Highland Soldiers: The Enemy (30 page)

Callum considered her words. “I dinnae like sneaking away like a coward.”

“Then send him a message, if you must. But I will not let you risk telling him in person.”

Callum looked with surprise, and a hint of a grin. “You will not let me?”

She looked at him with stern resolve. “No.”

Suddenly serious, his eyes softened. “Very well then, my love. As you wish.”

Mari rewarded Callum with a long and heartfelt kiss.

When at last she released him, he said, “He’ll send men after us. We’d have to make haste.”

“Alone? Just the two of us?”

“Aye. It is better that way. We risk both our lives. There's no need to risk more.”

“But the lads would want to come with us.”

“Which is why we will not tell them.”

This troubled Mari, but she knew he was right. If they told Callum’s friends, they would insist upon coming along. And their lives would be ruined. They would lose their homes, their families and their clan.

Callum said, “It is too much to ask of them.”

Mari nodded, agreeing.

He put his hands on her shoulders. “And I cannot help but wonder. Is it too much to ask of you?” His dark eyes searched hers.

“Whether you ask or not, it will be the same. I must be with you, and I believe that you feel the same.”

He pulled her to his chest and kissed her forehead. “You need never doubt that.”

Mari’s hopeful tone weakened. “But what of the clan? What would become of them if we did this?”

Callum’s gaze darkened, but he said nothing.

Mari said, “Our happiness would come at a price. Others would pay in sorrow or with their lives.” She slowly shook her head.

She was right, but Callum did not yet have the heart to say it aloud. Taking her face in his hands, he put his mouth on hers in a soul-quenching kiss.

Nellie stirred in her chair as she slept. Neither moved until they were sure she had settled back to sleep. Then Callum grasped Mari’s hand and led her outside. They went around to the back of the cottage and sought out a shadow beneath the full moon.

“Callum.” The sound caught in her throat.

“Och, lass. How I’ve missed you.” Guiding her until her back was against the wall, he leaned the full length of his body against hers and kissed her until her body swayed against his.

“Mari, you are all that I want.” He devoured her mouth with his kiss, and opened his palms over her shoulders and slid them slowly down to find their way to each curve they had missed. Mari clutched the folds of his plaid in her fist as she pulled him against her. He groaned and leaned into her, touching her until her breaths grew uneven. As she gripped his shoulders, he lifted her so her legs wrapped around him. He took her, heart pounding, against the side of the cottage as she clung to him, arms circled about his neck, breathing the scent she had longed for and feared she had lost.

When their desire was spent, Callum set her on her feet and held her close. Despair cloaked them. With his forehead against hers, he said, “We cannot leave, can we?”

“No, my love,” she whispered.

“Callum!” Duncan’s voices sounded from around the corner.

Callum whispered, “Dinnae lose heart.” He called back to Duncan, “Aye!”

She kissed Callum, not knowing when she might have the chance again.

“Mari, how can I ask this of you?”

She said sadly, “We ask it of each other, because we have no choice.”

When Duncan called out again, Callum hooked his arm about Mari’s waist and kept her close. Hair and clothing disheveled, they rounded the corner to the front of the cottage.

Duncan took in the sight of the couple. Lit by the full moon, there was little doubt as to what they’d been doing. He averted his eyes for a moment to recoup his composure. “Callum, you’re wanted at the castle. Lady Aemilia is missing.”

Duncan stood awkwardly by while Callum gave Mari a hug and planted a kiss on her forehead. He combed his fingers into her hair and cradled her head in his hand as he whispered into her ear. Leaving her standing by the cottage door, Callum gripped Duncan’s shoulder and set out with the others for the castle.

Duncan said, “Her maid went to her room to attend to her after she left supper.”

Callum recalled the moment well.

Duncan continued. “She told her maid she was going to sleep and did not wish to be disturbed. When her maid went to check on her later, Lady Aemilia was gone.”

“Perhaps she’s gone somewhere to be alone.” As he said it, Callum knew how unlikely it was.

Duncan shook his head. “They have combed the castle. She is not there. Of that they are certain.”

Callum said, “She did not want this wedding.”

With a frown, Alex said, “And what makes you think that?”

“I have talked to the lass. She made no secret of how she feels.”

