Shared by the Highlanders (12 page)

Not so Elspeth. She issues her instructions in a manner that would do credit to any drill sergeant major in the current British army.

“It’s time for some lessons. Please do what you can with them, Mr. Drummond. A little arithmetic, followed by some Greek philosophy. They should practice their letters too. When that is concluded, you may send Duncan and Richard for their swordplay practice, and Iain will take a nap.”

The youngest Blair starts to take issue with that plan, but is silenced by one glare from his mother. She shakes her head, seemingly at a loss as to the prospect of securing anything reassembling a decent education for the next generation of Blairs, but committed to the effort even so. Minutes later their running feet can be heard stampeding through the upper rooms. It sounds as though they are moving beds around.

Elspeth’s expression is pained, but she turns to Robbie and me. “So, Charlie, you were saying, about not being odd? And is that truly your name?”

“It is. Where I come from, Charlie is sometimes a girl’s name. It’s short for Charlene. Or Charlotte. But I’m Charlene. Spelt with a C H.” I proceed to recite the spelling of my name, as all three of my companions regard me with some puzzlement.

“I see. So, you can write then? And read? How very accomplished.”

“Of course. I…” Shit, I’d totally forgotten how rare literacy was—is—in the sixteenth century.

Robbie attempts to rescue me. “Charlie grew up … some way from here. Which is why she is dressed in such unfamiliar clothing. Do you have anything she might borrow?”

“Borrow? So you intend to restore my garments to me afterwards? Is this so, Charlie?”

Her keen gaze is fixed on me. I find it impossible to be less than honest with this woman. “If I can. But I may not be able to. We may not be back this way again for some time.”

“I see. Then let us not talk of borrowing. I will give you clothing, and whatever else you may require. In return, I expect you to explain to me exactly where you do hail from, why you are here, and what brings you into the company of those two reprobates.” She glances sharply at Robbie and Will. “And before the pair of you start trying to divert my attention again, please be assured I will know this story, and if necessary that I can be relied upon to keep it to myself. So, my dear, please do continue. When you’re quite ready of course.”

I look to Robbie, who hesitates for a few moments before issuing a sharp nod. Permission granted, the next hour or so is spent relating my somewhat exceptional story to an astonished Lady Elspeth. To her credit, she seems to accept my tale, and sympathises with me when I relate the manner in which I spent my first night with Robbie and Will. By common but unspoken consent we omit any mention of my spanking, or the more intimate aspects of our relationship. Elspeth is fascinated by the contents of my rucksack, and in particular my toiletries. I don’t carry much with me, just a few essentials. She is most insistent that I explain the use of my tampons, then gazes at me wide-eyed as the implications of such luxuries sinks in.

“My, you do indeed come from a wondrous age, Mistress Charlie. I would hear more of it. First though, shall we sort out the matter of your garments? Would you consider a fair exchange?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Would you exchange one or two items from your collection here for the clothes I will offer you? I promise not to show them to others, but I do find them quite fascinating so I would keep some if I may.”

I expect she’ll want my toiletries. I can understand that. “I, of course. I suppose… Is that okay?” I look to Will and Robbie.

“Elspeth has promised to keep our secret, so I see no problem,” Will states.

“Aye,” Robbie agrees. “No objection from me either.”

Elspeth bestows a beaming smile on all three of us, even Will. “Then that is settled. Charlie, come with me please.”

She stands and leads me from the hall. I follow her upstairs and into a chamber where a maid is just finishing making up a fire.

“This is to be your room whilst you are here. I trust you will find it comfortable?”

I glance around at the high four-poster bed, the small window, the narrow bench seat, and small writing desk. The furniture is functional, and all the pieces are hewn from dark, solid wood and would probably fetch a small fortune in a twenty-first century antique market. If they weren’t snapped up by some museum first. “Yes, this is fine. Thank you.”

“Good. In that case, if you would accompany me to my own chamber I will find you something nice to wear.” She marches off down the hallway again with me in hot pursuit.

“Thank you, but really, I don’t need anything grand. Just a simple dress, and maybe a pair of shoes. A shawl perhaps…”

“Yes, of course, all of that.” She opens a door at the end of the corridor and I follow her inside.

