by Audrey Adair
“No, we cannot,” Kyla said strongly. “I’ll see to it. This was my doing, bringing them here originally.”
“Kyla—” Finlay began.
“I will come with you tomorrow, Adam,” she said, cutting off her husband. “Should any of them have any additional comments, they shall leave, and they can take their coin with them. It’s not worth it.”
Duncan nodded his approval from the head of the table.
“We invite them here to keep our people fed,” he said. “But if their spirit is broken, none of that matters anymore.”
They all soberly returned to their meals, reflecting on what was to come the next day.
As it turned out, Adam was accompanied by not only Kyla but Finlay as well for the day ahead, and he appreciated how seriously they were taking the threat these English posed. It was not quite like the days of old when they had fought for their land, as their country was now well under English rule, but what they held onto was their pride and their identity as Highlanders, and they would let no one, not even those who paid for use of their lands, take that away.
Today they had all dressed in their McDougall tartan, not to please the tourists, but rather to hold true to who they were. They rode up to Darfield Keep, the three of them abreast. When they arrived, Rory had already assembled the English in the yard, all of them now mounted and ready to depart. Kyla greeted her brother, and they stood a united front, as if ready to do battle.
“You are all in for a great treat today,” said Rory to the men before him. “For my sister will be one of your guides. She is well renowned for her prowess on a horse, by men and women alike, and knows the MacTavish lands better than any. Now come, follow us to the gaming section of the property. We would ask that you please only hunt within those fenced confines, and stay together to keep from shooting one another.”
Trenton, a portly man with the huge jowls, seemed to lead the travelers. He rode forward to join them as they left the yard.
“I have a favor to ask,” he said, sidling his horse in between Adam and Finlay. “I have promised these men a fine hunt today — it is why they accompanied me on this journey. You will ensure that hunt is successful, will you not?”
“I’m not sure what ye mean by that,” said Adam, feigning ignorance. “The success of the hunt depends on the skill of your men and a good bit of luck.”
“Yes, but you can assist in the luck bit of it, can you not?”
“No,” Finlay answered frostily, “We cannot.”
“I think he means stalking,” Rory said in Adam’s ear from his other side. “You know, herding all the animals in toward them so they have ample game to shoot?”
“I know what he is referring to,” Adam said to Rory through gritted teeth so the abominable man couldn’t hear. “We just don’t agree with it, which ye well know. Hunting is a sport between man and beast. It’s cheating to tip the scales in favor of one over the other.”
“Well they did pay for it—”
“No,” Adam said, shaking his head. They had discussed this before, when previous groups had visited and requested the same. Finlay and Kyla had been adamant that it would never be done on their land, and Adam agreed with them.
The man wasn’t pleased, but Rory soon placated him.
“Not to worry, Trenton,” he said. “There is plenty of game in these woodlands, and your men will be well pleased, as many have been before you. You shall see in due time.”
“There had better be,” he said with a sideways glare. “It was what I was promised when deciding to come up here. If not for the game, there is not much draw to this land, you do know that?”
They didn’t respond and the man reined in his horse to join his acquaintances behind them. As Adam turned to watch him go, he caught a glimpse of color in the back of the group of about ten men riding with them. It was an unusual color for a gentleman’s cloak, a blue that blended with the sky behind. He eased back from his family to get a better look and cursed when he saw the face of the wearer.
“I’ll be right back,” he said to them. “Continue on.”
“What’s wrong?” Finlay asked, concerned.
“It’s the girl,” he responded. “It seems she has joined us. I’ll not have her cause danger for the group, nor for herself. I’ll accompany her back to Darfield and meet you at the outskirts of the woods.”
“She can stay,” Kyla said. “For what reason should a woman not join? I have accompanied you on many a hunt.”
“’Tis different,” said Adam. “This one’s not like you.”
“And what do you mean by that?” she asked, raising an eyebrow nearly up to the line of her blonde hair.
“I only mean that she’s a delicate kind, not used to any sort of physical exertion. She nearly couldna complete the hike yesterday.”
“Yet she managed to bring herself to join us today,” said Kyla with a shrug. “In addition, she’s on horseback today. She’ll be fine.”
“I’m not sure,” he hedged, but Kyla gave him a look that told him not to argue with her. He sighed and turned to look behind him. At the very least, the girl was keeping up — so far.
“Fine, but I will have a word with her,” he said.
“Be nice,” she replied.
“Who do you think I am, Finlay?” he said with a wink as he rode away.
Rebecca felt exhilaration course through her as her horse caught up with the hunters in front of her. Upon descending the stairs for breakfast that morning, she had seen the men file out of the hall to claim mounts for the hunt. One look below at the women remaining at the table, and the thought of joining them all day in the most dull and dreary conversation filled her with dread. She had decided at the last instant to join in the hunt, and one of the stable hands had helped her find a horse shortly after the rest of them left. True, her horse might not be as strong or as swift as the rest of them, having been one of the last remaining, but it was steady and sure, and she felt they would get along just fine.
