Page 42 of Highlander’s False Identity

To distract herself, Edme plucked one of the candles from the long table and started walking around, taking in her new surroundings. It was an enchanting castle, bursting with history, and despite herself, she couldn’t help taking an interest.

But within seconds of her exploration, Edme bumped into something, causing an awful crashing noise as she lost her balance and fell.

“Edme! Are ye alright?” asked Beathan, rushing to her aid. Edme straightened up, pulling herself up from the floor where she lay. Her ego hurt more than anything else.

“Och, I’m fine, dinnae fash, Beathan!” she said briskly, but he insisted on giving her a hand.

As they stood there, face to face, Edme could feel her resolve start to weaken. She had meant what she said about him not having any obligation to her, but the rest of it had been hot air.

Having him stand over her like this was not helping her get over him. Stiffly, she pushed him away, desperate to get away from whatever she had tripped over.

Beathan was still picking up the pieces of silverware which she had knocked over when Edme almost collided with a hard frame. When she turned around, she got the fright of her life… a soldier in armor loomed straight in front of her.

“Argh!” she yelled, leaping quickly back toward Beathan, as the shape began to topple onto her.

Behind her, Beathan laughed; it was, of course, only an empty suit of armor, put up in the hall as decoration.

Instantly, she colored. It didn’t help that Beathan could not stop laughing. He put his arm around her, his warmth buzzing about her body and bringing an unexpected frisson.

“Dinnae fash, lassie, we’ll soon have this old soldier on the ground!”

Angrily, Edme turned around. “What on earth is the point of the stupid thing, anyhow, if it’s not to trip folks up!” she complained, but she was more annoyed at herself than him.

“Och, old Willie here is our protector!” said Beathan. “He’s my great-great-grandfather ye ken!”

Edme tried not to look impressed, but couldn’t help it.

Mischievously, Beathan leaned over and whispered in her ear, “They say he walks at night, often to be found in the maid’s bedroom, randy auld rascal!”

Despite his obvious merrymaking, Edme gave a little shiver. In a place this foreboding, she could imagine it being real.

“Never ye mind, lass, I won’t let auld Wicked Willie get ye! Ye stick wi’ me!” he was still laughing at her, and suddenly Edme blew her top.

Suddenly she knocked him squarely on the nose, sending him reeling off balance and almost landing on top of her.

She watched in bewilderment as he went down, not sensing her own strength.

“Och, Beathan, I’m sorry, I didnae ken!” she said, holding out her hand for him to get up. “It was only meant to be a wee slap!”

“A wee slap? I think I’ll be needing a suit of armor myself if I upset ye again!” he quipped. He looked surprised but quickly recovered himself.

Now Edme was feeling guilty, although Beathan had annoyed her, she didn’t want to be the cause of yet another injury!

“Um, how’s yer head? I never asked,” she said, uncertain of herself. This was the first time she’d properly looked at him since the morning, and to her horror, the bruising he had sustained was deepening.

“My head?” asked Beathan as if he didn’t know what she meant. “Aye, it’s fine, I mean, it’s still on my shoulders, I reckon…”

He grinned at her. That was all it took. Within a split second, they were kissing again, with a passion that Edme was not expecting.

Damn it! She had wanted nothing to do with him, but somehow that had proved impossible. The reality was, she was falling even deeper for the man, and had always known it to be so.

“Beathan I,” began Edme, gulping in between their embrace.

“Nae,” he soothed, approaching her again, this time boldly, to kiss her fully on the mouth.

Edme almost surrendered. It would be easy to give in to her body’s base desires, and right then, she wanted nothing more than to just melt into his arms. But she couldn’t.

“Nae, Beathan. Listen,” she began but stopped. The sounds approaching from the hallway outside became louder.