This room is larger than the one she just showed me, and lighter too as the window is huge and probably south-facing. I am struck by the enormous reliance on natural light in this pre-electric age. Elspeth pulls a stool up before a large chest and sits on it before hauling the lid open. It looks heavy so I rush to help her.

“When’s your baby due? You really shouldn’t be doing any lifting right now.”

“I have another six weeks to go, at least. But even so I’m feeling a tad delicate so I would be grateful if you could lean in and just get that green brocade there…”

I oblige. “This one?”

“Yes. Hold it up in front of you. Like that. Ah yes, that should do fine. The colour will suit you; your hair has just a slight tinge of red, I think. Maybe you have some Scottish ancestry?”

“Not to my knowledge, but who knows? This is gorgeous. Are you sure?”

“Ah, yes, I have several more just as pretty. This one is right for you. Now, what about that grey, just there, you see it?”

I extract a dove-grey wool gown, thicker than the green and more practical probably, but still lovely. The fabric is softer than I imagined it would be as I measure it against myself.

“You’re about the same height as me, but maybe a little more slender. I’ll have one of my maids take in the seams if need be. You’ll be requiring undergarments too. And shoes.”

“This really is very kind of you…”

“Ah, not at all. The three of you have brightened up an otherwise unremarkable day. Even Will Sinclair’s presence here is not enough to ruin this treat for me. We don’t get much company here. I suspect my boys scare most visitors away before they even reach our gates.”

I’m curious, so I take my chance. “I get the impression you and Will have some history together.”

“Aye, we do.” She pauses, as though considering, then, “We were to be married. Until my brother discovered my fiancé in bed with his wife. There was never that much love lost between our Jerome and his Agnes, to be sure, but it was the principle, you see. Jerome offered to gut Will on the spot and even produced his
sgian-dubhe
to do the job with. Will objected to the notion, as did Agnes. They settled for a fistfight, which reduced much of Agnes’ fine porcelain to dust, but seemed to satisfy honour on both sides. You will understand though that I felt obliged to conclude our betrothal at that point. I believe I already mentioned to you that Will Sinclair is a faithless bastard, and I choose not to be married to such an individual. As head of my family it was fortunate for me perhaps that Jerome saw things exactly the same way. A few months later my brother found himself in need of an alliance with the Blairs, so approached Duncan instead.”

She pauses to gaze out of the window, her expression distant and perhaps a little dreamy. She turns back to me, her manner suddenly brisk. “Now my Duncan, he’s an entirely different matter. And he has lands here in the borders, which are far more civilised. Looking back I suppose I should be glad of Sinclair’s philandering ways. I so easily could have ended up freezing my life away, buried in the wilds of Sutherland. I had a narrow escape.”

I’m not entirely sure what might be the correct response to that, but opt to go along with her view. “It does sound as though you might have. And of course you have three wonderful children, and another on the way.”

“Aye, little tyrants the lot of them, but yes, they are my pride and joy.”

“And this business with Will, it was some time ago now, I assume. I mean, your sons are…”

“It was seven years since. I married Duncan of Blair just a few months later and I was glad enough to do so, more to save my own pride than anything else. But he’s a fine man, and I’ve come to love him dearly though he is twenty years my senior. He’s good though, kind to me, and I enjoy both the freedom and the wealth to manage my life as I wish. I’ve been fortunate.”

“I see.” I’m not sure I do see, not really. A political marriage to a man twice my age would not be my idea of a fulfilling existence, but I suppose in Elspeth’s era the compensations might be as she describes. And she does seem utterly content.

“You and Will, are you…?” Elspeth eyes me inquisitively.

“No! No, not really. We just, I mean…”

“Ah, well, as I say, it’s been a few years since all that and maybe he’s settled more now. Will Sinclair’s certainly a fine man, he always was. Robbie MacBride too.”

“Er, yes.” On this we are absolutely in agreement.

“I’ve no wish to pry. I wish you well, however your situation turns out. And I’ll help you if I can. Which reminds me, we need shoes.” She leans over the chest again, presumably scanning for suitable footwear.

An hour later we re-enter the main hall, me decked out in the grey dress. I feel somewhat strange, not least because of the scratchy and not especially comfortable undergarments that Elspeth insists I must wear. Layers of linen, and not a gusset to be found anywhere among it.

