A Beauty at the Highland Court: A Star-Crossed Lovers Highlander Romance (The Highland Ladies Book 7) Read online

  “Aye. It has been wonderful to have Laird Cameron here,” Blair agreed. “It was a surprise how easily we picked up our childhood friendship. It pains me to see his grief over losing so much of his family and having to assume the lairdship, but I believe he has the fortitude and courage to be a powerful leader.”

  “And he’s not hard on the eyes either,” Arabella teased, happy to move the conversation away from Lachlan.

  “No, he isn’t,” Blair responded noncommittally. She studiously kept her eyes on her trencher, though Arabella watched her fight the urge to turn and look in Hardi’s direction.

  “He must plan to leave soon,” Laurel pressed. Arabella shot her a warning glare, but Laurel’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

  “He will have to. He has duties to return to, and he’s settled his taxes,” Blair nodded. Blair’s bowed head told her friends she was through discussing her relationship with the handsome, broad-shouldered laird, but Arabella knew their relationship was far from over.

  The conversation turned to more mundane topics such as fashion, gossip, and the queen’s plans for a picnic the following week. Arabella watched as people moved about the Great Hall as the music began. She partnered with one man after another; some were courtiers she’d known throughout her time at court, while others were visitors. She danced with Hardi once, happily fulfilling her promise to Lachlan that his friend would have more partners than just Blair. She forced her mind away from Lachlan and focused on learning more about Hardi, realizing once more why he and Blair were so well suited. It was a long evening, and Arabella welcomed the silence and dark of her chamber once she fell into bed.

  Two

  Only two months after leaving Stirling Castle, Lachlan Sutherland rode through the gates of Stirling Castle, conflicted between his dread of being at court but excited to see the woman he’d often dreamed about while in Sutherland. It had relieved him to see both Blair and Maude earlier that month. He’d met Maude’s newborn daughter, and it reassured him and his family that Blair was safe after she disappeared for nearly a moon. She’d left court to aid Hardi as he learned to read and write while taking on his lairdship.

  No one in the Sutherland family was surprised to learn Blair and Hardi were in love. They’d been inseparable as children when Hardi and his older brother fostered with the Sutherlands. Lachlan shook his head as he considered the conspiracy against Hardi that had nearly gotten his childhood friend and his sister killed. It had been a tumultuous month when no missives came from Blair. He and his family were exhausted but ecstatic to find Blair well and handfasted to Hardi.

  Now he was returning to court alongside Blair and Hardi as they paid the last of their taxes, and to report to the king what happened once they arrived at Tor Castle. Lachlan represented his father, Laird Hamish Sutherland, and would explain his clan’s role in the truce settled between the Mackintoshes and Camerons. The Sutherlands were only witnesses, but he understood that his clan’s overwhelming presence after the Mackintoshes’ planned attack had spurred Laird Mackintosh to accept Hardi’s terms.

  He glanced at Blair and Hardi, and he smirked as he watched tiny Blair whisper advice to her mountainous husband. His youngest sister had always tended toward being bossy, but it made Lachlan smile to see her protectiveness over her husband. Still new to being a laird and never trained for the position, Lachlan’s worries were soothed knowing that his sister offered sage advice to their lifelong friend. Other than his parents, he’d never seen a more balanced and equal partnership. He saw many of his mother’s qualities in both his sisters, and he prayed he held many of the qualities he admired in his father.

  “Bella!” Blair called out as they entered the bailey and watched the queen and her ladies-in-waiting enter the royal gardens. Lachlan’s heart flipped as he caught sight of the red-haired beauty. He couldn’t deny that she was the most stunningly attractive lady-in-waiting. Many argued she was the most beautiful woman at court, and Lachlan was apt to agree. He schooled his expression as he dismounted, and Arabella rushed to greet Blair. The women embraced and chattered until Arabella’s gaze shifted to Lachlan. He watched her swallow as she turned her eyes back to Blair. The hair on Lachlan’s arms stood up as he felt the connection between them, a connection he felt every time they saw one another. And just like every other time, they would both pretend as though it didn’t exist.

