Lost in the Highlands the Thirteen Scotsman Read online

  “Leave if ye like, but if ye stay ye will wash my back.” He lifted his brow as though he was daring me to say otherwise.

  “I think I’ll take my chances,” I informed him.

  Not having any other option at this point, I headed out of his room into the drafty stone hallway. Wrapping my arms around my stomach, I followed the sound of voices to the top of the stairs. The room below was filled with men, all of whom were in various stages of undress. I counted them and there were twelve total that I could see. Two smaller versions of the tub I had just seen were in front of the large fireplace. The men were pulling sticks and then laughing. I remembered the one boy from earlier. He and his friend were the ones that threw me into that damn water. He pulled out a short stick and by the look on his face, he wasn’t very happy with his draw.

  Not having any other choice, I took a reviving breath and headed down the stairs. The closer I came to the bottom, however, I felt I might have been a bit hasty in my decision to vacate the premises. Not one of the men said a word to me, or bothered to cover themselves. It was hard not to stare but somehow I managed to keep my eyes on the door across the hall, although I could certainly see plenty in my peripheral

  A heady musky smell resonated in the room accompanied by a light scent of Lavender. Neither belonged in such close proximity to the other and yet, somehow, I found it to be a pleasing aroma just the same. Once across the room, I grabbed hold of the cold metal handle, pushed through the doors and stepped outside. “Oh Hell!

  ‡

  “Where’d ye think she is going?” asked Callum.

  “The same place they all go,” Muir said, wiping down the blade of his dirk with a cloth.

  “Where might that be?” whispered Callum, leaning forward.

  “Ta take a gander outside, I suppose.”

  “Why would she do that?” asked Callum, his brow creased in confusion. “Tis too dark ta see anything at this hour—the moon is not even shining.”

  “Och, tis nothing new, the lass will be back shortly,” said Muir.

  “How’d ye know, Muir? Can ye read minds now, is that it?” Callum crossed his arms indignantly.

  “Mayhap I can,” Muir laughed and cuffed him on his ear. “Tis dark Callum and the last time I checked no wee lass is going ta want to stay out in the night pitched in blackness, alone, at least not for verra long.”

  “Well, I don’t think she’s coming back.”

  “Ye care ta place a small wager then,” asked Muir.

  “What do ye want ta bet?”

  “I will bet yer second helpings at breakfast.”

  “My second helpings?” Callum made a face. “Och that is too steep a price ta pay for such a thing. What do I get if I am right and ye are wrong?”

  “Ye can have my second helpings at breakfast for an entire week.”

  “A week ye say?” Callum crossed his arms and stroked his chin, thinking. “I want yer turn bathing as well,” Callum added as an afterthought.

  Muir shrugged. “Suit yerself but if we are betting that as well, I also get your turn bathing if the stick ye pulled is better than the one I pull.”

  “Fine, it is a deal then,” Callum said.

  “Alec, will ye bear witness ta this bet?” Muir asked.

  “Aye, why not,” he said, stepping up to take his turn in the tub. The water was already a light shade of brown. He unbelted his kilt, draped it over the back of a chair, and climbed inside. Reaching up he pulled a strip of leather from his hair; the length fell in soft waves down his back as he settled down into the water.

  “Well?” Muir held out his hand.

  Callum reached out and took his hand. “Yes, we have a deal.” They shook hands then turned toward the door and waited.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Way to go, Paige!” I threw my hands up in the air and couldn’t even see them. It didn’t go unnoticed to me that the room I had just walked through looked like it should be in another era, as did the several men in various stages of undress. And now, with nothing but blackness in front of me, the idea of scrubbing off the back of a Highlander… err… correction… a very handsome Highlander, who also had a very broad, muscular, back…

  A strange scraping sound cut through the darkness like a knife. I turned, but I couldn’t see where it was coming from, let alone see what it was.

  “Oh hell!”