Will and Robbie gape at me, and I do find the transformation somewhat startling myself. I stared back into the mirror in Elspeth’s chamber, amazed at my reflected image. I do at least look the part of a sixteenth-century noblewoman, and could now pass muster in Stirling or anywhere else, I daresay.

“Elspeth, you are truly a wonderful woman. I love you. Shall I murder your fool of a husband, then you and I can marry and have many more fine babies?” Robbie breathes the words as he circles me slowly.

Elspeth tilts her chin haughtily. “You’ll keep your hands off my man, you barbarian. So, she’ll do then?”

Will offers his opinion. “Oh, aye, she’ll do. She’ll do very nicely. We are in your debt, Elspeth.”

“Ach, not at all. We are friends, Charlie and I. But now, you will all have to excuse me. I must do what I can to relieve poor Mr. Drummond, round up my sons and endeavour to chivvy them toward their beds. Please, make yourselves at home. If I don’t see you again this evening I will see you tomorrow at breakfast.”

The men both bow to kiss her hand, and I wonder if I might be imagining a slight look of regret in Will’s usually inscrutable expression. Elspeth gives me a quick hug, then glides from the room in search of her offspring.

“You’re a bloody fool, Sinclair.” Robbie offers his verdict, and despite my own rather ambiguous status in this affair I have to agree.

Will shrugs, but seems disinclined to take issue with that conclusion. “I was young, and more randy than is probably ever good for a man. Unless of course there’s a fine example of womanhood such as our wee Charlie here close at hand.”

“You make a fair point, and with that in mind I wonder if perhaps it’s time we were finding our own beds.”

I peer at Robbie, surprised. It’s still broad daylight outside.

Will sees no such problem. “Ah yes. Grand idea. Elspeth likes you so I expect you’ve been allocated the finest room. We’ll adjourn there, shall we?”

Robbie bows his head. “Indeed, my accommodations are fine enough. Charlie?”

“What? Where are we going?”

“To bed. Are you coming?”

“What, now? What about Lady Elspeth?”

Robbie shrugs. “We could invite her to join us if you insist, but that might be a little indelicate, don’t you think? Given her condition. That and the fact that she appears to harbour no real fondness for Will these days.”

“That’s not what I meant. Won’t she know what we’re up to? Won’t she object?”

“She might know. I suspect there’s not much happens at Glen Blair that Elspeth is unaware of, but I doubt she’ll hold strong feelings on the matter either way. So, are you joining us?”

I look from one handsome visage to the other, and my pussy starts to melt. The prospect of sharing a bed with both of them is intoxicating, despite my lingering misgivings about Lady Elspeth’s views on the matter. My response is ready enough. “Yes, yes, I suppose I am.”

Chapter Seven

“Did I mention, that’s a very fetching dress, wee Charlie? Elspeth did you proud.” Will’s lip quirks as he pours each of us a generous goblet of wine from the flagon that had been left in Robbie’s room.

I do a quick twirl, enjoying the unfamiliar sensation as the fabric brushes against my legs. Never especially interested in fashion, I’m usually a jeans or miniskirt sort of a girl. Nevertheless I love my new outfit. It feels feminine and sort of right, for here. Maybe I’m acclimatising to my new situation. Just a bit.

“Do you need assistance in getting out of it?” Helpful as ever, Robbie grins at me from his vantage point propped up against his pillows. This room is about twice the size of mine so I think Will was probably correct in assuming Robbie would have been afforded the best accommodations. The bed is huge, a fact I daresay we will all be glad of before much longer.

I appreciate the offer. “Yes, I think I may. It sort of ties at the back, I think. I don’t have enough hands…”

Will saunters across the room to pass Robbie his wine. “Leave the dress for now, we’ll come to that soon enough. For now, I think we’d both appreciate it if you’d consent to lie across the bed, face down, and raise your skirts, please.”

“I…oh!”

“A decent spanking seems in order, given that you totally disregarded our clear instructions not to speak out and betray our somewhat perilous situation.” Will pauses to peer at me. “You look a little pale, would you like a sip of wine, Charlie?” He offers me a goblet, which I take though I don’t drink from it.