The Highlander's Servant: Book One of the Highlander Possession Series (22 page)

             
Lachlan looked around, too, and did not see Mrs. Croft anywhere, “I donna ken.”

             
Kirstin became frustrated by her mother’s carelessness, and went to find her. Lachlan followed shortly. Even though Graham was nowhere to be seen, there was still a chance of him lurking around in the shadows.

             
“There she is!” Kirstin yelled out, pointing to her mother’s back, as she talked with a stranger. As Kirstin drew closer, she soon realized that it was no stranger at all. “Neil?” Kirstin and Lachlan asked in unison, which caused Kirstin to give Lachlan a wary look.

             
“Ye ken Neil, too?” she asked, puzzled at how her mother and Lachlan had known who the man was but yet she did not.

             
“Aye, I do.” Lachlan said. By now, Neil was looking conflicted as not only Kirstin and Lachlan, but also Mrs. Croft confronted him.

             
“What brings ye to my land?” Lachlan said through clenched teeth, his jaw flexing and his arms bulging to suggest his anger towards the man.

             
“I have been requested to take Mrs. Croft to Graham.” Neil said honestly, an odd look in his eye as he talked with Lachlan.

             
“Very well then, take her – “

             
“Lachlan!” Kirstin shouted, “Ye canna expect Graham to take my mother away, do ye?”

             
He only grunted nonchalantly in response.

             
Mrs. Croft was the next to speak, “Do no’ fret, my daughter, for I can guarantee ye that no harm will come to me.”

             
“Mother,” Kirstin asked appalled and stepping towards her, “Do ye wish to go?”

             
Mrs. Croft nodded in response, “Aye, I do.”

             
“Good,” Lachlan interrupted, “Now get off my land, the both of ye!”

             
Kirstin’s mouth had fallen agape at the harshness of his tone, and she gawked between Neil and Lachlan, “Ye canna be serious?”

             
“I am very serious.” Lachlan retorted, “I donna like either of them.”

             
By now, Kirstin was awestruck and she turned to Neil, “Ye canna do this?” Her statement came out as a question, even though she had not meant it to.

             
Neil shrugged, “Like yer mother said, no harm will come to her.”

             
This time Kirstin was the one to retort, “How do ye ken?”

             
He gave her a questioning look, “Do ye no’ ken who I am?”

             
Kirstin shared the questioning look and asked, “What are ye talking about?”

             
Neil was about to take another breath to answer her, but Mrs. Croft shoved a hand over his mouth and spat, “Donna speak, or I may very well slap that handsome face of yers.”

             
Lachlan’s arms were crossed and he was tensing uncontrollably, as he tried to hold in his anger, “Neil,” he snapped, “Ye mean ye have no’ told her yet?”

             
He tried to speak, but Mrs. Croft’s hand was still covering his mouth. His words came out muffled and she repeated her threat. When it was confirmed that Neil would say no more, she uncovered his mouth with a self-satisfying grin.

             
This time, Lachlan turned to Mrs. Croft, “I canna believe ye. What a selfless mother.” He growled, “Now, go. Get off my land before I kill the both of ye.”

             
Kirstin wondered if he meant his threat, but before she could ask him, Neil and Mrs. Croft walked off towards a brown mare.

             
The horse whinnied when Neil helped Mrs. Croft atop of it, and only when Neil was about to get on did Kirstin finally yell, “Wait!”

             
She ran towards them, despite the fact that Lachlan reached out to her. By the time she had reached them, Neil had already gotten atop of the horse as well.

             
“Neil,” she said breathlessly, “What is everyone talking about? Who are ye?”

             
Neil watched her for a long time, and ignoring the threats that came from Mrs. Croft’s words and Lachlan’s heated glare, Neil answered anyway.

             
“Why,” he said with a smirk gracing his lips, “I am yer brother.”

             
Then he grasped the reins, and with a shout, they galloped away.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

             
Kirstin watched Neil ride away, until they were out of sight. She was awestruck, as everything she had come to know became a lie.

             
She had a brother.

             
What else could be deemed absurd that no one had it in his or her heart to tell Kirstin? Was she really that innocent, that pure, that
naïve
to not have seen the likelihood of Neil being her brother?

             
Surely they looked the same, but the main difference that held them apart was Graham and Lachlan. Maybe, just maybe, that was why she had not seen the chance that Neil and her had been related in some minor form.

             
To top it all off, this was the sole reason her mother had been acting differently around the both of them. She had kept this from Kirstin all of her life, and yet, she held the lie within the palm of her hand, as a beggar would hold a gold coin. Their mother would not give the secret up, and now since Neil had, she wondered what part Graham had in the matter.

             
Lachlan approached Kirstin cautiously, and gently put a hand to her arm. Without tearing her gaze from the direction that Neil and their mother had gone, she jerked her arm out of his grasp.

             
“What else have ye been keeping from me?” she asked weakly, her voice coming out broken.

             
“I thought ye were aware of Neil. Bradan and Farrel spoke of yer familiarity with the man.” He said honestly.

