Page 77 of A Dangerous Highland Affair

He looked quizzically up at the blond man but was quick to spot his similarity to Teasag.

Teasag rushed quickly into the fore. “Neacal, my brother, Lorcal…”

There was a tense moment, with both Lorcal and Neacal staring each other out. Behind them, Teasag looked to Gaie, who stood back, watching.

“Pleased to meet ye,” said Neacal, quickly, thrusting his hand into Lorcal’s and breaking the moment. “So, yer Teasag’s brother an’ um, yer staying too?”

It was more of a statement than a question, as, by the look of the bag with him, he had come to move in for a decade. Behind them, Gaie’s smile hid her uncertainty.

In fact, she was uncharacteristically quiet, taking Lorcal’s soaking brat and placing it in front of the fire, before getting them all a drink.

For a moment, there was an uncomfortable pause, in which the occupants looked past each other and wondered what to say next.

“So, um, ye are a bigwig up at the castle?” asked Neacal, giving Gaie the heads up that she should be on her guard. “That’s braw!”

But really, Neacal’s mind was reeling. He had asked Teasag to come over, but not her extended family! And the fact that Lorcal worked for the laird only complicated matters.

Not surprisingly, Gaie was looking alarmed at the situation.

“So, then, can ye give us a guess as to what’s happening up at the big hoose,” said Gaie, with her typical directness. She smiled disarmingly at Lorcal. But the smile froze on her lips at the bolt of ice he sent her.

Lorcal’s response came coldly. “Maybe when ye lot cut the flam an’ tell me what’s really going on here…?”

“An’ that’s really it?” said Lorcal, once Neacal had finished his long tale, again. As he settled back in his seat, Teasag couldn’t help noticing the wee look he gave to Gaie, as if he was asking her something.

At the sight of their glance, Teasag felt her heart jolt. She knew it was daft, but they were so obviously intimate that she felt locked out.

They were only friends. She was sure, but the history between them was so long that she couldn’t help feeling jealous.

It hadn’t helped that Gaie had been reticent to accept her into the house. Although she had claimed to be happy with it, Teasag caught the concerned glances she threw to Neacal.

“Her staying here makes sense,” Neacal had explained, tentatively coming to put his arm around Teasag.

Although Teasag’s body tingled deliciously with his every touch, she couldn’t get past the discomfort of Lorcal’s gaze.

And then there was the look Gaie was sending them. Clearly, she was less than convinced.

“Aye,” she said, in a voice that said nae. Teasag wondered what was going on, but Neacal wasn’t through making his point.

“If she’s going to go back to Blackness e’ery day, it might attract suspicion,” he explained. “But if she’s here, there’s no-one to see…”

Gaie sighed, “alright,” she said. “Well then, the more, the merrier, I suppose!” she extended her smile to Lorcal, although it was clear that he still had his reservations.

Trying to brush them aside, Teasag smiled and tried to assure Lorcal that everything Neacal said was true.

“He’s nae a killer,” she said, her eyes sparkling and warming to her theme. “But we need to find some way o’ clearing his name…”

Lorcal frowned. And as he did, Teasag tensed. The reaction her brother gave could affect everything. With his position at the keep, he could choose to either help them or turn Neacal in. Teasag was desperately hoping that he would do the former, but with someone as upright as Lorcal, it was hard to know.

It was to the relief of all three of them when Lorcal’s glassy features relaxed into a smile.

“I’ll keep an ear out, but I cannae promise anything,” he said, gazing interestedly at Neacal, as he made his way over to Teasag’s side.

“That’s if yer nae sure ye two havenae got anything else to tell me?”

Teasag felt her heart thump heavily. The very same question was on her lips. Taking her hand, Neacal made his way over to Teasag and squeezed it tight.

This had all moved so fast. Only days ago, Teasag would have balked at the idea of staying with an outlaw, let alone being sweet on one.