Page 12 of In Bed with her Highland Foe

“Calm down, I’m thinking things through, Michael.”

“Michael…” Gilchrist spun around, his hands in his hair as he considered that name. For so long, it had not been his name. He’d simply got used to not responding to it. Michael wasn’t him anymore.

Or was he?

“Ye going tae tell Lady Kyven I’m a Gregor?” Gilchrist asked darkly.

“Pah! Ye could run me through before I could blink,” Aaden said with a laugh. “I would hardly risk such a thing, would I?”

“Aaden. Be serious,” Gilchrist pleaded.

“Very well.” Aaden held up his hands in surrender. “A Gregor ye may be, but the matter of our blood is nae the summary of who we are. I ken who ye are, Gilchrist, Michael, or whatever it is I should call ye now. I might just stick tae Captain tae make it easier.” Gilchrist nodded in agreement to this. “Ye are me friend. I ken ye are a good man. I also ken that the reason ye are still here and pacing up and down yer barracks restlessly is ye now fear the fate of yer former love Elisa, may now become Kyven’s.”

Gilchrist halted. He turned around once more to face Aaden, but much slower this time.

“I ken.” Aaden nodded. “Ye will tell me ye and Kyven are nae in love –”

“We are nae!”

“There is something between ye though.”

“That is nae what is important now.” Gilchrist waved his hand dismissively. “If Shay is here, then he wants something. He only ever wanted Elisa because she was the daughter of a laird. I bet ye anything that her father’s lands are now his own. Look where he has come today? Tae another lass that needs tae marry, another set of lands that need a laird.”

“I see what ye mean.” Aaden nodded thoughtfully. “He comes tae wed her in order tae control the land.”

“And who kens where he will go from there.” Gilchrist circled the room. Seeing he did not have nearly enough weapons in his belt, he went to a coffer at the edge of the room, lifted the lid and started attaching more weapons. He took out two more dirks and another sword. “Would he kill Kyven, I wonder? Tae move ontae the next lass? Or manipulate her? Drive her intae the ground in misery and despair? She’s too good fer a fate like that. Too kind of heart. I willnae let it happen.”

“Aye, aye, I hear ye. It’s rare tae hear ye say so much. Though if ye mind me saying, ye marching into that castle and running Shay through with a sword willnae do much good.”

Gilchrist paused, looking around at Aaden, with his hands still on the weapons in his belt.

“Ye want tae be hanged fer the murder of a laird?” Aaden asked with a shrug. “If that is the future ye fancy, then go ahead.” He smiled and waved a hand at Gilchrist. “But if ye would like tae save Lady Kyven from this fate and live tae see the future, may I suggest an alternative?”

“What alternative?” Gilchrist asked. He fidgeted with the weapons at his belt. They were still not enough. He reached back into the coffer and pulled out a flintlock pistol, attaching that to his belt too along with a powder flask.

“It seems tae me that the best plan would be tae make sure Lady Kyven doesnae marry Laird Shay.”

“Aye! That’s the aim.”

“What if… we could persuade her intae marrying ye instead?”

CHAPTER FIVE

Gilchrist stared at Aaden, unable to speak or even move. Slowly, Aaden stood, moving away from the broken glass and whisky streaking the floor.

“Now, before ye call me mad, or an imbecile –”

“I was thinking of much worse words than that,” Gilchrist cut in darkly. Aaden actually took a step back though he still bore a smile.

“Maybe I am an imbecile.”

“Still nae a strong enough word,” Gilchrist said meaningfully. “I am a soldier–a liar–and Kyven is a lady of the clan.”

“Are ye trying tae tell me ye cannae marry Kyven because she is above ye in the hierarchy? Shall I remind ye of what ye have just told me? That ye are the younger brother of the Laird of the Gregors.”

“Hold yer tongue!” Gilchrist barked and marched across the room. He peered through the gap around his door beside the frame, checking to ensure no one was in the corridor that could have heard these words, but all was quiet.

“Or maybe ye are still trying tae persuade me that ye feel nothing fer Lady Kyven? That all those evenings ye really did just go tae the library tae read.” Aaden was smiling as Gilchrist turned back around to face him.