FLAME ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS (9 page)

Robbie MacQuarie
, she thought.  By the blessed kings' bones on Iona it must be he.  Come to seal the bargaining for her hand with her father.  She didn't know whether to be elated or appalled. In truth a myriad of emotions flooded over her at the  very thought.  She'd hoped this Robbie Campbell would be a man easily managed, who would give in to her whims, a man she could wrap around her finger  as  easily as she had her father. Clearly this was not such a man. 

"Fie, but it seems he's not in any hurry to be talking with me, else he'd have come to meet with me by now.  Surely all the other men of the castle are aware that I'm here.  Just
where is your noble chief?"              

For the first time in her life Brianna was totally speechless.  Though she tried to answer
, all that came out was a gasp.  This was her bridegroom, this  same man who had set such a fire in her blood. This was the man her father had decided would wed her and bed her.  The idea should have been repugnant to her and yet she felt a strange flush  of excitement  take hold of her.  "I'll.....I'll take ye to him..." she somehow managed to say, but the young Campbell did not seem to hear her, he was staring  in the direction of the door way.

It was Ian's turn to be surprised.  There beyond the archway was a startling sight, a duplication of this fiery-haired lassie.  His eyes moved from one to the other in fascination.  The same
height, soft curves and beauty  was mirrored in two young women.  Throwing back his head he gave full vent to his mirth laughing uproariously.

Aulay joined in the laughter, then paus
ed. "What are we laughing at?"

"Twins."

"Twins?"  The little man's eyes followed in the direction of his friend's. "Aye." For the life of him he didn't see why that was cause for merriment.

"Twins!" Ian exclaimed again. His lovely kelpie had an identical sister and it had been she who had embraced the bard.  She whose heart was already taken  A
ll was not lost after all.                

"Aye."  Brianna looked at him in puzzlement, she too wondering at his joviality and not liking it one bit.  She didn't like to be laughed at no matter what the reason.  "She's Glenna and I'm
Brianna,"  she said haughtily.

"Brianna......"  The name tripped lovingly over his tongue.  "A fine name for a lovely lassie.  Brianna."  His heart soared on a
wondrous flight.  When this matter of Robbie's marriage was at an end, he intended to woo and win the red-haired young woman he had spied by the pool. So thinking, he flashed her  a warm grin, but the appearance of a young burly clansman put an end to any chance of furthering the acquaintance for the moment.

"The
MacQuarie wants ye brought to him.  Ye are to follow me."

"Then I would
not want to keep him waiting." With a last parting glance over his shoulder, Ian Campbell followed  the breacan-beclad man to  Lachlan MacQuarie's hall.                           

Chapter Eight

`The sun slanted down in a curtain of fiery rays, outlining the tall, proud figure that strode away in search of Lachlan MacQuarie.  Brianna couldn't avert her gaze no matter how hard she tried.  He was a man who held the eye, she had to give him that. Though he wore the same saffron dyed shirt as the other men she'd seen, a similarly flattened round cap—sported, however, with a rakish air--he looked infinitely more dashing than the others.  
Was
he Robbie Campbell?  She had not had time to ask, and yet who else would he be?  He'd come to arrange a wedding he had proclaimed so arrogantly. 
Her
wedding! That startling declaration had thrown her momentarily off guard but now she wished she'd had her say, told him  just what she thought of overbold lads.

Marry him?  A man who took liberties with the first girl he met?  She had no desire for a husband who would wander.  She'd entered into this matter in good faith and expected like consideration.  If that meant keeping her handsome bridegroom  on a leash, like her father's hounds, then she would do it.  Ah, she'd soon prove to him that she was no timid lass.  She'd give him more of a battle than he bargained for.  Indeed
, perhaps she already had, she thought, stifling a laugh with her hand. She remembered their encounter and how she'd  put a quick end to his lustful intent.  Let him think on that and reflect seriously before he cornered another young maiden.

Brianna put her hands on her hips as she watched the dark-haired man disappear through the thick  open front portal of the castle's hall to meet with her father.  Just what did she think of her bridegroom to be?  Her emotions were hard to define and were certainly confusing.  She loathed the man, thought him a strutting rooster
, did she not?  No. If she were totally honest with herself she would have to admit she had enjoyed their kiss.  His warm lips on hers had kindled a host of sensations she'd never thought she would feel.  Desire?  From what she had heard the women chatter about she knew it to be so. Some talked of their husbands with awe, some in rapture, and there were others who spoke of hating the "duties" they were called upon to enact..  Men could be tender, it seemed or brutes.  This Campbell had been strangely gentle, despite his passion. The hard length of him pressed against her soft form had given her firsthand proof that he was also virile. At least in the marriage bed she would not find her mate repugnant.  But out of it?  That was a thought to cause worry, for she most definitely would not be dominated.   She'd heard the English treated their women like simpletons, nothing better than brood mares.  Hopefully, the Campbells did not emulate their allies completely, for Brianna was used to speaking her mind when the need arose.               

