Page 4 of Highlander’s Dangerous Gambler

"Miss Duncan!" the pinched-looking servant said. Aileen's heart immediately sank. Even before the rod-thin man made it over toward her, she knew what he was going to say. "Ye’re wanted back inside the hall. Ye’re sister, the lady, wants ye to mind the bairns!"

Disappointment sank into Aileen. She had been hoping to hear more about the tournament. Stiffly, she nodded, although inside, her heart reeled.

Och, what on earth is that nurse for! she thought crossly, as she reluctantly went back inside the castle.

Outside, a perfectly fine autumn's day lay in waste, as the gray castle walls consumed her. Aileen felt cheated.

Pushing back her unruly locks, she attempted to look composed. But inside, her heart beat angrily, and her mind buzzed with questions. So, there was a riding competition?

Immediately, she resolved to find out everything there was to know about it. And to find some way of taking part, no matter what Fiona or the elders thought.

This wasn't over.

"Aileen! Thank God ye’re here! The bairn wilnae stop crying!"

Billie's panicked face greeted her the minute she entered the chamber, his ginger hair standing on end. This was the most harassed Aileen had ever seen him. He was seconded by an equally harassed baby, screaming its guts out for all who would listen. Billie wasted no time plunking the bairn into Aileen's arms and beating a speedy retreat.

Aileen stared at the screeching bairn.

"Billie, what?" she spluttered. She was not used to children, and that was putting it mildly. Gingerly, she held the shrieking sack in her arms. But to Aileen's horror, Billie was making for the door.

"Nay!" she protested. Bairn or no bairn, she made it to the door of the castle, standing in front and blocking it. "Oh, nay ye dinnae! Dinnae leave me here wi' this...wee beastie!"

Aileen gazed in despair at the crying child, tears streaming down its tiny, red face. Despite herself, she tried her best to calm it. "Hush, hush," she cooed.

Billie frowned at her abruptly. "She's yer wee niece," he reminded her. "Fiona asked for ye to mind her a wee while."

"But—" began Billie, pushing his way forward. He seemed in an awful hurry to be off.

But Aileen was not shifting. Shaking her head, she stood her ground.

"So, she's yer niece too," she started in despair. The baby cried louder, as if to make the point. Then, she looked at Billie in desperation. "Ye cannae just leave me here wi' her...I dinnae ken what to do!"

For a minute, Billie shifted from side to side, transferring his weight from one foot to another. For a moment, his bushy red eyebrows, like antlers, locked together.

"Och," he said crossly. His pink face was screwed up in almost exactly the same expression as his little niece. He looked abruptly at the wizened face of the tiny bundle. "Ye’re a lass. It should be natural!"

Aileen fixed Billie with such a glare that he immediately backed down. "Alright," he said reluctantly. For the first time, he stepped away from the door. Gingerly, Aileen relented. Now the pair of them continued along the gray castle walls, talking, as the small bairn screamed its lungs out for all it was worth.

Finally, they came to the solar, where a cradle was laid out. Tutting, Aileen lay the crying bairn down in the crib.

"Och, where's that nurse?" said Aileen, looking around. For once, the room was deserted, all of the maids seemingly somewhere else.

"Isnae she usually in the nursery?" asked Billie vaguely. His blue eyes wandered all around the empty room. It was not usual for it to be so quiet. The castle was usually buzzing with life, and Aileen wondered what had happened.

"Aye," said Aileen unsurely. In truth, she had about as much an idea as Billie did. "At least, I think..."

The bairn had given up screaming and finally fallen into a deep sleep. It was only then that Aileen began to look around. From outside the castle, there were noises.

Edging toward the window, she looked out. There, servants and guards were running about pele-mele. Watching the excitement, Robbie came toward her.

"The tournament," he mused. "A lot o' the lads from the estate are going to watch." He watched thoughtfully. "Maybe I will, too. There's gonnae be a braw crowd!"

Aileen immediately turned around. "Tournament?" she asked, innocently. "Do ye nae mean the race?"

"Aye," said Billie, absently. There was indeed a flurry of activity outside the front of the castle. "The McLeod race, it's the biggest tournament o' the season, an' there's a handsome prize to be won!"

Aileen’s eyes sparkled with interest. "I see," she said hopefully. "Well, where an' when, dear brother? This sounds like something we cannae miss!"