Rumors Among the Heather Read online

  “Sire, I am sorry, but I’m still in mourning for my father, making it improper for me to dance, but I thank you,” Julie responded. She had longed to dance all evening, but knew she should not.

  “It would be in poor taste perhaps to dance in the ballroom, but out here where no one will see? I think it will not be improper.”

  “You must not mistake me for one of the guests, my lord. I am merely the governess. Again, I thank you, but I cannot dance.”

  “Mademoiselle, you are by far the loveliest lady here. I do not care if you are the gardener. All that matters to me is that I hold a lovely lady in my arms for the next dance. Please, mademoiselle, do not deny me. I would be honored to dance with you on the terrace where no one will see. What do you say?”

  She could not refuse this charismatic man. “My lord,” Julie curtsied and said, “It is I who would be honored.”

  The enchanted strains of a minuet poured from the ballroom. The music swirled around them. The prince smiled at her, and she smiled back. Although he appeared to be a little inebriated, he danced beautifully. He also seemed to be amused.

  She offered another smile. “The rumors we’ve heard all summer must be true, then. You have returned home.”

  “Oui, mademoiselle. If I had known the ladies were as lovely as you, I would have returned sooner,” he said.

  Julie laughed in spite of herself. She could not remember meeting anyone so charming. He exuded appeal as well as style and grace. It was not what he said or how he looked, but he drew her to him. When the dance ended, he led her to a seat on the terrace and stayed to talk. They were not alone for long. Soon his admirers found him. An expansive group of men gathered around the prince.

  “I hear King George has offered a handsome reward for your capture. I’ve also heard he uses a word from the French and calls you the Pretender. What say ye?” o ne of the male guests asked.

  A hush fell on the group as they waited for Prince Charles’s answer. A servant came through the door and replenished everyone’s drinks. When he left, the group’s eyes once again turned to Prince Charles.

  “Two can play at this king’s game, mes amis. I have put out a reward for anyone who will seize the Elector of Hanover and bring him to me. Britain will be well rid of the Germans, I think,” Prince Charles said, raising his glass high.

  A roar went up from those assembled. Hats and wigs were tossed, and toasts were made. Their pledges of support brought forth much laughter and the drinking of many toasts to the prince. More people than ever were crowding around him. Julie soon found herself pushed out of the inner circle.

  She welcomed her chance to escape. She grew dispirited as the night wore on and found she could not explain why.

  * * *

  Matthew had valiantly tried to keep Julie in his sights all evening, and he’d seen her go out on the terrace, and the prince follow. Unobserved, he watched their impromptu dance. How she smiled and looked at the prince with undisguised enjoyment. He wondered why she could not look at him in that same breath-stealing way. The more she rebuffed him, the more he wanted her. She’d become an obsession to him. Lost in thought, he failed to hear Ribble come up behind him.

  “My lord, it’s almost time,” Ribble whispered.

  “Everything is ready?”

  “Aye, the guards are in place. You’ll not be disturbed.”

  The clock struck the hour, and the time to speak to the many Highland chiefs he had invited to the party was nigh. Quietly, they all slipped away from the ballroom and began to fill every inch of the library. Matthew posted Ribble outside the main door for added security.

  “I guess you know why I’ve invited all of you here. No doubt you have seen Prince Charles, and you know his mission,” Matthew began.

  One of the older chieftains spoke up. “Aye, thirty years ago I stood with his father, James Stuart. I’m too old to start a losing campaign all over again. Tell him to leave Scotland in peace. There is nothing for him or his father here. We are a tired people—tired of wars and rumors of wars.”

  “I disagree. We can win and put the rightful king on the throne. Let’s once and for all rid ourselves of these Germans. I say if we band together, we can run King George into the sea. There are no better fighting men in the whole of Britain than our bonnie Highlanders,” Matthew argued passionately.

