The Highlander's Servant: Book One of the Highlander Possession Series (30 page)

             
Kirstin’s jaw dropped, “Bradan and Farrel? What do they have to do with this?”

             
“Why, Kirstin.” She bellowed, “Bradan and Farrel are Graham’s spies.”

             
Kirstin could not comprehend why her mother was so excited about what she had just told her. Kirstin immediately grabbed her mother’s hand and said, “We need to talk.”

             
She pulled Mrs. Croft into the nearest room and shut the door, pressing her back against it, “Ma,” she said slowly, “Why are so fond of Graham Ruskin?”

             
Her mother threw her hands into the air and said as if it were obvious, “Kirstin, he is yer betrothed. Surely I must be happy for the soon to be newlyweds.”

             
Kirstin watched her mother, scrutinizing the way she said her words and how she acted, then she said slowly for Mrs. Croft to hear, “Graham and I are no’ going to marry.”

             
“Nonsense!” She said, waving her hand in the air, “Lachlan is dead now, and ye both have been betrothed since birth. It is meant to be!”

             
Kirstin’s mouth had fallen agape, “Who told ye Lachlan was dead?”

             
“Graham did.” She huffed, “Are ye all right?”

             
Kirstin shook her head vigorously, “Are
ye
all right?” she retorted. Then Kirstin continued, “Lachlan is no’ dead and neither is Pa.”

             
Mrs. Croft froze, her arms dropping by her side and her voice dropping an octave, “What?” she sneered.

She took a deep breath before explaining, “Pa faked his death with the help of Lachlan, and Graham has spared me enough kindness to let Lachlan live so that Lachlan and I may marry, despite the hopes that Graham might still have for being with me. Surely Graham lied to ye about Lachlan in order to sway
yer judgment?”

“My judgment?” Mrs. Croft frowned.

“Aye,” Kirstin said once more, rubbing a hand over her face, “He kens how much ye want us to marry and lied on behalf of yer satisfaction.”

“So, ‘tis true then?” Mrs. Croft asked sadly.

“Aye, ‘tis true. Graham and I are no’ going to marry.” Kirstin confirmed.

Mr. Croft quarried, “And
yer father?”

Kirstin gave her a wry smile, “I canna say, but he is alive.”

Silence met their ears for a long time, as they stared at one another. Tears began to fall down Mrs. Croft’s cheeks and when Kirstin asked why she was crying, she responded, “I only wanted us to be happy. Yer father had insisted that we go against our loyalty to Ronan, all those years ago, in order to protect the Bateson clan. It forced us into a life of poverty, one where I couldna provide ye the things any mother should a daughter. I had hopes for Graham to take ye as his wife still, but that all was ruined when yer father let Laird Bateson take ye away. When I found out that Graham had taken an interest to ye, the only person standing between the two of ye from marrying was yer father. I was going to prevent him from keeping the two of ye together, by taking his life. If ye married Graham then we could all live a life of luxury again, but yer father did no’ see it that way, and when I found that Laird Bateson had taken an interest to ye, I had already pledged my loyalty to Graham. Surely, ye must ken it was all for the love of a daughter? Of ye?”

“Oh, Ma.” Kirstin said, sighing in an exhausted manner, “Ye have misunderstood everything in the most terrible of ways.”

“I ken that now,” she replied, “and I promise that for now on I will only do as ye wish, for yer own happiness.”

Kirstin smiled at that, “Good.” She said, and then made a move for the door, “I need to go talk to Graham now. Mayhap we can talk again this evening?”

              Mrs. Croft smiled back, “Aye.”

             
Kirstin left after that, leaving Mrs. Croft to her thoughts. Though Kirstin missed the hardened look on her mother’s face as she shut the door.

Eventually, she found Graham in his study, slumped forward at his desk as if he were exhausted. His head was held up by one of his hands, as the other wrote vigorously.

              The door had been wide open, so Kirstin did not bother knocking.

             
“Graham?” she spoke hesitantly. He shot up at hearing her voice, and made eye contact with her, “There is something I need to speak to ye about.” Kirstin said quietly, as she approached him.

Graham nodded, “Of course. Take a seat, please.” He motioned to one of the two large chairs across from his desk. Kirstin seated herself, politely putting her hands in her lap and keeping her back straight. She did not break eye contact, and then finally said, “I want ye to let Lachlan and his men go.”

Graham frowned, “That is what ye came for?”

She nodded once and his frown deepened. Graham let out a long breath, “I canna do that.”

Now Kirstin was the one to frown, “Why no’?”

He gave shrugged and gave a wry smile, “Ye
donna see it, do ye?”

Kirstin tilted her head to the side to show her confusion, and Graham could not help but notice how adorable she was when she did that, “Ye donna see that by keeping them here, I am keeping ye here. I,” he stuttered a few times, and then finally said, “I
donna want ye to leave.”

Kirstin gave him a firm look, “Graham, I am no’
yers to keep. Lachlan needs to go home so that he can heal, and his men are kept behind bars starving. If anything, this will only push me away further.”

             
His eyes furrowed as he thought over his words, and he found himself saying, “If I grant yer requests, will ye come visit me often?”

             
Kirstin nodded once more, “Aye,” she said, “for yer still my friend, Graham.”

             
He quarried, “What benefits are there of being yer friend when I canna have yer heart?”

