clans keep, kenning their son,
Conall didna’ favor the match at first. I believe the move was
their way o’ bringin’ a close relation tae the children who were
tae be wed. Conall was her intended an’ they were tae be married on
her eighteenth year. Howbeit, ‘afore their marriage a neighborin’
daughter, Addie’s best o’ friend’s father claimed Conall as the
father tae her unborn bairn. It caused a great scandal through our
lands an’ tha’ vera’ eve. Addie jumped tae her death right through
the attic window. Such a tragedy, they say tha’ Conall was so
distraught o’er his betrothed death, tha’ he left Scotland an’ no
one e’er heard from him again.”

“Really? That is such an amazing story,” she
stated.

At the end of the meal of cherry cake,
shortbread, Selkirk bannock and plain scone with strawberry
preserve, she heard about her entire family up to her late uncle.
It would seem the whole Campbell family befell one tragedy or
another. It was as if since the original Addie’s death, a curse had
been placed upon the family. No daughters were born, only a few
sons, and it was a stretch, as to whether or not they survived
their first year. It was such a sad state and tragedy.

She was definitely interested in visiting the
attic to get a good look and perhaps feel what the first Addie went
through the night she decided to fall to her death. It was very
interesting that Conall would just leave the estate, and even more
interesting that Beatrice was discussed no further than her
pregnancy. Did Conall leave with her to the colonies to begin anew?
She had many questions, and she thought perhaps Mister King had
more answers.

She made her way outside the manor to walk
among the foliage. She looked up to the attic window and had an
eerie feeling that she was being watched. Pulling the tabs of her
jacket together and continuing to walk she passed a few people and
introduced herself. Everyone seemed polite, but a little distant.
She assessed that her family heritage was that of chaos and drama,
which was why she chose to write a story about them.

Breathing in the fresh air of the country
side, she looked back upon her life the last few months and shook
her head. She needed to start writing, or she was going to be in
trouble. Her publisher had left a voice message on her phone last
evening that she just saw. It was a typical message of greetings,
but with an undertone of ‘you must hand in something soon.’ There
was another voice message; her father’s fruit company was
experiencing a ten percent loss! Her agitation was forgotten
momentarily by the beautiful landside.

She walked into the shopping village and was
charmed by the old-fashioned feel. It was as if she was catapulted
back in time. She smiled at everyone she passed and was eager to
learn all she could.

Indeed cursed, the first Addie was believed
to have been thrown out the window, and lastly, Conall had been a
powerful Highlander who set many a lass's heart to flame.

Making her way back to the manor her stomach
was protesting the idea of going to bed without food.

She met Missus King in the foyer and said,
“Please go to bed, Missus King. I will find something to eat on my
own.”

“Aye, thank ye, me dear. I be a bit
tired.”

Her voice trailed off as she made her way up
the stairs. Feeling sorry for the older woman, Addie went to the
kitchen and began to root around the cupboards. When she found
nothing that looked appealing to her, she went to the fridge and
found Auld Reekie Cock-a-Leekie Soup that was made with whiskey. A
local favorite she was told. So pouring the mixture into a bowel
and heating the contents within a micro wave she waited and
pondered.

She had learnt much this day and felt she was
ready to put idea to paper. Her next novel was already in her mind.
She just had to gather more information about her family and hear
more on the rumors circling the home. Someone in town had called
the massive estate a demon succubus that held all of souls of her
deceased family. She did not know of the validity to the rumor, but
it was intriguing and scary all at once.