She did have to admit that her body was stiff and sore from the physical exertion the day before, which she was quite unused to. And yet, it made her feel like she had accomplished something, had actually put herself to some use, even if it was simply exploring. If there was anything that really smarted, and had kept her awake the night before, it was the shame that filled her thinking of the words her father and his acquaintances had spoken regarding the Highlanders. What must they think of them? she thought. It certainly brought a bad name to the English, and she was determined to do all she could to make amends.
When her horse joined the hunting party, she tried to remain as far behind as possible, out of sight from her father, from Vincent, and from the McDougall Highlander who had shown such disdain for them the day before. She did not want to be discovered until they were well away from the keep, too far away for her to be sent back.
Despite her concern at being caught, she was awed by the landscapes that surrounded her. She had been awestruck by the views yesterday on their hike, and today was no different. The beauty of the rolling green hills was apparent, and she was fascinated by how the landscape changed as they rode, from the cliffs near the lake to now the green of the woodland they were fast approaching.
The day was hot once again, but they had left early enough that they would be well shaded by the trees once the sun reached its peak.
So intent was she on her surroundings that she gave out a squeal of surprise when she heard a voice suddenly in her ear.
“What do you think you are doing?” the deep, steady voice asked her, and she turned to find her eyes met by the dark stare of the man from yesterday — Adam, as she recalled.
“I am joining the hunt,” she said, trying to seem as if she belonged.
“Do you really think that is wise?” he asked. “These men all have guns. You could very easily get yourself shot and killed.”
“I do hope you realize I am smarter than that,” she said with an eye roll. “What do you take me for? I sh
all stay with the rest of the hunting party, not to worry. I will not even wield a weapon of my own. Rather, I came for the entertainment.”
“I see,” he said, though it didn’t look like he actually did understand what she was telling him. “Stay within the trees and close to the group once we start to hunt. Dinna get too close to the open air or you may blend in.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your dress — ’tis the color of the sky.”
“How romantic of you,” she said, breaking into a wide grin, seeing an opening to have him warm up to her slightly. “Have you always such a way with words?”
He sighed as he eyed her. “Did you bring any attire with you rather than these extravagant dresses?”
“I shall have you know these are some of the finest walking and riding dresses London has to offer,” she said.
He would take his plaid any day over the layers of ridiculous fabrics the English wore, but he shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever you say, lass. Now, you will be careful?”
“I will,” she agreed, and as he rode away to take over the lead of the party, she felt rather lonely once more.
6
Adam nearly forgot about the girl as he led the party into the woodlands. In truth, he wasn’t sure if he was rooting for the men to find their game, or for the animals of the woods to avoid these English. The tourists usually liked to take home their prime catches and mount them on their walls, which was such a waste. At least they would usually leave parts of the bodies behind, allowing them to be used in meats and stews and the like.
Fortune turned out to be kind to the Englishmen, and sent plenty of game toward them; however the skill of these men left a lot to be desired. When they continually missed, they became surly and seemed to blame their misfortune on their Highland guides. It came to a point when Adam had to shoot a stag down from a place beyond the trees just to quiet the men, allowing them to think one of them had been lucky enough to hit their mark.
He caught sight of the woman a few times, always tight to the back of the pack, as she had promised from the start of the day. Her dress actually did stand out among the trees, and he was pleased that she had left that awful bonnet behind today. When he had spoken with her, he had tried not to notice that the sun had brought forth freckles to sprout over her nose, and made the sleek auburn of her hair shine red. He convinced himself that he also had not noticed the deep blue of her eyes, nor the slight curves that today’s dress showcased, which he had not seen yesterday on her small frame. It seemed she was not the child he had originally thought her to be.
He frowned as he realized he had lost his concentration, and looked at the group around him. As he did every so often, he counted the party once more, growing somewhat anxious when he realized he counted fifteen, when there should have been sixteen of them, including the Highland guides as well as the tourists. He counted again and cursed when he realized he was once again short.
“Finlay!” he called out to his brother. “We’re missing someone.”
His brother turned to him, a look of concern on his face. “How can that be? We haven’t moved location for quite some time.”
“I’m not sure,” he said. “I’ve counted a few times, however, and ’tis the same.”
His brother frowned, calling Rory over. Rory knew the men better than them, as their host at Darfield Keep.
“Do you notice anyone missing?” he asked, and Rory’s gaze roamed over the group.
“Thompson,” he said finally.
“Thompson?”
“The tall fair-haired one who enjoys voicing his opinion,” Rory said wryly.
Ah. The girl’s fiancé. Or not her fiancé. Not that it mattered. “Where could he have gone off to?”
“Hopefully just to relieve himself,” he said. “We’ll have the rest of them halt shooting until we can locate him.”
Adam nodded and went round to help inform them. The girl nodded to him as she waited demurely on her horse near the edge of the clearing in the forest.
Suddenly she jumped, just as Adam heard a shot ring out. “What in the name of…” A shot came again, and seconds following it, time seemed to slow as Rebecca screamed and slowly slid from her horse.
