A Highlander's Home

by Laura Hathaway

  Chapter 1

  Her breathing came in short, rushed gasps as sweat dripped down her pale skin to soak into her already soiled collar. Her long legs were strained and aching as she pushed them to move faster, faster, trying to outrun them. No matter the pounding of her heart in her ears, they came faster than she could move her legs. The stolen shoes on her slender feet were ill fitting and did nothing to increase her speed. The nails on each hand were broken and cutting into her palms. Raine Carson was in trouble.

  She glanced over her shoulder, taking the slightest moment to push her waist-length, tangled blonde hair out of her face. They were nowhere to be seen. But she had heard the leader. He said he would not let her leave his camp alive. She believed him. She paused, not stopping completely but slowing slightly, to catch her breath. They had not given up, had they? She could not have possibly out run them.

  Her legs ached, her lungs burned. The air here was cold. Colder than she had thought it would be. In another time, she might have enjoyed the lush green fields that seemed to go on forever, the gray mist that seemed to hover and slither like ghost fingers as it made its way over the countryside. The sun shone brightly except for when the clouds moved in and cast a shadow over the land, as it had now. The mist was cold, grey, leaving a wet residue on all it touched. In another time, she would have appreciated the beauty.

  But right now, there was no time. No appreciation to be had. They were after her, and the leader said he would not let her go.

  She stopped. Her breath was a cloud in her face as she grabbed her knees and tried to relax her tired muscles. Dropping to her knees, she was partially hidden by the mist and the knee high greenery of the open field. How had this happened? she wondered. If she had not felt the sweat running down her scalp and turning her hair into a dirty blonde mess, if she had not felt the skin tear on her knees during one of the multiple falls she took in her flight, if she had not felt the fear rise up in her throat when she saw those dark, evil eyes staring at her, she would have thought this possibly a dream. But not now. Not here. Not like this.

  She stopped breathing. Silence. Her heartbeat had slowed to a dull thud in her ears, but she still heard the thunder. Hoof beats. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was not a dream, and she would not wake up in her small apartment snuggled in her warm bed. She would not drink a hot cup of coffee and drive to the university where she taught history. She would not do anything. Except run.

  The sun had crept out from behind the clouds that tried to smother it and was not helping in her escape. She could see everything, the trees that loomed ahead, the open field she was running through, the few wild animals who watched curiously as she ran. It also meant that they could see her.

  Trees. Trees! She could run straight for the forest and hide, climb a tree, hide in a hole. Something. A quick glance over her shoulder again was all she needed. Five large men with swords riding even larger horses, all with their eyes trained on her. She recognized the blonde man as the leader. He sat atop his horse as if it were nothing to run at break neck speed across rugged landscape holding an excruciatingly huge sword that he would no doubt use to run her through.

  A small cry escaped her lips as she turned and exerted every bit of effort left in her body to head to the forest that might prove to be her only means of survival. She passed the first tree and weaved her way through only a short bit. She did not need to look over her shoulder to know that they followed. She jumped over a fallen log without skipping a step. She veered around a boulder, ducked under a low hanging branch, slid down a slight incline in the earth and still the thunder was right behind her. They were shouting now to get her, find the woman, do not let her get to the edge.

  Light peaked through the thickness of the canopy. There seemed to be a clearing ahead of some sort. The edge of what? Maybe a town was near that edge, and they were afraid to go charging like mad men into civilization. Perhaps she could enlist the help of the local authorities. She focused all of her waning willpower on forcing her tired legs to push forward a little longer.

  The thunder had slowed and then, she noticed, came to an abrupt stop. She did not look back. Keep going, keep running, she told herself. No matter what, do not stop, she thought. The clearing was just ahead. She could not help stealing a glance over her shoulder. The men had stopped and were just staring at her with frowns on all of their faces. She had made it. She was safe.

