Plaid to the Bone (Bad in Plaid 1)

“Because of yer beautiful music.” Leanna winked. “I’d miss yer harp playing most of all.”

Obviously as an effort to change the subject, Wynda asked, “Speaking of which, has anyone heard the drummer lately?”

“Nay, but ye would ken best,” Robena responded. “Was that one of the Oliphant spirits which has finally been laid to rest?”

Wynda’s eyes unfocused as she stared at the opposite wall. It could be unnerving sometimes to know one’s sister could see far more of the Afterlife than was natural, but Oliphant Castle had far more spirits haunting it than was natural, so ‘twas fair.

Finally, Wynda shrugged. “I dinnae ken. I suppose only time will tell.”

Mother joined their conversation, even though her attention remained on her work. “I havenae heard the drummer, God rest him, but I have been hearing that eerie pipe music wailing at all hours from the parapets! Have we attracted a new ghost, do ye think?”

“Aye.” Leanna winked at her sisters. “The Wailing Piper of Oliphant Castle.”

Wynda rolled her eyes as Nicola sighed, then said, quite unenthusiastically, “Oh, huzzah.”

None of them wanted Mother to find out the truth, so Leanna turned the subject to the one thing which she knew would distract the older woman. “Mother, are ye feeling well? Ye look a bit…peakish.”

“Peakish!” Mother looked up sharply. “What do ye mean, peakish?”

“Peakish,” Robena repeated, gesturing toward her own cheekbones. “Ye ken, like…mountainy?”

“Craggy,” Wynda supplied unhelpfully, without looking up. “Rocky. Summit-like. Pebbled.”

Mother was looking more and more horrified with each description, so Leanna hurried to assure her. “I meant wan. Pale. Peakish.”

Nicola clucked her tongue. “Ye mean peaky.”

But Leanna waved her hand dismissively. Since it was the hand with the pierced thumb, she risked dribbling blood all over their masterpiece, but decided she didn’t care. “Tarts! I just mean, mayhap Mother should have a lie-down.”

But the older woman had relaxed in her chair once more, her frown evident as she reached for the end of the next piece of thread. “I suspect ye’re just trying to get rid of me, lassie, so ye dinnae have to continue this lesson on embroidery; the most important of the feminine arts.”

Leanna, who had always suspected the most important of the feminine arts was fellatio, smiled weakly at her mother. “Well, promise me ye’ll check yer complexion in yer looking glass later, aye?”

Before Mother could agree, Robena spoke up. “I suspect ye’ll no’ have much time for instruction when it comes to Leanna, Mother. She and our mysterious visitor havenae been able to keep their eyes, or their hands, off each other.”

Wynda winked across the tapestry. “Aye, he’ll be asking for her hand any day now, and we’ll all be glad to be rid of her!”

Since she knew her sister was teasing, Leanna merely stuck her tongue out again. Nicola grinned down at her tiny, neat stitches; a result of practicing so often on human flesh.

“She might be the youngest, but I’d be pleased to ken the lairdship will rest in Kenneth’s hands. He seems capable. And mayhap twould atone for yer being born without…ye ken.”

“Kenneth?” Robena snorted. “We dinnae even ken his clan name. Stewart-Campbell-Bruce-Smith is obviously an alias.”

“Bruce-Campbell-Smith-Stewart, dear,” Mother corrected, confidently incorrect.

Leanna, who had bitten the inside of her lip at Nicola’s suggestion she and Kenneth might become the next leaders of Oliphant, didn’t correct the mistake.

Didshe want to bear a son and become the next Lady Oliphant?

Her mind immediately rebelled against the idea of having that responsibility, but her heart…?

Her heart had pictured a tiny bairn in her arms, both safe in Kenneth’s embrace, and she’d known that was the future she wanted. If she wanted that, was she obligated to become the next Lady Oliphant?

But Robena was right. She didn’t know Kenneth’s clan name. He hadn’t told her that, but he’d told her so much else. Surely he wasn’t keeping secrets, not after all they’d shared?

As the debate roiled around the solar, Leanna kept her lips pursed as the tapestry blurred into indistinct lines in front of her eyes.

She loved Kenneth; she was certain of it. She wanted a forever with him.