Stealing the Highland Bride

by Kenna Kendrick

  * * *

  “I … it is just … I am sorry for my brother’s words; he can be a harsh man. We are not all war mongers, and I did not know that he had such designs upon ye, dear lady,” he turned to Rhona her expression softening at his words.

  * * *

  “I understand that not everyone is like your brother, but you must understand how we feel about your clan?”

  * * *

  “Your husband fought bravely. I am truly sorry.”

  * * *

  “Yet still ye hold us prisoner,” Duncan laughed sarcastically, “we do not trust the enemy.”

  * * *

  “I ken that, but I promise that I shall do my best tae see ye are not treated badly.”

  * * *

  Rhona bowed her head in acknowledgment but remained silent. She was too angry to accept the sympathy of a Mackintosh; it would be disloyal to her husband’s memory.

  * * *

  Turning quickly, she allowed Duncan to escort her away, leaving Stewart Mackintosh entranced by her beauty and her bravery.

  * * *

  “What do ye mean by this brother?” Stewart burst into the chambers of Iain Cameron that Murdoch had quickly taken for himself.

  * * *

  Murdoch laughed at his brother.“Whatever do ye mean, dear Stewart, ye mean my plans tae make Rhona my wife?”

  * * *

  “Aye, what foul treachery is that — we have not discussed such a thing — ye cannot just marry the lassie at your will?”

  * * *

  “But that is precisely what I intend tae do, Stewart, and why should I not?” Murdoch had no time for his younger brother’s whining.

  * * *

  “It is wicked and dishonorable, ye cannot marry a lassie before God who is forced tae become your wife; it is sinful,” Stewart’s anger now rose defiantly against his brother.

  * * *

  Once, he had been afraid of Murdoch. The day of the fight in which Murdoch’s ear had been cut off and the cries of the laddie responsible as Murdoch wreaked his revenge still haunted his memory. But Stewart Mackintosh had grown into a fine man, handsome and strong, and well able to take care of himself.

  * * *

  “It is sinful that these long years the Cameron Lairds has ridden roughshod across our lands, burned our crofts, and attacked our folks. That is sinful, Stewart. Ye and I have won a victory, and now it is time for us to claim our rightful spoils. Do ye not think our father will be pleased when he hears word of this?”

  * * *

  “Aye, our father will care only for the spoils of war, but ye cannot just take the lassie against her will.”

  * * *

  “And how do ye know that she will not come tae love me? I shall treat her well, ensure she is well cared for, and make provision for the bairn she carries.”

  * * *

  “Aye and what of the bairn, are ye tae raise it as your own?” Stewart asked.

  * * *

  “There will be other bairns, an heir. The bairn she carries will not trouble us for long. Come now, brother, ye and I have won a great victory, do not spoil that with your high and mighty morals. There are women here that ye may take a fancy tae.”

  * * *

  “It is not right,” Stewart persisted “not right at all, and ye should be wary of going through with such a plan. That is my verdict on the matter.”

  * * *

  “Aye, well I did not ask for your advice, brother, nor do I need it. Rhona will marry me, and that is final. Now see tae it that this castle is secured, and our prisoners cause us naw more problems, do ye understand?”

  * * *

  “Aye brother, I well understand.”

  * * *

  Stewart was deeply unsettled by the turn of events. It was wrong to treat a lassie in such a way, and Murdoch would answer before God for his crimes. They say that all is fair in love and war, yet nothing seemed fair, not for Rhona and neither for her clan.

  * * *

  Despite his brother’s protests, Murdoch Mackintosh was true to his word. He dispatched a party of soldiers to the Abbey at Glen Coraig with orders to return with one of the monks; a priest who could perform the marriage. The journey to the abbey was long, but Murdoch Mackintosh was in no hurry. He knew that Rhona would assent to his proposal; the survival of her fellow clansmen depended upon it.

  * * *

  Riders were sent to the Mackintosh castle, where news of the victory had caused great rejoicing. Invitations were sent for the wedding and preparations made to see the heir of the Mackintosh clan married to a Cameron woman. No one had ever believed that such a victory was possible, and after years of conflict, it now seemed that the Cameron’s had been well and truly defeated.

  * * *

  However, the Camerons were not defeated wholly, and in his darker moments, Murdoch considered how to rid himself of these troublemakers. Perhaps it would be better to kill them all, but then Rhona would never come to love him. He had Duncan Cameron sent away, much to the protest of the woman.

  * * *

  “The man is a threat to our authority,” Murdoch told Stewart, and the deed was done: Duncan Cameron was banished to the high moorlands to live amongst the crofters. Iain’s brother was no longer a challenge to Murdoch’s authority.

