Chapter One

Dunoon, Scotland

1610

Adair Murray dropped to the ground behind bushes in hopes the men on horseback had not spotted her. The men patrolled the area looking for poachers and other miscreants on the laird's lands. They'd not take too kindly to her having snared the rabbit that hung from her belt.

Pushing the branches apart, she studied the two men. One was very familiar. Her breath left her when she realized why. It was the laird. Her heart hammered and she let out shallow breaths trying her best to keep calm and not give in to instinct and run away.

Ruari Stuart was young and quite handsome. Every time he visited the village, women fawned over the man as if no other compared to him.

Sure they wouldn't see her, she relaxed and narrowed her eyes to study the laird for a bit longer, noting how the sunlight displayed the lighter brown of his hair.

The laird's companion was a bulky warrior with massive arms and a thick chest and neck. His protector no doubt. She waited quietly hoping they'd continue on soon, so she could get up and leave.

Seeming to sense her regard, the laird turned in her direction, and Adair flattened to the ground holding her breath.

It was silly to have snared the rabbit. It wasn't as if she'd needed to do it. Her father was the village miller and provided for the family well. It had been more for sport than anything else. The dumb thing had died of fright, so she couldn't just leave it.

If she was caught, her brother would be furious as he was part of the laird's small guard, and her actions would embarrass him. No matter. She wouldn't be caught, and her mother would be grateful that she'd brought something different to be cooked for that evening's meal.

The men stopped, still looking to where she hid.

Blast it.

She'd have to hide the rabbit in case they discovered her. As slowly as she possibly could, Adair untied the rabbit from her belt and let it drop to the ground.

Unfortunately, just as she lowered the hare, it chose this as the perfect time to resurrect and begin kicking its hind legs. She let out a yelp when the rabbit bit into her finger. Forgetting all about the men who would discover her, she scooted away on her bottom and kicked at the rabbit. It had to be mad because, unlike any other wild animal, the rabbit clung to her skirts and burrowed into them.

Adair shot to her feet shaking her skirts while running in a circle.

"What are ye doing?" a booming voice called out. Both she and the rabbit froze. Then the rabbit fell over. Adair eyed it, wondering if once again the thing would come back to life.

All three, including her, the laird, and the bulky warrior stared at the creature. After a moment, it kicked a couple of times and then jumped to its feet and scurried away.

It was not a bad idea, perhaps she could follow the creature's tactic and scurry away. She took a step forward but stopped when the laird cleared his throat.

"Answer the question lass."

Slowly, she slid her gaze up from the black horse's legs to its thick chest and up to the laird. "I am foraging for herbs. As ye saw, the hare attacked me. It must be rabid."

"There was a string tied to its back leg," the warrior remarked.

"He stole it from me," Adair replied. "Somehow it wrapped around its leg." She looked in the direction of the village, realizing she had indeed wandered much too far into the laird's property.

The laird's head tilted to the side as he studied her. If she were to guess, he saw a bedraggled woman, with unruly red curly hair, a mouth much too large for her face, and an unfortunate pointy nose.

Adair would never be called a beauty by any means. Still, she had been pursued by a couple of lads from the village, though she'd never truly had a suitor.

In truth, it rarely bothered her, as she preferred her own company and that of her family and two close friends.

"If ye dinnae wish to be shot with an arrow by my archers, stay closer to the village," the laird finally said.

Adair nodded and let out a breath. "I will." She turned away and started to take a step, stopping when the damn bulky warrior spoke again.

"Laird." The reminder was soft, but stern.

At his statement, Adair bit her bottom lip. Her father had always accused her of not caring for authority, and perhaps it was true since it took all her strength not to glare at the warrior.

"I will be sure nae to trespass again, my laird." Her sentence was flat, so she kept her gaze fixed on his horse's chest.

"I dinnae forbid anyone from the lands. As long as permission is requested." The laird hesitated, which forced her to look up to meet his gaze. "Understood?"

"Aye… thank ye, Laird," Adair replied doing her best to ensure she displayed a pleasant expression. "Enjoy yer ride." She didn't wait for a reply, but instead gathered up her skirts and hurried away.

Along the path, she picked up her basket of the herbs harvested earlier before spotting the plump rabbit.

As she walked toward the village, she peered over her shoulder noting the two horsemen were gone. In truth, the laird had been rather kind to her. Despite her having obviously lied to him, he'd ignored it. Instead, he'd explained that with permission, anyone was welcome on his lands.

She frowned up at the cloudy sky and wondered why the laird wasn't married yet. Although his keep and lands were modest, he was a man of means and had much to offer. In addition, he was nephew to Archibald Stuart, a powerful laird who governed vast lands and over a hundred guards.

Adair let out a sigh. One day the village and all the people would celebrate Ruari Stuart's nuptials. He would find a suitable wife among his peers. Twas likely he would wed the daughter of a neighboring laird and they would have children who would grow up to govern. Such were the destinies of lairds and such.

