Read Beneath a Dark Highland Sky: Book #3 for Free Online Page A

ears and he wouldna be happy about it, and then what would happen?”
    “There are other ways to drive the Highlander away,” Sorcha said.
    “It may be more difficult than we think,” Nessa said, “for I’ve heard the Maclean is a fierce warrior who inspires loyalty in all his men. And ‘tis rumored he has the gift of the Sight.” She paused. “Mayhap e’en now he sees our ruse in a vision.”
    Sorcha frowned. “I dunna believe anyone could be that gifted.” She paused. “Nessa, ye ken the tale of Lailoken?”
    “Yea, I heard it many times as a wee lass.”
    “Then ye remember Lailoken was a Seer who lived wild in the Caledonian Forest in southern Scotland hundreds of years ago. He foresaw the death of a king. He eventually went mad.”
    “Are ye suggesting our Highland Seer is a mad man?” Nessa asked. There was a strange look in her blue eyes, a mixture of fear and curiosity.
    “I am wondering if he is touched in the head. But mad man or nae, yer right. He willna be easy to fool. So I will ask ye again, Nessa, can ye do this? For he arrives for today’s evening meal with a full contingent of men. Can ye pretend to be lady heir to this keep, the most odious, annoying creature in all of the Lowlands? Can ye pretend to be me , only with terrible manners? No one will let on to the deception, for as ye ken, all Douglas clan members are loyal to me and they dunna wish to be ruled by a Maclean laird. They are all ready to support yer performance.”
    Nessa nodded her head. “I…can.”
    “Ye dunna sound vera confident. Can ye exhibit the most atrocious manners and hateful disposition? Can ye do e’erything in yer power to repulse him and drive him away as I act as yer maid?”
    Nessa squared her small shoulders. She strode to a table near the window and poured herself a goblet of red wine, her back erect. Raising the glass she took a sip and then belched loudly. “See? I can do it and I will.”
    Sorcha laughed at the crass sound but quickly sobered. “A man is nae easily driven away from inherited lands given him by a king, e’en by a belching, uncouth fiancée. ‘Twould be better if ye were plain, Nessa, for I do worry he will be smote by yer beauty, despite the atrocious manners ye will display. Men are often fools in the presence of beauty.”
    Nessa swallowed more wine. “He will see nothing but my hideous nature, my lady.”
    “Ye must stop referring to me as yer lady. Ye must talk to me sternly and order me about rudely. Can ye do it?”
    “Och, yer right.” Nessa drained the glass of wine. “Rest assured, an actress in the queen’s troupe of players couldna perform better than I. I ha’e older brothers who possess the mannerisms of wild boars, as ye well know. Hasna Tomas been trying to court ye for three years now, and rather clumsily? I ken ye grow irritated with him, but ye ha’e been patient, e’en with his disgusting lack of manners. I, on the other hand, ha’e been exposed to my brothers’ piggish antics since I was a wee girl and ha’e no more patience for it. Certainly I can call on that when I need to impress the Highlander with my refined upbringing.” Nessa’s vivid, blue eyes sparkled with mischief. “But…”
    “But what, Nessa?”
    “I ha’e heard Highlanders possess an awful lack of manners themselves. They are dirty, uncouth, and slovenly. So this Malcolm Maclean may nae be bothered by my awful manners.”
    “I hadna thought of that,” Sorcha said, retrieving a small, silver mirror from a table and studying her own reflection. She and Nessa were about the same size, and now she wore Nessa’s simple grey tunic, stockings, and sturdy leather boots. Though the tunic had been washed and beaten on a rock, it still smelled faintly but not unpleasantly of wood smoke.
    “Let us hope that ye can display manners e’en worse than those of any foul Highlander.”
    Nessa smiled. “I will dip my fingers in the sauce up to my knuckles and smack my lips and dribble sauce