Page 16 of How to Woo a Highlander

He shook his head and raised his hand to greet her. She responded with a broad smile, and his chest tightened. It surprised him every time how strongly he reacted to her. So much that it became physically painful. She was too dangerous to spend time with. He gave her a pained smile before averting his gaze again.

I need to avoid this woman.

Chapter Eight

It was the sound of swords clashing that drew Jane to her window. Her eyes widened with surprise and pleasure when she saw Alastair with his hair tied back and his upper body bare, his muscles flexing powerfully with each movement.

She was mesmerized by him as his skin glinted in the sun, slick with sweat. She pressed her thighs together instinctively, a fire lighting in her lower belly. She had looked away to try to calm down, her breath speeding up to match her racing heart.

Why are you lusting after the wrong man, Jane?! Why do you have no eyes for your betrothed?

It was true, William was there too. She looked again to watch him move around Alastair. His body had a similar frame to Alastair's, yet when she looked at him, her belly did not light up with want. She could only admire him as she would admire any other thing.

This is a big problem, Jane. William does not deserve such betrayal.

They had noticed and greeted her. She left the window and headed for Mary's room, needing to talk to someone about her dilemma. She knew that Mary would only tell her what she already knew, but she needed to hear it from someone else.

Mary was in her nightdress when she opened the door, and for a moment, Jane was taken aback because it was the middle of the day. Usually, at this hour, Mary would be dressed even though she was not leaving the room.

"Mary, are you alright?" she asked, stepping into the room. Mary nodded, letting her in.

"I am well, Jane. I only just finished washing because a maid accidentally spilled tea on me when I bumped into her."

The dress she was about to change into was spread on her bed. Jane nodded her understanding and went to perch on the bed. Mary remained quiet, knowing Jane must be needing advice.

"I feel nothing for William, Mary," she said. The governess paused for a moment then sighed, coming to join her on the bed and putting a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Well, I am sorry to hear that, Jane, but weren't we prepared for this possibility already? You have time; you could learn to appreciate him. I thought you were getting along with him now?"

"I’m deeply attracted to his friend instead," she confessed, cutting off Mary's train of advice. The governess looked shocked, her jaw-dropping open slightly. Catching herself, she grabbed Jane by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"Jane, you need to stop it as soon as possible. I have noticed the handsome young man and how friendly he is to you. I left it alone because you need as many friends as possible in this place, but I thought you would know better than to fall for him. He is a man of many women and would chase anything in a skirt,” Mary scolded.

Jane frowned for a moment in confusion before realizing that Mary was talking about Lain. She almost laughed at the fact that her governess had immediately thought that she was interested in Lain. It made sense, however, since she and Alastair were friendly enough but she was always more relaxed around Lain than she ever could be around Alastair. She wondered if it even mattered enough to correct Mary.

“No good would come out of this, and you would simply complicate your life for nothing. It has already been agreed that you will marry the Laird, and you cannot defy your father," the governess continued.

Mary looked deeply troubled, her face scrunching up in worry. Jane sighed to herself. It clearly would not matter if it were Lain or Alastair, the verdict would be the same. Correcting Mary, at this point, would only make the governess more worried. It was better to end the discussion, although she was not very comfortable with Mary thinking she was naive enough to be charmed by Lain.

"I know Mary," Jane said quietly, but her governess was not convinced and got to her feet, beginning to pace.

"This is the worst outcome," she muttered to herself. "Your father would be furious if you did anything wrong. You need to stay away from that man, do you understand? Passion is dangerous if allowed to fester, so you must nip it in the bud!" she instructed.

Jane nodded; she knew Mary was right. Her father would be furious if she messed up her betrothal. She also did not want to hurt William either. Although he did not love her, it was still a blight on his name if his betrothed was caught with his friend.

She was sure Alastair would think she was revolting if he knew what she was thinking about him. He had only just become friendly towards her. If he found out that she was attracted to him while betrothed to his best friend, he would probably think she was the worst woman in the land. Would he even consider an English woman as a potential lover?

A knock on the door startled them both, and Mary went to answer it. A moment later, she turned back to Jane.

"The Laird has requested that you meet him. The maid has been to your room and could not find you."

Jane frowned slightly, wondering what William wanted to talk about. She got up and headed for the door. As she passed Mary, the governess grabbed her arm gently.

"Remember what I said," she warned. Jane nodded again and left the room. The maid gave her a bow and led the way to William's chambers. The maid knocked, and William spoke from inside, telling them to enter. The maid gestured towards the door for her to go and then left.

She slipped into the room, and her face immediately reddened as she found William in the middle of buttoning up his shirt with his hair untamed and falling over his face. She had already seen him without a shirt, but it felt different now since she was in his bedroom. He seemed utterly oblivious once again as he looked up at her.

"Ah, Jane, welcome. I wanted to speak with ye before I left. I need to visit the Lairds I am allied with," he said absently, his fingers working quickly to finish buttoning up his shirt. He stood in front of his mirror, combing his hair and tying it behind his head.