The Highlander's Servant: Book One of the Highlander Possession Series (12 page)

“Aye,” he said, letting go of her hand to caress the side of her face, “but it has and now we must do something about him, and before he finds out whom yer parents are, too.”

“Aye.” Kirstin agreed, fearful for her parents now, “Mayhap I should write them a letter to explain everything that has happened in the past several weeks?”

“That would be a good idea,” agreed Lachlan, “I will give ye some ink and paper.”

Kirstin gave a small smile in response, as if to thank him for his kindness and understanding. Then, Lachlan placed his lips against hers leaving a light kiss that left her flushed.  

“I will send someone for yer ink and paper, but for now, I must get back to my duties as laird.” He said, standing up.

Kirstin watched him leave but before he had gotten the chance to open the door, she called out to him, “Will I see ye at dusk?”

“Aye,” he assured her and flashing a grin, “I will come for ye myself.”

His response
only made Kirstin all the more flushed as he left.



Ma and Pa,

Both something great and terrible has happened. I have become betrothed to Laird Bateson, and though my dowry is small, he doesna care for his heart beats for me with such heaviness. I feel the same way towards him but no’ as strongly yet. Though, I have no doubt that I will one day love him as much as he loves me.

I fear that I
donna have much time to write, but all I can say is that I ken of our past and now our fate. Laird Ruskin, whom ye may ken as Graham, has found interest in me. This interest has now turned to mere hatred and has led to surprisingly possessive ways because of my betrothal to Laird Bateson. Ye must stay alert, for we are the Crofts, and if word gets out to Graham of who we are then he may ruin not just me, but the both of ye because of the deed ye did for the better of the Bateson Clan.

I fear for ye. Mayhap ye should move from the lowlands and come stay with
Laird Bateson and me in the highlands. Together we could celebrate my matrimony with him.

              Be Safe,

Kirstin Croft

              Kirstin set the quill down and read over her letter once more before sending it off with a messenger. She had just said farewells to the messenger when Roderick showed up at her side, much too eager to talk of her newest betrothal. He had wrapped his arm with Kirstin’s and began walking her in various directions, as if to stall for her time.

             
“I just knew ye and the laird were to marry off. Now tell me, when is this wedding of yers?” He began blabbering with an over joyful tone. At least Kirstin had his approval, but she hoped that she had everyone else’s consent as well. She did not want to be hated amongst the manor, may it be by man or woman.

             
Kirstin answered thoughtfully, “I donna ken when exactly it will be but we have decided that it shall be before the next winter, which will give us a few more months to plan and get to ken one another better.”

             
Roderick gave her a puzzled look and said, “Well, why would the two of ye need to get to know one another better? He loves ye and ye love him!”

             
“Aye,” She answered, as she now realized he was taking her towards the kitchen now, “But I donna think my heart beats as hard for him as his does for me.”

             
“Nonsense!” Came another voice as they entered the kitchen. The voice was Alana’s, “I have seen the way ye look at him and the way he looks at ye. Mayhap ye just donna ken yet, but ye love him just as much.”

             
Alana was cooking over a hot fire, and two other servants were kneading dough by her side. Kirstin blushed when the two servants giggled in response to Alana, and Kirstin had almost forgotten that her arm was in Roderick’s until he said, “Aye, what Alana said.”

             
Kirstin sighed, “Mayhap the both of ye are right. Mayhap, I do love him just as much, but why does it feel that I donna? Why does it seem that I could never love him as much as he loves me? The man has dreamt of being with me for an eternity and I? Well, I just met him but a few weeks ago.”

             
Roderick turned her around to face him, “Never,” he said putting a hand to her heart, “let time define how
much
ye love a man, but instead only how
long
ye have loved him. Just because the laird has loved ye since he was a boy, doesna mean that he loves ye more. Understand?”

             
“Aye,” a small smile crept way to her face, “I understand.”

             
“Good.” Roderick said, putting a hand to each of her shoulders and looking sternly into her eyes, “And ye better no’ forget what I just told ye.”

             
Alana, Roderick, and Kirstin continued on with conversation until Roderick was pulled away for business and Alana had to finish her daily duties. Kirstin had offered to help, but Alana did not take her seriously as she was to be the lady of the home. So, with being pushed away, Kirstin found comfort in Lachlan’s study. He was absent from his chambers but this did not stop her from taking a book from his shelf and reading it. In fact, she had read not one book, but skimmed the pages of at least a dozen others. By the time she could hear hard footsteps of many men coming from down the hall, she had made a stack of books in the corner of his study.

             
Fearing that she may get scolded for sneaking into his rooms, Kirstin ran to his sleeping chambers and had meant to close the door all the way but instead, it stayed cracked open as three men piled into Lachlan’s study. One of the men was no other than Lachlan himself.

             
“What do ye mean my messenger has been killed?” Lachlan roared out, throwing his arms in the air as apart of his rage.

             
The smaller of the two men answered, “We fear that Laird Ruskin is behind all of this. Another death threat was left with the body of the messenger, and we fear that whatever he had been delivering was taken.”

             
Kirstin gasped at hearing the news, and on instinct she pushed the door open and almost tripped coming out into the men’s presence. She wasted no time for her embarrassment and got straight to the point, “My letter was taken by Laird Ruskin?”

             
This time the taller of the two men answered, “We fear so.  Is there anything of importance on that letter?”

             
“Aye,” she rushed, meeting Lachlan’s grave look, “Everything.” It seemed that only Lachlan understood what she meant by her response.

