Page 2 of Deception of a Highlander

“I don’t kill,” Mariel reminded him gently.

“And I am not refused.” The threat glinted like ice in Aaron’s pale blue eyes. “Do you really think I would fund your training if I only needed you to lure men to private rooms and slip them a sleeping draught?”

Heat touched her cheeks, and she hated that he would see her discomfort, that he would know she had been so naïve.

Under his insistence, she had been educated in foreign languages and customs. With honeyed lies served on a silver tongue, he had prompted her to learn the art of weaponry along with the ability to defend and kill using only her hands, skills taught by Aaron’s famed fighter. For her protection should something go awry, he had said. And like a fool, she had believed him.

His bark of laughter rang out sharp in the heavy silence of the room. “For one so intelligent, you can be so foolish, poppet.” He shook his head. “Any whore can garner secrets, but you,” he drew a deep breath, and his eyes widened, “you are something special.”

His face eased into a wide smile that revealed one crooked bottom tooth. “Besides, you need not kill him. You are given three months to obtain the information you need.

“Why so much time?” Her cheeks flared with heat. Asking questions would only prolong the inevitable.

He gave a derisive snort. “Those Scottish beasts are always wary of strangers. I’ve held the manor for years, and still, the ghastly creatures don’t trust me enough to do my bidding without question. Do you have any idea how much it costs to staff a household with English servants so far from England?” A sound of annoyance rolled from the back of his throat. “Even you might need the full three months to gain his trust. You’ll need to travel to Scotland with him, as I can assure you that he won’t stay in London long. You’ve perfected your Gaelic, I assume?”

Before she could answer, Aaron waved his hand dismissively. “Of course, you have.”

“What is the barbarian’s name?” The crude question sat bitter on her tongue, but she knew to reference the Scotsman otherwise would give Aaron cause to question her sympathies.

“His name is Kieran MacDonald. You need to seek him out tonight.” He glanced around the room. “Jane is with you, correct?”

Mariel bit back a grimace. Jane had been sent to act as her lady’s maid. For appearance’s sake, or so Aaron had claimed. But Mariel knew the truth. He wanted her always watched, especially after she had discovered where they were keeping Jack. He’d since been moved, and Jane had become her permanent shadow. As much as Mariel hated it, she knew Jane hated it more and considered the task beneath her.

“She is outside the door. While she may follow me at your bidding, I work alone.” She lifted her chin, her heart racing with the boldness of her challenge.

He studied her carefully for a moment. “Very well, but she will travel with you to Scotland. That is not up for debate.”

“I wouldn’t suggest otherwise.”

His bony knuckle rested beneath her chin and tilted her face up toward his. “Heaven help the man when he looks into your violet eyes and falls prey to the words whispered from your sweet lips.”

She met his gaze and silently willed the impossible. “Let me see Jack before I go. Just once.”

Aaron dropped his hand and sighed with impatience. “You are wasting time. Find the savage and secure a place for you and Jane in his party as they travel back to Scotland. I don’t care who you have to kill or seduce to get there.”

Her heart sank low into her belly. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to see Jack. That she should have known better did little to ease the burn of disappointment.

“I’ll make sure to give your regards to your brother when I see him next.” The edge of warning in Aaron’s tone was unmistakable.

* * *

Mariel’s gaze swept over the crowded room once more but to no avail. Several Highlanders stood out in King James’s new court, but not one looked approachable to question about Kieran MacDonald. Concentrating on the task at hand was impossible with the heat of so many bodies in one small area. The air was thick with strong perfumes and left little room for breathing. White spots dotted her vision, and a cold sweat broke out along her brow. She needed to get outside, to breathe fresh air. Fainting would call far too much attention.

She threw open the heavy glass door and found herself submerged in the quiet dark of night. All traces of the party were shut out as the door snapped closed behind her. The late winter air nipped her hot cheeks and turned her breath to white fog. Shadows stretched over the garden below and shrouded the various shaped hedges.

Did Aaron lurk in the darkness?

A shiver slid down Mariel’s spine as she imagined his eyes trained on her. Would she ever live a life where she was not constantly watched?

Doubtless Jane stood just inside the door—waiting, spying.

Jack would be free once she betrayed Kieran MacDonald…or killed him. Doubt niggled her conscience. Could Aaron be trusted? Would he free them when this was done? She drew a deep breath of the frigid air to steady herself. Women had been released from his clutches before; she’d seen it with her own eyes. Besides, what choice did she have? He had Jack, and if this was her only opportunity, she had to take that chance at freedom.

Aaron had been correct in his reason for the length of time she had been granted. The Scottish did not take well to strangers, especially English strangers.

Winning a Highlander’s trust was an impossible feat, and if she managed it, her betrayal would be all the more painful. No longer would her victim be someone she knew only for several hours.

A hard knot balled in her throat. Completing this task would tear away the final vestiges of her morality.