             
“Donna ye see it?” she mocked his earlier words, “Ye donna have to worry about breaking it.”

             
Graham leaned back into his chair, crossed his arms, and grinned, “I suppose that is a good benefit.” He thought over his words, “But if Lachlan ever breaks yers, then ye better give me the chance of having yer heart, ye hear?”

             
She laughed aloud, her voice making Graham grin wider, “I hear ye, but donna keep yer hopes up.”

             
Graham’s grin turned into that of a sad one after she said that, “I willna ever stop hoping, Kirstin. Ye mean a lot to me, even if ye donna see it. After seeing ye weep over Lachlan, and the sadness that ye felt for him, something in me broke. I see it now, that we are no’ meant to be, but I will never stop hoping.”

             
Kirstin did not know what to say, she was quiet. Graham took her silence as acknowledgment. He was about to stand up when she said, “I am sorry.”

             
“Sorry?” He was surprised by her words, “Nay, donna be. Yer happy with Lachlan, and seeing ye happy makes me happy.”

             
Again, she was at loss for words. Graham got up from his chair and closed the distance between them. He held his hand out for her to take, and then she calmly stood up to. Suddenly, he embraced her in a hug, kissing her on the top of the head.

             
Kirstin said nothing as she let Graham hold her in his arms for the first and last time.

Chapter Thirty-Six

              Kirstin searched for Neil for the rest of the day, but he was nowhere in sight. Finally giving up after asking many servants, and even Graham, she went back to the room that Lachlan lay in.

             
When Kirstin pushed the door open and entered the room, she let out a gasp as she saw Lachlan consciously trying to stand from the bed. He was using the side table as support and had an arm grasping his torso.

             
“Lachlan!” Kirstin cried out in joy, but her happiness only lasted a second more before he fell to his knees. As he collapsed, Kirstin ran to his side and scolded him, “Ye shouldna be so eager to walk. There now,” she helped him back into the bed, “donna go off being so rash, ye hear? And my goodness, ye had me in a scare when ye wouldna awake.” Despite her harsh words, Kirstin was in tears of relief by his recovery.

             
He had been glaring at her and then said, “Woman, ye canna expect me to lay in the bed of my enemy. We must leave at once.”

             
Lachlan made to get up again, but Kirstin pushed him back against the covers, “Nay, ye donna ken what has occurred lately. Graham has become understanding of us and has agreed to let yer men go.”

             
“Let them go?” Lachlan asked, his tone neutral, “Are they no’ dead?”

             
She shook her head vigorously at that, “Nay, he has spared them their lives. Though, I canna promise that they will be happy because they are behind bars right now.”

             
“Is that so?” Lachlan asked, searching her face as if doubting her words. Kirstin nodded, her gaze not faltering.

             
“Neil and Pa, on the other hand, have decided to raid Graham’s manor in the morrow. I can only hope that Graham lets yer men go before that happens.”

             
Lachlan’s eyebrows became furrowed as he took in the information, then he sat up but retorted before Kirstin could push him back down, “I need to speak to him.”

             
“Speak to who?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.

             
Lachlan answered her as if it were obvious, “To Graham Ruskin, of course.”

             
“Very well then,” she sighed, “I will go get him.”

             
“Nay,” Lachlan grabbed her arm before she could leave him, “I will go to him. ‘Tis only right that I do.”

             
Kirstin gave him a once over and her eyes instantly became worried, “But yer no’ well. Ye have just woken up!”

             
He quarried, “Aye, but ye can help me go to him.”

             
Kirstin thought over his words for a minute, before giving out a defeated groan and agreed. He smiled triumphantly, and the instructed her to put her shoulder under his arm. When Lachlan stood, Kirstin knew that he was not putting all of his weight against her, as if he was fearful that he might hurt her. Nevertheless, she kept her mouth shut and concentrated on helping him walk out of the room.

             
Servants gawked at the sight of Lachlan, and began to gossip upon hushed whispers.

             
“Ignore them.” Lachlan had told Kirstin, as they passed a select few servants who gave them both critical looks. Kirstin did as she was advised, and as they got closer to Graham’s study, she became nervous.

             
Kirstin could not help but wonder what Graham would think or say upon seeing Lachlan, or if they would attempt to hurt one another.

             
Then they reached the door to his chambers. Kirstin knocked once and could faintly hear Graham call out for her to come in. She took a deep breath before entering with Lachlan still leaning on her shoulder.

             
Graham did not look up upon their arrival, and only when they stopped walking did he finally do so. He gave an all-knowing look to the both of them and said, “The servants just notified me that yer awake. I could hardly believe their words but upon seeing ye standing before me, I should believe otherwise.”

             
Lachlan nodded, and shockingly let go of Kirstin and walked towards a chair to where he sat, “We need to talk.” Lachlan’s statement was not of kindness, and more serious than anything.

             
“Aye, we do.” Graham replied, leaning back in his seat.

             
Kirstin hesitantly approached them, and then Lachlan’s head snapped up to meet her sterling blue orbs, “Kirstin,” he offered, “Why donna ye go wait outside?”

             
With the confirmation that she should not be present while they talked, she smiled wryly and then left, but not before sparing him a look of concern.

             
After the door shut behind her, Graham was the first to speak, “I am glad that ye have recovered. Kirstin has been much to worry for yer health.”