A Highlander’s Homecoming (25 page)

Isa whirled, throwing the poker to the hearth. “Do you think I can simply turn my back on this? You heard what he said of Roland. If it’s true—if that whoreson has murdered my grandfather—I canna let him get away with that any more than I can allow him to go unchallenged for what he’s done to the lad.”

Robert didn’t question the truth of what the boy had said in the least. It was, in fact, because of what Jamie had told them that Robert felt so much urgency. He had to make her see reason.

“There’s more. Things I dinna tell you. The night of yer grandfather’s wedding, when those men waylaid me, the reason I dinna want to spread any alarm was that I suspected Lardiner was behind it. I kenned the truth of it then that he’d do anything, even murder. It’s why I tried to convince you then of the need to come away with me.”

If only she would agree. He didn’t want to hurt her by telling her what he’d found before meeting those men in that dark hallway.

But it seemed her stubbornness knew no bounds.

“Suspicion is one thing. What we see with our own eyes, what that beast had done to poor Jamie, that is something else altogether. Roland might batter a wee child, or push an old man already in his cups down the stairs, but he’s a lowly coward. He’d no lay his hands on me.”

She left him no choice.

“Yer wrong about the man. I’ve good reason to believe he laid his hands on yer friend, Auld Annie. I’d gone to her room that night, hoping to speak to her again. But when I arrived, I found her dead. Strangled, by the looks of it, though the maid who walked in on me assured me she’d died of her sickness in her sleep.”

“That canna be. She was no sick when I saw her. Only frightened.”

“Exactly. They murdered her. I saw her body with my own two eyes. It was coming out of her room I was attacked, but when Jamie found and wakened me, I’d been moved to another part of the castle.”

It broke his heart to watch the pain wash over her face, but she had to know, had to understand how important it was for her to get away from here. Surely she’d see reason now.

“You saw this? At the castle, before we left? And you dinna tell me? Surely you had to realize I would want to hear of this travesty against Auld Annie.” Her face had lost its color, as if shock were setting in.

“That’s exactly why I dinna tell you. Yer safety was more important to me than any revenge you might seek.” And with her temper, he didn’t doubt for an instant she’d want justice for her old friend.

“It’s no a matter of revenge. Roland must be made
to pay for his crimes.” The color that had drained from her face when he’d first told her about Annie flooded back, washing her cheeks a deep dull red.

“Isa. Think about what you say. With Lardiner in charge, you and I alone canna take on the whole of the MacGahan clan. You canna ask that of me. Think of the boy. Let me get you both to safety. You and Jamie. Once we reach MacQuarrie Keep, I’ll lead men back here if it’s what you want, but listen to reason for now, lass.”

She glared at him, eyes glassy with unshed tears, her lips pressed into a thin, tight line. Then, as if a door had opened, her expression blanked before turning into a small, sad smile.

“As you say, Robbie, I canna ask that of you.” She wiped her hands down the front of her shift and crossed to him, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “We’ll need to make sure enough feed and water is left for the animals to carry them over until yer people can come back for them.”

Finally! He gathered her into his arms, covering her mouth with his for a kiss she met boldly. He knew she hated to leave her home, knew it saddened her. But this was the only viable option, and he thanked the saints she’d seen the truth of that at last.

“I’ll see to the animals. You gather rations for us to carry on our journey. Though it will add an extra day, I’m thinking we’d best go the long way around to avoid Castle MacGahan.”

He stopped at the door, glancing back to reassure himself it was real. She had already spread out a cloth and even now placed two loaves of bread in the middle of it.

“Go on with you, Robbie. We’ve much to do this day. Both of us.”

With a sigh of relief, he strode out the door toward the stable. For the first time since he’d arrived in this century, he felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

Isa kept her back turned until she heard Robbie close the door behind him. She might not be able to stop her tears, but she certainly did not have to let him see them.

She grappled with her emotions, forcing herself to keep moving, to gather what was needed for the journey. It felt as if she stood outside herself, watching herself go through the movements as a normal person might, but she felt anything but normal.

Anger seethed through her, twisting and burning like a fiery serpent. Worse still, the pain in her heart beat at her. Heavy and throbbing with the knowledge of her loss.

She piled as much as she could onto the cloth, then tied the corners together, making a neat bundle for the journey to MacQuarrie Keep. That should do well enough for the two of them.

Crossing the room, she ran her fingers lightly over Jamie’s sleeping face, tucking his hair behind his ear before brushing her lips over his forehead.

That Robbie would see to his welfare she had not the slightest doubt.

At the door she paused for one last look around her beloved home.

Robbie had been absolutely correct. She could not
ask him to risk his life in confronting Roland. Nor was she willing to put poor Jamie in danger again.

But there was nothing to prevent
her
from delivering the justice Roland Lardiner deserved. He’d taken from her the only family she’d ever had and she meant to make him pay for his crime.

Chapter 23
 

“Goddammit!”

Robert stood in the center of the quiet cottage, furious at his own stupidity. He should have known better. Should have guessed Isa was up to something the instant she gave in so easily.

But he hadn’t. He’d allowed himself to be tricked because he’d wanted it so badly.

“Goddammit to hell,” he fumed, stomping across to the table.

She’d left their provisions all packed and ready to go like she was fool enough to believe he’d leave without her.

“Robbie?”

He turned at the sound of the little voice, hurrying to the boy’s side.

“Hush now, lad. Try to get yer rest. I’m going out for a bit to find Isa, and when we return, we’ll all be leaving this place.”

Faerie Magic be damned. Whether she wanted to or not, he intended to get her to safety if he had to tie her to the back of his horse.

