The Highlander's Servant: Book One of the Highlander Possession Series (31 page)

             
Lachlan cautiously looked over his facial features. Graham was serious and this bit confused Lachlan, “Ye tried to kill me over a week ago. What brought on this change of thought?” His voice was low, and at any other time it would have come off as intimidating but Graham was not frightened of the fearful Laird Bateson.

He held his head up high as he replied, “Kirstin. She is a clever woman, and has shown me forgiveness which is all I could ever ask for.”

“Forgiveness? What for?” Lachlan questioned.

A faint smile came over Graham’s lips as he honestly stated, “I have only pushed her further apart by trying to force her hand. Surely, I
donna deserve her kindness but yet she has shown me much and has promised our friendship.”

Lachlan’s mouth had fallen agape slightly and it took several seconds before he asked, “And the history between her and my family?”

Graham waved a hand in the air nonchalantly, “’Tis no’ of my ordeal, or yers anymore. ‘Tis only between our long dead kin.”

Lachlan leaned forward, but immediately sank back against he chair as the pain became intolerable on his chest, “What do ye want then?” His hard tone did not falter.

Graham raised both eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest, “Demanding, are ye no’? Why,” he responded curtly, “I only want ye to take care of Kirstin and if ye ever fail to do so then I willna hesitate to take her from ye.”

He smirked and sank back deeper into the chair, “Fair enough, but
donna expect that to happen.”

Graham shrugged, “I can only hope.” His words made Lachlan laugh aloud, but Graham was serious and showed no emotion that he was teasing.

Then, Lachlan replied with a smile, “Donna worry, Lad, ye will find some lass before ye can even blink. So, I take it that we both can now live in peace without anymore fighting?”

“Aye, ‘tis so.” Graham said.

Lachlan smiled wider at that, but then it left as quickly as it had appeared, “And my men?”

“I will let them all go, including ye.” Graham said, “
Yer free to leave when ye like.”

Lachlan grinned, “I thank ye, but I
donna think I can forgive ye as easily as Kirstin.”

Graham grinned back, “That goes both ways.”

Lachlan left their conversation at that, and shakily stood from his chair. He managed to limp to the door and open it, finding a much too eager Kirstin outside. She instantly put her shoulder under his arm so that he would not fall, and as the door shut behind them, Kirstin was left asking, “What did the two of ye say?”

Lachlan chuckled lowly at that, “All ye need to ken is that we are leaving tonight.”

“Tonight?” Kirstin asked bewildered, “Why so soon? Yer no’ well enough to travel, Lachlan.”

“Because,” he replied simply, “I want to get out of here. Ye canna argue that ye
donna want to go home.”

As much as she wanted to retort, Lachlan was right. She missed his manor, her home. Kirstin wanted to return to the green fields and flourishing river that made up his estate, but most importantly, she wanted to return to her field to where she could sort through everything that had happened.

“I canna argue with that.” She agreed, and Lachlan grinned down at her. When they returned to the guest room to where Lachlan had spent most of the two weeks, he said, “Go tell Graham to let my men out, and tell Roderick to ready one of Graham’s horses. We will worry about returning it later, but for now, let us leave.”

             
Kirstin gave a curt response and then left, knowing the way to Graham’s study. Graham was leaving his chambers when Kirstin showed up and as if reading her thoughts, he said, “I was about to go let them out. Come with me,” he urged, “I fear that they may want to rebel and at the least ye can talk them out of it.”

             
She smiled at that, “If I canna, then ye should run.”

             
“Aye,” he joked back, “I will do just that.”

             
She followed him to the bottom floor, pass the servant’s quarters and down the dark staircase once again. Lachlan’s men glared at Graham and a few showed confused expressions when Graham took the keys from the wall and began unlocking the cells.

             
As soon as he had opened Roderick’s, a fist met Graham’s jaw and he was thrown off balance.

             
“That is what ye get for putting me back in my cell when my laird needed me most!”  Roderick bellowed, spitting on Graham who was raging. Kirstin immediately pushed between them, and said loudly enough for the rest of the men to hear, “Donna hurt Graham or any member of the Ruskin clan. He has agreed to let ye all go and Lachlan and him have come to an agreement.”

“So, he is alive and well then?” Roderick asked hastily.

Kirstin grinned, “He is.”

Some of the men gave looks of relief, and others were still angry but Graham continued to let them out. Most of the men glared at him and gave him death threats before walking out of their cells. Kirstin began guiding them up the stairs, all the while explaining to the Bateson clan of all that had happened in the past two weeks. The men did not hesitate to raid Graham’s kitchen on the way up, scaring off the servants there and explaining to Kirstin that Graham owed it to them since they had been practically starved. Kirstin could not argue with them on that matter, but did retort when they drank all of his ale.

Surprisingly, Lachlan was waiting for them in the front of the estate, “Is Roderick getting a horse?” He had asked, leaning against the stone to the Ruskin Manor.

Kirstin replied, “Aye, I have sent him to the stables with
yer instructions. Donna worry.”

He approved of her actions by pulling her close to him and meeting her lips with his own. As he pulled away, he whispered, “I have been wanting to do that since I awoke. Donna expect to get away so easily when we return home, for we are going to start where we left off when we were at the Inn. Ye hear?”

Kirstin shrank back, her cheeks reddened, and slapped him playfully, “Donna say such things here, yer men could hear.”

Lachlan laughed loudly at that, and then let go of her.

