He nodded and smiled, leaning in to kiss her. Her touch was gentle, comforting, and reassuring. With her, it was as though all his troubles melted away, like the thaw in spring. But for now, winter was here to stay, and Hamish knew that there was much they both had to overcome if they were to see those first buds of new life in the future, a future he hoped would see her at his side.
“I would gladly exchange it all for ye,” he said, “I have nay desire for all this. I know my duty, and I shall dae it, but it will cost me my happiness if I am to remain betrothed to Isabella and kept apart from ye.”
Evie looked at him in surprise, as though she had not truly considered the idea he would ever give up Isabella for her.
“Ye … ye would break off yer engagement? But what of yer clan’s alliance with the Musgraves? ‘Tis too dangerous to dae so, yer enemies would stop at nothin’ then, ye would have nay friends,” she said, an anxious look coming across her face.
“But I would have ye, Evie, and what more dae I need than that?” he said.
She sighed, smiling at him and nodding. They sat in silence for a while, the snow falling around about them, taking shelter in the holly bush. Hamish set about kindling a fire in the hollow, and they warmed themselves, delighting in one another’s company. Hamish wished for this moment to last forever for there, with Evie at his side, all his troubles were as nothing.
“I never thought ye would give it all up for me, Hamish,” she said, as they sat gazing into the flames.
“Gladly I would, Evie, but I must know somethin’ else, would ye give up what ye have for me?” he asked, and Evie nodded.
“Gladly so, I … I told Caitlin, my friend, of ye. I was worried she would tell my parents and my brothers. But she didnae. Yet, even if she had, I wouldnae have cared, nae now. I love ye Hamish, and there is nothin’ on God’s earth that will prevent me from lovin’ ye for the rest of my life. They can tell us that we are wrong, separate us, keep us prisoner even, but love is stronger than all of that, and I will love ye until my last breath,” she said.
He smiled at her, drawing her close to him and kissing her. Her hand went to his chest, her head resting upon his shoulder. He could not imagine such tender feelings towards another, such delight in the presence of another soul. He loved her, just as she loved him, and in his heart, he vowed to love her until his dying breath.
‘Tis worth the agony I must endure, he thought to himself, I will love her until the end, and I will dae anythin’ to be with her.
His heart was resolved, and as they prepared to say farewell, he knew what must happen next.
“I will break off my engagement to Isabella, Evie. It will mean the end of the alliance, but when that happens, I shall make fresh petitions to yer father and the other border clansmen. Perhaps we can end this conflict and reunited. Surely, they will see that it was my father and grandfather, not I, who wished for this alliance. We are Scots, proud Scots, and our place is alongside our Scottish cousins. The English use us for their advantage, they are nay friends to us,” Hamish said.
“Be careful, Hamish. The Musgraves are cruel and wicked people. They will show nay mercy, and though I have spent little time in Isabella’s company, I can see that she too is a jealous woman who would stop at nothin’ before she had her revenge,” Evie replied, as Hamish embraced her.
“Let me worry about that, lass. We shall meet here in three days if ye can manage to dae so?” he said, and Evie nodded.
“There are plenty more horses that need to be shod,” she replied, smiling at him, “but I must go now. I shall think of nothin’, but ye in these comin’ days, to be parted from ye is so painful, but there is joy in anticipation.”
He smiled at her. Kissing her and allowing his hand to play into hers, as they bid one another farewell. Neither wished to leave, and they lingered for a while by the hollow of the holly bush, as the little fire burnt itself out below. Finally, it was time to depart, the afternoon drawing on. It would soon grow dark, and the snow was now falling heavily about them.
“Farewell, Hamish,” Evie said, kissing her one final time.
“In three days,” he replied, but as he did so, a startled look came upon Evie’s face, and as Hamish turned, he saw a most unsettling sight upon the path above.
“Oh, nay, nae this,” she said, as two figures hurried towards them.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Evie and Hamish stood watching, as the two figures came towards them. One was her brother Rory, and the other was Caitlin.
So, she has betrayed me, but nae in the way I thought she would dae, Evie thought to herself.
“What is all this? Stand away from my sister, sir. If ye have harmed her in any way, then I shall see to it that ye are brought to a pretty end,” Rory said, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“I have nay intention of harmin’ yer sister,” Hamish said, his hand going to his sword, as the two men faced one another.
“How could ye, Caitlin? I trusted ye. Ye are my oldest friend, and ye have betrayed me,” Evie said, glowering at Caitlin, who stood her ground next to Rory.
“How could I nae tell of yer foolishness, Evie? Ye are lyin’ with the enemy, ‘Tis treachery. Ye are fortunate that I didnae tell yer mother and father, perhaps I should have done for ‘Tis clear from what we have observed this time past that ye and this MacBryde are in deep with one another,” Caitlin replied, scowling at Evie who shook her head.
“So ye have both spied upon us? Watched us together and made yer judgments. Dae ye nae see love when it stares ye in the face? But the two of ye are fine examples of that. Rory, always panderin’ after Caitlin, the lass who finds nay one to love her because she is so cold-hearted,” Evie said, her hand slipping into Hamish’s.