  When it was Lachlan’s turn to greet Arabella, her hand hovered over his as he bent to proffer a kiss just above the back of her hand. He longed to clasp her fine-boned fingers and bring them to his lips, but he obeyed the rules of decorum. Lachlan and Arabella exchanged the amiable smiles of longtime friends, ignoring the undercurrent that passed between them. Lachlan caught Blair’s sly glance and worried what his sister was about to say. He knew he wouldn’t like it, and the words that flowed forth were a wrenching blow to his gut.

  “Has your father made any advances in that betrothal you suspect?” Blair asked innocently. She offered a serene smile as Arabella and Lachlan scowled before catching themselves. Not usually given to violence, Arabella wanted to smack the smug smile from Blair’s face. She was aware her friend noticed what passed between her and Lachlan, but she hadn’t played matchmaker. Though Arabella didn’t doubt that Blair was tempted, she suspected the comment was meant to nudge Lachlan into action. Arabella wondered if that was as close to getting Blair’s blessing as they would come.

  The women separated from the men and followed Queen Elizabeth into the gardens while Lachlan and Hardi went to secure chambers. Arabella was relieved to see Blair after hearing about the treacherous plot that some of Hardi’s family members concocted to oust him.

  “Have you settled into life at Tor?” Arabella asked Blair as they walked with their arms linked and heads close together.

  “I have. Now that the tumultuousness is over and the new clan council has accepted me as a regular member, it is much easier. The Camerons have welcomed me with warmth and kindness,” Blair explained. It was too warm for an arisaid, but Blair wore a sash of Cameron plaid over her shoulder with a twinkling ruby brooch that signified her role as Lady Cameron. “How have things been at court with just Laurel as a confidante?”

  “I don’t know that I would call her a confidante as yet, but I appreciate her company in a way that I never did before. The newer ladies are the upstarts they were a moon ago, and now that there are so few of us experienced ladies, they believe they shall have the run of the place. Laurel and I are content to remain out of their way.”

  “How does the queen receive these new attendants?” Blair asked.

  “The same as she always does. She appreciates being surrounded by young and attractive women who entertain her and do her bidding. She is just as any queen is, I suppose. With the bairn on the way, she is even more fervent in her prayer, but fortunately for all of our knees, she spends much of that time alone.”

  “How do you fill that time?” Blair wondered.

  “The same way we always do.” Arabella looked away as she considered how she’d spent much of her time as of late. It was something she would never admit, not even to Blair. “Sewing, reading, archery, riding. The endless cycle of being pretty and smiling.”

  “I must admit I don’t miss that. I didn’t realize how much my cheeks ached each day from plastering a smile on my face until I no longer had to do it.” Blair grinned. “Now when I smile, it’s because I mean it.”

  “That must be nice!” Arabella chuckled but lowered her voice when several heads turned back to watch the two friends. “How long will you be here?”

  “Not long at all. Less than a sennight. It’s a sennight each way, and Hardi doesn’t want to be away that long. Things are better, but the strife with the Macphersons hasn’t been resolved, and neither Hardi nor I are convinced the Mackintoshes won’t get up to naughty tricks again. I swear, Laird Mackintosh was like a petulant child when Laird Shaw insisted they sign the truce. I’m positive I saw him pout,” Blair giggled. “I suggested to Maude that
a nap alongside her weans might make him more agreeable.”

  “I hope no one overheard you,” Arabella pretended concern.

  “Only Lachlan. And he laughed before shaking his finger at me. He was standing beside me, and I snapped my teeth at him; nearly took off the tip of his wagging finger.” This time Blair laughed and didn’t bother trying to sound ladylike. Arabella’s stomach clenched at the mention of Lachlan’s name. She could picture the sisters with their brother. Their closeness was so unlike Arabella’s relationship with her siblings. She and her brothers had little to do with one another, and she was younger than her sisters by nearly a decade. None of them had batted an eye when she left for her position at court.

  “How is your family?” Arabella hedged.

  “Maude and Kieran are blissfully happy. Kieran’s sister Abigail just entered a handfast with Laird Lathan Chisholm, so she is no longer at Stornoway. She’d come around quite a lot from when Maude first met her, and I suspect my sister misses her. Madeline, as I’m sure you know, is still at Inchcailleoch Priory. I don’t know that she will ever see the light of day,” Blair explained.

