Heart of the Highlander

by Robbins, Kate

  “Very well. What do you suggest?”

  “Let some of the men bring Ada to Muren. Your place is here preparing for battle. Rorie, you know this to be true.”

  Aye, he did. Damn Sutherland and damn the king. Rorie looked out over the loch toward shore. There was only one way for an army to reach them and that was through the mountain pass. It would be slow going and, if they had not yet left Stirling, would take weeks to get here. He had time to prepare, so why was Ewen in such a panic to keep Rorie away from Muren?

  “We have a few weeks before any army could possibly arrive here. I will accompany Ada to Rona on the morrow and be back the day after that.”

  Ewen shook his head. “We cannot afford that kind of time. Your place is here. You are needed here.”

  “Ewen, what are you not telling me? We have weeks before the king could possibly get here unless his horses have suddenly sprouted wings. I do not understand the problem that two days of my absence will cause.”

  Ewen drew a deep breath. “I did not want to tell you, as I did not want this to influence your decision.”

  “What is it?”

  “Mairi has threatened to run off with MacLeod if you do not secure a betrothal.”

  “What?”

  “Aye, she is more determined than ever.”

  Dear God in heaven. His sister had only seen sixteen summers. MacLeod was twenty summers, and Rorie—though approving of the match—was not prepared to promise her until at least another year had passed.

  His two older sisters had been married far too young by his estimation, and he was determined not to make the same mistakes his father made.

  “I will speak with Mairi upon my return.”

  “And if she runs off in the meantime?”

  “Christ’s teeth, Ewen. Lock her in her chamber if necessary.”

  He had enough to deal with right now, and the idle threats of his younger, headstrong sister was not a priority while Muren was in danger and with a battle hanging over his head.

  Chapter Nine

  Muren crept up to the back of the lodge. The shutters had been opened in the back chamber in which she had passed the previous night, providing an opportunity to discern any goings-on inside.

  Shifting along the wall, she leaned in as close to the window as possible. Nothing. That meant only one of two things, and she preferred to keep optimistic thoughts in her head. Perhaps she could climb into the window and take a closer look at the hall undetected.

  Muren stepped out around the shutter just as a quilt was tossed outside. She grabbed it and held fast. There was no way they would take her like this. Tugging hard, she managed to wrap the heavy quilt over the person, who was quickly subdued.

  “Let me go!” The voice was female and familiar. Oh no!

  Muren lifted the blanket off her mother and helped her stand again.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her face flushed and her eyes full of the scolding look Muren had received many times as a child.

  “I thought you were one of the men,” she whispered. “I saw them at the pool, and came back to make sure you were safe.” Her heart was beating like a drum, her hands still clutching the quilt.

  “Muren, love, you look positively terrified. What has happened?”

  “Did you not see the men?”

  “There are no men, love. No one is here but us and the clansmen.” Her mother took the quilt and placed it back on the bed. She returned to the window and took Muren’s hand to guide her inside.

  Muren sat on the window-ledge then swung her legs inside. “You are certain there is no one here? We should ask the men.” They were real, she was certain of it. An uneasy feeling washed through her in waves. She reached out and closed the shutters, latching them from the inside.

  “Muren, there is no one else here. Come out to the front, and we shall talk to the men together.”

  “They will need to do a search. Rorie should have left us more men.”

  Her mother took her by the hand and led her to the front room, where the men were eating. Muren’s belly rumbled in approval, but her skin tingled as though a thousand needles all brushed against her at the same time.

  “Muren says she’s seen two other men up behind the lodge near the pool. Have you seen anyone?”

  Hugh glanced up first. Thomas stood and moved to the door, quickly followed by Hamish, Connor, and Hugh.

  “No, my lady, but we will search them out now,” he said.

  Hamish unsheathed his sword. “Stay here and away from the windows.” They pushed the table against the door and placed the benches on top of it. “Do not open this for anyone.”

  Thomas unsheathed his sword and crept to the back chamber. “My lady, will you latch the shutters behind us?”

  Muren followed her mother to the back chamber. The men slipped out and closed the shutters behind them.

  “What now?” Muren asked.

  Her mother took her hand. “There is nothing we can do right now but wait for them to search the area. You will come with me and eat something, then tell me exactly what happened and where you were.”

  Muren sat in the large chair by the fire staring into the flames. While she was very grateful for the clansmen, she would only feel truly safe if Rorie was there.

  “Muren, tell me where you were when you saw the men.”

  “Just up behind there, along the path, is a clearing and a lovely pool. I think mayhap the men swim there when ‘tis warm.” She envisioned Rorie’s thick muscular body gliding through the water, which sent warmth through her.

  “They were at the pool or in it?”

  She shook her head. “Neither. I was staring into the pool and saw…” Muren lowered her head. She was going mad. That was what was happening here.

  Her mother knelt in front of her, looking up into her eyes, and placed her hands over hers. “I am here, love. You are free to say anything with me.”

  Muren took a deep breath. “I saw the old woman from my dreams.”

  “In the water?”