"Ye're going to scorch yer eyes sister dear, if ye dunna stop staring that way?"  Glenna's soft, melodious chuckles accompanied the statement.  "Aye, but h
e is a fine sight to behold."

Brianna flushed at Glenna's comment
, for in truth had she known her sister had come up behind her, she  would never have been quite so open in her gawking.  Whirling around, she hastily sought an excuse.  "I was but having a look at the strange hose he was wearing. Ye know Father canna stand to hae his legs covered with cloth.  Nor can the others.  But I guess that's what happens when a mon keeps company with the English.  Ha!"  She curled her lips scornfully.

"Looking at his hose were ye...?"  Glenna's giggle broke into full-fledged  laughter.  "Ah, shame on ye, Brianna, thinkin' I'd be
believing that story........"

"I....I was...looki
ng at...."

"The fine shape to his calves and thighs, I'd be thinkin'" Tilting her head to the side
, she studied her sister.  "Ye like what ye see."

"Nae!"  Brianna's soft mouth tightened
, and she was slightly indignant in trying to explain herself.  "I was but studying him, wondering if he is Robbie Campbell."

"He
is
!  I heard the men talking about it." She nodded towards the stables where a small group had gathered. "He's Duncan Campbell's  nephew and heir to be sure, they said.   The dark hair is proof enough of that.  Jamie says he's fought him on the battlefield.  They speak of him with respect even though they nearly met their death at his hands."

"Our enemy!  I wonder how many MacQuaries he's sent to their gra
ves?"  Brianna frowned darkly.

"It doesna matter."  Glenna seemed determined to defend him.  "There was a war going on. 
Campbell men met their deaths as well.  That's the way of battle, Brianna.  He might not be a saint, but he canna be said to be a devil either.  No more so than Father."

"Hold yer tongue!"  Throwing Glenna a stern look of disapproval
, she turned away.

"It's true."  Placing a tentative hand on her sister's shoulder, Glenna's voice was gentle.  "But now there's a promise of peace and for
that ye should be grateful."             

"Aye, peace." Stoically she considered that fact and its implications.  She was an offering in this matter.  Quite a load on her slim shoulders.  "Perhaps then I should hae looked at this
Campbell laddie in  more detail.  We've ne'er seen one up close ye know.   And as to his legs, they seem a bit bowed to me.  Perhaps he spends a bit too much time on his horse."

"I think he's a fine
looking laddie and so do you."

Brianna sputtered in protest, then
, throwing up her hands, gave up all pretense.  She could not be anything but honest with Glenna.  Since they were children they could read each other's minds.  "Och, I suppose he is pleasant to the eye, but he is far too aware of it."

"Were my heart not already taken by Alastair
, I'd be changing my mind about marrying the Campbell."  Coming closer, Glenna threw her arms around Brianna's neck.  "Ah, when I heard that's who he was I felt all flushed with happiness for ye.  I'd feared Robbie Campbell might hae a wart on his nose or be as unsightly as the MacLeod heir is said to be.  I feared at first that he was the tiny mon, accompanying him,  but he is bonnie.  Robbie Campbell is as fine a looking man as there is. More importantly, ye're taken wi' him.  Don't tell me differently.  I looked at Alastair the same way when he first came back from his training in the
seanachaidh
school to reside in Father's hall."

"Taken wi' him am I?"  Brianna pulled away.  "Yer daft, if ye think that.  I was merely recalling to mind our first meeting."  Briefly she related  their encounter by the lake, brushing absently at the soil from her  thin woolen dress
.  "He is an overbold rascal!"

"Nae, he is merely a mon who sees what he wants and seeks to claim it."   Were only Alastair  of that inclination."  She sighed, telling her own  story and Alastair's reluctance to seek out their father.  "Yon 
Campbell  did me the greatest of favors, though he knew it not.  When your bold lad mistook me for ye, Brianna dearie, he tried to begin where ye'd left off at the lake.  Alastair came upon us and vented his jealousy."  She clapped her hands with glee.  "Ah, ye should hae seen it.  He was going to fight for me."

"Alastair fight?"  Brianna's brows arched in surprise.  She'd always viewed the bard as a bit of a coward
, but perhaps even a lamb would turn lion for the woman he loved.

"He claimed me as his own and said he
would
speak with Father."

"Oh, Glenna!"  Now it was Brianna's turn to show affection, putting an arm about her sister's waist
protectively.  "I know he will…."

"But Father....."  Her brow puckered in conce
ntration.

"Wi
ll say yes.  I know he will when he's made to see reason."  She smiled mischievously.  "Just leave him to me."

"You'd charm the devil of his very horns an
d ask for his tail as well."              

