Page 12 of Highlander’s Evil Twin

“Didn’t he believe you?” His breath was warm behind her.

She signed in irritation. “Leave me alone. I can assure you that you are the last thing I would talk to my husband about when he has been away all this time. Trust me Connor, you are at the bottom of my list.”

“I bet you have been dreaming about me,” he teased her.

“Uffff...nightmare more like. You are not so special.”

“I like to banter with you...but at some point, I will take you Milady, and show you what you have been missing out on.”

“If you persist with this type of talk, be assured, I will tell my husband.” She drew herself up so she was taller, and her eyes sparkled with her inner rage.

“He’d hand you to me on a silver platter. Don’t ye know I get everything I want? He’s my twin. We share everything. Even our women.”

Heather gave him her most withering look. “Be away with you Connor, I have better things to do with my time.”

She stomped to her room, energy returned and pulsating through every part of her. She knew she was flushed and that the fire raged in her eyes, and although she had wanted to strike him, she knew that she dared not. He was more likely to see it as foreplay and take her. It was only when she was in the safety of her chambers that she allowed the tears to come. She cried silently for a long time. Her wonderful new life had already come crashing down around her. She couldn’t stay, she couldn’t.

The days rolled by in an endlessly monotonous stream with Heather remaining in her room for as much as was possible. She managed to be out walking whenever Hiram sought her out and would only find this out when told by the servants upon returning. Night after night she had brought food up to her room and she knew the servants must be talking.

“Let them,” she said in defiance.

“Talking to yourself?” Hiram was in their room getting ready for dinner when she walked in.

She blushed and looked away. She could hardly bear to look at him. “Yes, I was.”

Hiram shrugged. “Are you deigning to join us tonight?”

“No, I am tired. I have been out on a long walk and I think an early night would be wise.”

“I think it’s time that you stopped being so childish,” he spat at her. “I thought I had married a woman, not a brat of a girl.”

“I thought I had married a real man. One capable of love and understanding. It seems that you and Connor really are one and the same.”

Hiram paled and his eyes darkened. She could see he was barely containing his anger.

“For your information, I asked Connor what he had said to you and he said he’d been joking with you and was horribly embarrassed that he’d offended you.”

He turned and walked away. When he’d gone, she shut the door angrily behind him and then slid to the floor, hot tears spilling over her cheeks. She didn’t know if she could take this. Her husband’s rejection or the fear of Connor brutally assaulting her. Perhaps it was all a game. Maybe Connor just enjoyed this game of cat and mouse. He liked having power and resented Hiram for having what should have been his.

Hiram had said he disliked Connor and yet, it seemed to her that he worshipped him. If only he could see the truth, but she knew he didn’t want to believe that his brother was capable of such games. Connor was clever, sneaky, and manipulative, but until Hiram realized this, Heather knew she wasn’t safe here.

Heather ate her food slowly. She had little appetite and picked over the crumbs absentmindedly. Finally, plate discarded to one side, she undressed and got into bed, pulling heavy bed covers up over her body and laying on her side, she picked up her favorite book. But for once, tales of romance and unrequited love were not what she needed. She could feel her eyes growing heavy as sleep began to close in around her. She felt herself sinking deeper into a state of oblivion where finally there was some respite from her situation, and she gratefully succumbed to the peace of mind that invaded her through sleep.

There was no sign of Hiram in the morning. His side of the bed had not been slept in and she was relieved. She dressed quickly and made her way to the garden. She chose a different part of the land with lots of small segregated sections which afforded privacy from the castle windows. The sun was a pale ball of yellow in the sky and clouds danced in the heavens as the breeze scurried them across the open expanse. She felt her head clear, grateful that the mental fog had lifted.

Despite the fresh breeze which played with her hair, the gentle warmth or the melodic bird song which usually resonated with her, Heather felt empty. She longed to be back in that thistle field near her real home. She had completed her side of the deal so what was there to prevent her from going to visit her parents? They would welcome her back thinking it was an extended holiday. She didn’t have to tell them what was happening. Or, maybe she should confide in them. It was something to think about anyway. Breathing in deeply, Heather exhaled her stress and frustration and lay back on the grass. Fragrances from the nearby flower beds filled her lungs and teased her senses. For a while, peacefulness washed over her, like a rising tide of contentment, just being in the here and now, a perfect balm against real life. She needed this time out. A chance to regain balance, to collect her thoughts, and to offset her anger and deepest frustrations. Here, she could let go.

What hurt her the most was not being believed. She would never have lied to him or anyone else, for that matter. She just wanted to feel safe, to feel protected and loved. Her heart lurched. She had wanted Hiram to love her completely like she...Stop, she told the voice in her mind. Don’t go there. It’s too late. Her heart had swelled at the mere thought of him. Grimacing, she directed her thoughts back to her childhood—carefree, running through the moors, skipping, laughing, dancing. Life was so simple back then. It had been a wonderful childhood. Those early years of innocence had promised so much.

The faintest touch on her arm made her open her eyes quickly.

“Connor. What are you doing here?” She tried to sit up hurriedly, but he pinned her down with one arm.

He was lying beside her and she hadn’t been aware of his presence at all, but his touch made her skin crawl.

“It was fun watching you. I wonder what kind of face you make when you orgasm,” he said.

“You really are quite a vile man aren’t you? It is none of your damn business. The only man who needs to know is my husband.”