  Continuing to run, she did not notice that there were no more trees for her to navigate through. The thick forest floor had turned to rough rubble. Still she ran. Suddenly, the rubble ended as quickly as the forest floor had. She looked down to see her legs still running but nothing was under her feet anymore. Her arms started to flail through the air, and she inhaled deeply to scream as she realized that she was going to fall to her death by way of the deep cavern she had inadvertently run straight into.

  “Would ye look at that?” the burley redheaded man mumbled with awe.

  The three Scotsmen standing at the opposite edge of the clearing did just that. They stared. The woman, wearing trousers of all things, was creating an arc in the air with her body. It was as if she had aimed herself directly at them. None of them moved. They just stared at the woman wildly hurdling their way.

  All heads turned simultaneously as she neared them. Her green eyes were visible at that distance only because they were so wide, almost as wide as her mouth as it continued to let out a high pitched scream. The redheaded man thought to suggest to his brother that he should perhaps move to the left just a smidgeon. Before the thought had fully materialized, he heard the noise before he saw it. The gut wrenching thud of two bodies clashing and the exhaling of breath as those bodies hit the ground.

  “Are ye alright then, Leith?” asked the red haired man, his brow furrowed.

  Leith MacGregor lay sprawled on his back, his thick arms outstretched on either side, both of his long legs askew. His lungs were broken. They had to be; that was why he could not inhale. He blinked. He couldn’t remember ever having seen the forest from this point of view before.

  “Leith?” the red-haired man called again, his voice nearing a yell.

  Leith’s lungs suddenly decided to function, and he inhaled deeply. He growled at the head that was lying on his shoulder. Reaching one hand up and wrapping his fingers angrily in the long length of stringy hair, he jerked the head up to peer into the greenest eyes he had ever seen. Intent on threatening the obviously mad woman for dislodging him from his steed and trespassing on his land, he opened his mouth but no words came forth.

  She looked at him in wonder and fear. How had she managed to span the distance of the gorge and land atop a great cushion of a man? She was alive, and she had him to thank for it. Looking into his dark blue eyes was disconcerting, but it was just the wonder at being alive and the fear that he would turn her over to…them.

  Them! They were still after her. These men were probably part of their clan and were just strategically placed on the other side of the valley as guards.

  Fear replaced her wonder at her survival. These men did not take thievery lightly, and in their eyes, she was indeed a thief. Bracing her hands on the wide expanse of shoulders beneath her, she brought her right knee up as hard as she could. He instantly released his grip on her hair and rolled over, tossing her aside as he went. As he lay there groaning, she scrambled to her feet preparing to speed off into the denseness of the forest again and took all of one step when she was running on air. She was tossed upon a horse and staring at the ground before she knew which way was up. She kicked and punched at the leather clad leg that was within her reach. The redheaded owner of that leg did not even flinch.

  “She got ye good on that one, eh?” the redheaded man hold
ing her down remarked to the oversized man who had cushioned her fall.

  He slowly and carefully regained his balance while growling and groaning, gingerly rubbed his groin, and made his way to her. She stilled. They were all still. She met his eyes. Would he kill her now?

  Thunder. They were coming. She had failed in her flight to escape them. She had made her flight from one band of pursuers’ right into the hands of another.

  The man she had landed upon stopped next to her head, but she did not bother to look at him. He made no move to touch her, but stood with his legs spread apart and sighed deeply. The man holding her captive on her belly stiffened.

  “Good day, Cousin.”

  The blonde man. The tall one with those dark eyes. He was breathing hard and his voice was slightly shaky. She had only heard his voice a couple of times as he was screaming orders to his men to seize her, but she would recognize it anywhere.

  “Cousin,” drawled the man standing next to her. “Hunting again?”

  The blonde man laughed. “Cousin, you really should work on that sense of humor of yours.” He paused. His voice turned icy. “She stole something of mine, and I intend to receive payment for it.”

  Leith casually leaned himself against her, using her shoulders as a resting spot.

