Braden Grant entered the Drummond great hall with his cousins, Connor and Roddy.
The three found the Ramsay brothers not far from the door. Apparently, they were still discussing the Band of Cousins as they’d done at the wedding. Connor nodded to Braden to indicate he wanted to listen to them for a wee bit, so Braden stood back next to Roddy.
Micheil was busy doing his best to convince Logan and Quade of the group’s talents. “Hell, I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, Logan.”
Logan glanced over the group scattered around the courtyard, speechless, a rare thing for the man known as the beast of the Highlands.
Uncle Quade just laughed. “I kept telling you two this day would come. What a group.”
Logan said, “You can thank my two, Maggie and Gavin, for getting this group started. You know they’re the best.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Micheil said. “My two sons led them these past days. Didn’t you notice David and Daniel?”
Uncle Quade clapped him on the back. “Micheil, I think you should welcome three members of the group who just arrived, my nephews who did a fine job today. You two will never shut up, will you?”
Micheil’s eyes lit up, and he hurried over to them. “Come on in, lads. Glad you could help us celebrate David and Anna’s wedding. We’ve sent them off on their own, but ‘tis a night for celebrations, for the cousins, and for all the Drummond clan. You are welcome to spend the night. There’s a chamber above stairs with three pallets for you.”
Diana greeted them each individually. “Connor, you look so much like your sire, and I swear you must be taller than him by now.”
Connor smiled, for he was always pleased to be compared to his sire, Alex Grant, renowned as the greatest swordsman in the Highlands. “I believe we have reached the same height.”
Roddy was next. She gave him a quick hug and said, “Roddy, you are the spitting image of your mother, but you have your sire’s fair hair. You Grant lads are such a joy to have with us. Thank you for assisting David in this endeavor, whatever you did. He’ll be ready to work with the cousins again once he’s back home. We’ve found a nice cottage for the two of them in the farthest corner of the bailey. ‘Twill give them a wee bit of privacy before the day comes when he takes over for me and moves back into the keep.”
Braden wondered what she would say to him. He was the shortest lad in the Band of Cousins, and while he adored his cousins, he knew he had trouble keeping up with their prowess in the lists.
“And Braden, I hear you did a wonderful job as the negotiator at the waterfalls. I’ve heard you are a formidable power with that sword of yours, and ‘tis said your fists are even more powerful, but your skill in reasoning with a daft man is impressive. How did you know what to say to keep him talking?”
Connor laughed. “Och, he told the lad that he’d take him to the Highlands and give him whatever he wanted.”
“Aye, I told him what he wanted to hear. Whatever I could think of to distract him and give David time to climb up the ravine,” Braden replied. He couldn’t help but have his chest puff out a little. He hadn’t expected anyone to congratulate him on what he’d done because it had been a small part of a group effort. “We work well together, ‘tis the important part we learned.”
Roddy held a goblet up and said, “I’ll drink to that.”
Diana said, “You drink up, lads. You deserve it, and you have plenty of cousins here to entertain you.” Then Diana surprised him even more when she leaned closer to whisper, “Besides, Braden, I hear you drive the lassies daft with your good looks.”
He was so stunned, he couldn’t think of a word to say. Fortunately, Micheil saved him.
Micheil clasped Braden’s shoulder and said, “Eat hearty, lads. Please enjoy yourselves. Your chamber is at the end of the passageway to the right. We gave you David’s chamber and threw two pallets on the floor.”
Micheil and Diana left to greet more people coming in through the doors. Connor said, “I’m grabbing a meat pie and heading into the courtyard. I saw Gavin and Gregor head that way. Gavin is always good for a laugh.”
Braden followed his cousins, surprised at the number of guests gathering inside the hall. It wasn’t as big as the Grant great hall, but it was well cared for and clean. The chairs and tables showed exquisite woodworking, and the tapestries on the walls were rich and luxurious. Clan Drummond clearly had great wealth.
The gathering continued outside. A multitude of people from the Drummond village stood about imbibing and eating, laughing and bragging. Braden followed his cousins across the courtyard to a group gathered around a bench. Gavin’s voice carried to them, talking about how the cousins had taken Ossian down.
Braden stopped to grab another meat pie at a booth the Drummonds had set up in the courtyard. He leaned down to see if the filling was mutton or rabbit when a shoulder nearly pushed him face first into the meat pies.
His temper flared, but he forced himself to calm down. It certainly wouldn’t do to stir up trouble at his cousin’s celebration. Nonetheless, he spun around to look at the offender. A man a head taller than Braden glared at him. “Hurry up so I can grab my share.”
