Highland Angels (Fated Hearts Book 3) (8 page)

The laird’s news thrilled Anna. She was going home in a week. The strain that she had felt from her first moments at Curacridhe finally lifted. She spent as much time as possible with David. She loved him and she knew he would miss her. She avoided answering his questions about when she would return for a visit. She had no intention of ever returning. Still, she knew Davy wouldn’t be able to understand that. Every time he raised the subject, she redirected his attention. After she was gone, she believed he would eventually stop asking.

Anna would miss Mairi as well, however it was much more difficult to divert Mairi’s attention when she discussed her plans for Anna to return. Anna didn’t want to hurt either of them, but once she was on MacKay land again, she would agree to marry whomever Eoin wished, as long as her betrothed agreed to live at Naomh-dùn.

The week flew by. The evening before the feast of St. Joseph, the skies turned leaden as clouds thickened and the wind began to whip. A storm was brewing. As darkness fell, Anna stood looking out the window of her chamber. She was worried. What if it was pouring rain in the morning? Would they take her to her brother anyway? The MacLeods were terribly over-protective and she feared they wouldn’t. They might worry that she would catch a chill. She didn’t think she could bear it if they didn’t let her go home tomorrow.

There was a knock at her door and she called, “Enter,” without turning to see who it was.

“I’ve come to escort ye downstairs for the evening meal,” said Andrew.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. Her anxiety must have shown in her expression.

Andrew frowned. “Anna, what has ye bothered?”

“Nothing.”

He arched a brow at her and smiled. “Ye don’t lie well—for a MacKay that is,” he teased.

She gave him a small smile but turned to look out the window again.

His voice took on a more serious tone. “Anna, please tell me what’s upsetting ye.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him.

There was really no avoiding it and she would rather know the answer than continue to worry. She sighed. “The weather seems to be turning. It looks as if a heavy rain is coming.”

“Aye it does. Why does that have ye concerned?”

“I was just wondering…” she hated how small and vulnerable her voice sounded. “I was just wondering whether, if it is still raining tomorrow…well, will ye still take me to my brother?”

“Anna, the arrangements are made. Nothing will keep Da from meeting with yer brother tomorrow.”

She frowned. “Ye didn’t answer my question. Yer Da can meet with my brother whether I am there or not.”

“Don’t worry, angel, everything will be fine.”

“Stop it. I have sidestepped Davy and Mairi’s questions about when I’m coming back all week. I can recognize when someone is avoiding an answer.”

“Why have ye avoided that question? Would ye choose never to see them again?”

Anna stared at him in disbelief. “
I’m a MacKay
. The only reason I’m here is because ye’ve kept me prisoner. Nay, Andrew, once I cross that strait tomorrow I will never venture near MacLeod land again. Which brings me back to the question ye haven’t answered, but I guess that in itself is telling. Ye won’t take me with ye tomorrow if the weather’s bad.”

“Anna, be reasonable. Ye’ve been terribly ill. I think this storm will pass by morning but ye’re right, we will not risk yer health if it doesn’t. Nevertheless, I swear to ye, everything will be resolved with yer brother tomorrow.”

That was no consolation. She turned to stare out the window at the brewing storm for a moment.

Finally Andrew said, “Worrying about it will not change the weather, angel. Come and have yer evening meal. In the morning we’ll decide what’s to be done.”

He was right. She nodded. “Aye, I won’t worry about it now.”

~ * ~

To Anna’s dismay, a light rain was still falling at daybreak but it tapered off to a mist as the sun rose. When it had stopped altogether by terce, Anna gave in to her excitement. It wouldn’t be long now.

Mairi and Davy knocked on her door before long. She called to them to come in. Anna’s heart lurched a bit. Mairi looked as if she had been crying.

“Oh, Mairi, please be happy for me.”

“But I don’t want ye to go. I’ll miss ye so much.”

Davy said, “I keep telling her we’ll see ye when ye visit us. Ye will visit us soon, right? Maybe ye can come at Easter.”

“We’ll see, pet.”

Mairi sniffed. “I told Andrew I’d help ye get ready to go.” She glanced around the room. “Have ye packed yer things?”

Anna smiled. “Mairi, I’m wearing the clothes I arrived in, and I have no other belongings.”

“Ye have the clothes we made ye.”

Anna didn’t want to take anything with her from Curacridhe but she didn’t want to hurt Mairi either. “Well, I was thinking maybe ye’d like to have them—as a way to remember me.”

“But they’re yers.”

“Don’t ye like them?” asked Anna, confident of the answer.

“Aye, they’re lovely, but…”

“Then keep them.

Mairi smiled. “Thank ye Anna.”

Andrew appeared at the door. “Anna, it’s time to go.”

Her heart leapt but she tried not to look too happy for fear of upsetting Mairi again.

Andrew took her hand, leading her downstairs with Mairi and Davy trailing in her wake. Cora joined them when they reached the great hall, walking with them to the bailey.