  Not having any better options at the moment, I reached out in the darkness until my hand closed over the cool metal handle. Jerking open the door, I headed back inside the castle. Once again, my view was of several men in various stages of undress. My eyes flitted to the left and then the right as I hustled quickly across the room. When I reached the stairs, I lifted my skirts and practically ran the rest of the way to his door.

  ‡

  “Ha!” Muir slapped Callum on the back. “I told ye she would be back.”

  Callum brooded.

  “What’s this, Callum?” Muir peered closely at his face.

  “Och, Muir, if I didn’t know better I’d think ye cheated.”

  Muir made a disgusted grunt. “I didn’t know ye were such a sore loser Callum.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” he said. “I still get yer second helpings at breakfast for the next week.”

  Callum’s eyes boggled. “I didn’t say ye could have my second helpings for an entire week.”

  “Ye did too,” Muir argued.

  “No.” Callum adamantly shook his head back and forth. “I said ye could have one of my second helpings at breakfast and ye said if I won I would get a week of yer second helpings at breakfast.”

  “Och, Callum…” Muir shook his head solemnly. “I never figured ye for a liar.”

  “Take that back Muir,” Callum snapped, putting his fists up. “I will not have ye sully my good name,” he spat. “And if ye don’t take back what ye said I will be forced to seek retribution.”

  Muir crossed his arms. “And what retribution might that be, Callum?”

  “I wi—will’,” Callum sputtered. “Put my boot right up yer hairy arse.”

  Muir scoffed. “Try it Callum and I will cuff yer ears again and make ye cry like a wee girl like I did the last time ye tried ta fight with me.”

  Alec rose from the tub. “Cease both of ye else I will be the one shoving my boot up both ye arse’s.”

  Callum gave Muir a smug look of satisfaction.

  Alec stepped over the rim of the tub and used a drying cloth to remove the excess water and few pieces of debris that had settled on his muscular thighs from the bath. He looked at Callum. “I witnessed the bet. Ye have to give Muir yer second helpings at breakfast and now, yer turn bathing as well.” He lifted his plaid, tossed it over his shoulder, and walked away from the tub.

  Callum looked over at the water. It was an even darker shade of brown than before. He shook his head. He’d be lucky if he even got clean, now.

  ‡

  The door to his room was slightly ajar. I peeked through the opening, watching. His head was back against the rim of the makeshift tub and his hair fell over the side.

  The gypsy’s words came back to me…

  “Take the basket of offerings lass, ta the top of the mountain, cross over the screaming bridge ta the other side and the Highlander ye seek will come fer ye.”

  At the time, I was still a bit drunk, wallowing in an ample amount of self-pity and being a mite fanciful. I wanted a Highlander and if I had to carry a basket across a screaming bridge, a mile up in the air to the top of the mountain and wait for him to come for me, I didn’t see anything wrong with it…well not terribly wrong. However, the old bat never said anything about being a ….once again her words came back to haunt me.

  “Be careful what ye wish for lass, it jes might come true.”

  I looked across the room with new eyes. It was an adequate room, that is, if you were living in a castle in the past. Sparse furnishing scattered throughout the room. There was a large four-posted bed, filled with numerous furs, wit
h a rather sizeable trunk at the bottom that looked like it should be filled with treasure, a table with a chair and a rather pretty screen with paintings of animals and fauna over in the far corner. I couldn’t see what was behind it.

  “Lass come inside and shut the door.”

  The sound of his voice startled me.

  Not having any alternative, I sighed in defeat. “How did you know I was here?” I walked through the door and shut it, just as he instructed.

  “I could hear yr breathing from across the room. I kept waiting for ye ta hit the floor.”

  “Why would I hit the floor?”

  He turned and lifted his brow a notch. “From swooning,” he explained.

  “Swooning?” I gaped. “Why would I do such a thing?”

  “Ye were ogling my body with yer eyes, I could sense it.”

  “Oh, please,” I scoffed. “Get over yourself.” Even though that was exactly what I was doing.

  He gave me a doubtful look. “There is no need to tell lie’s ta me, lass.”