  “You’re a fine one to be urging us to fight. You’re more English than Scot. How do we know this is not a bloody English trick? You’re talking treason, and I for one will have no part in it.” Jeremy MacLaren fairly shouted his words.

  Before Matthew could defend himself, another man spoke up. “There is much truth in that, Bonnleigh. These last ten years you have been more in London and Paris than you have been in Scotland. You even have an English governess for your nephew. You carry an English lord’s title. What do you know of Scotland? For all we know, this is a trap.”

  “A man doesn’t always have to have his feet where his heart is. Scotland is my home, and I pledge my allegiance to her. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I have an English governess teaching my nephew. Ian will be educated in the old and the new ways. Scotland can no longer afford to isolate herself from the rest of the world. I challenge any man to prove these insults. I pledge my life and my fortune to the true king and his son, Prince Charles,” Matthew hurled back at the group. “Can any man do more?”

  From the back of the room, the sound of clapping was heard, and then Prince Charles stepped into the light. A bit shaky on his feet, he held onto a chair to steady himself. Drunk or not, he still commanded respect. The room became as quiet as a church before prayer.

  “No truer words were ever spoken. I come to you as an envoy of the true king, and I ask your help. I pledge my life for the cause with the same fervor as any other true Scotsman!”

  “Go home, Prince Charles. There is nothing for you here,” shouted an older chieftain.

  “I am home! I would rather die among the heather in these beloved mountains than live to old age in France. I ask you, are there six men among you willing to back me in this just cause?”

  “Stay in these mountains you call home and learn your fate from the newspapers,” James MacLeod said sarcastically.

  “That’s what I will not do. If you fight, then by heaven, I’ll fight by your side till we taste sweet victory! I say this for my father, the true king of Scotland and England. It chafes my pride that a German should presume to rule Britain, let alone Scotland. He cares not what happens to us. He has not even troubled himself to learn our language. I give you the true king, James Stuart.” Prince Charles held his glass up in a toast.

  Then with the infinite charisma he’d always owned, he began to win them over. One by one he charmed his way into each of the fierce chieftains’ hearts. By the time the clock struck midnight, everyone there had pledged their support, save one: Jeremy MacLaren.

  Matthew was well pleased with the meeting and the prince. Just as quietly as they came, they filed back into the ballroom. Music played on as he scanned the room. He did not see Julie anywhere. Impatiently, he went in search of her.

  * * *

  Julie strolled through the formal gardens until she found a seat sheltered from the wind. She sat down and tried to think what all this would mean to her. Should she go away before the war started? If she stayed, would the MacDonald name be enough to protect her?

  Hasty footsteps echoed behind her. Julie caught her breath in surprise when she turned to see Geoffrey bearing down on her. “Julie, I’ve tried to find a chance to talk to you all night. If you didn’t have the brat, you had a crowd of old biddies around you. Please listen to what I have to say,” he said anxiously.

  “Geoffrey, I have nothing more to say to you. Please leave me alone. Your persistence is annoying,” Julie said, shaking her head. She turned away, trying to ignore him.

  Geoffrey stepped in front of her. “Julie, you don’t understand. I came to warn you. The man all the pretty women were dancing with was Prince
Charles. He’s come here to gather the Highland chiefs together to reclaim the throne for the Stuarts. Don’t you understand this means war?”

  “What has war to do with me? I’m not political, or a soldier. I don’t care who sits on the throne. It’s been my experience kings are not overly concerned with the welfare of their subjects. It makes no difference who rules. They are all the same in the end,” Julie said in hushed tones.

  “There are services you can perform for your country. Don’t you understand? Lord Bonnleigh is a leader among the Jacobites. He will sway many to follow the prince. You’re in an excellent position to find out his plans and to discover who is loyal to King George. You could pass the word to me when you come over to the mainland on your day off. People have seen us together before. No one would think anything of it.”

  Julie sat watching Geoffrey in stunned silence. He had conspired to do this all along. He did not come to Gairloch to see her but to recruit her as a spy.

