“Oh my, there’s Josiah.” Nanna patted her chest. “He must have been with your father’s traveling party. He was courting me in the months before you were born.”
“Which one is—” Ah, no need to ask. An older broad-shouldered warrior with a weathered face and his sword swinging from his side marched toward them, his intense gaze on Nanna.
“Well, well, so my ears were no’ deceiving me. Jean MacIan has returned to Mingary.” Josiah motioned toward the laird’s solar at the side of the hall. “Your son willnae believe his eyes either even though he’s heard the news. He’s anxious. You best hurry.”
“It’s good to see you too, Josiah.” Nanna blushed, actually blushed.
“Aye, save a dance for me later when the pipers play. We have much to celebrate this day.”
Goodness, Nanna had not spilled all her secrets yet, and she’d get the rest of them out of her before this day was done.
They weaved around the room, and she brushed against a wall hanging embroidered with the MacIan clan crest.
Ahead, a warrior opened the solar door and Nanna raced through.
This was the moment they’d been waiting a fortnight for. She walked in and the guard closed the door with a gentle snick.
John paced the room, his broad back carrying the weight of a sheathed claymore.
From the corner chair, Janet shot to her feet. “John, they’re here.”
He spun around, his gaze wide on Nanna. “Mother, is it truly you?”
“Yes. I’ve so much to tell you.” She rushed across the room, her arms open.
John swung her off her feet. “As do I. Mere days after you went missing, I returned from Skye to mayhem. My men had already scoured the surrounding hills for you, but I continued to search and I came upon an old woman and her son deep in the forest, a seer.”
“Then you met the fortuneteller, as did I.” Nanna’s eyes went wide. “Did you speak to her?”
“Aye, she insisted magic had taken you away but would one day return you. ’Twas all gibberish, or at least until she spoke of the folklores surrounding those born under a falling star, the same tales you used to speak of to me when I was a lad. I sat with her around her campfire. She said she’d felt a disruption in time. I clung to her words, because you’d vanished, and I had no other answer for your disappearance than what she spoke of. She said you lived, and one day you’d return. She told me I’d have to be patient, and that your return would only occur when the time was right.” He set her back on her feet. “I didnae care for that part of her prophecy, and I never believed ’twould take over twenty years for it to come about. I’d almost given up hope.”
Relief poured through Lila. Her father knew. The fortuneteller had paved the way for the acceptance of their return.
“I met the fortuneteller at Edinburgh’s markets,” her grandmother continued. “She traveled to the future to aid me. Because of her guidance, I was able to wish my way back to the past.”
“Even though I was told, ’tis hard to believe you’ve been beyond our time.” John scraped a hand along his jaw. “Tell me what happened after Marybelle passed. I must know it all, and what started the disruption.”
“Lila was so tiny, and I knew her life would end as quickly as her mother’s. I couldn’t lose them both, and I made a wish with all my heart for Lila to live. A black void opened, and within the blink of an eye, we were far away.”
“How far through time, and to where? I was never told, no matter how much I pleaded with the fortuneteller.” He cupped Nanna’s cheeks.
“We arrived at a time over four-hundred years from now, where there is such medical advancement. Lila was placed within a glass-enclosed capsule and cared for by people holding the greatest of abilities. They saved her life as none here could. Certainly no amount of searching you undertook would have found us. Oh, John, you must meet your daughter.” Nanna waved her forward. “This is Lila.”
“Come, child.” A beaming smile lit his face.
She staggered forward, grasped his hands. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“I mourned no’ only my wife, but my mother and child for years. I longed for both of you to return. You have your grandmother’s eyes, and those of a child born under a falling star. Did you too make a wish to return?”
“Yes, I made my wish while visiting Mingary in the future.”
“You were drawn to your home. Good.” He kissed her cheeks. “My daughter. I have a daughter.”
Nanna wiped her eyes as she cried. “I always dreamed of this moment, to see the two of you together.”