“Sister, ye are a fool if ye think that this man is to be trusted and if ye think that ye and he shall have a future together. We have come here to warn ye, nae to chastise ye. Ye will come home with us to Kirklinton, and the two of ye shall forget this foolishness once and for all,” Rory said, his hand still upon his sword hilt.
“And if we refuse?” Evie said, standing her ground defiantly against her brother and Caitlin.
“Then I shall tell father of this. Think what pain ye shall cause him and our mother; it would break her heart. Nay one else need know of this except us. But we are doin’ ye a great service, for if ‘Tis discovered that ye and this … traitor, are continuin’ in yer meetin’ then there shall be such scandal as may bring down the clan,” Rory said, and Caitlin nodded.
“Can ye nae see, Evie? I had to tell someone, the secret ye burdened me with was too great, but I have only told Rory,” Caitlin said.
“And I am glad that she did so that we could put an end to this nonsense. Now, come along with us and let this be an end to it,” Rory said, “and as for ye,” and here he turned to Hamish, “there will be nay more of this. Forget my sister and return to yer clan; she is nae yers and never shall be.”
“Is that nae for yer sister to decide?” Hamish replied quietly.
Rory looked at him angrily and took Evie by the arm, pulling her to his side.
“Nay, ‘Tis nae for her to decide. She is an Elliott, and ye are a MacBryde. Ye are a traitor, and she is a fool. There will be nay more of yer meetin’ and nay more of yer dalliance. Forget my sister and be gone,” Rory said.
Evie looked imploringly at Hamish, who shook his head sadly.
“ nae as simple as that, Rory Elliott. I love yer sister, and though I may be a MacBryde, I am nae the MacBryde that ye and yer clan have been so taught to hate. I cannae just forget her, and I daenae think that she can forget me either,” he replied, but Rory only scowled and shook his head.
“Enough of this nonsense, come now, sister. The night will soon be drawin’ in, and I have nay wish to be out upon the moorlands when it does,” he said and pulling her roughly away, he led her to the path towards Kirklinton.
“Hamish, I will nae forget ye,” Evie called back, tears filling her eyes, as she st
ruggled in Rory’s grip.
“And I will nae forget ye either, Evie. I will be waitin’ for ye, I promise,” he called.
But Evie could do nothing against her brother’s iron grip, and she followed him up the path with Caitlin at their side. Hamish was standing in the hollow by the holly tree, and she looked back for as long as she could until his figure disappeared in the gloom and snow of that mournful afternoon.
“Nay more of this, Evie,” Rory said, as he marched her along the path.
“I despise the both of ye,” she replied, and Caitlin looked at her sorrowfully.
“What else did ye expect me to dae, Evie?” she asked.
“To keep the secret, I entrusted ye with, Caitlin. Are we nae the closest of friends? Or so I thought we were,” Evie replied.
She hated Caitlin at that moment and her brother. How dare they spy upon her and Hamish, follow her as though she were some sort of common criminal or enemy.
But that is how they see me, I am nothin’ but an outcast to them, she thought to herself, as they made their way across the snowy moorland towards Kirklinton.
“Ye are fortunate that we shall keep this secret now,” Rory said, “for if mother or father discover yer treachery then …”
“Treachery? To fall in love is treachery, is it, Rory? Well, I am guilty of it then,” she replied, as they came in sight of the castle gates.
“We have been kind to ye, Evie. We have saved ye from yerself,” Rory replied.
He called up to the soldiers above, and the gates were opened. It was almost dark now, long shadows forming across the battlements and the castle seeming more foreboding than usual. Evie despised the place, and how she longed for the simple life of her childhood at the Armstrong castle, where she was free to come and go as she pleased, without the trappings which life at Kirklinton now brought.
She thought about running away, leaving the castle in the dead of night, and going to Hamish’s side. But such an act would be foolhardy, for she wondered whether Hamish really would be true to his word and break off his engagement to Isabella. Would she ever see him again? A tear ran down her cheek as they crossed the castle courtyard, and she knew that this had been her last chance. She had no desire to upset her parents, nor to cause scandal. But she could not help her feelings towards Hamish, feelings that only seemed to grow stronger with every passing moment.
“And what now?” she asked, as they made their way towards the Great Hall.
“We shall say we met ye on the road back from the blacksmith’s workshop. That is where ye went this mornin’ is it nae?” Rory replied, and Evie nodded.
“To take the horse to be shod. I shall return there tomorrow,” she replied.
“And ye shall swear to me that ye will nae meet that wicked man again,” Rory said as they came to the door of the Great Hall, beyond which came the sounds of their parent’s voices.
Evie was silent. She had no desire to swear anything of the sort. All she wanted was to see Hamish again, and the thought of not doing so was too painful to contemplate.
“I … why must ye be so cruel, Rory?” she hissed, but he pointed towards the door.
