The Laird's Future Bride Read Online Free Page B

Holly Drake. I met her at the Macdonalds earlier this spring. She is a distant cousin of me mother's sister’s husband. I expect ye all to make her feel welcome, especially as she lost everything to thieves today.” He eyed everyone, making sure his message got through. When no one said anything, he nodded and walked toward the keep’s doors, eager for some dinner and something to drink. Duncan would go to bed early tonight, because he had a feeling tomorrow was going to be a tiring day.

    It was late when Holly awoke. She felt around the table for her satchel and looked inside for her phone. The screen flashed two-thirty. Holly thought it should be late enough to leave. Slipping out of the covers, she shivered at the cold breeze. Even with the fire blazing, the room was cold. Holly put on her shoes and took a moment to warm up by the fire, but she was still chilled.
    She packed the dress she’d worn earlier into her suitcase. Holly wondered if she should wait until morning to escape, but she had a feeling Magan wouldn’t let her out of her sight until she was wed to her son. Holly couldn’t have that, she wasn’t going to marry a complete stranger, even if his touch made her body burn with need. That was why she had to leave now. She pulled the cloak out of the satchel and put it on. Holly wished she’d brought her big jacket instead of sticking with the costume. She’d tried to squeeze it into her luggage, but there hadn’t been room.
    Using the light from her phone, she made her way out of the room and down the stairs. The hall was dark with only the firelight and a light on the wall. Being as quiet as she could, Holly maneuvered around tables and to the big doors using her phone for light. She opened the door just enough to slip through.
    Once through the door, she pumped her fist and almost skipped out of the keep, rolling her suitcase behind her. Holly knew there was a large village at the end of the road. If she could get there, she might be able to hide out until she figured out what to do and how she could get home.

    Callam walked back to the keep after leaving Bertha. She’d been in fine form tonight, just the way he liked his women. Bertha had worn him out so much that he’d had a doze before he awakened and left her to go back to the keep.
    He needed to be home for his brother, who was marrying a lass their mother had sent for from the future. Callam felt sorry for his brother. To have to be with one woman for the rest of his life…argh, Callam couldn’t think of anything worse.
    As he walked up the hill toward the keep, he saw a cloaked figure walking with an unusual kind of light and pulling something behind. He wondered which of his clan it was, he didn’t ken anyone besides his mother who could make light with their hand. Keeping to the shadows, he quietened his steps to see who the person was at such a late hour.
    When the small figure got closer, he paused and stood out of the shadows. The small woman screamed and dropped the thing the light was coming from and the thing she dragged.
    “Fucking hell. You scared the life out of me.” The woman bent and picked up the rectangle object the light came out of. As she brought it up to her face, Callam took a step back. The woman was beautiful. With raven-black hair and light brown skin, she spoke with an accent he hadn’t heard before, and used language no lady would use. She stared up at him with big brown eyes, and full lips that were turned down in a frown. Callam couldn’t see much of the rest of her body, as the cloak she wore hid it. But if it were anything like the beauty of her face, he was in big trouble.
    “Me Lady, why are ye out so late?”
    She chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes narrowed at him. “I…um…argh…I’m on my way home. If you’ll excuse me.”
    Callam bowed. “May I be of assistance and walk ye home?”
    She shook her head, picked up the rectangle object she dragged, moved around him, and walked down toward the