“You saved my child, Mother.” He held out a hand toward Janet. “I have them back.”
“You do, as you’ve always told me you would.” She rushed across, and John pulled them all together into a hug. “The fortuneteller told you the truth.”
“She did.”
Nanna sniffed. “Janet, for the longest time, I’ve wanted to thank you for what you did in saving John’s life. I read of what happened on your wedding night. The terrible massacre was recorded in history.”
“Oh my.” Tears misted her gaze. “You truly read of the account?”
“Yes, and my heart ached at what I read.”
“My son took so many of your kin’s lives that eve. ’Twas an atrocity I’ve never forgiven Lachlan for. I’m so sorry.”
“That is his burden to bear, not yours.”
“As I continually tell my wife as well.” John kissed the top of Janet’s head then tugged on a shaft of Lila’s hair. “’Tis a miracle you’re alive, something I never thought I’d see, regardless of the fortuneteller’s decree.”
So many emotions swamped her. Relief. Disbelief. Love. A sense of belonging and excitement stole through too. This was her father, and now they were together again, as they always should have been. “I’m so glad you’re home. Now we have the chance to get to know one another.”
“The king wouldnae permit me to leave until he’d entered into talks with all three chiefs. I had to wait for Lachlan MacLean’s arrival.”
“Nanna said you had to give evidence of what you’d witnessed.”
“Aye, he questioned me about it all. Now I pray the king will come to a decision, one which will go in our favor. This feud must end.”
Janet rubbed her cheek against John’s shoulder. “I wish for it to end too, but no’ at the loss of my son’s life.”
“MacLean’s willful nature will be his downfall. He cannae continue to ravage the isles, plundering as he does. Although for your sake, I too hope he does no’ lose his life.” He glanced at Nanna. “On the night we wed, Lachlan and I argued. I hadn’t expected him to demand I break my ties with my MacDonald kin and fight against them. Our marriage should have been the start of a resolution to the feud, no’ to inflame it further. I was sadly mistaken.”
“Yet you stayed at Duart that night. Did you not expect Lachlan to retaliate when you chose to remain loyal to your MacDonald kin?”
“I didnae believe he’d be that vindictive. Now the king will have his way. I only pray MacLean’s second willnae wish to battle us in his chief’s stead.”
“Calum is Lachlan’s captain and he’s a good man,” Janet pressed, intervening. “John, surely you have no’ forgotten ’twas Calum and his brother who restrained Lachlan on our wedding night. As of yet, Calum has no’ attacked, and I dinnae believe he will.”
“Aye, though I will continue to guard and defend my land against any threat,” John answered her. “The king has interceded, and I hope he can bring about a resolution, but should he no’ then I will ensure Mingary does no’ fall to Lachlan MacLean or his men.”
A round of hearty singing broke out in the great hall and John cleared his throat. “The ale is flowing. Come, no more talk of this feud. We have much to celebrate, and our clan awaits.” He flung open the door and bellowed, “’Tis time for festivity. My mother and daughter have returned.”
Cheers abounded, and Lila’s heart ached in equal measure.
Her father’s acceptance had been everything she’d hoped for, yet this feud was far too real and the stakes deadly.
“We’ll sort this,” Nanna murmured in her ear. “For now, let’s enjoy the feast. It’s time for you to get to know your father as you always should have.”
Yes, this was her home, her clan. She had time now, as she hadn’t had before.
Chapter 8
“Load the cart with enough provisions to send to the men.” Ian’s booming voice filtered through the window, ringing with authority from the lower courtyard.
At least he wasn’t lurking within the hallway, awaiting Lila’s first step out of her chamber this morning. In the days following her father’s return, he’d ordered Ian accompany her whenever she’d wandered beyond the keep. The hulking warrior was everywhere, his protection absolute. Certainly, her father’s worries were legitimate considering any wish they might make in desperation could come true, but she and Nanna had returned and were done traveling through time. This was her rightful place and here she wanted to remain.