             
“What do ye mean? How could I have been aware if he were only a friendly stranger that helped me find my way in the woods?” she asked blatantly, finally looking up at him.

             
“Yer kin,” he answered, “Surely yer father would have told ye?”

             
“Nay,” she said, her voice becoming stern, “My father is dead.”

             
When Kirstin made to walk away, Lachlan grabbed her arm and pulled her back, “I meant before he,” Lachlan hesitated, “died.”

             
Kirstin laughed in a mocking way, “Yer no’ that dense, are ye Lachlan? My parents raised me as an only child, and I was believed to be the only one.”

             
Regret came over his eyes and he said gently, “I am sorry.”

             
“For what?” she snapped at him, “For holding something so significant from me?”

             
“Nay,” he retorted, “For even if I had known, it wouldna have been my place to tell ye.”

             
“Then what are ye sorry for?” she said, aggravated.

             
Lachlan looked at her in a sincere gesture. He touched her cheek with his thumb, and replied, “For-“

             
At that very moment, Alana interrupted them and said loudly, “Why do ye both look so grim?”

             
Kirstin flinched at that, but Lachlan answered for her, saying, “Mrs. Croft has left with Neil.”

             
Alana lost her breath for a mere second, “I knew that woman was up to no good.”

             
Kirstin seemed to shrink back at the double meaning of Alana’s words, that only she could comprehend. Her mother had not only left to go see to Graham, but she had practically ruined Kirstin’s trust because of her inability to tell her she had a brother.

             
Already forgetting about Lachlan’s apology that had yet to be revealed, Kirstin said dramatically, “Can we leave, now? I donna feel well.”

             
“Oh, child!” Alana exclaimed, “Have ye fallen ill?”

             
Tears brimmed Kirstin’s eyes from all of the stress and inner turmoil that had already begun, “I donna ken.”

             
Alana looked her over and said, “Mayhap we should get ye into bed.” And as her maternal instincts settled in, she ushered her away from the market, “Come now, let us get ye home and I will make ye something to eat, aye?”

             
Exhausted, Kirstin nodded her head, “Aye.”

             
Kirstin felt bad for not being able to tell Alana the real reason for her not feeling well, but she pushed the feeling to the back of her subconscious and walked on down the road. Lachlan followed shortly, not saying a word.



              Graham waited Neil’s arrival. He was not surprised when Mrs. Croft came with him willingly, because his father was the best of friends with her.

             
“Neil,” Graham greeted when they stopped the horse in front of his manor.  A stables boy helped Mrs. Croft off of the horse, and took the reins from Neil.

             
Graham smiled down at Mrs. Croft, taking in her graying hair that used to be black only seventeen years ago, when he had last seen her.

             
“’Tis so good to see ye in person,” he said,  “For it is great to finally speak to ye face to face, instead of over letters and messengers.”

             
She agreed wholeheartedly, “Aye, ‘tis much better, my Laird.”

             
“Come,” Graham said, holding his arm out for her to take, “Let us go talk about that daughter of yers.”

             
Mrs. Croft put her hand in his arm, and they strolled off towards the front doors. Little did they know that Neil was planning something of his own.



              By the time they had arrived at Lachlan’s manor, Kirstin was fatigued, both emotionally and mentally. She seemed to be in a trance, as she stiffly walked to her room and lay down on her bed.

             
Lachlan arrived just in time for the tears to fall. He held her in his arms, cooing her and rocking her back and forth. He cradled her like he had so many times before.

             
“Lachlan?” Kirstin asked, peering up at him with teary eyes, “Is there anything else I should ken?”

             
He shushed her, pulling her head back into his chest, “Donna worry about that right now.”

             
His words had been so vague, as he did not even answer her question. Kirstin listened to him though, and wrapped her arms around him. She embraced him in the hug, and they sat like that for a long time.

             
Just as it was approaching noon, Lachlan suggested that they go eat since they had not yet that day. Kirstin agreed by nodding her head, but her cheeks were still tear-stained and her eyes wet. He wiped away a final tear that had fallen, and smiled down at her, promising her that everything would be all right.

             
Then, she easily slipped out of his grasp and followed Lachlan down to the dining hall. As they went through the foyer though, they saw Neil standing in the very center of the room. He was fiddling his thumbs as if anxious, but looked up when they approached.

             
Kirstin thought she was dreaming, and when she realized she was not, she felt like she was going to be sick. Her brother had come back; the man that she had not known was her kin, but for only a few hours.

             
“Neil,” Lachlan greeted, which confused Kirstin from his sudden change of behavior towards the blonde haired man. She had thought Lachlan was hostile towards him, but yet he had greeted him like he would any other.

             
“I need to speak to ye.” Neil rushed, “’Tis important.”

             
Lachlan looked warily at Kirstin and then he looked more firmly to Neil, “Aye, go find Roderick and tell him to look after Kirstin. Then,” he continued, “Meet me in my study.”