Page 68 of Defy the Highlander

Fortunately for Lilia, she made it back to Lady Currie’s carriage about five minutes before Lady Currie herself joined her, upset and frustrated that the warrior she wanted as a companion didn’t want her.

As the carriage lurched along the darkened road home, Lady Currie abruptly fell silent. When she spoke again, it was without the recent agitation.

There was a frightening amount of calm.

“Lilia,” she said thoughtfully. “Brody McKay thinks he has beaten me, but that is not true. I told him I always get my way and I shall.”

“Aye, m’lady,” Lilia said.

Lady Currie turned to her. “Do you know how?”

Lilia shook her head. In truth, she was terrified to hear it. “Nay, m’lady.”

Lady Currie smiled. To Lilia, it looked like a horrific, nasty gesture. There was no warmth to it, only evil.

“Warriors at The Cal are purchased to lead armies,” she said. “If Brody will not allow me to purchase him for my pleasure, then I will purchase him for Hawkhill’s insignificant little army.”

Lilia didn’t understand what she meant and wasn’t sure she wanted to. “M’lady?”

Lady Currie’s face lit up. “Don’t you see?” she said excitedly. “If he serves Hawkhill’s army, then he serves me.”

Lilia still wasn’t clear. “He would answer tae ye and Laird Currie.”

Lady Currie began to laugh. Peals of sweet and sinister laughter. “Nay, Lilia, you don’t understand,” she said. “If he serves me, then I can command him to do whatever I wish him to do. If I want to command him into my bed, then he cannot refuse. He is bound by his oath to obey and a man of honor would never break his oath. Now do you understand?”

Lilia did and she was horrified. It was worse than she could have imagined. “I… I think so, m’lady.”

Lady Currie was still cackling over what she perceived as a coming victory. She pulled out her personal flask, which was empty, before digging around in a basket that Colly had sent along, which had more wine in it. She drank deeply.

“We shall return tomorrow and I shall make an offer that Clegg cannot refuse,” she said. “By tomorrow night, Brody McKay will be mine.”

Lilia didn’t know what to say. In truth, she was afraid to speak. She turned her attention to the small window in the cab of the carriage, watching the dark landscape pass and feeling an inordinate amount of apprehension.

A man of honor would never break his oath.

It was very possible that, on that technicality, Lady Currie could very well back Brody into a corner.

Would he be forced to obey?

A bad situation that was about to get worse.

CHAPTER TWENTY

“As I have said many a time, Husband, Hawkhill is without a fine warrior,” Lady Currie said. “You have fifty soldiers and one old sergeant in command, but he is not a great warrior. He’s just an old soldier and he is drunk most of the time. But I have found a great warrior I believe we should retain.”

Laird and Lady Currie were in Laird Currie’s cluttered solar. Laird Currie was listening to his wife rattle on this morning, unusual that she was up so early. But in hearing her speak on a warrior that caught her eye at the Ludus Caledonia, he was coming to understand why she was up at this hour.

She wanted something.

The only time she ever spoke to him was when she wanted something.

The woman was prattling on about this great fighter she had discovered, but Laird Currie wasn’t giving her his full and undivided attention. He was looking for something on his bookshelf, haphazardly stacked with books and clutter and dust.

“Did you hear me?” Lady Currie demanded when he didn’t answer her quickly enough. “We must have greater protection here at Hawkhill. I must have greater protection. I have found such a man and for the right price, he shall be ours.”

“I hear ye, my dear,” Laird Currie said, turning to look at her with a dusty book in his hand. “What would ye have me do?”

Lady Currie was back to smiling pleasantly. “Give me money to purchase him, of course,” she said. “I believe he makes the Ludus Caledonia a good deal of money when he fights, so they will want a high price for him.”