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  "I cannot go out in such a condition," I told my laird.

  "Why not?" he wondered.

  "Because my dress would wound your pride," I pointed out. I tried to remove my arm from his, but he held me tight and pulled my side against him.

  "Though you were naked you would bring me nothing but pride," he insisted. A lecherous smile slipped onto his red lips. "However, I would be jealous of others who would see you in such a state."

  "My laird, I beg leave of you to wash my-" He shook his head.

  "We haven't time, and I insist you come hear what news I have," he commanded me.

  I bowed my head, and he led me into the passage. The bright light of day streamed into the hall from the window at the end and told me the hour neared nine. We reached the landing and I beheld Leod with his wife Bean Lyel. Her lips were pursed so tightly together that they were white, and when she looked up at us I glimpsed a flash of hatred aimed at me. Leod turned to us and his face was brightened by a smile.

  "My lady! My master!" he called to us. He moved to the foot of the stairs and bowed to us as we came down. "All is arranged. Leod has called Lady Annabel and Laird Graham to the Anointed Hall."

  "Very good. Have their carriage at the ready in case they should want to leave," Tristan ordered him.

  "As you wish, my master," Leod agreed, and he hurried away to do his master's bidding.

  We turned to Bean Lyel, and I blushed when I noticed her narrowed eyes brushed over the filthy hem of my plain dress. She stiffly bowed her head.

  "My Laird Tristan," she greeted my lover.

  "You have been told?" he asked her.

  "Yes," was her curt reply.

  "And what is your decision?"

  "I will remain as your obedient servant," she replied.

  I glanced from one to the other, but neither dined give me an answer to my insatiable curiosity.

  "I am glad to hear you say so. You may resume your duties as though nothing has happened, but be prepared for changes," he warned her.

  She bowed her head. "As you wish, my laird."

  Tristan turned us away from Bean Lyel and to the doors of the Anointed Hall. We walked to them and Tristan opened one for me. I slipped inside, but shrank back when I beheld Lady Annabel and her father. They stood ten feet before the stone seat, and turned at our coming.

  Lady Annabel sneered at me, but her expression changed when they fell on Tristan. Her face lit up and a smooth smile slipped onto her pert mouth. Laird Graham frowned at us both.

  "What is this? We were summoned here for a private meeting with Laird Campbell," he told us.

  "Forgive me for the confusion," Tristan replied as he led me over to the wooden chair. He placed me beside the seat and took his place before the throne. "Whatever you have to say may be said before my Lady."

  "What do I have to say to a servant and some pup I do not know?" Graham snapped.

  Tristan smiled and lowered himself in to the chair. "But you will know me, Laird Graham, for I am Laird Campbell."

  Graham's eyes widened and he sputtered spittle onto the floor. Lady Annabel blinked at us and glanced between Tristan and her father. The laird stepped in front of his daughter and pushed her away.

  "Whoever you are, you are not the laird of this castle!" he argued.

  "But I am as is my birth right," my laird answered. He leaned forward and grinned at them. "You see, I am Laird Tristan Campbell, son of Kynan Campbell, fifteenth laird of the Campbell clan."

  Laird Graham started back at Tristan's proclamation, and his daughter's mouth opened.

  "B-but you are dead!" Graham insisted. "Your father-"

  "My father was a liar and a dishonorable man," Tristan interrupted. He leaned back in the chair and a dark cloud passed over his face. "But that is no matter. I am the laird now, and seeing as how you are my guests I sought to tell you immediately of the change."

  Graham frowned and his eyes narrowed as they studied Tristan's face. "But what has happened to Laird Campbell?"

  "My father is dead. I am now laird of Castle Campbell," he announced.

  My eyes widened and I looked down at my love. His tense expression informed me that he spoke the truth. Old Laird Campbell was dead, and a nagging thought slipped into my mind that I was a party to his demise.

  "Dead how?" Graham demanded to know.

  "His heart gave out," Tristan replied.

  "But he was in excellent health just last evening," Graham returned.

  Tristan's eyebrows crashed down, and he leaned forward and his arms were draped over either arm of the chair. "Do you doubt my word, Laird Graham?"