  “And at Dunrobin?” Arabella pressed. Both women knew what Arabella hinted at.

  “Much the same as usual from what I understand. Lachlan, Mama, and Da went home after visiting Tor. I’m so happy that they and Maude, Kieran, and their weans could come. I know it was because they were frightened not knowing what might have happened to me, but they were there to see Hardi and me marry in the kirk. Lachlan came back to Tor just before we were set to leave and said Da wanted him to accompany us. He is to stand witness to what happened with the Mackintoshes, Shaws, and MacThomases.” Blair turned to look at her friend and met Arabella’s gaze. “Hardi and I shall be here for nearly a sennight to settle the last of the taxes. But I don’t know that Lachlan plans to leave with us. I don’t know his intentions.”

  The pointed comment made Arabella want to squirm, but she nodded once and smiled before turning her gaze back to the path before them. Her stomach churned as she prayed Lachlan would remain longer, but she knew she was a glutton for punishment if he did. It would only make saying goodbye that much harder. With her father’s plans in the works, it might be the last time they ever said goodbye.

  Three

  “I canna believe the Master of the Bedchamber thought to separate a mon from his wife. A newlywed mon from his bride!” Hardi fumed. With little time spent at court and Blair’s tutoring as his only formal education, the Highland laird never attempted to hide his brogue as others did when they visited Stirling. He’d teased Blair that she would sound like a “bluidy Lowlander” once they rode through Stirling’s gates. He warned her not to lose her plaid, lest she forget she was really a Highlander. Lachlan roared with laughter at his sister’s scathing set down that she made sure only her brother and husband could hear.

  “At least he offered to let us share,” Lachlan reasoned. “If worst came to worst, I could have found somewhere else to sleep, and Blair could have come to you.”

  “And where would that have been?” Hardi waggled his eyebrows. Lachlan shot him a warning glare as he looked around him to ensure no one could hear. They were moving through a busier part of the keep as they went in search of Blair. Lachlan didn’t want gossip flying around the castle that he was looking for a bedmate. He wasn’t entirely celibate at home, but he always was at court.

  “In the barracks or next to my horse,” Lachlan grumbled.

  “Worried she’d hear of it?” Hardi pressed.

  Lachlan cast another mutinous stare in Hardi’s direction. Arabella was exactly the reason he never sought female companionship while at court. He was uninterested in anyone at Stirling Castle or the surrounding town, and he wouldn’t slight her by choosing someone else in her presence. Neither spoke of their feelings, and neither ever would. But they were there, and they both knew it. He found diversion from time to time at Dunrobin, but he was far from being the rogue people assumed he was because of his looks and charm.

  “Ye can cast that brooding sulk somewhere else,” Hardi grinned.

  “Leave be, or I shall tell my sister that you were the one who filched her bannocks this morning,” Lachlan threatened.

  “She already kens, and I’ve promised to make it up to her.” Hardi waggled his brows again.

  “Disgusting. It’s bad enough I ken the two of ye are just like Maude and Kieran. I dinna need reminding,” Lachlan’s burr slipped into his voice as he turned his nose up. “That’s ma wee baby sister.”

  “The only bairn is the one Blair is carrying,” Hardi guffawed.

  The men shaded their eyes as they walked into the brilliant late morning sunlight. Hardi elbowed Lachlan and pointed toward a group of women emerging from the gardens. The men caught sight of Blair and Arabella and joined them at the end of the path.

  “Ye look weary, mo ghaol,” Hardi murmured as he tipped Blair’s face up. His thumb brushed the dark shadows under Blair’s eyes. Arabella tried not to stare; she lowered her eyes and twisted away, embarrassed by her longing for such tenderness from a man. One particular man, who happened to be standing on the other side of the couple. “Do ye wish to retire?”

  Blair nodded, and Arabella regretted dragging her pregnant friend on such a lengthy walk after a week on horseback. It was still early in Blair’s pregnancy, and she’d shared with Arabella that she found herself exhausted for no reason other than rising from bed. Hardi wrapped his arm around Blair’s waist, but she hung back to look at Arabella.