“So you think she might have run away to escape you?” asked Charlie.

With a wry look, Callum said, “To escape being married.”

“‘Twas a foolhardy thing for a woman to flee all alone,” Duncan said.

“What makes you think she’s alone?” asked Charlie.

Callum flashed a surprised look.

Alex said, “What?”

“She’s a bonnie lass,” said Charlie. “Or had you not noticed? I’ve no doubt she’d be able to find some willing escort.”

“One willing to turn from his clan?” Alex asked.

Charlie shrugged. “She’s very bonnie. For some, it would take little more.”

“For you, perhaps,” Alex said, smirking at Charlie.

Charlie chuckled. “Aye, well I would not run off with her, but if the lass lost her way and wound up in my bed I’d not send her away.”

Alex said, “I cannot say I recall your sending anyone away—or anything, for that matter.”

Without even a glance, Charlie backhanded Alex in the gut as he finished the sentence.

*

They arrived at the castle to find the bailey in a flurry of stable boys and horses being readied to ride. Glengarry spied Callum and pulled him aside. “Find her, Callum. If anything happens to her all hell will break loose.”

Callum nodded. They both knew this could cause a new clan war. Peace depended upon his finding her safe and returning her. And when that happened, new cause for clan war would erupt if he told Glengarry and Seaforth of his wishes to honor his heart and stay married to Mari. But that matter would wait. Lady Aemilia was off wandering in the woods. There was no telling what danger she was in.

Callum and Alex took the lead, followed by Charlie and Duncan. Alex was the best tracker among them. No one doubted that they would find her; the only question was whether she would be alive.

Darkness fell and the trail became harder to follow, so the men stopped and made camp.

Before dawn, they were riding again. She seemed to be heading south. “You were right, Charlie,” said Alex. “She is not alone.” He dismounted and studied the tracks. “There are two horses.”

The men rode through the day. In the evening it began to rain lightly, which made the trail easy to follow at first. But soon the rain fell in sheets that washed away the tracks.

“We may as well stop and make camp,” Alex told them.

“What if she’s lying somewhere hurt, and needs help?” Charlie asked.

“All the more reason to wait until morning, when we can find her trail. We could spend the night heading in any number of directions, and all of them wrong.”

Duncan said, “And remember, she isnae alone. In the darkness, they have the advantage. They can lie still and listen for us to approach.”

*

Callum said, “Alex is right. We’ll rest here and be back on her trail in the morning.”

The rain had stopped overnight, leaving a mist rising up through the trees that grew light with the first hints of dawn. The rain had washed away hoofprints, so they continued south on foot, leading their horses and hoping to pick up the trail again. Alex’s efforts were rewarded when a broken twig and an indented leaf on the ground set him back on the trail.

Callum muttered, “If she’s been kidnapped—”

Charlie said, “She’ll bring a fine ransom.”

“No she’ll not, because we’ll find them first,” Alex said.

Soon they came to a glen. The sun shone through the mist to a cottage below, from which smoke curled out of the chimney. Beside it was a byre. They dismounted and walked their horses in near silence to the byre. Slowly, they opened the door just enough to creep in. Inside, two Highland stallions were tied to a post. Alex looked at Callum and shifted his eyes toward the hayloft. Bits of hay floated down as the rafters creaked in muted cadence. Soft womanly moans and a masculine groan proved false any kidnapping theory. Charlie made a point to share a smug look, for this was as he had expected. She found some willing lad to whisk her away. Callum was first to climb up the ladder. Sword drawn and dirk at the ready, he positioned himself to his best fighting advantage and then cleared his throat. The man reached out to the side for his sword, but before he could grasp it, Callum pressed his sword point onto the man’s back. The man withdrew his hand.

“Slowly,” barked Callum. “Turn around.” The man rolled off of Aemilia and turned to face Callum.

“Ranald?”

Ranald spied his dirk nearby and started to reach for it, but found Callum’s sword poised point first on his chest.

Ranald said, “Kill me then, but dinnae harm the Lady Aemilia. I forced myself on her.”

“No, it’s a lie! dinnae blame him! ‘Tis all my fault.” cried Aemilia.