  Graham straightened and bowed his head. "Forgive me, Laird Campbell, but I only sought to understand how circumstances had changed so much in one night."

  "You are not new to life, Laird Graham," Tristan scolded him. "You should well know that life brings change more swiftly than the fastest river."

  "Aye, life brings quick and strange changes, but some changes may not need to occur," Graham commented. He stepped aside and gestured to his daughter. "My daughter is still a free woman, and I offer her hand to you in marriage. She is young and-" Tristan held up his hand.

  "It is a kind offer, but matters of succession are rarely easily dealt with," Tristan told him. "My father's enemies are now mine, and they will see my father's death as a chance to take by the blade of a sword what my ancestors gave their blood and lives to possess."

  "That is why a union of our two houses is so important," Graham insisted. He stepped up to the other side of the chair and clasped his chubby hands together. A wide smile graced his lips as his eyes swept over Tristan. "With our combined strengths we will be able to overcome any foe."

  Tristan stood and Graham scurried back. "I will fight my father's enemies with my own powers." Tristan smiled and offered his hand to Graham. "But if I should ever need your assistance I am glad to know you will give what may be needed."

  Graham's smile froze on his face, but he took Tristan's hand and bowed his head. "As you wish, my laird," he answered.

  Tristan removed his hand and looked between his guests. "With such bitter news out of the way, I am glad to offer you the hospitality of my home."

  Graham stepped back and bowed to my laird. "It would be an honor to remain under the hospitality of the new laird of Castle Campbell."

  My laird smiled. "Excellent. If it pleases you then we may have breakfast in a short while."

  "What of the girl behind you?" Lady Annabel spoke up.

  Tristan turned to me and searched where I stood. "I see no girl, but a woman."

  Annabel's tense smile momentarily vanished from her lips before it returned. "The serving girl," she persisted.

  Tristan frowned and glanced over his shoulder at Annabel. "Do you infer that my bride is a mere servant?"

  I heard him refer to me as his bride, and my mouth dropped open and my eyes widened. My gaze turned to his face and I glimpsed only a fierce honesty.

  Annabel choked on her surprise. "Bride? My laird, surely you jest."

  "I do no such thing regarding matters of love," he snapped.

  Graham stepped between his daughter and Tristan, and bowed to my laird. "I apologize, my laird. My daughter is upset at the sudden loss of your father, and some food and rest would do her well."

  "I will overlook the slight this instance, Laird Graham, but see that your daughter is taught proper respect for what is mine," Tristan demanded.

  "Of course, my laird. Anything you desire," Graham assured him. He grasped his daughter's shoulders and led her from the room.

  Tristan turned to me and smiled. "What thinks you of your new position, my bride?"

  CHAPTER 16

  I blinked at him and shook my head.

  "Are you. . .do you truly mean the words you spoke?" I asked him.

  Tristan stepped up to me and grasped my hands in his. "As I said, I never jest in affairs of the heart."

  My laird leaned down and pecked a delicate kiss on my l
ips. A wave of sensual heat rushed through me, and I leaned forward to deepen the kiss. He pulled away and his vexing smile looked down at me.

  "I wish I had the time for more than a mere kiss, my love, but I must attend to matters of my coronation and the lairds under my command," he told me. He stepped back and my hands slipped from his.

  "Will I. . .will I see you later?" I asked him.

  He pressed his arm across his chest and bowed his head to me. "The nights are always ours, my love. That I promise you. Until then, farewell."

  Laird Tristan turned away from me and left the Ascension Hall. The large chamber was very quiet, but my mind was very loud. I could not wholly believe I was now bride to the new laird of Castle Campbell. I, a lowly girl from the village, was to be a lady with servants and fine dresses.

  What responsibilities would this change entail? I clutched my hands in front of me and bit my lower lip. Doubts arose within me as I looked down at my filthy, plain attire. I was no lady. My place in life was to serve, not to be served.

