Return of the Highlander by MacLean Julianne

Author:MacLean, Julianne [MacLean, Julianne]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Julianne MacLean
Published: 2015-06-16T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-one

Larena spoke firmly to the soldier as she entered her room and paused at the door. “There is no need for you to wait for me. I might be a while. I’ve decided I want to change my gown and probably my hair as well.” She looked down at herself. “This is all wrong. I don’t feel right in this rag. I may want to change my jewels, too,” she added for good measure.

“But miss…” he said with dismay, “I think you look lovely just as you are. Prettier than a picture.”

“Thank you.” She pasted on a smile. “But truly…you mustn’t let me hold you up. Go and join your friends in the feasting hall. I assure you I can find my way to the colonel’s chambers at nine without any trouble at all. I know my way around this castle better than you do. Every nook and cranny.”

“I’d prefer to wait here,” he said uneasily. “This castle is a garrison now, miss, and you don’t know what soldiers can be like after a few cups of rum in their bellies. And I have my orders from the colonel. No need to hurry. I’ve got nothing better to do this evening than make sure you’re delivered safely to dinner and back to your chambers again afterward.”

Larena sighed irritably, for this was taking far too long.

“Fine.” Without another word, she shut the door, locked it and rushed to the window to look out onto the bailey below, hoping to catch a glimpse of Darach on his way to or from the stables. If she saw him, she would simply tell Lieutenant Roberts the truth—that she needed to say good-bye to Darach one last time.

For a long, anxiety-ridden moment, she watched the activity outside her window. It was fairly quiet. There were only a few soldiers milling about in the darkness, chatting idly with each other, sitting about in small groups sipping ale in the torchlight. She cupped her hands to the glass, hoping to see inside the stable, but it was no use. The stable doors were closed.

“What are you searching for, lass?” a deep voice whispered in her ear. She whirled about in surprise.

“Darach!”

There he was, like a mysterious archangel warrior in the candlelight, standing before her, his hands sliding onto the curve of her hips, his mouth brushing over hers in a soft featherlike caress. Was she dreaming? She was afraid to believe this was real. Then her body thrilled at his touch and she knew in that moment that he was truly standing before her, embracing her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, keeping her voice low, leaning to peer around him and ensure the door was closed.

It was closed, but was it locked?

Yes…yes it was.

“I couldn’t leave without keeping my promise to you,” he whispered in reply. “I wanted to, but I couldn’t.”

“What promise?”

“Surely you know….”

“One last kiss?”

“Aye.”

With that, he bent his head and pressed his mouth to hers in a soul-reaching kiss that aroused her fiery passions.

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