Page 39 of Highlander’s Burning Touch

“This place is huge, Miss!” said Allyth, voicing aloud what was in her head. Excited, she gave a little twirl in the center of the hall. Even in the dark, Deva could see it was vastly bigger than the one in the MacLean keep.

The sight of her maid acting so irrepressibly gave Deva momentary pause for amusement. Allyth was usually so proper; seeing her like this was unusual.

It didn’t last long though, within seconds, she straightened herself, returning to her usual staid demeanor.

Deva hid a grin as she looked about curiously. The room was impressively large but deserted. Perplexed, she turned to look at Allyth, standing in the corner of the room, gazing up at something she couldn’t see.

“I thought maybe someone would be here to welcome us,” said Deva. She didn’t mean to sound petulant, but none of this was what she had been expecting.

Allyth checked her with her eyes. “Aye,” she said, slowly removing her gaze from the corner of the room and looking about the rest of the hall. It was hard to see much in the gloom, and Deva could barely make out what was there.

“Aye, the laird is away, but he said he will be here tomorrow,” explained Allyth, hurrying over to her. Deva could tell from her expression that she was unsure about this place but putting a brave face on it. And looking around, Deva couldn’t say she felt any better herself.

Eyes in the portraits followed her as she moved around the room. And between them and the howling wind, Deva felt her nerves fraying.

“Where did they all rush off to, so sudden?” she murmured, more to herself than anyone else. Although as she said this, she could guess at the reason for Niven’s sudden departure. That much was clear.

The look on his face as they had come in was all the clue she needed. He hadn’t wanted to be around.

Now Deva turned to face Allyth, unsurely, in the darkened room. It was silent, save for the insistent gales and a strange tapping sound coming from deeper in the room.

Whatever it was, Deva didn’t like the sound of it. Probably the place had rats, and she had no desire to go looking for them. Instead, she turned her attention to the display around her.

Silver and brass shapes glinted from behind the fireplace, but she could not make out what they were. And in the distance, that tapping noise came again, rhythmic and disconcerting.

Deva frowned. “Look at this place,” she said to her maid. Now her eyes were becoming accustomed to the light she could see more clearly. Allyth hurried over with a candlestick, which she lit from one of the candles on the table nearby.

Deva took the silver candlestick from Allyth and raised it above them. “It’s braw,” she couldn’t stop herself from taking a childlike interest in the room around her. Now she could see better, her eyes alighted on something tall in the corner of the room.

Coming closer, Deva could see the source of the tapping. And when she looked up, she realized it wasn’t tapping at all but ticking. In the dusky corner of the great hall, a longcase clock stared down at her. It gave her such a shock she yelped out loud, then, embarrassed, she started to laugh.

“Och,” she said. Peering closer, she murmured under her breath. “God’s tooth!”

Bringing her hand up to the clock, she brushed against its heavy oak frame. The brass pendulum swung to and fro, hypnotically hammering out the time.

She had never seen such a clock before. Impressed, she looked closely at its jewel-encrusted case. “Must have cost a pretty coin!”

Then a voice from behind made her turn around swiftly.

“It didnae cost me anything. It’s been in our family for many years,” the man said, “An’ now it’s yers!”

Deva’s head spun around so fast the room swirled. Heart in mouth, she gave a start.

Seeing her alarm, the man in front of her smiled, revealing his slightly crooked front teeth. But his smile was warm and genuine.

Glancing over his face, Deva traced the outline of his features, sturdy and sure, and with a hint of the familiar. Then she guessed it. He had the same jawline that Niven did.

His long brown hair fell erratically over his shoulders, at odds with his well-spun plaid. From his clothing, it was clear he was of high standing. In front of her, his blue eyes blazed, glinting in the half-light.

“I should say, it’s a gift from the clan, to ye, on yer engagement… to an auld man…” the man curled the ends of his lips upwards, illuminating his face with that same smile she knew already.

It was like looking at an older, stockier version of Niven. His eyes twinkled kindly as he looked at her.

“Excuse me, sir,” said Deva, falling into a curtsey. She hadn’t expected to be introduced this way. Beside her, Allyth curtseyed formally.

“Pleased to meet ye, sir,” she mumbled beneath her breath. Deva put her head down and kept her eyes on the floor below her. It wouldn’t do to show herself up any further.

It was embarrassing enough that she had been caught gawping like some village girl at the riches. Now Deva barely dared to look up at the man beaming down on her. Inside, her heart thundered in time to the clock. This had not how she had been expecting to meet her future husband.