The Veiled Lass

Chapter Four

She infuriated him.

It had been a fortnight since the remaining Douglas clan had come and she had avoided him ever since the day of their arrival. 

How the lass managed to elude him in his own manor he couldn't quite understand. Every time she saw him she scurried away. She busied herself with tending to Laird Douglas's retched daughter and spending time with a blind servant boy.

She looked so at ease with the boy. She laughed and spoke freely and excitedly whenever he was around and it made Breac's blood boil. She fled from him but welcomed the crippled boys company. She not only infuriated him; she intrigued him. The veil still had him perplexed. What was its purpose? She hid her face like she was ashamed and Breac couldn't help but want to flush all the doubt and fear from her mind.

Breac had never been one to chase skirts like his brothers. He had always focused on his training and on following his father's prestigious footsteps. Yet here this women had him skipping morning spars, trolling in the servants quarters and now hiding in the mulberry bush in the courtyard as he spied upon the veiled lass.

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Elspet giggled softly as Hamish lunged to his right missing her once again.

 "Marco," Hamish called a soft smile on his face. 

"Polo," Elspet sing songed while side stepping out of Hamish's reach.

 "Ugh Ellie!" Hamish groaned making grabby hands toward her generally vicinity. 

"Yes Ham darling?" Elspet snickered as she moved to touch his shoulder.

 "I donna wanna play this game no more you always win." Hamish whined before leaning into Elspet's guiding touch.

"It's nay just a game you need to learn to be aware of your surrounding by sound," She reassured as she carefully lowered him onto a carved wooden bench by the mulberry bush.

"Yee seem to get quite some enjoyment from my failure," Hamish said running his hand upon her veiled face before rearing back and flicking her softly in the nose.

"Ham!" She squeaked before moving to retaliate. 

"Yee wouldn't want to harm a cripple would you?" He mumbled with a soft smile upon his face.

 Elspet merely laughed and ruffled his hair when she heard a harsh snap emanate from the bush and a large branch swiped Hamish in the face.

Hamish fell from the bench with a yelp

Elspet turned to the bush curiously.

"What in the hell!" She muttered before she saw dark eyes staring right back at her. She squealed and soon accompanied Hamish onto the snow covered ground.

"Lass!" Breac emerged quickly from the bushes. He hadn't meant to snap the bush nearly in half just seeing her touch the damn Hamish lad made a red mist cloud his eyes, now Breac couldn't lie and say knocking the boy on his arse didn't amuse him and fill him with a strange pride but he hadn't meant at all the scare the poor lass half to death.

He quickly helped her out of the snow and frowned when he realized she was once again chilled to the bone, for his gaze followed down her ragged dress to her feet that were void of shoes her only protection was thick wool wrapped around and secured with leather thongs.

"What are yee doing out here in merely a gown and wool on yee feet?! Where are yee shoes!" Breac admonished shaking her softly.

"Why were you in a bush?" Elspet patronized, ignoring his questions.

Breac growled softly before gripping her arm firmly and dragging the lass from the frozen courtyard leaving the blind bane of his existence fumbling in the snow.

"Yee can't just drag me where yee want yee brute!" Elspet exclaimed struggling in the highlanders firm grasp.

Breac dragged her to into the luckily abandoned great hall. The large hearth lay ablaze with a roaring fire and the long oak table dominated the room.Breac spotted a servant girl and whistled to get the lasses attention. "Fetch me a plaid, a brooch, a winter dress and brogues!" Breac ordered harshly before sitting Elspet before the fire.

"What were yee thinking!" Breac roared at the wee lass.

Elspet looked away from him defiantly, "Yee are not my laird I donna have to answer yee nor do I even know yee!" Elspet exclaimed as she gazed into the fire.

"Yee are a guest in my house and in my lands," Breac corrected sternly.

"I am nay yee's clansmen, yee's servant nor yee's whore, s​ir."​