  “Will you sit with us at the evening meal? I’ve missed you,” Blair pleaded.

  “Of course,” Arabella nodded. She watched the couple walk away before turning toward Lachlan. His expression was speculative, almost as though he were assessing her. She opened her mouth, but he spoke first.

  “Must you join the queen?” Lachlan kept his voice low.

  Arabella shook her head as she observed Queen Elizabeth and her ladies enter the keep. She looked back at Lachlan. “No. My absence won’t be noticed since the queen knows Blair is here. She will assume I’m with her.”

  “I ken you’ve just been for a walk, but would you humor me and accompany me on another? I’ve been on horseback for nearly a fortnight straight. I arrived at Tor in the evening, and we departed the next morning. I would like to stretch my legs.”

  Arabella forced herself not to look at the bare knees and calves that showed below Lachlan’s plaid. The muscular limbs covered in black hair seemed indecently masculine compared to the leggings that courtiers wore. While the leggings left nothing to the imagination, the sight of his bare skin felt like an illicit treat to the Lowland lady-in-waiting. She nodded, then gulped as Lachlan wrapped her arm through his.

  They moved toward the garden path in silence. While Arabella sensed Lachlan wanted to speak, neither broke the companionable silence. They strolled together until they reached the center of the gardens and stood beside an enormous bed of hydrangeas. The bright blues and purples were in full bloom, and bees quietly buzzed from one bud to another, industriously working while ignoring all else around them.

  “You look well, Bella,” Lachlan commented softly.

  “Thank you.” Arabella smiled but couldn’t hold his gaze. “You don’t look like you’ve been on horseback for a fortnight.” Arabella’s eyes widened as she snapped her mouth shut. She realized she’d made more than one faux pas with that comment. She shouldn’t have commented on a man’s appearance, and she shouldn’t have offered such a backhanded compliment. Lachlan’s deep chuckle eased her misgivings, and she returned his smile.

  “What is the news of court since last I was here?” Lachlan released her arm and turned to look at the flowers. Arabella wanted to sigh, but she understood he did it more for her reputation than because it was something he wanted. Anyone walking by would surely comment if they saw the couple standing arm-in-arm while engaging in a private conversation.

  “There’s not much to report. People are still buzzing
aboot Blair and Hardi, but mostly it’s those who supposedly predicted their marriage who have plenty to say. The initial surprise has worn off, and with the royal couple acknowledging their marriage, there’s no scandal. They are back to being boring,” Arabella grinned.

  “Blair is hardly ever boring, but I’m certain she’ll be glad there isn’t too much gossip. I was worried,” Lachlan confessed.

  “I’m sure that you were, but Blair proved quite clearly that she has a sharper mind and a sharper tongue than most. I think there are few who will challenge her, be it out loud or behind her back. And God’s mercy on them if they make Laird Cameron their target. We’ll need a priest to give last rites.”

  “My sister is a little protective of her husband.” Lachlan glanced over his shoulder as if to see whether Blair might spy them. He lowered his head to whisper to Arabella. “Repeat a word of this, and I will deny it. But I have seen nothing more endearing than the way my sister defends Hardi. And he isn’t insulted or embarrassed. He’s proud to have the little termagant stand up for him.”

  “So she’s really as happy as she seems?” Arabella wondered.

  “More so. Besides my parents, I don’t think there has ever been a better matched couple,” Lachlan nodded.

  “Even more than Maude and Kieran?” Arabella challenged with a smile.

  “Aye. Maude and Kieran trust one another implicitly and understand one another as only soulmates can. But Kieran still fears for Maude and is overprotective. Between what she endured at court, the cold welcome at Stornoway, and the wildcat attack, he barely wants her out of his sight. I don’t blame him, but I know Maude feels suffocated at times. She doesn’t say aught because she knows he’s doing the best he can to show his love the only way he knows how. She doesn’t want to hurt him.”

  Lachlan shook his head but smiled softly as his thoughts moved to his youngest sister. He was overjoyed to know both of his sisters had found partners who loved them unconditionally.