She shoved her bedcovers back, hopped across the cold polished planks then crawled onto the wooden trunk’s engraved lid under the window. After flinging open the shutters, she flipped her nightrail’s hem over her dangling feet to warm them against the chill.
Outside, the sun hovered on the horizon, promising some warmth to the cool autumn day. It had poured the night before, a deluge that caused the green hills to glisten with a wealth of new growth. This land was beautiful, with its lochs and bens and grassy moors.
Better still was the view toward Mull. Each day she took a stroll along the shore and the sight toward Duart brought her closer to the warrior who never left her mind.
Goodness, she missed Calum. Their night in the cave, now three weeks past, would be forever burned into her soul. If only she could see him in truth, to have the chance to tell him she’d never set out to deceive him. A fanciful wish, one she’d never make.
“We’re almost there, Malcolm. Bring the loaves of bread, beans and oats from the kitchens.” Ian stood with one hand braced against the wooden sides of a cart overflowing with blankets, clothing, tools, and supplies for the warriors camped east of here.
Two lanky lads dashed out from the side entrance and tucked several loaves of bread into the rear. Both had red hair and breeches three or four inches too short on their legs. Twins, and the head cook’s eldest sons. She’d come to learn they were a boisterous pair.
Hmm, where was her father? He was usually in the midst of such happenings. Maybe cloistered again with his seneschal. Yesterday he’d spent the entire day examining the accounts.
During some time alone with him in the evening, she’d explained how computers worked in the future, and how specialized software programs kept a tally of it all. He’d looked at her in complete astonishment. Oh, the things she could tell him, and would. She smiled at the thought.
“Lila, it’s me.” Nanna knocked then walked in with a swish of her bronzed skirts. She plowed to a stop. “Oh, why aren’t you dressed?”
“I’m brooding. Where’s Father?”
“He left at dawn to visit two tenants to collect overdue rents. He’ll be gone for a night or two. He’s organized for us to travel with the men to the camp. He thought you might like to see more than Mingary’s stone walls.”
Would she ever, and she’d be even closer to Calum. “How long will we be away?”
“We’ll stay the night and return tomorrow with Ian.”
“I can’t believe Father is allowing such a trip.” She jumped off the trunk. “Is Janet coming?”
“No, she left with John.”
“That’s a shame.” She and Nanna had enjoyed spending the afternoons with Janet in her solar. The stories Janet had told them about the MacLean and MacIan clans fascinated her. Janet loved both her kin, no matter the feud and the wrongs done between them. She also held hope that one day things would ease and she’d once again be able to see her family. She missed Margaret and her grandchildren.
“You’ll enjoy watching the warriors train. It’s a sight to behold.” Nanna crossed and glanced out the window. “Oh dear, look at poor Ian. He can’t stop scratching his jaw. Clearly he doesn’t care for the clean-shaven feel.”
“That might be my fault. I told him ladies don’t really appreciate rough beards.” He’d gotten a little too close during a dance one evening in the great hall, and it had been the only way to ensure he didn’t get any ideas.
“I see. He’s clearly taken your word as truth. I’ll keep an eye on him for you.” Nanna wandered to her curtained ambry and foraged through her clothing. She hauled out a deep blue riding habit and a broad-brimmed hat. “This is perfect. I’ll choose a second outfit for tomorrow and ensure it goes into my bag.”
“Will I get to ride?” That’s something she’d yet to experience. She tugged her nightrail over her head then folded it under her pillow.
“You’ll need lessons first. For today you can ride with a warrior.”
“Perfect, but anyone other than Ian.” She donned the white shirt Nanna handed her, then tugged on the fitted jacket. The riding habit’s skirt was long and full, cumbersome and weighty, but the extra layers would keep her warm outside. She laced her leather boots and pocketed her charm. “Will Josiah be coming along on this trip?” Nanna and the warrior had taken an endless number of walks together.
“Yes, and I shall not be telling him he has a rough beard.” Nanna fanned her face. “Sixty-five and I’m allowing a man’s attentions again. Whoever would have thought?”
