Page 9 of Tangled in a Highland Conspiracy
Ramsay smiled at John. Perhaps it was all the abuse he had received from Colquhoun that made him think of her, but he said thoughtfully, “I was thinking that I wish I had known my mother,” he replied sadly. “Nobody has worked here long enough to remember her, so no one even knows her name, or if they do they will not tell me. I only know that she was a kitchen maid, and she died when I was born, so you could say that I killed her.
Sometimes I feel so guilty about that. Then from time to time, I feel as if I am the only person in the world.” Then he shook his head. “Forgive me. I am feeling sorry for myself, John, but it is very hard to be told you are a bastard all the time. I have no idea how our father felt about her or if he resented her for becoming pregnant. He will simply never talk about it with me. It’s as if I do not exist.”
John felt infinitely sorry for Ramsay. They were separated by only two years, with John being the older of them, so he could not remember a time when Ramsay had not been there, and he had always loved his brother. They behaved in the usual rambunctious, rough-and-tumble way of all boys; first of all, fighting over toys, chasing each other around the castle, and playing with wooden swords.
As they grew older, however, they progressed to squabbling over girls, then fighting with real, although disabled weapons, and because of their interaction with each other, they both became exceptionally good fighters. They did just about everything together, including cultural pursuits like reading and music. John learned to play the violin and Ramsay played the piano somewhat clumsily, so they spent most of their time together.
Ramsay might have been a member of the clan, but he was not considered close enough to be a full member of the family, so he had spent his childhood with the servants and his adulthood so far with the guards.
“We have grown up together, Ramsay,” John pointed out. “We have done absolutely everything together since we were children. We may have different mothers, but we are full brothers as far as I am concerned, so please do not worry. I will never let anyone demean you as long as I am here to stop them. Colquhoun is the proof of that.”
Ramsay smiled at John. “I have always regarded you as my full brother too, John, but I thought that if I told you, you would think I was getting above myself. Thank you for what you did today, although you did not have to do it.”
John flapped his hand. “Pfft! Every time I see that man he annoys me. Do you know how it is when you dislike someone at first sight? That is how I feel about him.” John’s normally placid face was wearing a deep frown. “Let’s go for a ride,” he suggested. Suddenly he felt as though the walls were closing in on him, and he had to be out in the fresh air again. The weather did not look too promising, but he had been soaked many times in his life and was still alive to tell the tale.
“I have to be back on guard with the men,” Ramsay said regretfully. “I am sorry.”
“I am giving you the day off,” John told him. “I have the authority to do it, and you are injured, are you not?”
Ramsay rubbed his kneecaps and elbows, which had both taken the impact of his fall. They were aching, but not acutely so anymore, and he thought he could deal with the pain. “I am fine,” he said firmly.
“Have it your own way, then,” John said, grinning mischievously. “I am ordering you to accompany me.”
Ramsay began to laugh, but just at that moment a maidservant came in and held out a piece of parchment to John. “The messenger needs an answer straight away, sir,” she said with a polite curtsey.
“Wait outside please, Anna,” John said at once. He slit the seal quickly. “Hmmm…the McBain crest,” he observed. He began to read.
Dear John,it began.I hope this letter finds you well, and that you are looking forward to our wedding as much as I am. However, as I find myself thinking about it more and more, I realise that we hardly know each other, and I am burning with curiosity to find out more about the man with whom I will be spending the rest of my life. I can remember the few times we met very vividly, but we really had no chance to speak for any length of time, and I would like to have a long conversation with you to find out what things we have in common. I am sure there will be many!
No doubt you will be wondering why I wanted us to meet at night. I can only give you one reason. There is a great full moon tonight and I think it will be so romantic! Please come alone and cross the Braeburn onto my family’s land. You will be quite safe—you have my word of honour. I hope to see you at the appointed place just after sunset. Please come and meet me - you have no idea how much it means to me!
Yours hopefully,
Ailsa.
John stared at the letter for a few moments then handed it to Ramsay so that he could read it too.
Ramsay scanned it and then looked up at John. “Will you go?” He looked worried, but John grinned. “Well,” he said, pretending to consider his position for a moment, “A beautiful woman has asked me to meet her under the moonlightaloneto talk over our wedding. Under those circumstances, why would you even considernotgoing? Is it not romantic enough for you? You know Ailsa McBain. She’s gorgeous. Of course, I am going!” He laughed heartily and drained his glass of ale.
Ramsay looked at his brother with a mixture of anger and concern. He was about to step onto foreign territory completely alone and unprotected, and if he was attacked he would have absolutely no way of defending himself, especially in the wan light of a full moon. What if Ailsa brought guards of her own? He tried to put himself in her position. Would a woman go out alone and unarmed to meet a man? Even if she had a concealed weapon, he doubted if she had been trained how to use it.
Something about the whole situation did not feel right.
4
“John, wait!” Ramsay yelled as he chased his brother down the corridor that led to the atrium.
John slowed down, then turned to speak to Ramsay, his face thunderous. “Tell me what you want then leave me alone,” he yelled. “I have important things to do and no time to waste.”
Several servants paused in their duties to listen to the angry exchange. Arguments among the family made fine gossip fodder, especially ones involving the two young men since they were usually conducted at a very loud volume. This made them much easier to hear and remember, and this particular titbit was juicy and delicious. It would race around the castle and the estate at breakneck speed.
“Go and see our father,” Ramsay yelled. “He will tell you the same thing I did. This is dangerous and you should take someone with you!”
The brothers stood glaring at each other like two rutting stags locking antlers. Ramsay was wearing his most ferocious frown and looked by far the more intimidating of the two of them. Nevertheless, they both knew that if it had been a boxing match or a sword fight John would have been the favourite with the staff because he always was.
Ramsay glanced around him surreptitiously and saw that their exchange was being eagerly listened to, so he leaned forward and muttered, “Not here. We have an audience.”
John’s eyes widened as he saw the groups of servants watching them. “Get back to work,” he shouted angrily, but they had already begun to scurry away. He grabbed Ramsay’s arm and proceeded to haul him along another passage to his own study, a room that was much smaller than his father’s, but then he was not yet a Laird.
