Highlander's Beautiful Liar A Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Historical Novel - Adamina Young Page 0,17

could do after the way that ye stood up for me last night. No one has ever done that for me before.” The servant walked forward and grabbed her hand. “I don’t know what yer story is, but I doonae care.”

Was Mary offering to be her friend? Cora was touched, but the circumstances surrounding the situation were vile. “’It was nothing,” she said dismissively. “Thank you for the bath. I will be ready to help you with the evening meal.”

“It wasn’t nothing,” Mary insisted. “No one has ever stood up for me like that. I hadn’t expected it from a Sassenach.”

Cora raised an eyebrow. A compliment and an insult all rolled into one. “Thanks,” she said dryly.

“I shouldn’t call ye that. I’m sorry. Old habits are hard to break,” Mary said with a shrug. “Enjoy yer bath.”

Had she just made a friend? Cora couldn’t help but smile as Mary left. If that were true, it would be the first real friend Cora had made in years. Even in London, she was scorned, although for an entirely different reason.

After her bath, she was in good spirits. She met Mary and Louise to help out with the evening meal. Even Louise was treating her with more respect. Cora couldn’t believe her luck. Maybe things were finally turning around for her.

“Well, get on with it,” Louise grumbled. “Ye just standing there with that stupid smile on yer face.”

Chuckling, Cora bumped the door with her hip and took the first tray of drinks out. The face that grinned back at her made her blood run cold.

Innes Campbell. What was he doing here?

Swallowing hard, she quickly averted her eyes and moved to take Mary’s side of the great hall. The other servant looked at her questioningly but quickly took over her tables. When she got back to the kitchen, her heart was pounding.

“Claire?” Mary hissed. “Are ye okay? What’s happening?”

“Innes Campbell. What’s he doing here?” Cora whispered.

“I doona know, but we were told that he was staying the night. Yer shaking. What is wrong?”

Cora shook her head. “I’m fine, but I don’t like that man. Do you mind if we switch sides? I’d like to avoid him if I could.”

“Of course,” Mary said with a concerned look. “But ye have to serve the laird. Ye should have done it first before providing food to anyone else.”

It was all Cora could do not to roll her eyes. The last thing she was concerned about was protocol, but she nodded and grabbed the next tray of drinks. Aware that Innes’s eyes watched her every step, she made her way to the head of the hall where Alec and his men were waiting.

It was obvious the Sinclair warriors were not happy. “Ye serve the laird first. Always,” Stephen muttered with narrowed eyes. “Ye should be relieved of yer duties immediately.”

Alec didn’t seem all that angry. Instead, he watched her with inquisitive eyes. “Ye normally work the other side. What made ye change yer mind?”

Cora smiled sweetly at him. “I just find you so charming. And I apologize for not serving you first. You and your handsome men just make me so nervous.”

He chuckled. “I don’t know why I ever expect ye to tell me the truth.”

Putting a hand over her chest, she feigned outrage as she kept moving past him to finish serving the drinks. The new laird could think whatever he wanted to think so long as he didn’t try to send her back over to Innes. It surprised her that Innes wasn’t cozying up to Alec, but she got the feeling the two men didn’t get along.

If she knew that she could trust him, Alec could be an ally. He’d make sure that her sister was safe, and he’d protect her.

But the clan was important to him. If he got wind that she was Duncan’s daughter, he’d be first in line to kill her.

Taking a deep breath, she found the courage to look Innes’s way. He was laughing with the men at his table and clapping them on the back. He really was a handsome devil. It was too bad that something truly evil resided inside him. She could see it in his eyes every time he’d raised his hand to strike her.

She could see it now when he raised his head and smiled at her. Chills raced down her spine, and she gasped softly. Not looking where she was going, she tripped over someone’s foot. The drinks on her tray spilled all over a table