  A panic washed over me. My laird had made a terrible mistake. I could not possibly remove myself from from the position I had known to be lady over so much and so many. My eyes flickered to the door. Perhaps I could still catch him and tell him I was not worthy. I hurried to the doors and swung one of them open.

  Laird Graham stood on the threshold. He smiled at me, but I started back and clutched my hands in front of my chest.

  "Good morn, my lady," he greeted me.

  He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. The loud thunk echoed through the large chamber. I looked to my right and left. There was no other entrance nor escape but the windows to my back.

  "What is it? What do you want?" I questioned him.

  Graham paused before the doors and bowed to me. "I come as a friend of warning, my lady," he swore.

  I stopped my hasty retreat and furrowed my brow. "What do you mean?"

  He raised his eyes and his dark eyes glistened. A smile graced his wide mouth. "I only wish to warn you, my lady, that all is not at it seems with your fair husband-to-be."

  I frowned. "What do you mean?"

  Laird Graham paced the wall to my left and cupped his chin in his hand. "As your humble servant I wish only the best for my new laird and his bride, but the circumstances under which he became the laird are suspect. Very suspect indeed."

  My heart quickened as the fears I had tamped down during our conversation returned. "Speak honestly to me, I beg you, my laird," I pleaded with him.

  He paused and looked to me with pursed lips. "Whatever he has told you or will tell you about his intentions, I would not put the weight of truth in them. A young man, about to be disinherited for a new bloodline, is a desperate man. Until we find out how old Laird Campbell truthfully passed on we would both do well to keep our hearts closed to Laird Tristan and our minds always alert."

  I shook my head. "I can't believe my laird would do anything such as you suggest."

  Graham stood straight and frowned. "I have lived a great many more years than you and have seen some of the world. Men would murder for less than what your-my apologies, our laird has obtained."

  I stiffened and my eyes widened. "Murder?" I whispered.

  "Aye, my lady. My intuition tells me murder has happened, and a patricide, no less." He stepped up to me and leaned his face close to mine. His whispered voice stabbed my heart with fear. "A man willing to murder his own father would do the same to anyone."

  My hands grasped the front of my worn dress and I shivered. Graham stepped back and bowed to me.

  "But I see I've upset my lady. Perhaps you need some time to think about what I've said. Good day, my lady." He turned away and strode to the doors, but paused and glanced over his shoulder at me. "When you feel the need for someone you can trust, my ear is always available to you."

  Graham didn't wait for my reply, but left me alone with the horrible thoughts he had planted inside me. I clutched my beating heart in one hand and ran the other through my wild hair.

  "My God, what have I done?" I whispered.

  All of this, if true, was my fault. I had released my lover to take vengeance on his father-his own father!-and part of the blame thus rested on my shoulders. I sank to the floor onto my knees and closed my eyes. I clasped my hands together in prayer and lowered my head.

  "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name," I chanted. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on-" A gasp startled me from my prayers.

  I whipped my head up and beheld Bean Lyel. She stood beside the ajar door and clutched at her chest. Her eyes were wide and she clutched her chest.

  "Bean Lyel!" I gasped. I struggled to my feet and hurried to her where I clasped her arms to keep her from falling. "Are you well? What is the matter?"

  Bean Lyel hissed at me and pushed me away. I steadied myself, but was startled by her change in appearance. Her hair was of a darker hue than her usual gray, and her face was thin like that of a skeleton. Shadows graced her expression with a demonic appearance and her narrowed eyes were tinged with the red hue color of an autumn leaf. She held her hands towards me and I noticed her fingernails were lengthened into sharp claws.

  Then the image disappeared like a reflection in water marred by a skipping stone. I blinked, and a haze swept away her claws and terrifying eyes. She stood stiff and straight with her hands clasped in front of her. Her lips were tightly pursed together and her eyes were narrowed as they looked at me with barely-concealed hatred.

  "Laird Campbell has asked that I attend to your dress and hair," she informed me.

  "My dress and hair?" I asked as though in a daze.

  Her eyes swept over my form and she turned her nose up. "My laird was under the impression you were not satisfied with your attire. For that purpose I have summoned the tailor. He will wish for you to be washed before your meeting."