  When she found her voice, she asked, “Are you mad, Geoffrey? I will not spy for you or anyone. Lord Bonnleigh has been kind to me. I will not repay his benevolence in this way. I think you’d better leave before I tell him what you’ve asked me to do.”

  “If you won’t do it for your country, then do it for me. If I succeed in my mission, I am promised a reward and a title. We could be together. We wouldn’t have to wait. Do this for me…for us,” he said and reached for her hand.

  Julie quickly drew her hand away. “There is no us, and there never will be. Remember Angela?”

  “Julie, I explained about my marriage. She’s not important to us.”

  “I can’t make this any plainer than I already have. I may have loved you once, but I do not love you now. You’re making me very tired. Please go.” Julie turned to leave.

  “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Geoffrey spat out angrily.

  When she ignored his outrageous statement, he grabbed her and tried to kiss her. Julie struggled, but he pinned her against him. She tried shaking her head and squirming to break free, but he kept forcing her into the hedge. She bit his lip and tasted blood. He loosened his grip long enough to bring his hand to his mouth. Julie saw her chance to escape and ran, but he grabbed her and slapped her hard across the face.

  “Witch! I mean to have you, and I will!” he sneered and began dragging her down on the lawn.

  * * *

  Matthew’s rush to find Julie put him in the garden in time to hear Geoffrey’s threat. He grabbed the blackguard by the shoulders, turned him around, and delivered a smashing blow to his jaw. This sent Geoffrey sprawling across the lawn, but he quickly rolled to his feet, ready to fight.

  “Stop where you are, Hamilton! I suggest you leave immediately. I don’t think you want the whole town to know what deeds you have been about this night.”

  Geoffrey hesitated before quickly turning and walking away, holding his jaw. Matthew motioned to Ribble. ”Make sure he leaves the island.” He turned to Julie and picked her up. He eased her down on a bench and left her for a short time. He returned quickly with brandy.

  “Here, drink this,” he ordered. Julie shook her head. “Drink it on your own, or I’ll force it down you,” he said roughly. His emotions were all tangled with the thought she could have been hurt or violated.

  She drank the brandy without looking up. Once she drained the cup, Julie stood up so quickly she lost her footing. Matthew scooped her up into his arms. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

  “Lord Bonnleigh, Geoffrey Hamilton is a spy. He tried to get me to spy for him. He knows about the prince. You must do something to stop him, or your cause will be lost,” she whispered.

  “I have known about Dr. Hamilton for some time. That’s why I invited him. Let him make his report. By the time it reaches London, the prince will be at Glenfinnan, safe and with more supporters than ever,” he said with a smile.

  Matthew brought Julie to her door and eased her down. He felt her warmth leave his arms as she came to rest on the floor. He still held onto her fingers, and somehow he could not will himself to let her hand drop. He watched the candlelight dance in her thick auburn hair, and he felt an overwhelming need to bury his face in its depths. Her beauty almost took his breath away. She tilted her head to look up at him. He pulled her against him again to calm the thunder in his loins and to feel her heat. Julie started to jerk back, but Matthew captured her lips with his. He tasted her rose-petal-soft mouth and felt the shock throughout his body. Julie trembled as he tucked her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  Matthew moaned, the essence of this woman almost bringing him to his knees.

  Finally he released her lips, but they remained parted. His hands slowly slid up her arms, over her shoulders, and into her hair. He kissed her again—this time instead of a gentle sensation, he took what he wanted. His need for her pressed, begged to be released. Finally he pulled away, trying to recover but remaining a prisoner almost powerless to resist.

  His mouth dry, he cleared his throat. “I beg your pardon, Miss Hastings. I never meant to take advantage of you.” Without another word, he turned and walked away.

