She was now only two months away from her due date and looked very uncomfortable, even though she was sitting in a padded armchair with her feet on a stool.
“Do not get up, Milady Robina,” Lorna said gently.
“Something to drink, Milady?” Alex asked. “Wine, perhaps?”
Lorna ignored the barbed remark and Robina gave him a warning frown.
“Ale, please,” Lorna replied. She looked nervous and her hands were twisting in her lap.
“We are not going to eat you, Milady Lorna.” Robina’s voice was soothing. “Be at ease.”
“Thank you.” Lorna took the cup Alex offered and sipped it before going on. “I cannot start this story at the beginning without going into the past. My name was Lorna Wishart, and will be so again soon.”
“You are going to leave Laird Campbell?” Alex asked, frowning. “Is he not good to you?”
“Yes, I am,” she replied, sighing heavily, “for a number of reasons. Let me tell you what happened.”
A few months earlier…
Lorna had five sisters because her parents tried for a boy six times but it was always another girl. Her father, Patrick Wishart, tried to hide his disappointment each time, but his daughters knew what was in his heart. He loved them all, however, and as a former soldier he was able to teach them all to ride and handle a sword, which was not quite the same as having a son, but better than nothing.
He owned two estates: Castle Wishart, which was his own by birthright, and Marywell Castle, which he had inherited from his wife when she died. Mary Wishart was bright, spirited, and fiercely intelligent—all qualities that she passed on to her girls.
When she died in childbirth with her last child, Jessie, Patrick never really recovered from her loss. He was the same man, but the life had gone out of him.
The girls had each other, and although they missed their mother acutely, they had a happy life. They did almost everything together, and whenever there was a ceilidh anywhere, the six Wishart sisters went together or not at all.
None of them was in any hurry to be wed, but they all knew it had to be done, because the family name needed to carry on, and that meant giving birth to sons.
One of her father’s greatest friends was Laird Joseph McAlpin. On her birthday, Lady McAlpin was hosting a ceilidh and invited a great number of friends from all over Scotland. One of them was Lockie Campbell. Lady McAlpin insisted that Lorna should go too. She was not keen on having all six of the sisters there, but it was all or none, so she relented. They were all pretty and presentable young ladies, after all.
Lorna caught Lockie looking at her a few times but thought nothing of it. Lairds looked at every woman, including married ones, and even the servants. A short time later he asked Lorna to dance, and she accepted. He was a reasonably personable man, but there was nothing really distinguished about him. He had light brown hair and gray eyes, was slightly taller than most men, and had a pleasant-looking face.
“Why do you go around with so many friends?” he asked curiously after the dance had finished.
“They are my cousins,” she replied, laughing, “and we look after each other.”
“What do you need protection from?” he asked curiously. “Bad men?”
“Yes!” she answered. After that, he would not leave her alone. Lockie had made up his mind.
He talked to his friend Laird Johnstone about her, to find out if there was anything else about her he should know.
“Is she wed?” he asked casually.
“Why?” the laird asked, laughing. “You are already betrothed. Do you need a mistress?”
“No,” Lockie replied. “I want a wife. And now I see that Lorna is the woman I need.”
“And Robina?” the other man asked. “What about her?”
“I will write to her,” Lockie replied. “She will survive. I am sure her parents will find someone else for her. She has gone to visit some damn place up in the wilds near Sutherland and I have not seen or heard of her for weeks—not even a note!”
From that moment on Lockie pursued Lorna. He seemed to be everywhere she was, which was not difficult since the McAlpins led an active social life. He was obsessed with her; the first time he had seen her he wanted her and had convinced himself that it was love.
However, one evening when he had been invited to their townhouse for dinner, he managed to corner her as Lorna left the dining room. She wanted to fetch a shawl since it was becoming chilly.
Lockie made an excuse and left the table, then crept up behind her, just out of her sight. Turning his gaze in the direction he had seen her go, he saw her entering one of the biggest bedrooms a hundred yards or so along the corridor.