  * * *

  Despite his outward appearance and cruel demeanor, Murdoch Mackintosh was insecure, only desiring: the love of a woman. His deformity ensured no woman looked upon him with true affection, and despite his powerful position as heir to the Lairdship of the Mackintosh clan, the tender touch of a woman eluded him. He had taken a woman many a time, the whores that gave themselves to him freely; but love, that was something different. Time had started to embitter the man and harden his heart; his spiteful and savage nature had not been tamed by love. At on time, he would have given it all away for the affections of a lassie; perhaps Rhona could soften him? It was his brother, Stewart, who so often caught the eyes of the lassies, a handsome man, considered kind and courageous by many.

  * * *

  If Murdoch could not win love by deeds, then he was cruel enough to take it by force. In his dark and twisted heart, he believed that love could be bought, forced, and coerced. His foolishness led him to believe that Rhona would one day find it in her heart to love him. Such delusions haunted him as he went about his work, subjecting the Camerons to ever greater hardships.

  * * *

  Murdoch Mackintosh would have his prize: it was only a matter of time.

  Chapter Four

  The Cry of a Bairn

  Three weeks had passed since the defeat of Iain Cameron and the arrival of Murdoch Mackintosh and his brother at the castle of the Cameron clan. A heavy mood saturated the place, which had once been full of happiness and laughter.

  * * *

  Murdoch spent his days in the running of his lands, riding through them with his men, ensuring the peasants and clansmen were kept in order. He hunted too, the forests rich with game, riding Iain Cameron’s finest steads and feasting each night in the great hall with his men.

  * * *

  He had assigned his brother to keep a watch over Rhona, the young man tasked with following her wherever she should go. He was a dutiful attendant, trying his best to show to Rhona that not all Mackintoshes were like his brother.

  * * *

  ‘Ye are quite different from your brother,” she said cautiously one afternoon as the two walked in the castle garden, Rhona having decided that fresh air would do her good.

  * * *

  “No one is like Murdoch,” he replied, “ever since we were bairns, he has had cruelty about him.”

  * * *

  “Ye think your brother is cruel for forcing my hand in marriage?” Rhona said, pausing and turning to look at Stewart who blushed.

  * * *

  “I think forcing a lassie tae marry against her will is cruel, aye,” Stewart replied, “and I think holding ye all here in this way is cruel tae.”

  * * *
/>
  “Ye are not like any Mackintosh I have ever heard of,” Rhona said cautiously, “Iain always said that naw Mackintosh had a shred of goodness in him.”

  * * *

  “And that is what they say about the Camerons tae,” Stewart replied, “and yet I dinna see anything of that in ye, Rhona.”

  * * *

  “Or in any other of our clan,” Rhona declared quickly, unsure of the young man beside her as the two walked through the gardens, the scent of flowers hanging heavily in the air.

  * * *

  “I would have settled for peace,” Stewart continued, “these years of dispute have gone on long enough between our clans, but Murdoch is determined to rule with the sword; he does not understand peace.”

  * * *

  “Ye would have let us be then?” Rhona stopped suddenly, surprised to hear him speak so.

  * * *

  “Aye is that not what your husband would have done tae?”

  * * *

  “I think it is,” Rhona replied, “I truly think it is.”

  Despite his kindness towards Rhona, there was little that Stewart Mackintosh could do to temper his brother’s cruelty. The Camerons looked on, confined to the castle and forced to work as servants of their enemy.

  * * *

  Rhona, heavy with bairn, would sit with Cairstine by the fire in the great hall; silent and sullen whenever Murdoch Mackintosh appeared. Rhona was defiant in defeat, magnanimous and unflinching, showing no signs of emotion before her husband’s murderer.

  * * *

  At night things were different. Not a day passed by since news of Iain’s death that she had not wept herself to sleep. How she missed his tender touch and warm caress, the way he held her and made love to her, the love she held for him stronger in death; his memory eternal.

  * * *

  “I know it is tae be a boy,” she said one afternoon as she and Cairstine spun wool by the fire, “and he shall be named Iain in honor of his father, and tae spite our new masters.”

  * * *

  “If he has but a portion of his father’s strength and bravery, then he will be a greater man than all these together,” Cairstine glanced over at her husband laying on his sick bed in the corner of the hall. His wounds were slowly healing, and the two women had gradually nursed him towards health.

  * * *

  “It is this baby who will save this clan when he is a man,” Cairstine continued, “he shall be a great warrior and show these Mackintoshes that we Camerons do not forget our feuds, nor do we accept being ruled over by cowards and traitors.”

  * * *

  “Aye, that is true,” Rhona stood looking wistfully from the window as down below her fellow clansmen were forced to work and serve their new masters. Stewart was down in the farrier’s shop, working on a horse that Murdoch Mackintosh had lamed in the hunt.