  “Aye, in the place where I usually see my face. Instead, I saw hers.”

  “Where did you see the men?”

  “The woman mouthed for me to hide and I did, just as the men came into the clearing. I think they were looking for me.”

  “You hid well? They did not sense you were near?”

  “No, I hid behind a large rock, and they left once they scanned the clearing.”

  Her mother sat back on her feet. “Muren, I have been working inside and outside the lodge all morning. I swear I neither saw, nor heard, anyone. If they were looking for you, they would have had to pass by the men and me in order to get to where you were.”

  “I know. It makes no sense. I am sorry about the quilt. I truly thought you were one of them.”

  Her mother smiled. “It may be something we laugh at some time, you throwing a blanket over my head to subdue me.”

  A part of Muren could already see the humour in it. But more prominently right now was the fact that she had seen some men no one else had.

  “What if they had come ashore in another cove? Perhaps there are other paths here which allowed them to observe you.”

  “But that would mean they know what you look like. With my hair up, and bound like this, how would they know I am not you?”

  She made a valid point. Her mother’s frame was much like Muren’s and, with her woollen gown and apron, they could pass as sisters; many had said it in the past.

  “I did not recognize them.”

  Just then a pounding came on the back-chamber window.

  “My ladies, please let us in, we must make haste.”

  Muren and her mother dashed to the window and lifted the latch, allowing the men to enter. They bolted the shutters again and then quickly moved the benches and table in the front room. Placing them back where they belonged, they swung the door wide.

  “A small row boat is about to make landfall. There are two men inside we do not recognize. Grab you
r cloaks. We need to hide.”

  The two women did as bid. Muren’s heart thudded hard in her chest as they raced along the path leading up behind the lodge. Her mother would not let go of her hand, which made running a little more difficult, but the physical contact helped her from feeling like she was about to break apart inch by inch.

  After running for what felt like an hour, they came to another smaller cottage hidden behind the moss that had grown over it; it would be easy to miss if you did not know exactly where it was. But they did not go inside. Rather, they walked around to the back of it to find stone stairs leading up.

  Once at the top of the small crag, a watchtower came into view. Hugh ushered them inside and bolted the door.

  “Quickly now, climb those stairs.”

  Once the six of them were at the top, the men urged them to sit beside the wall, but Muren’s curiosity was piqued. She sneaked a look back toward the cove just as the boat hit the shore. Two men exited the vessel and hauled the boat up onto the beach. From here, she could also see the pool and clearing, and the lodge. Though the watch tower was not large, its position awarded an incredible view. It was surrounded by trees, so where they stood was up at tree level and not visible from the path. The trees then sloped downward, which was why they could view so much.

  “Sit back there, and don’t say a word, my ladies, please,” Hamish said.

  She and her mother scooted to the wall opposite the ocean and sat close together so that they may share heat. The air was cool, though the sun would no doubt soon warm them. Her mother lifted her hood over her hair then did the same for Muren. How long they sat like that, she could not have guessed. But it wasn’t until Thomas lifted his finger to his mouth that she became aware of the visitors’ proximity.

  “Looks like an old watch tower,” a voice said from below.

  “Well, go on then, open it.”

  “I cannot. ’Tis stuck.”

  Sounds of a body slamming against the wooden door met her ears just as her mother squeezed her hand.

  “Get out of the way.”

  “If I can’t open it, surely you cannot.”

  Moments passed into minutes as the strangers tried in vain to open the door.

  “Walk around the perimeter. See if there’s another way in.”

  “No, look, there’s a keyhole, you daft idiot. And by the looks of it, for a pretty big lock.”

  “You could have noticed that before we spent half an hour trying to break it down.”

  “You did not notice it at all. Don’t call me daft.”

  “Come on. She’s not here, and I want to get out of here before the MacKenzie gets here.”

  Muren’s heart leapt with joy. Rorie was coming? She looked over at her mother and smiled.

  * * *

  Rorie was out of the ship as soon as he was close enough to the dock to jump. Helping the men secure the vessel, he then lifted Ada and walked with her in his arms up the path leading to the lodge.

  “I am perfectly capable of walking, my lord,” she said when they had only gone a few steps.

  “ ’Tis a steep incline up the path, are you sure?”

  She pointed to the ground, “Aye. I’ve not been this high off the ground since I was a wee lass and seated on my father’s shoulders. If you keep me up here much longer, I may really lose my stomach.”

  Rorie set her on her feet as easily as he could.

  “I am not as delicate as I look, my lord. I thought you understood that.”

  “I would not see you harmed,” he said. She had been a few shades of green on the voyage over to the island. He would not embarrass her by bringing it up, but she was his responsibility, and he intended to ensure she was looked after.

  A warm rush flowed through him. The wind picked up just enough for a familiar scent to reach him. He smiled and turned just as Muren came into view, running down the path.

  “Is this your wee lass, then?” Ada asked.

  “Aye, that she is.” He tried his best to keep the ache in his heart from seeping into his words, but he was never very good at hiding his feelings.

  “She does not look ill.”

