Page 34 of Highlander’s Forbidden Fruit

The coach had broken a wheel. The coachman had proposed getting someone to fix it from the next town, but Evanna was too anxious to get home. She had borrowed one of the horses and promised to send help before she made her way to Glenlivet.

The coachman had protested, but Evanna had won him over with the promise that he wouldn’t get into trouble with the Laird, nor Lord Ashby. She had ridden the horse to the next town, informed them of the accident, instructed them to take an extra horse and meals for the coachman then she had given the horse free reign as they galloped the roads of Scotland.

London had been marvelous, Paris a revelation, and Venice a wonder. But nowhere else on earth could she ride unfettered. In all the places she’d been, all those drawing rooms and parlors, she had been in other people’s homes, their territories. Being on someone’s turf held you back from being your true self. This was her home, here she could be who she was without feeling such restriction.

Father Gilmore had always said the grass was much greener on the other side. Evanna had never taken the time to understand what he meant by that, but now she knew. Living in Scotland, she had thought that life only happened in places like London and Paris. It had taken her running away from home to realize her pastures had always been green, and her life, though unusual, had been worthy. She had been worthy.

She’d missed her Da, the castle, even Father Gilmore. When the wheel broke, she had been deeply upset, and the need to ride home had been a desperate itch. Now she was coming ever closer to Glenlivet, and she imagined the look on her father’s face when he saw her.

And Aleck. He was never far from her mind. She had believed that London and Europe would cure her of her desperate love for Aleck, but she was proven wrong. Aleck was still the only man who ruled her heart. No one else had managed to colonize even a small portion. He ruled unchallenged, and undefeated.

She smiled as she crossed the town. The spires of the castle were visible from there. She wondered if they were preparing to receive her. Wouldn’t it be droll to walk in on their preparations? She could just imagine the frenzy her arrival would cause.

Slowing the horse to a trot, she thought her plan through. It would be foolish to gallop into the castle. It would undermine all the hard work Lady Ashby and Clara had done on her comportment and grooming. She decided to go to the stables first and hand over the horse to Peter before making a stately entrance.

Pulling her hood lower on her face she took the excruciatingly long route to the stables, so she would remain undetected. Once there she dismounted and walked into the stables to see Aleck embracing a tall redhead, his hand planted on her breasts, his lips devouring hers.

The ground slipped from underneath her, and she had to lean against the horse to steady herself. The shock of it hammered into her like a physical blow. She thought she had known heartache when Aleck was aloof of her feelings. That was a minor scrape. This was a dagger through her heart and a twist to make it all the more fatal.

Evanna had always believed it was Aleck’s obsession with duty and honor that stopped him from exploring a romantic relationship with her. She understood now that it was never a lack of passion, it just wasn’t passion for her.

These thoughts churned like a whirlpool in her head at the lightning speed of seconds. All the while, Aleck kissed the redhead, completely unaware of her. She was grateful for that at least. It gave her time to compose herself. When Aleck finally came up for air, Evanna had buried her feelings under a thick sheet of ice.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said coolly. “I was looking for Peter.”

“He’s in the kitchens.” The girl, because she was a girl when Evanna got a proper look at her, blushed prettily and tried to cover her breasts. She was having a hard time because the bodice was small, and her nipples were hard and poking through the material. “We’re a bit short staffed at the moment. All hands on deck, ye ken?”

She laughed. A high-pitched childish giggle. Evanna couldn’t take her eyes from her. This was what Aleck preferred? How was this different from the absolute idiot she had been at the same age?

“Are ye minding the horses, then?” she asked Aleck. She hadn’t addressed him directly yet. He wouldn’t look her in the eye. She found that savagely satisfying. “Please see to it that he’s rubbed down properly. We’ve had a long ride.” She wound the reigns around a wooden post. “I must go see my father. I’ll let ye resume yer little game.” Her accent had returned with a vengeance, but it felt foreign in her mouth. There was an English polish to her words.

“Yer Evanna MacLeod?” The girl’s eyes widened. “Aleck, it’s Evanna. We’ve been pleased as punch to have ye back. The Laird organized a grand feast. There’ll be three kinds of pies, a trained monkey, and even a dance by the Gunn boys. Everyone’s that excited. Aleck even bought me this pretty ribbon for the feast tonight.”

Evanna looked at the ribbons in the girls hand. They were periwinkle blue.

“I’m sure they’ll look lovely in yer hair tonight. I see ye ken my name, but I dinnae know yers.”

“I’m Isla Graham. My Ma is Lockard’s daughter. We used to live in Dundee, but then Ma said we had to move Glenlivet where GrandDa could keep a closer eye on my Da or else she’d leave him. He’s one to get low in his cups, ye ken?”

Evanna nodded. With every passing minute, Isla Graham cemented a deep dislike in Evanna’s heart. It was impossible for her to come to terms with Aleck’s choice. A hardworking, no-nonsense woman with a head for battle and heart for duty - that’s who she had imagined Aleck falling for. Not this slip of a girl.

“I hope ye like it here.”

“Aye!” Isla giggled, tucking her arm into Aleck’s. “I do!”

Evanna managed a tight smile. “Now, if ye’ll excuse me.” She nodded her farewell and left the stables. Blood was still pounding in her head, but her legs were steady as they carried her sedately from the stable to the front of the castle.

Pulling her hood down, she walked inside. It was a hive of bees, and the queen bee was in the center of the great hall, shouting instructions over the mournful call of bagpipes.

“That’s fine. Yer talented. Do ye ever think of settling down?” he was asking the piper, whom Evanna had never seen before. He had his back to her, and so didn’t see her coming.

“Have ye filled this place up to the brim to make up for my absence?” she asked.

Laird MacLeod whirled around so fast Evanna was surprised that his head was still screwed on straight.

“Yer early!” he exclaimed.

“I couldnae bear to wait to see ye, so I sped ahead of the coach.”