Perhaps she had been just a wee bit hasty in her decision.

Isa stopped running and bent over at the waist to catch her breath, the energy from her white-hot fury beginning to wane. The betrayal she’d felt when she learned Robbie had withheld the news of Annie’s murder had stoked the fire burning in her belly. A fire of hatred and the need for vengeance. Not that the anger had gone away, only that she’d had time for reason to kick in. Reason and the vaguely unsettling feeling that something important wasn’t as it should be.

She straightened, and looked around to gauge her bearings, trying to determine how far she’d come. She’d specifically chosen to cut through the forest, avoiding the trail just in case Robbie tried to look for her, but that made it more difficult for her to judge her progress.

Not far, she’d guess.

Standing here looking around like a lost sheep certainly wouldn’t get her where she was headed. Wiping a hand across her perspiration-slicked forehead, she pushed back the damp curls that tickled her face, squared her shoulders and started out again, at a slower pace this time.

One foot in front of the other.

“One, two, one, two,” she murmured, keeping time with her footsteps.

Her father had taught her to count, and in languages other than her own.

“Unum, duo . . .”
she said aloud, recalling how lovely the Latin had sounded rolling from his tongue as he’d read to her.

“Alpha, beta.”

She shuddered, remembering her dislike of the ancient Greek language her father had deemed so important to learn. There had been something about using letters for numbers that had confused her, even when she was older and her grandfather had gone over it, again and again, until he’d lost his patience.

Her footsteps faltered at the memory.

How could she have forgotten all the time he’d spent trying to carry out her father’s wishes for her? Had she been so determined to separate herself from him because of his hatred for her mother that she’d locked away all those little moments where he tried to show her kindness? And only now, when it was too late, she remembered.

Pain seared her heart at the knowledge of her loss. Her grandfather had cared for her. The realization brought a fresh onslaught of sorrow and memories.

She’d been thirteen. When he’d accused her of not trying hard enough to learn the Greek she’d yelled at him, demanding that if he wanted her to learn another language he should teach her in her mother’s language. His face had paled and he’d stormed from her room, and after he’d gone, she’d cried for hours.

The rains had lasted for days afterward, coming down so hard the bailey had been riddled with running water that looked like miniature rivers.

Her breath caught and she reached out to the nearest tree to steady herself.

That was it! That was what wasn’t as it should be.

She turned to run home, screaming when she smacked directly in the wall of man standing behind her.

“Christ, woman,” Robert panted, grabbing Isa’s wrists to keep her from pounding her fists against his already aching chest. “It’s me.”

She looked up at him then, gulping in great gasps of air, her eyes wild.

When it became apparent she was calming, he let go of her and she backed away, but not before smacking his arm with her open hand.

“What in the name of all that’s holy were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that?”

He hadn’t sneaked, hadn’t made any attempt to cover the noise of his approach. She’d been oblivious, and that had only served to spark his own anger.

“Do you never give any thought to yer own safety? I could have been anybody. One of Lardiner’s men or even the man himself. You were blundering about out here like some blind woman when I found you.”

Vacillating between anger and fear, he glared at her, making no move as she gathered her wits. Fear finally won and he reached out, pulling her to him, crushing her to his chest.

“Christ, Isa.” He hadn’t realized how worried he’d been until this very moment and now that he’d found her, unharmed, his stomach fluttered as if it might empty its contents right here on the forest floor. “Coming out here alone was an incredibly stupid thing to do.”

“Yer right. I admit it,” she said against his chest, making no attempt to pull away from him. “And I’m so glad you’ve come for me, Robbie. Everything’s gone all wrong, and I dinna ken what to do anymore.”

Her words were all he needed to hear.

“I’ll tell you exactly what yer going to do. Yer coming with me, and when we get back to the cottage, we pack up Jamie and head for MacQuarrie Keep. And I’m no letting you out of my sight until we reach there, so dinna even think of trying something like this again.”

“I promise,” she whispered, dragging her hands down her cheeks to wipe away the tears.

He hated seeing her so upset, but time was clearly running out for him. If this was what it took to get her to agree to leaving her home, then so be it.

They made their way back toward the cottage in silence, his arm protectively around her shoulders until she dragged her feet to a stop, pulling against him.

Robert clenched his teeth to keep from yelling out his frustration. If she’d changed her mind again, he thought, he might lose his mind.

“We’ve no time to waste, Isa.”

He nudged her forward but she ducked out from under his arm, turning to face him.

“Have you noticed what a lovely, calm day it’s been? No a cloud or drop of rain in sight?”

The weather? The daft woman wanted to discuss the damned weather?

“It’s a beauty,” he ground out, catching up her hand and starting forward, all but dragging her behind him. “An ab-so-freaking-lutely gorgeous damned day. All right? Now let’s get on with it.”

Isa planted her feet and pulled her hand from his, crossing her arms around her waist as if she were going to be ill.

“That’s just it. There should have been thunder and lightning, and the ground itself heaving up and breaking apart under our feet. I was that angry, Robbie.”

“It doesn’t matter.” He reached for her again but she stepped back. “You’ve come to yer senses now and we’re doing what we need to do.”
Please, God,
he prayed,
let her have come to her senses.

She scrubbed her hands over her face before clenching them together in front of her. “You dinna understand what I’m trying to tell you. This very morning, though it seems a lifetime ago now, you said we needed to talk. You were right, but that’s because I’ve something I’ve need to tell you before you take me anywhere near yer family. Something I’ve no wanted to share. I’m no the madwoman I pretended to be for so long.”