“Me.” Nanna had so much love to give.
She splashed her face with cool water, combed her hair and left it long and loose.
“I’ve never considered seeing anyone in all these years, not with the secrets I’ve held.”
A knock sounded and Nanna walked to the door and opened it.
Meg dipped her head and placed a tray on the side table.
Nanna handed her the clothing for their trip and asked her to ensure it was packed in the cart.
Meg curtsied and left.
“We have porridge and oatcakes today.” Nanna pulled out a chair and sat.
They’d fallen into the routine of eating breakfast together in her chamber since Lila had a terrible habit of sleeping in. She sat next to Nanna and poured their tea. The porridge warmed her belly as she ate, though she craved something far sweeter. “I miss chocolate.”
“I’ve been longing for cream cakes for days, the ones from our local bakery with real strawberry jam inside.” Nanna bit into an oatcake and scrunched her nose. “I wonder if I can ask the cook to add more honey to these?”
“I miss hot running water and showers too.”
“I miss the bowling club.”
“I miss getting a good night’s rest. Calum won’t stop plaguing me.”
“You do look rather pale.” Nanna traced under Lila’s eyes with her thumb. “I could ask the healer to prepare an herbed drink which might help boost your energy.”
“I’d like that.” Extra energy sounded wonderful. “Then I might be able to sneak away from Ian a lot quicker.”
Nanna smiled and sipped her tea.
She continued to eat as Nanna watched her, and far too thoughtfully.
“My dear, one day soon you’ll have to tell John about your handfast. He needs to know about Calum. You can’t keep the information from him forever.”
“I know, but it isn’t as if he’d bless the union and wish me well.”
“No, but you should give him the chance to make his own mind up about it all. Your souls are bound.”
“I can’t leave here, or you.”
“Mount up and prepare to leave.” Ian’s order rumbled through the open window.
“You miss him. I can see it.” Nanna brushed the crumbs from her skirts as she stood and peered out the window. “Ah, there’s the score of MacIan warriors who arrived from Kilchoan this morn. The new recruits are traveling with us.”
/> “Did Father issue another call-to-arms?”
“Yes, even though it’s only to guard and defend our shores. It’s a precaution. He won’t allow Mingary to fall.” Nanna lifted a brow. “One of the warriors is called Wolf. We had an interesting conversation out by the stables this morning, albeit a short one. Are you aware wolves are scarce in these parts, and that they’re being hunted into extinction?”
“The animal? Or the man?”
“The animal of course. Come, we’re out of time for further conversation. Grab your riding hat.” Nanna strode out the door.
After plunking her hat on, she tied the ribbon under her chin and followed her grandmother downstairs and into the courtyard. Nanna crossed to Ian as he held a mare for her to mount.
She veered toward the warrior mounted behind Nanna. His dark hair swept his shoulders, covering the tip of a massive two-handed claymore strapped to his broad back. “Excuse me. Do you mind if I ride with—”
He spun around, his golden gaze piercing in intensity.
She stumbled back and another warrior gripped her elbow and mumbled, “Dinnae give us away, lass. The name’s MacIan, Colin MacIan. Come and meet my brother, Wolf.”
* * * *
Calum wanted to grab Lila, haul her onto his horse and ride like hell from the enemy’s camp. For more than three weeks he’d searched for her, only to find her here at Mingary. Instead, he extended his hand for her to take and remained as calm as he could. “Do you no’ wish a ride, my lady? I vow to take care of you.”
“I—I—”
Colin swung her up and Calum caught her around the waist and seated her in front of him. His hands itched to drag her against him, and he barely refrained.
“Where did—how did—” She cupped his cheek then gasped and shoved her hands into her lap. “I mean, you shouldn’t be here. It’s too dangerous. You could lose your head.”
“The name’s Wolf, and I’m no’ here to lose my head. I’m here to rescue my wife,” he finished in a whisper.
Highlander's Charm Page 9