“I’ll take my time, arse.”
“Hellfire you won’t.” He had brown hair and broad shoulders, but his eyes told Braden he loved to taunt others. Bully—a big bully. “Get out of my way.”
Braden was smaller than the fool, aye, but he wasn’t intimidated.
The man grabbed Braden’s tunic by the neck and lifted him off his feet. Braden counteracted with his fist, delivering a blow that landed with a resounding crack, causing the bastard to let go of him, stand back, and grab his nose. The brute only hesitated a moment, but that was all Braden needed to grab the idiot’s leg and toss him onto his back. “I said I’ll take my time.”
The man glared at him but held his hands back. “My apologies. Take what you want and move on.” The look in his eyes told him this wasn’t over, though perhaps the man was wise enough not to start a fight with a courtyard full of Ramsays, Drummonds, and Grants.
Braden stood back, surprised to see a beautiful woman reach for the man to help him. The boor shoved her hands away.
“Greer, please. Can we not leave?”
Braden felt as though he’d been punched—not by the brute, but by the woman behind him. She was by far the most beautiful lass he’d ever seen. Her golden hair was pulled back at the sides, but the bulk of it tumbled down her back in glorious waves. He couldn’t tell the color of her eyes because it was dark and she wouldn’t look at him, her gaze instead darting from side to side.
“Don’t touch me, Cairstine.” He bounced to his feet, never taking his gaze from Braden.
She stepped back and dropped her gaze to the ground. Her dark green wool gown indicated she was of no station, but it also showed the soft curves covered by the coarse fabric.
Hell, but he felt as though he’d been delivered a blow that he would never recover from. He knew it was lust and not love, but hellfire, she’d sent a spark to his loins that he fought to tamp down.
Braden felt someone’s arm on his. “Need help, cousin?” Connor asked. Roddy sidled up next to them.
“Nay, I’ve handled it,” Braden replied. He grabbed a meat pie, and the three of them turned away. They hadn’t taken two steps from the cart when he heard a resounding slap. He whirled around in time to see the woman with her hand on her cheek.
This time his head nearly exploded. He said, “Did you just hit a lass? Surely a big man like you doesn’t need to pick on a wee lass to make himself feel stronger, does he?”
The bully stared at him, a small grin on his face. “Cairstine? Did I hit you?” He had his hand on her wrist.
Cairstine dropped her hand from her face and shook her head. “Nay. He didn’t hit me. A bug bit me. I slapped it away.”
“Leave it be, Braden,” Connor said.
He memorized the bastard’s face and his plaid, though he didn’t recognize it. He’d find him later. The brute grabbed three meat pies and shoved two at the lass, then yanked her along behind him.
Braden yelled out, “Someone needs to teach you how to treat a lass, arsehole.” The man kept going, ignoring his taunt. Turning to Connor, he ground out, “You should have let me at him.”
Connor’s gaze followed the man out through the gates. “Not here, but I’m betting we’ll see him again. I never forget a face.”
Daniel popped up next to him, seemingly appearing from out of nowhere.
“Since you’re so talented at traveling about unobserved and picking up information, who is that, Ghost?” Roddy asked Daniel, using the name David had given him. “Were you close enough to get a good look at him?”
Daniel grinned, looking quite proud of himself. “I’ve seen him before. Lamont. Blair or Greer. They’re brothers and they’re both nasty.”
“Greer. She called him Greer. You must be correct.”
Daniel rolled his eyes, and Roddy said, “You doubted him?”
Braden had to laugh. “Nay, Daniel. I’ll never doubt you. You certainly do know how to travel unnoticed, Ghost.”
Braden and Connor watched the fool toss the woman, his wife no doubt, up onto a horse before he mounted his own.
Braden had a funny feeling come over him, the kind that would often return later, the kind that told him this wasn’t the last time he’d see the woman. Destiny, perhaps? “Do you know where their castle is? I think I’ll pay him a visit on the morrow,” Braden said.
“Nay,” Daniel said. “He used to live south of here, but they let their castle fall to ruins, so they left. Don’t know where they went.”
Roddy grinned. “I think we’ll be hunting on the way home. Am I not correct, Braden?”
“Do not worry,” Braden whispered. “I’ll find him.”
Green. Her eyes were green like the newest buds in the spring. She’d glanced at him on the way out. But he’d also noticed something else.
Those green eyes were full of pain, and he vowed to fix that.
The End