  * * *

  She watched him for a while, absentmindedly running the wool through her fingers as Cairstine continued their conversation, not expecting a response as she talked of affairs near and far. From behind, Stewart looked so much like Iain that it could have been her husband sat on the farrier’s stool.

  * * *

  Compared to his brother, he was a fine and upstanding man. A fact he had proved over the days, shielding and protecting her.

  * * *

  Murdoch Mackintosh entered the Great Hall making his presence known accompanied by his brother who stood nervously by his side, his eyes watching Rhona whose beauty continued to fascinate him.

  * * *

  “Come away from your dalliances lassie, spinning wool is an idle task for a noblewoman, leave this for the likes of her and join me in my chambers.”

  * * *

  Rhona glared at Murdoch unable to hide her contempt as he stood leering over her. Cairstine turned her head away in disgust.

  * * *

  “I shall choose what work I occupy myself with, and as for whose company I keep, let me assure ye, Murdoch Mackintosh, that I should rather spend eternity with the likes of this dear lassie then one single moment with ye.” Returning to her spinning, she ignored Murdoch, who looked on and laughed.

  * * *

  “A feisty lassie today, aren’t ye? Well, it shall not be long before ye shall find yourself subject only tae me and not tae your own whims. Our wedding day approaches, and ye shall come tae know me better then. Count yourself lucky that I am an honorable man and have respected that ye are with child.”

  * * *

  The man made Rhona feel physically sick, his very presence enough to disgust her. How dare he talk of honor and restraint when his actions showed him to be a man without morality or compassion?

  * * *

  “Think it over, Rhona,” Murdoch continued, “things can be easy or hard for ye. I assure ye I shall treat ye well, and I shall treat these people well; it need not be a heavy price ye have tae pay. We shall be married whether ye wish it or not, far better to accept this than tae play the martyr, for the sake of the bairn tae.”

  * * *

  Cairstine could no longer control herself, and leaping from her chair, made to slap Murdoch around the face. “Ye are a vile and contemptible man, how dare ye speak of using the bairn in such a way. A baby is not a thing tae be bargained with.”

  * * *

  “She speaks,” Murdoch laughed, raising his hand to catch hers, twisting it around and causing her to cry out in pain. Several of his men gathered around, laughing. “It would be well for your friend, Rhona if ye were cooperative. Otherwise, she might find herself no longer enjoying the hospitality of my hall. Let us remember your dear husband tae shall we not lassie?” Letting go of the girl’s arm, he advanced to where Alistair lay, looking down upon the man who attempted to raise himself.

  * * *

  “Another Cameron at the mercy and pity of the Mackintoshes. These people do not realize that we could easily have slaughtered them in their beds and burned their castle. Instead, we were merciful.”

  * * *

  “Aye,” called the Mackintosh men in unison.

  * * *

  “And still they consider this a hardship. All I ask is a marriage, one which will secure peace between our peoples. I could kill ye where ye lie man,” with that he stooped low, placing his hand on Alistair’s leg wound, causing him to wince, “but I shall spare ye. See Rhona, I am not the monster ye consider me to be.” Turning to Rhona, he took hold of her hand.“Now come and join me in my chambers as I requested,” he pulled at her forcefully and began to lead her across the Great Hall, as she struggled against his grip.

  * * *

  “Peace, brother,” Stewart Mackintosh appeared at the door of the Great Hall and stepped towards the two as they struggled, “leave the poor lassie, can’t ye see ye are hurting her.”

  * * *

  “I did not ask your opinion, brother,” Murdoch said, looked with anger at his brother.

  * * *

  “Leave her Murdoch, or ye shall have me tae answer tae,” Stewart stood defiantly before his brother.

  * * *

  “Ye threaten me, ye threaten your brother over some lassie, I shall deal with ye brother …”

  * * *

  At that moment Rhona’s legs gave way beneath her as a pain shot through her body. It was a pain she had never felt before, but a woman’s instinct told her what was occurring. She let out a cry and collapsed to the floor, Murdoch momentarily taken off guard as he tried to pull her up.

  * * *

  “Get up, stop this silliness and come with me.”

  * * *

  Once again, the pain swept through Rhona, and she cried out, causing Cairstine to turn and rush to her side.

  * * *

  “Can’t ye see what is happening? Your torments have caused the bairn to come, leave go of her and let me help,” Cairstine cried out, pushing him aside.

  * * *

  Murdoch was taken aback at the force by which Cairstine rushed to her mistress’ aid, and he stood looking on
hopelessly as Rhona collapsed to the floor, clutching at her stomach.

  * * *