Highlander's Beautiful Liar A Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Historical Novel - Adamina Young Page 0,25

that the King upheld strength and loyalty over lineage and inheritance. What would he make of her?

She gripped the handle on her door and pressed her ear against the wood. Several times today, she’d opened the door and nearly stepped out. In his haste to get things ready, Alec had failed to post a guard at the door to ensure that she would not leave, but her fear of Innes and what King Edward would do if he discovered that she was still alive had her scurrying back inside.

“How would he know?” she whispered to herself. “He’ll believe you to be a servant and never look twice at you. What’s the harm?”

Gritting her teeth in determination, she swung the door open and stopped. Mary stood on the other side with her hand up, poised to knock on the door. “Claire!” she whispered. “Oh, I’m so sorry! Is he punishing ye?”

Cora’s eyes widened in fear. “What? He knows?”

Mary swept past her. “I heard he caught ye last night. When I didn’t see a guard at yer door, I feared I’d find ye back in the prisons! Did he beat ye?”

Immediately, Cora realized that the other servant was talking about Alec and not the King. As her thoughts returned to the night before, embarrassment stained her cheeks. Not only did Alec not beat her, but he’d instilled a flame of desire that she’d still been unable to extinguish. “No. He was quite cross with me, but he did not beat me,” she muttered. “I am to stay in my quarters while your King is here.”

“Innes Campbell went home last night. King’s orders. He wished to speak to Alec, so ye do not need to worry about him for now. Oh, Claire, ye can’t stay here. They’ve planned the most wonderful celebration for tonight. The King has ordered musicians and dancers. Do ye know that we haven’t had a grand celebration since Laird Duncan MacKay was alive? Ye can’t miss it!”

“It’s sweet of you to invite me, but I assure you, I’m no stranger to balls.”

Mary wrinkled her nose. “I’ve heard of what you English consider a ball, and believe me, ’tis nothing like what we do. The drink flows freely, and everyone can join in. We serve, but we also dance and laugh. Brawls break out, and the bards tell the most wonderful tales!”

“Brawls break out? Sounds more like a tavern than a ball,” Cora pointed out, but she was intrigued. “I suppose I can try to sneak a look, but I won’t be able to join.”

Mary sighed and shook her head. “Well, it won’t do well to defy the laird, especially with the King here, but ye should try to watch. Ye could do with some fun.”

“Will your clan show some respect for Alec MacKay?”

Her friend hesitated. “’Tis no secret that King Edward is here to check up on things. He’s showing his support for Alec Sinclair, but he’ll listen to my clan. If he fears that the Sinclair cannae earn their loyalty, he’ll appoint another. Kane is our greatest warrior. He deserves to be our laird.”

“Perhaps, but we both know that under Seth, he never gained the experience that he needed. I heard Seth and Innes talking many times about the threat that Kane posed. Seth would have killed him months ago had he not feared the uprising it would have caused. He deliberately kept him away from politics so that he could overthrow him. The King will give the clan to Innes Campbell. He’s far more experienced and perhaps even more cruel that Seth.”

“How do ye know this?” Mary demanded.

“Seth and Innes spoke freely when they visited me in the dungeon. They assumed that I’d never dare to tell their secrets,” Cora said bitterly.

“Ye must tell someone what ye know, Claire. ’Tis the only way that ye’ll be able to shake loose the demons that haunt ye.”

“I can’t. Not while Innes still lives and breathes. He knows of my family. He’ll kill them without a moment of hesitation. I won’t let that happen. If I cannot return to them and protect them, the only thing I can do is keep quiet and hope that it is enough.”

“Yer no servant, Claire. I can tell by how smooth yer hands are and inadequate yer cooking skills are. Ye must have a wonderful life in England.”

Cora smiled wistfully. “I was well-loved by a family, but any future that I had with another is ruined. No one would believe that I remain pure