  “Who?”

  She jumped as the echo of the blonde man’s voice surrounded her as he screamed, “I want what is mine! That woman--” he almost spat the word – “stole my man’s clothing, and she will pay for them.”

  The man holding her shifted. She was suddenly drawn up to a sitting position in front of him, his arms around her waist like a vice.

  Leith leveled his gaze at her, and she stared back. It was true. She had stolen the young boys extra set of clothes from his bag that had been tossed slightly away from the group. But she had good reason.

  “Did you steal his man’s clothing, lady?” Leith asked in a quiet voice that she was sure belied the emotions running underneath. His jaw was clenched and his lips slightly pursed.

  She looked at the frowning, red faced blonde who was staring at her with hatred and lust in his dark brown eyes and then back to Leith. There was no need to lie. “Yes. I was naked. I needed clothing. They were lying on the ground so I took them.”

  Leith held her gaze for a long moment. Naked?

  Leith nodded to his red haired brother behind her who promptly threw a gold coin at their cousin.

  “What is this?” he sneered. “You intend to pay her debt for a crime you do not know about committed by a woman whom you have not met before?” the blonde man ground out between clenched teeth. His face could not possibly get a shade redder than it was. This woman, obviously a foreigner, had broken into his camp and stolen from one of his squires. It was the perfect excuse to exercise his authority in his father’s lands. Besides, his men were bored and this girl might prove to be a nice distraction.

  The red haired man holding her tightened his grip, and the horse beneath them tensed and stomped his foot. Leith patted its neck and continued to stand nonchalantly while he raised an eyebrow at his cousin, noting the vein throbbing in his temple. His cousin never could control his temper. Even as children, it was the same.

  “Ah, but I do know her, Alisdair.”

  Every gaze in the small group turned his way and was glued to him. Even the natural stirrings of the forest seemed to quiet in expectation. Even his red-haired brother holding her in place seemed confused. Hands were resting at the edges of their swords and horses were fidgeting, they too wanting to know the outcome of this strange situation.

  Alisdair exclaimed in a high voice full of exasperation, “Well, who is she to you!”

  Leith closed the gap between him and the woman and placed his hand on her knee. She raised her eyebrow at him, but said nothing as he continued to survey her. She thought about kicking the smugness off of his face when his next words stole her breath.

  “She is my betrothed.”

  Chapter 2

  Robbie MacGregor glanced at his brother, wondering if his collision with the woman had addled his wits more than he had originally thought. He shook his head and pondered the dilemma in which they were now finding themselves. The presence of this strange woman was already proving to be quite disastrous.

  “So,” he began, trying to get his brooding brother’s attention.

  He cleared his throat twice, but still no response.

  “Well?” he said, louder.

  Blue eyes the color of the sky on a clear day met his.

  “Well what?” came the growl.

  Robbie gestured toward the dirty, skinny, blonde tied to the saddle on the horse behind them. “Well… that.”

  Leith, still frowning, barely threw a glance her way and met Robbie’s gaze. “She is my intended wife.” When Robbie continued to stare as if he was daft, Leith sighed and said slowly, “She is Lady Brighton.”

  That confused not only Robbie but Raine as well, making them both stare at him. Robbie was frowning so deeply, his normally well arched brows became as one, while Raine’s face portrayed the horror and obvious distaste of being considered as one Lady Brighton.

  She had to put a stop to this before it got any further out of hand.

  “Um, excuse me,” she ventured. Their attention was elsewhere.

  Ignoring her, they continued their conversation.

  Robbie asked, “How do you know she is the Lady? She is not supposed to arrive for another month at least.”

  Looking ahead and staring over the grassy hills, he said bluntly, “Besides, no Lady would be dressed like…like…” he sniffed with disgust, “like that, looking like a man in those trews, all covered in dirt. And not smelling anything like roses as women should.”