             
Kirstin took a step towards them, “Ye donna think that Graham is going to my home this instant, do ye?” The question was more so directed to Lachlan but instead, the taller man answered, “Only if he got word out of the messenger as to where exactly he was going.”

             
Kirstin covered her mouth and squealed. Oh, how she wished that she could faint right then and there, and wake up as if it had all been a horrible nightmare.  For the second time that day, Kirstin was on the verge of going into hysterics, and Lachlan had rushed to her side almost instantly. He took her into his arms and demanded that the two other men leave. Kirstin barely had time to realize that the door had shut after them until Lachlan picked her up into his arms and took a seat at the chair by his desk, “It’s going to be all right. Everything will be fine.” He shushed her sobs constantly, and when Kirstin finally calmed down to sniffling and tears, she said, “My parent’s lives are in the hands of fate itself, and it seems that only fate can save them.”

Chapter Fifteen

Lachlan had not once let go of Kirstin as he held her in his lap. They had fallen into a state of silence. A silence of morbid gloom and false hope, of which the two pondered the same thoughts of whether or not her parents were to come out alive incase Graham made an attack. If Graham did make an attack, it would be much sooner than the time that Lachlan was given to retaliate. Just in case, Lachlan had sent the two men after Kirstin’s parents and they were given strict orders to not rest until words of warning were received. If such warning could not be received, meaning that her parents were in fact harmed, then the men were to immediately report back to Lachlan to which he would have to figure out a way to break the news to Kirstin. All in all, he feared the worst.

All they could do now was wait in the study of his chambers, and stay on edge for whatever news may come back to them. Kirstin soon grew agitated by the tensing of the air, and finally chose to not waste anymore time. Instead, she began to ask questions.

“Why do ye have bad blood with Graham? Yer parents ordeal had naethin’ to do with him, correct?” she looked up at his hard eyes that were near to the color of black, but at that moment she could see his large orbs held small specks of gold and brown. She would have lost herself in his eyes if he had not responded so rapidly.

“Our family goes back way in the day, to when they fought over land and cattle. Unfortunately, our land borders theirs and with that comes argument over where exactly we should draw the line. A river flowing with life runs down this way, and just so happens to be closer to our manor, which would have made it more than fair that it should be claimed as ours. The Ruskin Clan has always had envy towards us because of this, and made the claim that it should be theirs for no reason at all.” Lachlan took in a deep, shaky breath before continuing, “We have been to many wars because this land, and more. It has come to the point that each clan wants to annihilate the other, to stake claim to all of their land instead of just parts. I wish it weren’t so, but at the same time, I do wish it because of their deceiving ways and disloyalty that has led to the death of many men and family members. We had peace for many winters until that day
yer parents, only mere acquaintances of Laird Ronan, showed up at our door. It was the night Laird Ronan had broken the peace treaty we held for so long of time.”

Lachlan stroked the side of Kirstin’s cheek with his thumb as she continued to listen, his voice coming out much weaker now, “I believe that Graham feels a possessiveness over ye because
yer mine. He wants to take what I have, just as his ancestors have wanted to take what mine have had. ‘Tis in his blood to take, and take he shall try but no’ succeed.”

Kirstin frowned. It did make sense to her because since the beginning she had told Graham that she was merely a servant in the Bateson Clan, and yet he had tried to persuade her to come to the Ruskin Clan. Surely he has a revolting fascination with her, but at the same time it is
only out of jealousy and hatred towards Lachlan and the Bateson Clan.

“Come,” Lachlan said, picking her up in his arms, “Let us no’ dread any longer. It will be at least a few days before we receive word from my men, and only then will we decide to dread.”

Lachlan was right, and there was no denying it as much as Kirstin wanted to. He carried her into his bedroom with long strides and placed her on the bed. Her body sank against the many furs there, making her body relax against the comfort the bed gave to offer. Nevertheless, Lachlan joined her on the bed and stared into her sterling blue spheres. He found himself in the past as he looked into her eyes, during a time when he was only a boy and had once before gazed into the same pair of blue eyes.

Kirstin broke him from his thoughts by reaching out and cupping the side of his face, “Why are ye so kind to me?” she whispered.

He was shocked by her question because to him, he was not so kind to her. If it were not for him, she would not be in this predicament at all, “I feel so selfish.” He murmured, and it was almost inaudible but Kirstin caught his words.

“Selfish?” she asked, her brows furrowed, “I
donna see how yer selfish. Ye have been so kind to me by giving me a great home to stay, feeding and clothing me, and sharing the past that our families share. No’ only that, but ye have given me yer heart.”

             
Lachlan did not need to be reminded that he had given her his heart, as it would forever more be solely hers. He did not, however, realize how grateful Kirstin was for all that he had done, despite what ill fate may have come with these things. As said, if it weren’t for him, she would not be with so many troubles.

“Have I done such good that it may subdue the bad?” he pressed. He was obviously troubled, and Kirstin hated seeing him this way. She got closer to him and touched his lips with her own. The kiss was light and feathery to the touch, but enough to reassure him that she held no regrets to the past, and no grudges towards Lachlan for whatever may come.

When Kirstin withdrew from the kiss, she did not fully move away from him. Lachlan took this moment to pull her into his strong arms. Kirstin’s head fit perfectly beneath his chin, and it was as if she molded into his chest like they belonged together from the start. As she drifted into a light slumber, she couldn’t help but wonder if they were really were made for one another.