by Temple Hogan
“Aye, I will,” she answered and would have set off on foot, but he called to her.
“Take a horse, lass. They’ve gone on foot themselves and have taken the trail over the hills. ‘Tis a shorter route, but on a good horse you might yet reach them before they stir up mischief,” he called. “Alyce, go tell your man to fetch a horse for Annie.”
The midwife set off toward the stables and soon Donald came riding astride a battle scarred but still spirited stallion. When he reached Annie, he brought the horse to a halt and slid from the saddle.
“Go quick, lass,” he urged. “I told my Roy not to ride with them, but he went against my wishes. He said I had followed Bryce, and he was bound to do so as well, but he’s just a child. He doesn’t understand the danger. He’s a foolhardy lad like his da, but I’d not have him come back like the others did.”
“I’ll do my best to see he remains safe,” Annie said as she climbed into the saddle. Chicks and geese scattered as she reined the horse about and rode from the castle.
“Halt, who goes there?” a guard cried, but she didn’t slow her mount and gave a prayer of thanksgiving when no sound of pursuit came to her ears.
In the distance, she could see horsemen riding toward the castle and guessed it was Rafe and Gare returning from their patrol. She must hurry. The day was drawing to an end, and she’d never find Bryce and the men in the darkness, especially if he was defiant enough to try and elude her. Pray to God there were cooler heads among the men he’d taken on this foolish mission.
She turned the horse eastward and nudged it to a full gallop, bent low over the saddle. Bryce and the men had a couple of hours’ head start on her, but they were on foot and traveling over the Highlands. She prayed she’d get to them before they reached the eastern border and the Broderick villages beyond. If they burned and raided the villages, they’d have the Brodericks themselves down on them, and they’d need them as allies should they ever go against the Campbells. Even then their support would be half-hearted. Damn Bryce and his temper. Why couldn’t he see ahead to what their clan must do if they were to regain their status in the Highlands? To dissolve into an unlawful band of thieves and murderers would only hasten the clan’s demise. In a fit of anxiety, she whipped up the stallion.
Long shadows lay over the valleys and hillsides. She nearly missed the band of men who crested a hill and began their descent. Reining her mount around, she rode up to meet them. At first, Bryce didn’t see her, but the others pointed her out and he gave a signal, waving the men into the rocks and boulders. In the gathering gloom, he hadn’t yet identified her, and she feared he might launch an attack on her, so she sent a long wavering whistle, which had been the MacDougall signal since the beginning of time and watched as the men froze then turned to gaze at her in disbelief. Taking advantage of their confusion, she kneed her mount upward.
“Annie, why do you be here?” Thomas Dougall asked, running to take her reins and offer a hand for her out of the saddle.
She chose to stay mounted where she had the advantage of height as she glared into the face of each man. “Why are you here?” she demanded. “You’ve not been ordered to come to this border or to attack the Broderick villages. So why have you left your homes?”
Shamefacedly, the men shuffled their feet and refused to meet her gaze. Some glanced at Bryce who had remained in the background. Now, when her gaze turned to him, he waited an insolent amount of time before stepping forward to confront her.
“Have you finished with your jaunt in the Highlands with the MacIntyre lady?” he sneered. “Do you make flowery crowns to put on your heads while you claver and tittle-tattle about this thing and that? Two ladies of leisure, are you?”
“It is no business of yours, Bryce MacDougall, if I go into the Highlands with Jean or of what we speak. Just as it is no business of yours to bring these men across the bens to enter Broderick lands and wreck mischief. Are you not a man, truly grown with a mind to think ahead of the consequences of your actions? Have you forgotten what happened the last time you took such foolhardy action?” Her gaze swept around the group. “How many of you will be carried home in a barley bag for this night’s business? And how many of your wives and mothers will be wailing this night for your feckless doings? Are you intending always to follow a tawpie—”
“Have a care with your words, lass,” Bryce charged her, gripping her stirrup, one brawny fist raised. “I’ll not have you dishonor me with such careless words. I’ll strike you from this animal.”