  "Oh. I see. Then shall I return to my shared room to bathe?" I asked her.

  "No. The laird will keep you in his own chambers," she revealed. She turned away from me and faced the doors. "If you would follow me."

  I reluctantly followed Bean Lyel into the entrance hall. She neglected to shut the door behind me, so I performed the minor task and hurried after her as she made her way to the stairs. Her strides were quick and she never looked behind her to see if I followed. We made our way upstairs, but I paused at the landing. Laird Graham stood near the end of the hall and faced a door on the left. In a moment Tristan stepped out of the room.

  "What are you doing here?" Tristan questioned him.

  Graham bowed his head. "I wish to pay my final respects to your father, my laird, and heard he was interred in his old room."

  "That will come when the body is prepared and the funeral performed," Tristan replied.

  "I thought perhaps as an old friend I might sit with the corpse for a while," Graham persisted.

  Tristan frowned at him. "My father would not wish to be glimpsed in an unbecoming position, and in death I will honor his character and permit no one but my servant and myself to look upon him until he is prepared. Do you understand?"

  Graham bowed and stepped back. "Of course, my laird. I am ever your obedient servant."

  "My lady," Bean Lyel snapped at me. I started and hurried to where she stood halfway down the north wing passage. Her cold eyes studied me. "Do not linger again, my lady. You don't yet know the dangers that lurk here."

  "Dangers?" I repeated.

  A sly smile graced half of her mouth. "Accidents, my lady. Old castles are full of tales of such things happening to the unwary. Now if you would follow me."

  She walked on, but I lingered. Accidents, she said. Murder, spoke Graham. I was not so naive that I did not think they were one and the same. I hurried after Bean Lyel and she led me into the warm chambers of my laird. A large fire crackled in the familiar hearth, and the soothing scent of him lingered in the room.

  I took a deep breath and was calmed. Bean Lyel gestured to a tub of hot wat
er that sat before the fire.

  "If you would remove your clothes," she requested.

  I did as was asked and slipped into the depths of the tub. The warm water lapped at my bare skin and swept away the chill. I sighed and leaned my back against one of the sides. Bean Lyel laid out my old clothes on the bed and walked over to the fire with her hands clasped together in front of her and a towel draped over one arm. She set the towel in Laird Tristan's chair and moved to stand over me.

  I looked up into her face and shrank from her dark eyes and strange smile.

  "Is it to your liking?" she cooed.

  "Yes, very much," I replied.

  The company was not as soothing. Bean Lyel knelt beside the tub and clutched the sides of the basin. Her eyes studied my face and I wished for the tub to be infinitely larger.

  "Do you find comfort in his company?" she wondered.

  I blinked at her. "Pardon?"

  "The company of Laird Tristan," she explained.

  "Y-yes. He is a good man," I answered.

  Her smile widened. "He is good, but from your answer I wonder if you know him well at all."

  I furrowed my brow. "What do you mean?"

  She reached her hand out and dipped her finger into the water. Her finger made small circles on the surface. "You think of Laird Tristan-"

  "He is Laird Campbell now," I reminded her.

  She bowed her head, but the wide smile on her lips remained. "My apologies, my lady, but old habits are hard to forget, and even worse when something so sudden as this change happens." The tone of her voice when she addressed me sent shivers of terror through me. It was as though she mocked the idea of my being a lady. Her eyes flickered over my naked form. "But you benefit from this change, do you not, my lady?"

  "Why do you refer to me with such venom in your words?" I asked her.

  Her eyes hardened and her finger ceased to move. She pulled her lips back in a horrible snarl. "You have won everything while I have lost my laird. He was your laird, too, and such treachery on your part deserves like punishment."

  My eyes widened as the water below her finger turn to red. The silk threads of the dyed water lazily slid through the water towards me. I wanted to cry out, to flee, but my body wouldn't obey my commands. The red water came closer and closer. I shut my eyes.

  The door swung open and Leod stepped inside. Bean Lyel yanked her hand from the water and the color dissipated. I felt my body freed from the horrible spell and I slid far away from her. She stood and spun around to glare at her husband.