Wedded to the Highlanders by Katie Douglas

Chapter 4

Warning, this one gets STEAMY! If that's not your thing I'd skip this one! Image licensed from Period Images. 

On the way back to her home, Lucy bumped into Graham Brannigan. He was the man who generally fixed everything around the village and it was rumoured he'd turned down a place at university in Aberdeen to remain here and keep Glenash ticking over.

"Hallo, Lucy! Did ye sign up for the bake sale on Friday?" he asked. His mop of blonde hair tumbled into his face as he tried to catch up with her.

She nodded and smiled warmly. "Aye. Just spoke tae Edith."

"Are ye planning tae make your famous Victoria Sponge?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Lucy giggled; she knew he was only trying to butter her up to get her to make his favourite cake.

"O' course! I'm going tae do several o' them. I ken how much all the fellows around these parts love tae taste my Victoria sponge." She realised what she'd said as the words came out of her mouth and she colored red. "Oh, no, I didnae mean it like that! I swear!" She giggled with embarrassment.

"Lucy! Wait!" Steen's voice called across the square and several people turned to look at him, but when nothing interesting happened, they returned to their own conversations.

Lucy waited.

"I think that's my cue tae leave, aye?" Graham said with a wink, before he wandered off, and suddenly Lucy was alone in a crowded place with Steen.

"What d'ye want?" she demanded coldly. She didn't want to give him the time of day right now.

"Well this is a fine way tae treat a fellow who ye stood up!" Steen retorted.

"I stood you up? I think you're gettin' confused! You wasted nae time picking up Millie Woodward, now, did ye?" She glared at him. People began to stare, and she wished they weren't doing this in public.

"Millie came to ask me something and I sent her on her way. I dinnae ken which part ye saw, but that's all there was tae it."

"But I saw her holding her arm oot tae walk wi' ye."

"And did ye see the part straight after where I told her I wasnae interested?"

Lucy deflated. Millie had her sights set on Steen and Lucy felt bad for her.

"I'm sorry I jumped tae conclusions," she mumbled.

"If we're going tae walk oot again, I'll expect some sort o' redress. A spanking over my lap right now behind the whisky store," he told her with a single stern eyebrow raised. She couldn't help giggling, because Steen was usually so unconcerned with going around correcting women's behaviour. It was a commonplace thing for people to do in the village; a woman with two husbands had twice as much opportunity to get into trouble, and it wasn't just the women who got spanked; Lucy knew of at least one woman who kept her husbands in line with the flat of her wooden spoon.

Lucy glanced over at the small, locked up building which stored all the village's liquor to keep it safe from drunks or children. It had a little alcove at the back which had a reputation for being a place where young, courting folk went to share a private moment. She was sure the whisky store had some stories about what had gone on there.

She smiled shyly as she contemplated being over Steen's knee.

"Aye, you're on," she replied with a wink. She headed around the back of the whisky store, and waited. A few minutes later, Steen appeared. He sat down on a wooden bench that ran the width of the alcove. The open doorway faced overgrown, wild plants; bindweed, brambles and enormous dock leaves, which muffled the sounds of the village and shielded the alcove from any prying eyes. The privacy was why it was so popular amongst people still living with their parents.