On the edge of the village, in a cottage surrounded by fields of wheat and a large vegetable garden, lived her friend, Edine.

"Oi, Adair!" Edine called out from inside a fenced portion of the garden. "Where are ye going?"

Glad to see her friend, Adair hurried closer. "I was foraging for herbs. I need to make some tinctures for Father's hands. Ye know how they hurt him."

Edine frowned while looking her up and down. "Why is yer hair askew and yer skirt torn?" Edine was the opposite of Adair, with long blond hair and blue eyes, she was also slender and taller. With full breasts and playful upturned lips, her friend often caught the eye of a man whenever she passed. Still Edine was so sweet and humble, she did not seem to realize how lovely she was, which made her easy to like.

Opening the gate, Adair slipped into the garden and placed her small basket on the ground. "I snared a rabbit. I thought it was dead, but it came back to life and scared me half to death."

"Oh," Edine's eyes rounded. "Why would ye snare a rabbit on the laird's lands? It is bad enough ye go foraging there. If ye got caught, it would be bad."

Adair considered not telling Edine what occurred, but she'd never been good at keeping secrets. Besides, she couldn't share what had occurred with her mother or father. They would insist she remain in the house for a long period as punishment for embarrassing the family.

"I did get caught. In a way. The laird and his bulky annoying companion were about."

If possible, Edine's eyes grew wider. "What happened? Did ye get punished?"

By the time Adair finished recounting what had happened, Edine was laughing so hard that tears poured down her face. Unable to keep from it, Adair began laughing as well.

"Ye are fortunate, he is a fair laird. I am sure after ye left, they too found humor in what happened." Edine let out a sigh. "He is a bonnie one."

Adair remained silent as she could not argue the point, but she preferred not to fawn over men who were out of reach.

In all honestly, their laird was very attractive. He was taller than most men, with burnished wavy hair that fell to his shoulders, deep brown thickly lashed eyes, and a strong jaw. Despite his social stature, he dressed simply in a tunic, breeches, and leather knee-high boots.

"What he said is true, often men are allowed to hunt in the woods. Ye could have been mistaken for a boar," her friend said, her lips curved into a wide grin.

"A boar?" Adair's mouth fell open, and she pretended to be insulted. "I am nae that homely."

"But ye are short and often snort when laughing," Edine replied with a chuckle.

"Aye, true." Adair let out a sigh. "I best go. It will soon be time to help mother with supper."

"Is Robbie home?" Edine asked, her cheeks pinkening. Since a wee lass, her friend had been enamored of Adair's brother, who unfortunately seemed oblivious.

Adair nodded. "He will be for a few days. Will ye and yer parents come tomorrow to the fish fry?"

"Aye, we are planning on it."

*

"Should we stop and purchase anything else?" Robbie asked Adair as they made their way home from the shoreline the following day.

Following behind her brother, Adair placed the overflowing buckets of fish down to flex her hands, then picked them up and trudged up the slight incline. "Nae unless ye will carry it."

He ignored her and peered up at the sky. "Should be a clear day. Perfect for the gathering."

Having invited several families from the village, Robbie had bought two fishermen's entire catch of pollock, mackerel, and cod.

"Tell me again why ye bought so many fish?" Adair asked glaring at her brother's back. He carried two buckets in each hand, unlike her carrying only one. "There are nae that many people coming tonight."

Robbie shot her a wide smile over his shoulder. "We may have a special visitor. Ye will have to wait and see. Come along. Dinnae drop them."

The fishermen had been filled with excitement at selling the entire lot. Although her brother paid less than what the men had asked for to begin with, it was certainly more than they'd expected to make that day.

As a guardsman for the laird, Robbie was paid fairly. Theirs was a small township, so his pay didn't compare to larger ones. But it was enough for his frugal lifestyle and going to the tavern on occasion. Her brother had an even-tempered disposition and though a man of few words, he was well-liked by the villagers and men who worked alongside him defending the keep.

Robbie shared Adair's unruly reddish locks, which was why he kept his hair cropped short. With dark brown eyes and a strong jaw, Adair supposed he was attractive. She'd often wondered why Robbie was so broad and tall, while she was short and curvy. But she was glad that he was a strong man, who was helpful when home.

It seemed to take forever to walk the short distance to where they lived. The buckets seemed to grow heavier, and her arms weaker. To make matters worse, their house was atop a small hill.

Adair stopped and once again put the buckets down on the ground to take a breath. How Robbie managed to keep walking, not seeming at all bothered by the weight of all the fish he carried was baffling. Then again, he did spend many an hour training with swords and such as part of his duties for the laird.

"Dinnae linger. There is much to do," he called out.

Picking up the buckets, Adair continued forward, doing her best to ignore her throbbing shoulders. "Mother will nae be pleased to have to clean all these fish."

"She will nae do it alone. Ye and I will help," Robbie replied good-naturedly.