  He had ventured too far. Realizing she was had no chance of escaping these men, feeling slightly grateful to the man with ebony hair for saving her from his crazed cousin, she still was not going to let them say that she was stinky.

  “Excuse me!”

  Two pairs of blue eyes flicked her way.

  She licked her lips and said haughtily, “I do not smell.”

  Leith gave her a half smile. “Lass, ye smell so bad even the horse beneath ye is anxious be rid of ye.”

  And with that he kicked his horse into a gallop, leaving her open mouthed with a smirking red-haired Robbie.

  Finally by himself for a bit, Leith took a breath and tried to relax. He stretched his shoulders and twisted this way and that, trying to ease the kinks in his large frame. If someone would have told him that this morning, he would have met his future bride while he was knocked flat on his back as she tried to escape his mad cousin, he would have thought they were daft. He glanced over his shoulder just to confirm that she was really there.

  His cousin, Alisdair, would not let this go easily. He did not take being thwarted lightly. Truly, the only reason he had left with his group of brigands was because Leith was the chosen laird of his clan and Alisdair knew they had crossed the borders into MacGregor land. Leith sighed again. Alisdair would cause trouble over this. He would have to be pacified.

  For now he would have to deal with his future wife. And deal with her he would, sternly. What would the clan think when they found out she dressed like a man, smelled like a horse, and had more dirt covering her than the small army of children who ran rampant through the village?

  He had a myriad of questions to ask of her. What was she doing in the middle of a field on Alisdair’s land? And did she say she had been naked? Where was her father? Why was she not being escorted like a proper lady on her way to be married?

  Although his marriage had been arranged and agreed upon, he had not had much interest in it at the time. As long as she could breed sons and run his household satisfactorily, he would be content to carry on as he always had before with little or no interruption from his normal routine.

  Glancing over his shoulder once more, he wondered at the prospect of returning to that normalcy.

  Behind him, Rob
bie surveyed his sister-in-law to be. She did not look like much. He could not quite tell how rounded her hips might be since she was riding, but he was not impressed and did not expect many nieces and nephews from her. He sniffed. Hmm, he thought, just Leith’s luck to be saddled with a skinny, dirty, --

  His thoughts were rudely interrupted when she reached out and kicked him. “And what do ye think ye are doing?” he growled as he rubbed his shin.

  She frowned and said through clenched teeth, “Stop staring at me like I am a brood mare.”

  He sniffed at her again, and decided that his brother can deal with this dirty little minx. He left her and rode to catch up with Leith. Raine watched him ride away and catch up to the darker one. She silently cursed her luck. She had managed to escape the bloodthirsty ruffians, which was a good thing she thought, but then ended up as someone else’s fiancé, which was not so good.

  She sighed and bit the inside of her lip as it began to tremble. She just wanted to go home.

  She rubbed her dirty hand across her eyes, only to realize she had just put more dirt in them than she was wiping out. With her arm raised, she got a large dose of her own smell and grimaced. Good grief. They were right. She offended her own nostrils.

  She stole a glance around her. The countryside was a brilliant green, a lushness she had never quite seen before. A few large trees dotted the land and added to the picturesque beauty of the place. The hills cut a jagged edge through the clear blue sky that was unobstructed and seemed to go on forever. A blue that was quite similar to the eyes belonging to the man she had so ungraciously landed atop of a short while ago.

  She grimaced as she remembered her flight to freedom. She had never meant to steal those clothes or cause any trouble. After all, stealing clothes was nothing compared to walking around naked in the middle of a group of renegades, wasn’t it? She tried to push away the picture that formed in her mind as she remembered her harsh arrival to this seemingly beautiful place.

  The sky, so blue, so clear had suddenly darkened. Raine glanced at her watch. Half past five. Professor Whittaker should have been here by now. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Professor was a short, petite man with wild white hair. He reminded her of Einstein with his passion for learning and hair that looked like he had gotten a bolt of electricity run through him at one time.