  Julie stood in the hall unable to move. She could not ever recall feeling the strange sensations he aroused in her this night. Her skin still tingled from his touch. She could taste his kiss even now. His scent lingered all around her. Slowly, she turned the handle of her door and went inside. She changed into her night rail in a daze. She tried to sleep, but sleep eluded her. His face flashed in front of her every time she closed her eyes.

  She listened to the music die away, and the sounds of the party breaking up. She could hear a snatch of laughter from some late revelers. Julie fought with her sheets until she could stand it no longer. Her mind raced. His kiss, his touch tormented her. They had both crossed a line that never should have been crossed. She was determined to not let this go any further. She must leave. There was nothing else to do.

  She lit a candle and decided to read since sleep was impossible. She remembered last seeing her book in the nursery sitting room. She pulled on her wrapper and left her room for the nursery.

  Holding her candle, she began her search, but turned with a start when she caught sight of a man’s form out of the corner of her eye. Matthew moved toward her.

  “What are you doing up?”

  “I couldn’t sleep. I’m trying to find my book. I think I left it here this afternoon. What are you doing here?”

  “I needed to think. This was my favorite room as a child. I always come here when I need to sort something out,” he said simply.

  “Ah, there’s my book. I’ll just get it and leave,” Julie said, reaching for the book. She turned to go, but his hand on her arm stopped her.

  “Don’t go, Julie.”

  “I must go, and I must ask you to send for another governess. I’ve thought it over, and I think this would be a solution to our mutual problem,” she said with determination. A determination she did not feel, and an almost terrifying wish he would persuade her to stay.

  She stepped back and nearly tripped on the rug. He caught her and pulled her to him. “Don’t pretend you don’t feel what I do. The same need inside of me is in you. It’s written in your beautiful green eyes. Give me the right to fulfill that need.”

  “You’re mistaken. I have no such need. What happened earlier should not have. I shouldn’t have allowed it. I was upset, but it won’t—it can’t happen again,” Julie said desperately. She lowered her eyes, unable to look at him lest he see a need there to match his own.

  “When I held you, you were willing enough. Look me in the eye and tell me I’m wrong,” he demanded.

  When she would not look at him, he pulled her closer. With his hand under her chin, he tilted her head until he could see her eyes. Their lips were as close as they could be without kissing. She felt her traitorous body becoming weak, and she fought to overcome the lethargy. She tried to pull away, but he held her fast. He kissed her aga
in. This time there was no urgency. He took his time and caressed her lips with his own. He teased her softly and seductively, until Julie felt the smoky fires of passion kindling inside her once again.

  His hand expertly untied her wrapper and slid smoothly inside to cup her breast. Her breast swelled in his hand, and with his thumb he began to massage her nipple, bringing it to a taut peak.

  “This is madness. We must stop,” she said huskily.

  Before she could say more, his mouth reclaimed hers, and she ceased to struggle against him. She knew it was wrong, and she knew she should resist, but she could not think when he brought her to the brink of insanity. She wanted him to touch her and never stop, always to hold her, so she could feel his warmth and take pleasure in his scent.

  He slowly edged her toward her bedroom door, until a shrill cry cut through the quiet of the night. The cry came from Ian’s room. The spell now broken, Julie did not know whether to be thankful or regretful.

  “My God, what was that?”

  “It’s Ian. He must be having another nightmare. I need to go to him,” Julie said and stumbled to Ian’s door.

  She stepped inside and quickly closed the door behind her. She leaned against it until she found the strength to stand on her own. Matthew left her empty and aching. She walked over to Ian’s bed. The poor mite was in a cold sweat, thrashing about with his arms. Julie held him to her and rocked him until he was calm again. She stayed with him until it was light. She could not trust herself to leave the safety of his room.

  Chapter Four

  In an attempt to prevent another uprising by the Scots, the clans were forbidden to bear or train with arms. However, they continued to train for war. They replaced the tools of war with the trappings of the Highland games. The Highland games were held all over Scotland and at different times during the summer. In Gairloch, they were held the first of August.