The way her hands were growing numb, Adair doubted she be able to hold a knife, much less clean the mountain of fish Robbie had purchased.

As the sun fell past the horizon, lit torches and the fire under a pot of boiling oil provided enough light to see.

A pair of men from the village had appeared with fiddles and had promptly begun playing lively music as nearby families arrived to partake in the fish fry.

Meanwhile, their father, Edgar, had gladly taken over frying the fish, whilst sharing entertaining stories of the misadventures of his youth.

Surrounded by people who waited for the fish, holding out plates or sticks on which the fish would be impaled, he enjoyed being the center of attention while divvying out the bounty.

Large loaves of bread, that had been brought by the baker and his wife, were placed on the pair of tables or in baskets atop several blankets that had been spread about for people to sit.

Adair's mother, Ealasaid, poured ale for their guests, while firmly refusing to serve the ones who'd not been invited, but had come at seeing the gathering.

"Ye should bring yer own," she informed them sternly.

Her parents had been together since young and had grown up there in the village their entire lives. Adair knew she was lucky to have such loving parents, who rarely argued. Her father was gruff only when angered, it was from her mother that she'd inherited a fiery temper.

With a fish laden plate and a loaf of bread, Adair and Edine sat at a small table she'd brought out from her bedroom. Edine hurried over with two cups of cider, her face bright. Anytime Edine was anywhere near Robbie, she seemed to glow. If only her brother was not so oblivious to having an admirer.

The salty fish was delicious when paired with the crusty bread. Adair bit off a piece of fish, closing her eyes at the taste.

"Who is that?" Edine asked, making Adair open her eyes to peer into the distance. A pair of horsemen appeared and immediately she knew who they were.

"Oh, no."

"What?" Edine asked. "Who is it?"

She leaned forward to whisper although she doubted anyone paid them any attention. "It is the laird, Ruari Stuart, and the bulky warrior I told ye about."

At first Edine giggled, but at noting Adair's alarm she blinked and gave her a questioning look. "Ye did say he was nae cross with ye about it."

"What if he says something to Robbie, or worse, my parents? They will be embarrassed by my actions. I will nae be allowed to attend the festival at the keep."

"But ye must," Edine pleaded. "I dinnae wish to go without ye."

They followed the men's progress in silence.

Upon approaching the gathering, they dismounted and were immediately greeted by her brother. The laird and Robbie seemed to have an easy rapport, not one usually seen by warriors and their laird.

Although the laird often visited the village, he usually kept a formal distance from the people. It was most interesting that he would attend such a simple gathering.

Their father practically threw his tongs to a man who stood nearby and hurried to where Robbie and the laird stood.

With exaggerated gestures, their father guided the man to a nearby table that seemed to have miraculously emptied. Ruari sat and was joined by Robbie, the bulky man, and another warrior friend of the family who'd been eating at the table already.

Edine and Adair exchanged worried looks.

"Ye should hide," Edine said. "I can tell yer mother ye fell ill."

The last thing she wanted to do was miss the gathering all because the laird decided to attend a lowly guard's gathering.

She frowned. "I washed my face and combed my hair since he last saw me. Perhaps he will nae recognize me. Besides, why would my brother bother to present me to the laird?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than her mother appeared. "Come Adair, we must greet our special guest."

"I have a headache and my stomach hurts," Adair blurted. "I think I may become violently ill."

In the next instant she found herself standing. Her mother had snatched her by the arm and yanked her up. "Ye can get sick after. Smile."

Even before reaching the table, the laird's gaze met hers. He then looked to his companion who's right brow arched. Something in her stomach fluttered and she wondered if perhaps, she would become ill. When she took a breath, it was shaky.

They recognized her.

"I must have eaten a rotted fish." Adair tried one last time to convince her mother to stop.

Instead her mother wove her arm through Adair's. "Be silent."

Her father beamed at them. "Laird, this is my bonnie wife, Ealasaid and our daughter, Adair."

Keeping her eyes firmly forward, Adair attempted a smile, but she was sure it came across as more of a grimace.

The corners of the laird's mouth twitched, and her stomach sank. He was about to reveal what had occurred, she was sure of it.

"My laird," her mother said, elbowing Adair in the side.

Without any other choice, Adair met the laird's gaze. "My laird I hope ye find yerself well this day."

His eyes hooded. "Aye, very well. I enjoyed a ride in the forest today. I saw a wild hare that seemed to come back from the brink of death."

At the comment, the people nearby looked confused, except for the bulky warrior, who coughed unsuccessfully to cover a chuckle.

"Quite interesting," Adair stated, unsure what else to say.

"Aye, a bewildering experience."

"A hare came back from death?" a man asked. "How astonishing."

Adair wanted to hug the man, who began peppering the laird with questions as she walked backwards until she had slipped behind people who began to join in asking questions about the hare's resurrection.

When Edine took her arm, she realized her friend had walked up to listen. Together they scurried away and into the house where they dissolved into fits of laughter.