Roderick approached with a horse, and Kirstin watched as he helped Lachlan onto it. Before they left, Kirstin looked for her mother but could not find her. No one knew where she had gone to, and she could only hope that she would see her mother soon.

“Come,” Lachlan said to Kirstin, holding a hand out for her to take, “Let us go.” She took his hand, and allowed him to pull her up onto the horse with him. Though, as they left, she did not prevent the small smile that touched her lips when she saw Graham wave to her from the door.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

              Townspeople gave Lachlan and his men spiteful looks, but they ignored them as they rode through Graham’s town. The buildings were much like the town on Bateson lands, except they were more dispersed and not as compact. Despite the physical differences, children still played in the streets and gossip from the elders still occurred.

They walked together in a group, the line trailing several yards back as men followed one after another, with Lachlan, Roderick, and Kirstin in the lead. It seemed as though people moved away from them, making a path for them to walk.

              Only when they had reached the end of town, to where the forest bordered both of their lands, did they stop to wait for the men in the back of the line to catch up. Kirstin got off the horse and stretched her sore limbs, as Lachlan watched distractedly from his seat on the saddle.

             
Kirstin was just about to get back onto the horse but was roughly yanked to the side. Before she could process the fact that she had fallen to the ground, someone was atop of her, holding a dagger against her neck.

             
When Kirstin opened her eyes, she let out a screech, “Ma!”

             
Mrs. Croft was atop of her daughter, with a sharp blade pressed firmly against Kirstin’s neck. All Lachlan and his men could do was watch in utter horror.

             
“What is the meaning of this?” Lachlan rushed from his seat on the horse. He made to get off, but was still too weak from his wounds.

             
“Stay where ye are!” Mrs. Croft yelled, glancing at Lachlan and Roderick who had both made moves to stop her.

             
“Ye brat! How dare ye defy my motives? Surely ye did no’ think me to be so understanding to yer stupidity!” Mrs. Croft hissed through clenched teeth as she once again made eye contact with her daughter.

             
“What are ye speaking of?” Kirstin asked, pressing her back further into the ground as the blade was pressed harder against her neck.

             
Mrs. Croft laughed cynically, “I will always be loyal to Laird Ronan of the Ruskin Clan. I swore my loyalty to him first, and therefore my loyalty will always be his. Ye will marry Graham for the better of our family, or so be it I will only have to kill ye! ”

             
Kirstin’s eyes went wide as she comprehended what her mother was saying.

             
“Yer out of yer mind!” Cried Roderick. A dark, furious look had overcome Lachlan’s face but he made no move towards Kirstin in fear that Mrs. Croft would harm his beloved.

             
“Nay, I am no’ out of my mind!” She yelled out, “Kirstin has challenged my motives as her mother.”

             
Kirstin whispered loud enough for her to hear, “Yer no mother to me at all.”

             
She smirked, her lips looking thinner and her eyes darker, “Then yer no daughter to me.”

             
“Wait,” Lachlan rushed, finally breaking his silence, “Donna harm Kirstin. Mayhap we can come to a truce?”

             
When Mrs. Croft spared her attention to Lachlan, little did she miss the approaching figure behind her. Only when she had responded, “I rather be condemned to hell than to make a truce with ye-“ did something knock her to the ground.

             
A figure jumped atop of Mrs. Croft, and Kirstin did not hesitate to get up and run to Lachlan’s side. Together, they watched as Mr. Croft’s fist collided with his wife’s face, knocking her into unconsciousness.

             
He stood up, brushing himself off and giving a wry smile to Lachlan, “I have wanted to do that for a long time. The woman tried to kill me, and now her very own daughter. I never understood why I married her. Mayhap she had me tricked like all the others!”

             
Kirstin was still wide eyed, and her breathing had turned into panting. Lachlan and Roderick on the other hand, chuckled lowly, as the men behind them roared in victory.

             
Neil walked out from the trees after that, and looked between all of them. Kirstin had just noticed the several men behind them, the rest of the Bateson Clan and many other men whom she did not recognize.

             
“What is going on?” she asked, worriedly.

             
Neil shrugged, “We were going to raid Graham’s property sooner, but it seems there is no need for it since yer all free.”

             
“Neil!” Kirstin snapped, “Ye told me there was still another two days.”

             
He gave her a foolish look and said sheepishly, “I lied.”

             
Lachlan interrupted them, sitting up taller and saying aloud, “Graham and I have made peace. There is no need for such rashness.”

             
“It was only in yer best interest.” Mr. Croft replied, and Neil nodded in agreement, “But since there is no need for our assistance then mayhap we can at least come back with ye to yer manor?”

             
“Aye,” Lachlan said, “That would fine.”

             
Kirstin glanced at her mother who still lay on the hard ground, “What do we do with Ma?” she asked, almost out of concern.

             
Mr. Croft smiled a toothy grin, “Donna worry about her. I will give her the life she deserves.”

             
“What life is that?” Kirstin quarried.

             
Her father snickered, “Why, chained to a grand manor, of course. I am sure that since Laird Ruskin and Laird Bateson have come to good terms, that I can convince Laird Ruskin to allow me to use a cell for her dutiful behavior.” The sarcasm was thick in his tone of voice.

             
Kirstin said nothing, shutting her mouth with firm lips as she wondered if that would be any life at all. She concluded it would not be.

             
“Kirstin,” Lachlan called out to her, “come here so that we may continue on the ride back. We still have a ways before we arrive.”