“We will tell Mother and Father everythin’ if ye dae nae. Here is yer chance, Evie,” Rory replied.
“Please, Evie. This cannae continue,” Caitlin said.
“Then it seems I have nay choice,” Evie replied, tears now running down her cheeks, “I will swear it, but if ye dae nae keep this secret, the both of ye, then know this, I shall nay brother and ye and I Caitlin will never speak again.”
Rory nodded, as though the idea of such an outcome held little worry for him and opening the door, he pushed Evie inside.
“Ah, here she is, the wanderer returns. Did ye sit down with the blacksmith all day?” her father said, rising from his place by the fire, as Evie’s mother and uncle turned to greet her.
Evie glanced at Rory, who nodded and ushered her forward.
“Aye, Father. She was diligent in her duties. Caitlin and I met her on the road, but the horse is nae shod, so she must return tomorrow for the beast,” Rory said.
“That blacksmith is useless,” her father said, laughing, “Duncan, dae ye remember that we would have a horse shod and on its way in an hour when we were masters of the forge,” Fraser Elliott continued.
“Aye, well … ye could dae that, brother. The forge was never the place I was naturally suited to,” her uncle said, laughing.
“Yer prayers kept us goin’ though, Duncan,” her father replied.
“Come and sit down, Evie, Ye will be cold,” her mother said, pointing towards a chair next to hers, “yer face is all red, it looks like ye have been cryin’ lass.”
“Oh … nay mother, ‘Tis … ‘Tis just the cold,” Evie replied, coming to sit by her mother, while Rory and Caitlin settled themselves down opposite.
“Caitlin, lass, ye must stay here tonight. The path across the moorland is too treacherous in the dark. The snow shows nay sign of stoppin’, and I wouldnae like to think of ye out there in the dark,” the Laird said, and Caitlin nodded.
“Thank ye, aye, my mother would worry if she knew I was walkin’ home this late,” she said.
“Ye can sleep in with Evie, just as ye usually dae,” Evie’s mother said, and Evie shot Caitlin a withering look.
She has proved herself to be nay friend of mine, she thought to herself, gazing into the fire.
Evie’s thoughts were turned to Hamish. She hated Rory for what he had done, but she knew that the alternative was too awful to comprehend. If her mother and father discovered her deception, then they would never forgive her. They would say she was a traitor and unworthy to be called an Elliott. They would be ashamed of her, and for what? Following her heart? Falling in love?
Am I never to be happy? She wondered to herself, sighing and battling back her tears.
“I received some interestin’ news this day,” her father said, sometime later, when the fire had burned low.
“News? In this awful weather? ‘Tis a hardy soul who battles through snow and ice to give his Laird news of the outside world,” Evie’s mother said, laying aside her sewing, as the others looked with interest at Fraser Elliott.
“Important news, lass,” her husband replied, “the Laird of the MacBrydes is dead, which means that there will be a new Laird very soon. Young Hamish MacBryde.”
“The one we had the pleasure of entertain’ here, Father?” Owen asked as Evie shot Rory a warning look.
“The same,” her father replied, glancing at Evie as he did so.
“Then chaos will surely reign amongst their clan now,” her mother replied.
“And we must watch carefully. The lad is betrothed to a Musgrave, and the English will seek to further their influence across the border. A weak Laird is a danger to us all,” her father replied, and there was a general murmur of agreement around the room.
“And what of the road to Lanercost?” her uncle asked.
“It will be protected, brother. Have nay fear, but as I have told ye before, we share one thing with the English, and that is our religion. The Musgraves wouldnae dare attack Lanercost, they would feel the wrath of their own people, as well as outs. Nay, ‘tis the MacBrydes we must be wary of and their new Laird. An animal is a dangerous thing when ‘tis cornered, and I am certain that many would happily see the new Laird deposed in favor of their own interests,” Fraser Elliott concluded.
“Well, ‘Tis nay concern of ours what occurs within the MacBryde clan,” Evie’s mother said, “We shall look after our own and let them look after theirs.”
The conversation now turned to other topics, but Evie remained silent and brooding. Her family would never understand. The MacBrydes were their enemies, and that was final. The death of the old Laird was, as far as they were concerned, a good thing and one to be celebrated. It meant instability, though the threat from the Musgraves was ever-present. She longed to cry out and declare her love for the man whom her father so readily dismissed. Why w
as Hamish so vilified, simply for his namesake?
They will never see it from my perspective, she thought to herself, glancing at Rory and Caitlin.
That night, she went to bed without a word to Caitlin, turning her back upon her and vowing not to speak to her for her treachery. How she wished she could go back and keep her mouth shut, rather than revealing her innermost secrets to the one person, she believed she could trust.
“Perhaps ye will understand in the end,” Caitlin said, as they lay in the darkness.
But Evie made no reply; it was they who could not understand, they who were foolish and unforgiving. She would see Hamish again, and no one, not even her family, could stop her from loving him and promising him her heart.
A Highlander Born From Chaos (Highlanders 0f Kirklinton Book 2) Page 19
