Page 28 of In Bed with her Highland Foe

“Care tae explain this ridiculous plan of yers?”

“Why ridiculous?”

“Me apologies, I used the wrong word. Let me choose another.” Gilchrist kept his head forward as the two of them dropped down from their horses and marched through town, heading past the inns and taverns into the depths of the thatched and stone crofts. “How about idiotic, foolhardy, or stupid? Ye eejit, Aaden.”

“Ye willnae be calling me that when ye hear me plan.”

“Yer plans have gone well so far, have they nae?”

“Ha! Listen tae me, me friend.” Aaden cut in front of him and gripped his shoulder. “Trust me a little. I ken how tae charm a lady meself.”

“Ye forget, that ye would have me charm a lady intae me bed for life, nae one night, as is yer specialty.” Gilchrist’s words made Aaden smile mischievously. “What is it?”

“Ye are the one who wishes tae charm her there forever. Nae me, Captain.”

“Argh!” Gilchrist groaned and walked around Aaden again, despairing of the pickle he had found himself in. “Ye have humiliated me. She thinks I have a cat called Sir Meows-a-Lot!”

“By tomorrow, ye will.” Aaden hurried alongside him as they meandered through the darkness. “This way.” Aaden pointed down a narrow street and Gilchrist hurried alongside him. “Now, listen tae me plan. Kyven will be taking care of this kitten fer ye tomorrow. She will see ye have a softer side, even a paternal side tae ye –” At these words, Gilchrist jerked his head toward Aaden.

Paternal?

He thought of a child walking beside him, imagined himself placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder, steering him safely through a crowd. He tried to calm down at the joy such a thought sparked in him.

“Then ye can return early from our trip tomorrow,” Aaden explained in a rush. “It gives ye and Kyven the chance tae be alone together in yer chamber, far away from that library or any other room where ye are too used tae being friends. It’s a chance fer ye tae make her see ye as someone else other than the loyal friend.”

“This is the worst plan ye’ve ever had,” Gilchrist muttered. “That includes yer plan tae make the men train with dogs at their heels. They were too distracted petting the damn things.”

“A wee bit of advice.” Aaden pulled him to a sudden stop. “If ye are going tae be a pet owner now, dinnae call the cat a ‘damn thing’ in front of Kyven. We’re trying tae make her see ye in a fairer light. Nae a darker one.”

“Thank ye fer the advice, but I am beginning tae wonder if ye are a wise man at all or just a fool.”

“Reserve judgement on that fer now.”

“Why have we stopped here?” Gilchrist asked, looking around at the darkened lane. In this part of town, there were barely any lanterns lit at all.

Aaden held up a hand, then turned to knock on the nearest door. Gilchrist looked at him with arched eyebrows, questioningly, but Aaden said nothing. Sounds followed on the other side, then a door opened.

In the doorway stood a large buxom woman with a suspicious glare, her gaze shooting between the two of them.

“Soldiers?” she said, her voice deep indeed. “We havenae done anything here.”

“Nay, nay,” Aaden laughed. “We arenae here on business. I understand from Helen, a maid in the castle, that ye have kittens here, good woman? Me friend here –” he clapped Gilchrist on the shoulder who bristled, “– wanted one.”

“Hmm.” She still looked wary but pushed the door wide open. “In ye come. See if ye like any of them then, sir.” Her beady eyes, black like beetles, looked Gilchrist up and down, as if she did not believe him capable of caring for a cat. He was inclined to believe her and would have turned around and marched straight back out if it wasn’t for Aaden walking closely behind him.

“Stupid idea,” he muttered again for Aaden’s ears only.

“Trust me,” Aaden pleaded.

They followed the woman into a small front room. In a box chair, a large black cat looked up, eyes almost as dark as night. The black void seemed to suck in all the light in the room. To Gilchrist’s surprise, it was Aaden beside him who shivered.

“Ah, black cats. They are bad luck, are they nae?” he hissed.

“Are they?” Gilchrist had heard such superstitions before, but as the cat pressed her head into the hand of her owner, begging to be petted, he was no longer so sure.

“Dae ye have any cats that arenae black?” Aaden asked in hope.

The woman nodded at a basket across the room. Gilchrist stepped forward to see a number of tabby cats. Two of them were sleeping and a third was yawning, but there was also a space in the basket, as if one of them was missing.