“Aemi, you dinnae ken what you’re saying.” Ranald gave her a look that was meant to be stern, but only softened upon gazing at her.

“Good God. They’re in love?” Charlie said from below.

“So it would appear,” Callum said, as he studied Ranald.

Ranald glanced about and assessed his situation. Callum watched him, confident he had little chance of escape. If he got past Callum, there were three others below, which he might brave alone, but with Aemilia here he would not risk it.

Callum said, “There’s no use, and you know it. Climb down. I’ll throw your clothes down to you.” He did not trust Ranald to gather his clothes without bringing a sgian dubh as well. “Go on.” Callum prodded Ranald with the tip of his sword. “I’ll see to Lady Aemilia.”

With a bold look, Ranald said, “You’ll not touch her.” It was a command, and it might have been more had Ranald not known Callum since childhood and trusted his honor.

“You have my word.”

Ranald met Callum’s steady gaze with his own piercing look, and then barely nodded.

While Ranald climbed down the ladder from the hayloft, Aemilia started to whimper.

“Och!” Callum was losing his patience. “You need not worry, lass. I’ll not touch you.”

“What will happen to Ranald?”

“Given the fact that he’s bedded my betrothed, you can be certain he’ll get far less than he deserves.”

“And how do I know that?” Aemilia clutched her gown to her chest and looked up at Callum with eyes burning with both anger and fear.

“If I were going to slay him in a jealous rage, I’d have done it already.” With a dismissive wave of his sword, he said, “Now get dressed. We’ve a long ride ahead.”

“I cannot get dressed with you looking at me!”

“Well I’ll not turn my back on you, lassie, if that’s what you’re hoping.”

When Callum did not move, she covered herself with her skirt, and then slipped her shift over her head, taking care to stay as covered as possible, then stepped into her underskirt and pulled it up to her waist. Callum rolled his eyes as she went through the elaborate process of maintaining her modesty, which under the circumstances seemed a wee bit absurd at this point. By the time she’d pulled up her stockings, he was simply amused. This was short-lived, for as she slipped on her shoes, Aemilia started to sniffle.

“And what is it now?” Callum said, biting back his annoyance.

“My ribbon’s come untied,” she said, pointing to the lacing at her shoulder.

“God’s teeth, woman! Let me see.” With a sigh of disgust, Callum sheathed his sword and tied her sleeve to her shoulder.

Aemilia looked up to thank him with a demure smile, and then poked a sgian dubh against Callum’s ribs.

Callum looked down at the blade, and then back up at her. He tried not to grin at the brave look she had so unconvincingly assumed. In an instant, he had her spun about, her arm and wrist twisted behind her until the knife dropped to the floor. While he gripped her two wrists in his hand, he yanked out the ribbon he’d tied on her sleeve and used it to tie her wrists behind her. “Climb down, milady.”

“But I cannae—not with my hands tied. I will fall.”

“Charlie, should my ladylove lose her footing and fall, will you catch her?”

Charlie grinned. “It would be my pleasure.”

Ranald stirred, but by now had his hands tied and was held in Duncan’s firm grip.

Charlie climbed up the ladder and step-by-step helped a flustered Aemilia descend to the ground.

*

They returned to the castle under cover of darkness. They had split into two separate parties, with Callum, Duncan, and Ranald in one, and Alex, Charlie, and Aemilia in the other. While they could not hope to avoid being seen, they at least hoped to conceal the connection between the two lovers. Should they not cooperate, each was threatened with the other’s exposure and punishment, the threat of which secured an uneventful trip home. Callum sent one of his men inside to make sure Seaforth had retired, and then the lovers were separately brought to the solar.

When Glengarry came into the room, he stopped short. “Ranald?”

Ranald met the harsh look with the noble grace of a man being watched by the woman he loves.

Callum drew Glengarry aside. “Before you speak, hear me out.”

Speaking as though they were not in the same room within earshot, Glengarry said, “They’ve made a mockery of me, and of you for that matter.”

“Not yet. No harm has been done.”

“From the looks of the lass, I’d say you were wrong.”

“Oh, that. Aye, we found them in a hayloft. But no one knows of it yet, save you and my men.”

“One of our men has defiled Seaforth’s sister while they were guests under our roof. There is harm enough there.”