  “I am not….” Oh, what was the point? I gave up. He was right. I was lying. “Where am I… exactly?”

  “Ye are in Greystone Castle, lass.”

  “I know I am in a damn castle!” I stomped my foot in irritation.

  He gave me a warning glance. “There is no need to vent yer anger at me, lass. Obviously ye are the one who signed the contract.”

  That took the wind out of my sails. I did sign the contract but what bothered me was how he even knew about it.

  “I can see ye are surprised I know about the contract, aye?”

  I merely nodded my head.

  “Ye must have signed or ye would no be here. Now ye are bound ta me.”

  “Bound?”

  “Aye, lass,” he exhaled as though he was tiring of our conversation. “Did ye sign the contract with ye own blood?”

  “Well…yes.”

  “Then what is the problem?”

  “Well…” I wasn’t sure how to answer that. What was my problem? I did ask for a Highlander and here one was right in front of me, looking better than I could have ever imagined…

  Now that he put it that way, I wasn’t sure why I was so upset. Well, besides the obvious reasons. I thought, well, I wasn’t real sure what I thought, other than being a bit too drunk to think clearly at the time.

  “I thought it wasn’t real,” I finally said.

  He laughed. It was a hearty sound and warmed me immediately. “If ye thought it wasn’t real, then why on God’s green Earth did ye sign the contract, lass?”

  Stupidity.

  Scratch that.

  That wasn’t the truth. The truth was… it was wishful thinking that made me sign the contract. I wanted a Highlander and wished for one, and like the gypsy said, I now have one, right here, in front of me. Now that I compartmentalized it, I really had no idea what my problem was. I should be ecstatic, not partially irritated and the other part…freaking out. (Well, maybe I should be freaking out a bit) I amended.

  “Where are we, other than in a castle, that is?”

  He cupped his hands, slid them into the water, and splashed it over his face. Wiping the excess away with one hand, he turned to look at me. Droplets of water lingered on his long lashes and the faint scruff of stubble on his face. “We are in Scotland, lass.”

  I swallowed hard. “Scotland, you say?” I pressed my hand to my mouth. “That can’t be right,” I said more to myself than him.

  “Ye look peeked lass,” he noted as he looked at me once again over his very nicely sculpted shoulder.

  “Who are you?” Even though I tried to keep the quivering edge from my voice, it still came out more of a squeak.

  “Gavin de Grey,” he said. “I am the current laird o’ Greystone Castle.” He cocked his head to the side. “Ye may call me, Laird.”

  “Oh—kay, Laird,” I choked out as my heart jumped into double time. “What century is this?”

  His dark brows creased as he gave me a confused look.

  “What year?” I nearly shouted.

  His expression remained surprisingly impassive.

  I switched tactics. “Who is your King?”

  “That depends on who ye ask.” His brow lifted another notch.

  “Who is the current King?”

  He made a face and exhaled as he sunk against the back of the tub. “King James VII.”

  “Oh.” I kneeled on the floor, gripping the side of tub to keep me upright. I wasn’t great with history but I did know if James was King, I was in the past and by the looks of my surroundings, I was smack dab in the 1600 or 1700’s. Apparently, the damn gypsy hadn’t been lying after all.

  “If ye want to find a real Highlander do ye mind traveling to a different time lass?”

  I remembered very clearly, hiccupping as I leaned closer on the table. “Meh-sure, why not,” I told her, playing along.

  “Are ye sure lass?” Her rheumy eyes sparkled mischievously like she had a big secret.

  “Yep,” I had said and I recalled a wink to boot.

  “Oh hell,” I groaned, leaning forward.

  “Do ye need to relieve yerself, lass?”

  I looked up. The instant our eyes met, I felt like I may need to lie down, for like ever. Apparently, he was not immune either for in that moment he looked like he might need to lie down, as well.

  “No.”

  “Well if ye are going ta be sick ye might want ta use the chamber pot in the corner,” he suggested helpfully as he leaned away from me in the tub. I would have laughed at his horrified expression but…I heaved and ran to the aforementioned pot. Surprisingly nothing came out. A few minutes later, when I was sure I wasn’t going to be sick, I walked back across the room.

