Fraser 01 - Highland Legacy Read Online Free

of wandering about the woods unescorted? I cannot believe your father permits such a thing.”
    “He does not know I go alone. My nur-” Not wanting to appear a child, she quickly corrected herself. “My maid usually accompanies me. However, Eilidh wasn’t feeling well today, and I dinna want to drag her away from the keep. I only planned to be gone for a short while,” she lied.
    He listened without comment, but as she recounted the details of the attack, the glower on his face relayed his disapproval of her actions. Despite her effort to hold them back, tears slid down her cheek.
    With a gentle brush of his hand, he wiped away the tears. This time, she didn’t pull away. His voice mellowed. “I’m glad I came along when I did. What’s your name?”
    “Cailin Macmillan.”
    His expression hardened, and a frown creased his brow. “ Cailean ?” he muttered her name aloud in Gaelic. “Your parents gave you a name that means bairn or lad?”
    She squared her shoulders, raised her chin, and looked him in the eye. “It is a serviceable name and not a common one to be sure.”
    Most men preferred their women demure and complacent, but Connor found women with sass and tenacity more appealing. “There is nothing common about you, Lady Cailin.” The words slipped out before he could stop them.
    Huge jade eyes, brimming with unshed tears, triggered an unwelcome tightness in his chest, and a sudden need to pull her into his arms, to offer comfort. Drawn by a force he found difficult to ignore, Connor fought the urge to dip his head, and taste her pouty lips.
    He cursed beneath his breath. This was not the time or place to lose his head over a woman. He had no room in his life for anyone or anything but the cause. In an effort to regain his composure, he cleared his throat and redirected the conversation. “You were never close to your father?”
    “Nay. He wishes I had died, and not my twin brother. He has never forgiven me for being born first.”
    Stunned by her blunt words, he didn’t know how to respond. He’d idolized his own father, and couldn’t imagine a man not cherishing his child, be the wee one a daughter or a son.
    “My father thinks me obstinate, willful, and headstrong.” A winsome smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Mayhap he is right to some extent.”
    She had a smile that could melt a man’s heart, and make him jump through fire just to see it. A surge of lust and desire fired his blood—the last thing he expected or needed. He had no room in his life for a woman. A fierce warrior and champion of the Scottish bid for independence, he led his men into battle with his emotions held tightly in check. Prepared to die for the cause, he’d vowed never to fall in love, never to leave behind a wife and children to mourn him.
    Not that he denied himself the pleasures of the flesh. He’d been known to bed many a lass, and none complained about his skill beneath the blankets. However, they knew love and commitment would never enter into the picture. In his opinion, love was a useless emotion, a myth. Love made men weak, and only led to heartbreak, anger, and sorrow. He had no use for love, and pledged never to allow himself to fall victim to Cupid’s arrow.
    “I have not seen you in the village before today.” She hesitated. “I’m afraid, sir, you have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I dinna know your name.”
    “Connor Fraser. My castle is in Beauly, a wee town near Inverness.”
    “You are far from home. Your wife and children must miss you very much.”
    “I’m not married. I have no desire to take a wife, and have no room in my life for a family.” He answered more abruptly than he’d planned, but given the way his groin stirred, he wanted to make things clear from the start—for both their sakes.
    “What brought you to Dunkeld?”
    “I had business in Perth on behalf of Robert the Bruce. I was riding home when I heard you call for help.”
    “So, you’re a