His eyes burned with anger, but his actions had been obviously been too much for some of the other men. With murmurs and disavowals, they stepped forward, their makeshift weapons raised.
“Stand down, man,” John Glamis ordered. “’Tis the Laird’s daughter, a lady you threaten, not some haughty slut.”
“I tell you no woman will talk to me like that,” Bryce cried, refusing to back down.
“I’ll not follow a man what would threaten a lady,” Patrick Hepburne said, turning back toward the hillcrest. “I didn’t want to come anyway. ‘Twas Bryce with his talk that shamed us into following him.” He looked around at the other men. Some stood pat, not wanting to turn away from their friend for the blacksmith was well respected in Dunollie.
“None of you should feel shamed into doing mischief. Remember what you do affects all of us,” Annie spoke, realizing she had to give them more. She looked each man in the eye and raised her voice so all might hear. “The years since the Campbells came have been hard, but the time will be when the MacDougalls will rise again. We can’t do that if we’ve acted like a mob without honor.”
“Nothing will change if we act like the newborn spring lambs, scampering in the highland meadows like naught is wrong,” Bryce challenged, and Annie realized it had come down to just that, a challenge as to who would lead the clan. “The Campbells will not loosen their hold on MacDougall land unless we fight them for what’s rightfully ours.”
“Aye, Bryce is right when he says the Campbells are our adversaries, so why does he lead you here to the Broderick borders? Will angering them bring back our lands? Nay, lads, be patient a while longer. We’ve bested Archibald with all we’ve done until now, but we’ve also brought repercussions down on our heads when Archibald gave authority to Baen and still we didn’t give up. We fought back, but now a new man is here, young Campbell who’s trying to bring better times to us all. Let’s give him a chance and see what comes about. If we fight on now and evoke new enemies, we’ll only prove all that Sir Archibald has said about us. There’s a time to fight and a time to think first. With this action tonight, you’ve gone aglee, you’ve taken a path we don’t want to take, and all you’ll earn for yourselves is a noose.”
The listening men rubbed their throats at the threat they might earn themselves a hangman’s noose.
“Don’t listen to her,” Bryce cried, sounding fearful she’d won them over.
“What she says makes sense,” Patrick Hepburne called out. He’d already started to climb back over the mountains. Other men followed him.
“Don’t turn back now. We’re nearly there,” Bryce yelled derisively. “What are you, cowards?” But the men, as one, had turned back up the mountain. Annie looked at Bryce who stood glaring back at her.
“Are you pleased with yourself now?” he demanded. “You shamed me among my men.”
“Our men, Bryce,” she answered.
He held her gaze for a long moment then finally had the grace to look away.
“Are you going back over the mountains?” she asked.
His head snapped up, his dark eyes blazing. “Aye, my lady. I’ll do your bidding.” His tone was bitter. Without a backward glance, he stomped away after the other men. Only young Roy Dougal remained. He hitched his shoulder in a tentative gesture and turned to follow the others.
“Roy Dougal, will you ride with me?” Annie called. “I’m a bit uneasy to be alone in the gathering darkness.”
Quickly, the lanky young
lad climbed up behind her, his arms going around her waist. The ride home took longer. She let the horse canter at his own speed. She and young Roy chatted a bit, but he appeared shy and subdued over what he’d done. Darkness had settled round about the castles. Campfires burned around the bailey as clansmen gathered to exchange stories. Annie guided the horse over the moat bridge and halted in surprise at the guardsman who barred her way.
“Who goes?” he demanded.
“Never mind, guard,” a familiar voice called coldly. “I know this rider.”
“Why, it’s Annie, the goose girl,” the soldier said in surprise, then seeing his commander’s face, quickly withdrew. Rafe stepped out of the shadows.
“What have you been about?” he asked roughly, staring at Roy Dougal.
“I-we,” the young lad babbled.
Though he’d soon reach his eighteenth birthday and was a large lad for his age, well liked by the village lasses, Annie was surprised to see he was tongue tied before the laird’s nephew. She pinched him on his thigh just to remind him he should be cautious in his answer, but the glibness young Roy had practiced with great success on the girls, failed him now.