  “Have ye finally figured out ye are somewhere ye wouldn’t have thought ta be?” Both his brows lifted this time as though he was accentuating his point.

  I nodded my head, accepting my fate. I tried not to think of the impossibility of the situation or that I just might be out of my ever-loving-freaking mind.

  He seemed to ponder this for a moment and then sank back against the tub, once again. Steam rose in the air and a light sheen of perspiration was on his face. There was no doubt about one thing, he was a mighty fine Highlander and I did ask for one—maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all….right? I could stay here for a while… a mini vacation of sorts, and then go back home.

  He cracked open one eye and lifted a perfectly arched brow. “What are ye waiting for, lass?”

  “What?” I looked back at his handsome face. He was giving me another one of his curious looks.

  “I said,” he said slowing his words so I could understand. “Wash the filth from my body, lass, before the water gets cold.”

  I understood him that time. “All rightly then,” I muttered, blowing my hair from my eyes as I reached over the side of the tub to grab the soap floating on top. My fingers barely closed over the rectangle bar before a firm hand grabbed hold of my own.

  “Take care with that soap. Tis the only one I have left,” he said. I got the gist of what he was saying that time and he didn’t even slow his mishmash of words. Once again, I was reminded of words from modern day sprinkled, off and on, with Scottish words and old English.

  I tugged on my hand. He gave me the hairy eyeball, a warning of sorts I supposed, and released me. I frowned at the soap. It was purple. Purple? “Where did you get this?” I felt like I had just entered into an episode of the Twilight Zone.

  He reclined back in the water, shutting his eyes once more. “One of the previous witches left it for me.” Lifting his hand, he slid it back through his wet hair.

  “Why’d she do that?” A sudden flare of jealously shot through me. He was supposed to be my Highlander.

  He lifted his massive shoulders and lowered them. “It was an offering, so I might spare her life and send her back home,” he explained.

  “What?” I gaped. “Wait…an offering?”

  “Yer a
witch too, are ye not?” He slanted an eye open.

  “That depends on what you do with witches,” I hedged, standing up from the floor. I glanced around the room looking for an escape route if the need arose.

  “In another time we would burn them but I have seen far too many things of late and actually the stench of burning flesh really bothers me.”

  “Ah, what did you do with this other witch?”

  “I suppose she went back ta where she came from, but she left this for me.” He held up the soap. “What did ye bring me? More soap? Candies? Or did ye bring me some other wonder from the future to fill my belly?”

  “What?”

  “Ye are from another time, are ye not?

  “Well…,” I chewed on my lip, pulling it between my teeth. “Maaybe?”

  “This conversation is tedious.” He closed his eyes. “I am waiting.”

  “For what…exactly?”

  “For ye ta wash me,” he exhaled and cracked open his eye again.

  “Ah, okay.” I walked around to the bottom of the tub, reached into the water, and lifted his foot. It was a very large foot. He pulled it back down and water splashed up over the front of my gown that had just recently dried out from my earlier drenching.

  “Are ye daft?”

  “What is with you people calling me daft?” I recognized the word from earlier, not to mention the numerous historical romances I had read.

  “Ye will want ta start with my hair and then work yer way down my body.”

  “How silly of me,” I muttered and made my way back up to the top of the tub.

  “There is a pitcher over there.” He inclined his head to the opposite side of the room. “Ye may use it to rinse my hair, and there is some shampoo as well, lavender I think.”

  “Lavender?” I gaped at him in shock.

  “Aye…” He gave me a pointed look. “Is there a problem?”

  “No…” I shook my head. “Not at all,” I said. Now I knew why the hall below had smelled like lavender.

  “I like the way it smells,” he explained and closed his eyes once more.

  “Of course you do.” I didn’t know why this didn’t surprise me more.

  “Come now, lass, and get ta it before the water gets cold.” He propped his leg up and I got a really-good view of his muscular thigh.