"Aye....."  The courtyard rang with their laughter.  "That
Campbell  laddie is lucky he doesna hae to deal with me on the marriage terms."  As quickly as her laughter started, Brianna sobbered. A clan chieftain's daughter was a pawn in the game of politics played by men.  Most of a woman's life was spent under the guardianship of first her father then the man she married.  Once she was married, her husband was responsible for her until she was widowed. Her father wanted peace, but she knew he would want the marriage to be profitable as well.  A groom would be expected to give a large sum of gifts for her.  What would be her bridal price?  She couldn't help wondering just what the men were saying to each other right now.  What she wouldn't have given to have heard the conversation going on in her father's chambers.

Brianna would have been surprised to
find there was no talk at all. Indeed all was silent except for the growling of the  russet-hued wolfhounds that guarded the door. They seemed to be Ian's greatest hazard as he entered the chamber.  Bristling and barring their teeth, they gave warning of what they would do if he made a wrong move.

"Easy.  Easy.  I'm here as a gesture of peace."  Ian slowly, carefully moved past the two animals. "It seems no one has informed the dogs that the MacQuaries and Campbells are no longer at war," he whispered to Aulay
, who clung  behind him as closely as a shadow.

"Perhaps they haven't been
fed
," Aulay whispered back, following as Ian walked towards the far end of the large chamber. There Lachlan MacQuarie sat in a carved chair,  gazing intently ahead as if Ian  and Aulay were not even there.  At last he spoke.

"Come closer.  I would look upon yer faces. The only time I've looked upon a
Campbell has been wi' a shield standing between us."

"As you wish."
Ian thought of a glib answer but instead decided on a more diplomatic approach, bowing humbly before this man, who until now had been his fiercest enemy. They looked upon each other, each judging the other as a determined man.

"I wasna expectin' ye so soon.  Ye sent no word." His eyes took on a look of coldness, aloofness, that warned of danger if Ian did not respond quickly.  He seemed to perceive treachery
, showed it by every furl of his brow, the tenseness in his jaw. “Ye sneaked up on us. It’s lucky for ye that ye didna ge an arrow for yer daring.”

"
Duncan was anxious to have the matter settled. He thought to send me as both messenger and emissary.  Some of the men are difficult to contain and he is having a  trying time  keeping them under control," he said truthfully.  He did not add that he had been just such a man.

"As have I.  There is a r
iver of bad blood between us."

Ian nodded.  "I hope that tog
ether we can build a bridge to span that river if not with friendship, then at least with some measure of understanding."

"Aye.  There's been enough blood spilling to last my lifetime."  Boldly he assessed Ian.  "So ye are the
Campbell that's to take my favorite daughter away?  Ye are Robbie Campbell."

Ian shook his head.
"No.  I have come in his stead."

Lachlan MacQuarie swo
re beneath his breath.  "Why?"

Ian wasn't satisfied himself with
Duncan's explanation, was himself confused as to why Duncan had sent him, but though of a hasty excuse.  "Robbie was needed at the castle.  Thus I was sent to make the arrangements.  As I mentioned before, time is of the utmost importance."

"Ha!  Ye expect me to believe that?  Either this nephew of
Duncan's is a weakling or he is deformed in some way.  Why else would he not reveal the lad to me?  Eh?"  His eyes were accusing.  "I smell a fish and its not in the kitchen."

For just a moment Ian was at a loss for words.  He'd gotten the impression from
Duncan that one of the reasons Robbie had been left behind was because Lachlan MacQuarie was not fully to be trusted, but he could not tell the clan leader that.  Nor did he want to give the impression that the Campbell's were trying to foist some sickly or homely young man upon his daughter.
Damn Duncan,
he thought,
to put me in such a p
osition.  For just a moment his mind went blank and he sought anxiously for an explanation.

"Ha, just as I thought." Lachlan MacQuarie’s eyes narrowed to slits

Ian cleared his throat.  "The matter Robbie is attending to is rebuilding  the castle to suit his bride as befits her rank.  He seeks to make the daughter of the Macquarie comfortable in all ways as befits the daughter of such a powerful chieftain.  He sent me to path the road to good will. AS you yourself know, moreover, it is not unusual for the
toiseach
to make such arrangements. I am that man."  Folding his arms across his chest he held the older man's eyes without wavering.  "You have my word that Robbie is a young laddie that would make any man proud. He will be a good husband to your daughter."

Aulay
, who had up until now kept silent now spoke out.  "Robbie Campbell is a comely young man.  No' weak.  No' ugly.  He would cause no lassie shame."

"But if you have changed your mind then we will talk no more about it."  Ian added, turning hi
s back as if to walk away.

"Dunna leave just yet.  I've not finished wi' my say....."  At his gesture two guards came as if from out of nowhere to block the portal.  I'll take it on yer word that
Duncan's kin will be suitable."  Once again he scrutinized Ian with his piercing eyes, his expression of suspicion diminishing. “Ha! I’ll take ye at yer word!” Plucking a sword from its resting place on the wall, he threw it at Ian and seemed pleased by Ian’s quick reflex action in being poised for a fight. “A born warrior. Allow me to say that I hope the laddie is much like you. I hae need of strength in my clan.”