“Does your father know you’ve taken a lass out for a ride on your Laird’s horse?” Rafe asked roughly.
“No-no, sir,” Roy answered. “I mean, I wasn’t taking Annie out for a ride, why, she’s naught but the goose girl. Besides, it’s not the Laird’s pony, ‘tis only old Cam. He’s too old to be much good anymore, so the other men never choose him, but Bryce has a fondness for him and asked me to ride him around a bit to see if the new shoe was fit enough.”
Rafe nodded as if he might accept this excuse, then narrowed his eyes. “That doesn’t explain Annie.”
Roy flushed. “I-she insisted she wanted to ride along. I hadn’t the heart to turn her down.”
“Thoughtful lad,” Rafe commented and stepped forward to take hold of Annie as she slid from the saddle. “Why is it, then, I saw Annie riding the steed alone and you were nowhere about?”
His words fell like heavy stones in the bailey yard. Annie’s mouth opened in a rush to offer an explanation then closed in frustration at her need to maintain her disguise. Silently, she cursed Roy that he was not more the glib-gabbit at a time like this.
“You don’t know, Annie,” Roy said. “She’s a bit of a maggie-rab when she’s of a mind. She wanted to ride the pony, so she sprung into the saddle and went off before I could catch her. I had to cut through the meedie to catch up to her. Don’t be angry with her, m’lord, she’s naught but a bairn who needs a stick to her backside, but she means no real harm, do you, Annie?”
Annie gave him a big grin. He’d done well, after all, with his inventive tale. With a quick, saucy glance at Rafe, she hobbled away through the bailey gate and toward the village, grateful to the Almighty that a disaster had been averted. As she shucked out of her clothes and settled on her pallet, she chuckled.
“What do you find so funny, lass?” Father Cowan asked from his own bed, so she told him of all that had transpired.
By the time she’d finished, the old shepherd priest was once again snoring, but Annie lay awake long into the night, mulling over Bryce’s impatient rebellion and the disastrous effect it would have on the villagers if he hadn’t been stopped. Finally, she thought of Rafe Campbell and the feel of his hands about her waist as he helped her dismount. She shouldn’t give in to these feelings he awakened in her, but she was unable to still her yearning heart. Tomorrow, she would go to the pond. Tomorrow! She fell asleep to the memory of his hands on her, his hot mouth suckling her breasts, he hard cock sliding into her willing channel.
Chapter Eight
“Why the scowl, Rafe?” Gare asked, settling at the table beside his cousin. “You don’t look happy tonight. Have you found evidence of Baen’s presence?”
“Nay, there’s been naught to say he’s returned,” Rafe answered.
He’d been thinking of his discovery the night before of Annie and young Roy, wondering if the tanner’s son was interested in the crippled little goose girl, and why he felt so protective of her. By rights, he should have taken some action to punish the impudent lass for her prank. Good horseflesh was too hard to come by to allow an inexperienced lass to ride off on it, willy-nilly, but then he’d remembered the sight of her riding away from the castle. She’d been surprisingly expert in her handling of such a spirited animal. That set him to wondering about other happenings in the castle that didn’t make sense. She was a cripple, a lowly goose girl, yet she rode the stallion with the assurance of an experienced horseman.
“Are you present, Rafe, or have you left your body while your mind goes roaming?” Gare asked, giving his friend’s shoulder a hearty push. “Have you found evidence of Baen’s return?
“He must have,” Sir Archibald spoke up from the head of the table. “Who else would attack our border patrols?”
“Don’t worry about it, Uncle. Our borders are safe for now, and the castle is well armed. There’s naught to alarm yourself.”
“You’ve done well, nephew,” Archibald called and raised his cup in a toast.
Rafe made only a half-hearted attempt to return it. Dianne had been silent throughout the evening meal, now she rose and moved along the table until she could perch on the bench beside Rafe.