  Examining her closer as she drew nearer, he first noticed her beaming smile. His heart picked up a few beats. He was lost in that smile; by God, she was glorious. He never wanted to see aught but that smile on her face for the rest of her life.

  “Rorie,” she said, a little out of breath by the time she reached him. “I am so happy you’ve returned.”

  His body hummed with a need to take her in his arms and make her truly his once and for all. Damn Sutherland and the king. Mayhap they could board the ship right now and sail west. Let the king have it all if he wanted. The only thing Rorie wanted—nay, needed—was standing right in front of him.

  Ada cleared her throat beside them, drawing Rorie back to the present. He blinked a few times then returned Muren’s smile.

  “Muren, this is Ada. She’s a healer.”

  Ada took Muren’s hand into both of hers and held them. Upon contact, she jerked slightly. The reaction was brief and would have been lost had he not been watching closely.

  Muren frowned. “Have I hurt you, Ada?”

  “Nay, lass. But I would sit by the fire with you. We have much to talk about.”

  Muren linked arms with Ada, and they strolled up the path together, their heads bent low. Rorie could not make out what they said, but he had a good idea Ada was asking her all the questions she’d asked him.

  “We had visitors,” Hugh said.

  “Two, and they came in a skiff,” Thomas said.

  Christ’s teeth! “When?”

  “Yesterday.”

  “Tell me everything,” Rorie said. Perhaps his secret hideout was not so secret after all. He’d told no one but his closest men and swore them to secrecy, not that he needed to. He’d trust any of them with his life.

  They walked together to the lodge while the men described the skiff, the two men, and their encounter. Rorie’s guts coiled at the thought of them happening across Muren. Clearly, they were not MacKenzies or any of his neighbours. With MacKay and MacDonald to the north and south as allies, that only left a few options. They’d quarrelled with MacLeod often enough over this island, and it had changed hands a few times, though in recent years, his father had made a pact with the elder MacLeod. Rorie had not sensed any dispute the last time he’d spoken with the current MacLeod chief. But what would MacLeod want with Muren?

  “And you say they were definitely looking for Muren?”

  “They said ‘she’s not here,’ Rorie. We took that to mean the lass.”

  It was a safe assumption. The question now was, were they safe here? With Sutherland and the king likely on his doorstep at any time, Rorie needed to come up with a plan that would protect Eilean Donan and Muren. She could not stay there, but he was not so sure she could stay here anymore either.

  “Put two men in the watch tower; one with good eyes and one with fast legs. There’s another cottage further inland, but I don’t think it’s in very good shape. Follow the path, and you’ll find it easily enough. ’Tis much older and made of stone, so it will need to be opened up and cleaned out in case some wee creatures have been living in there. Take Morag with you.”

  This whole business was getting ridiculous. If Muren would just marry him, much of this would be resolved. He understood and respected her need for certainty but, by God, people’s safety was at risk now. His own people, and those who would be hers, too. If he were to press the issue, what would happen? Would he drive her away, or would it lead to the peace he desperately sought?

  Stepping inside the lodge, he watched as Ada and Muren sat together. Muren’s hands were palm up in her lap, and Ada stroked them and then studied them carefully.

  They both looked up when he entered.

  “Your wee lass is very strong,” Ada said.

  “Aye, that she is. But can you help her when the pain comes to her head?”

  “I may be abl
e to help a little, but ’tis something she must overcome on her own.”

  “What does that mean? She has to heal herself? But how is that possible?”

  “In her heart, she knows what must happen, don’t you, lass?”

  Muren nodded.

  Rorie was losing patience. Couldn’t one of them speak plainly?

  Ada stood and moved past Rorie with a smile on her face as she left them alone.

  “Will you sit with me?” Muren asked.

  “Aye, but you must tell me what Ada said and what must happen. We also need to talk about this situation. I do not think you understand the full scope of it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The king amasses an army at Stirling. ’Tis thought he will ride to Eilean Donan. In turn, I must gather my own forces and that of my neighbours. It will take weeks for the army to march north, but in the meantime, and in light of the visitors here yesterday, I fear you are not safe anywhere.”

  “Rorie, what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying what I have been all along. I understand you need time to be sure, but all of this would go away if you would consent to marry me.”

  There, he’d put it out there. Her jaw dropped open a little, and her eyes went wide.

  “Are you telling me that everyone is in danger of the king’s wrath because of me? You’re putting that on me? I did not agree for the betrothal to be broken. How can you possibly blame me for the ways in which men use women as barter for their own gain?”

  “You are taking my words and twisting them. I am saying that much would be resolved if you would consent to marry me. Douglas would go harass someone else, the king would not bring his army north, and I would not need to hide you.”

  Muren’s brows drew in tight, and her eyes narrowed. “Very well. Get the priest.”

  “You are angry.”

  “I am well beyond angry. If you believe that our marriage will ensure the safety of everyone, then so be it,” she said and crossed her arms over her chest.

  He wanted her more than anything, but not like this. Why couldn’t the woman see reason without turning it into some grand drama?