Rebecca had never felt pain like this before. She lay on the ground curled around her calf, which felt like it was on fire. She saw red liquid seeping out on the grass and crushed leaves around her and realized belatedly it was her own blood flowing from her injured leg. Her mind, hazy now, finally connected the sounds she had heard moments before with the injury, and she realized with a shock she had been shot.
How could that be? She had been with the group the entire time, had been so careful not to raise the ire of the man who hadn’t wanted her to come…. She groaned. He had said she would hold them back. He had said she would be injured. He had said she wasn’t fit for this hunt. Now he had been proven right.
As the pain began to be replaced by a numbness that slowly spread through her body, the last thing she saw before her eyes fluttered closed was his face. The strong, steady face. She tried to lift her hand to reach out to touch it, to tell him that he had been right and she was sorry she had spoiled the day for everyone, but before she could say a word, her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell unconscious.
“Rebecca! What did you do to her? Is she alive?” The large, portly Trenton had dismounted from his horse and trundled toward where Adam knelt beside the girl, assessing whether there was any significant damage to her person. “This is all your fault, man. Is it not your job to keep watch on all of us, to ensure all in the group are looked after and kept from harm? Why would you allow my daughter to even come with us on this hunt?”
“Is she not your responsibility?” Adam angrily retorted, but gave the man no more thought as he turned back to the girl — Rebecca, Trenton had called her — lying prostrate in front of him.
He had seen her eyes roll back in her head, and he considered it a blessing that her body had ensured she be without pain for some time, as he quickly moved to her leg to determine how badly she had been hurt. He had no thought of propriety as he lifted the hem of her dress and eased the stocking down off of her calf. It seemed the bullet was lodged inside the muscle, and she was bleeding fairly profusely. The biggest risk, he thought as he ripped a piece of fabric from his plaid and wound it round her leg to slow the bleeding, was that infection that could set in from the bullet if they didn’t remove it in time. Even then, there was a risk.
“Take her to Galbury,” Kyla said urgently from behind him. “We’re much closer to the castle than to Darfield, and your mother is there. She’ll know what to do. Go quickly, and we will meet up with you in due time.”
He looked back at her with a nod and lifted the woman as gently as he could. He was briskly walking to his horse when her father, who had stood over him as he tended to the wound, stepped his bulky frame in front of him.
“Where do you think you are taking my daughter?” he asked, his brows drawn in a line.
“To help her,” responded Adam with gritted teeth. “Unless, sir, you happen to oppose that?”
“Nothing unseemly, you hear me?” the man said, though he didn’t deny Adam from taking action. “Rebecca must be in untarnished condition for her marriage to a respectable gentleman like Vincent here. In fact, perhaps Vincent should be the one to convey her to the healer. Yes. I think that would be best. Vincent — Vincent?”
As if he had heard his name being called, the man broke through the trees, reining in his horse from the quick trot he was at, with a triumphant look on his face.
“I got it! By Jove, I hit the damn thing! Come see this stag, he’s a beauty. I’ve been tracking him all — whatever is the matter? Is something wrong with Rebecca? Has she fainted?”
Nearly at his horse, Adam stood stiff straight. Had he not been carrying the girl, he likely would have hit the man cross the jaw right there, in the midst of all of them.
“You,” he said through gritted tee
th. “It was you, wasn’t it? You found something you liked, and instead of informing the group and allowing us to hunt it together, you went off on your own. That’s why she was shot — because of your own damn selfishness!”
“Now see here, I — she — Rebecca was shot?”
“Aye,” responded Adam. “And I believe I now know how this happened. No matter. I shall deal with ye later but at present, we must have her returned to Galbury. Fin?”
Finlay nodded and came round the side of the horse next to Adam, taking Rebecca in his arms as Adam mounted, then lifted her up to him. Adam shifted her body so that she was leaning against him and he could therefore keep her from sliding off the horse, one strong arm holding her tight against him while the other took both reins in his hands. “Home, Sloane,” he said to his horse, as they headed back to Galbury as fast as they could without too badly jostling the girl off her seat.
It was a tortuous ride, and never had it seemed so long before. It seemed ages before he finally rode into the yard, where he was quickly greeted by one of the grooms, whose face turned grave when he saw the girl in front of him on Sloane. He helped both of them dismount, and Adam took her back from the man to carry her into the house, ignoring the strangely possessive feeling that settled over him when he saw her in another man’s arms.
When he pushed open the strong wooden doors of the front of the castle, he called out for his mother, and she soon appeared at the urgency in his voice.
“Adam, whatever is the matter? Are you not out hunt— Oh, dear!”
She came rushing down the stairs, meeting him at the door. “What has happened? Take her upstairs,” she said, taking control of the situation, as she always did when it came to moments of crisis.
As Adam hurried up the stairs with the girl, he could hear his mother calling to the cook, asking for help in gathering rags and materials she would need. He knew she would be in shortly with her bag of dried herbs and tools she’d used so often when they were children, tending to everything from a scrape on the knee to a broken bone from falling out of the tree in the yard.