“Mayhap, you’ve driven yourself too hard,” She said softly, leaning against him, so her plump breast pushed upward over the edge of her gown. “If you would but come to my chamber tonight, I’d give you a massage and other comforts to take away your worries.” She smiled at him impudently, her blue eyes sparkling with invitation.
Any other time, he realized, he might have taken advantage of her invitation, but not now. Compared to the woman at the pond, the noblewoman’s charms seemed overblown and, as freely as she offered them, overused.
He thought of the beautiful clanswoman who’d given herself to him, of her sun-kissed skin and sweet, clean limbs. Her look of innocence could not be faked. He was tormented by the remembered taste of her, the smooth warmth of her flesh as he slid inside her. He’d been in Hell since that afternoon, wanting her and frustrated beyond endurance because he couldn’t find her. He had waited hours at the pond, but she hadn’t returned. He searched everywhere he traveled, every village, every croft. He longed for her as a thirsty man longs for water.
Dianne shook his arm. “Are you not hearing me, Rafe?” she asked impatiently.
Her eyes had gained a bright, petulant luster, and her red mouth was drawn into a pout. Once upon a time, in a man’s loneliness, he might have found her enchanting, but now she was only bothersome. His gaze darted around the room and met Jean’s. She smiled sympathetically and left Aindreas’ side to come to his rescue.
“Rafe, you promised to play a game of chance with me,” she said, smiling sweetly at Dianne. “You will excuse us, will you not, m’lady?”
Dianne’s eyes flared with anger, but she forced a grimace. “Of course, I will,” she answered with a false sweetness. “I’ve wanted to spend some time getting to know your handsome captain better.” She rose from the bench and tugged at her bodice, so it revealed still more of her smooth white breasts, then she sauntered away, swishing her skirts seductively.
“Don’t worry, Jean,” Rafe said with a rare chuckle. “Aindreas is so addle-pated by your presence, he can’t see her charms.”
She gave him a bright smile. “I feel certain I’ve naught to worry about.” They settled at the end of the table near the fire and scattered the dice, but neither paid it any heed.
“Have you seen the lady in the woods?” she asked lightly.
He scowled and muttered under his breath, and she thought he meant not to answer, but he finally did. “I’ve had little time to go chasing into the woods for a sprite who might not be there,” he growled morosely.
Jean bit her lip. “The evening is still young. Darkness has not yet fallen. Why don’t you go now?”
“No woman would roam the woo
ds at twilight, especially not such a place as Oban. There are tales ‘tis haunted.”
“Aye, I’ve heard such stories, but they sound like the babblings of old men in their cups.” She shrugged. “What if the reason you haven’t seen your mysterious lady is that she goes at night?” She yawned daintily.
“I fear you must excuse me, Rafe. I spent the afternoon in the Highlands and the wind and sun have left me lethargic and sleepy.” She pushed the dice aside and rose. “Will you forgive me?”
“Of course, m’lady.” He got to his feet and bowed over her hand. “Perhaps, another time?”
“Most assuredly.” Tranquilly, she moved across the hall.
Rafe could see Aindreas was tied up with Dianne, but when the young captain cast an anxious glance in Jean’s direction, he quickly excused himself.
“What are you about, lass?” Aindreas asked, taking Jean’s arm just as Rafe was about to make his escape from the hall.
Rafe paused to listen to her reply.
“Don’t hold me back now, love,” she admonished her captain. “I’m busy playing matchmaker, and I must find Annie.”
“You can’t go into the village without a chaperone,” he pointed out. “As the captain of your father’s men, I think ‘tis best I accompany you.”
She smiled mysteriously and quickly left the hall. Rafe stood going over Jean’s words. Something she’d said raised a question in his mind, but he was so preoccupied with the possibility of meeting the woman he’d come to know as Annabella, he brushed it aside.
* * * *
Annie was bent over the fire, dishing up a bowl of kale soup, when their knock sounded on the door.
“Annie,” Jean called softly. “Come out. I must see you?”
Startled, the girl looked through the door and glanced hurriedly at the old man. Putting a finger of warning to her lips, she rose and hastily stepped outside.
“You must go to the pond,” Jean whispered earnestly.