Anna expected to see Laird MacLeod and Graham prepared to go with them, but was a little shocked to see Father Ninian, as well as at least forty MacLeod warriors also mounted and ready to ride. A groom stood to one side holding the reins of Andrew’s horse.

She frowned. “Where’s my mount?”

“Ye’ll ride with me.”

“I am perfectly capable of riding alone.”

“But ye’ll ride with me anyway.”

Anna didn’t like this. She knew it would upset her brother if he saw her riding on Andrew MacLeod’s lap. “I would really prefer to ride alone.”

Andrew arched a brow at her. “Maybe ye’d prefer to stay here?”

“Andrew, I…please let me ride alone”

His voice grew stern. “I am not going to argue with ye about this. If ye intend on going to the strait, ye’ll ride with me.”

Just a few more hours, Anna, and ye will not have to submit to the will of the MacLeods
. “Fine.” She gave both Mairi and Davy a hug, said goodbye and let Andrew lift her onto his horse.

As she rode through the gates of Curacridhe Castle, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Anna remained silent and Andrew didn’t push her to speak. The entire contingent of men was oddly quiet as they rode south.

After a little more than an hour, the meeting point came into view, and there were an equally large number of mounted MacKay warriors, including all three of her brothers, gathered on the east side of the strait. Even from a distance she could tell Eoin was angry by his tense posture. She stiffened in response. More than ever she wished the MacLeods had let her ride alone. She was sure seeing her sitting in front of Andrew MacLeod with his arm around her did nothing to improve her brother’s temperament.

When the MacLeod party neared the western bank of the strait, the bulk of them stayed well back, surrounding Andrew and Anna. Dougal, Graham and Donald rode closer to the shore. As the weather was warming, the ice on the straight had melted.

“I have nothing to say to ye, Dougal. I want to talk to Anna.” Eoin called.

“Well, lad, that may be what ye want, but ye and I are going to chat first.”

“What do we have to chat about, old man? Ye hold my sister prisoner and yet have made no demands. Until ye do, there is nothing to say.”

“Nay, I haven’t made any demands because
ye
have nothing I want.”

“Then why are we here?”

“I thought I was doing ye a kindness, lad. I am allowing ye to see that yer sister is well and unharmed.”

“I can see that one of yer sons has his filthy hands on her, so pardon me if I am not convinced she’s unharmed. Let me speak with her,” he demanded.

“Well as we are the ones who hold her, filthy hands or not, ye’d do well to mind yer tongue,” Dougal snapped. “I’ll let ye speak with her when I’m ready to.”

This was the side of Laird MacLeod that Anna had first witnessed when Graham had dragged her half-frozen into the hall.

Eoin appeared to have a fragile hold on his temper. “What do ye want?”

“I want to keep yer sister.”

Anna gasped and tried to twist out of Andrew’s grip. “Ye lied to me.”

Andrew held her firmly. “Wheesht angel,” he whispered. “I never lied.”

“Damn ye to hell, MacLeod. What’s this about?” yelled Eoin.

“Calm yerself, lad,” said Dougal, obviously pleased to see the effect he was having. “I understand that Anna is not betrothed to anyone.”

“Not yet,” he managed to grind out.

“Not yet, ye say. And do ye think arranging a betrothal now that she has lived with the ‘thieving MacLeods’ for a spell will be easy?”

“I’ll manage,” Eoin said, but the pain written on his face clearly revealed how his heart ached for her.

“Ye’ll manage, will ye? Not if I don’t give her back.”

“Do ye want an all-out war, MacLeod? I’ll give ye one if ye do.”

“Nay lad, I don’t want a war. In fact, I want this hostility to end for good. I want a betrothal between my eldest son Andrew and yer Anna.”

Anna gasped again and spun around to look at Andrew, who only arched a brow at her and remained silent.

~ * ~

Eoin registered Anna’s shocked expression. Tasgall and Aidan looked equally horrified.

The feud between the MacKays and the MacLeods was ancient; Eoin had learned to mistrust and hate them from the cradle. He would never have considered marrying his sister to one of them. “Not that Dougal. We can discuss a truce. I’ll relinquish all claims to the disputed land, but I want my sister back.”

“Eoin, ye can relinquish yer claim today and battle again tomorrow when I have no hold over ye.” Dougal said more gently, “Ye know we need something stronger, more binding.”

A fierce warrior, Eoin briefly considered signaling an attack to take her back by force. He would have battled any MacLeod warrior with relish to protect his family and clan, but he could not fight his way out of this. Andrew MacLeod firmly held Anna on horseback and clearly visible strapped to his right leg was a dagger. If Eoin signaled an attack, Andrew could pull the dagger and slit her throat almost before the first sword was drawn. Dougal had cornered him.

“Let me pay a ransom then.” Eoin knew he sounded desperate.

“I would never demand a copper from ye. Yer sister saved my grandson’s life. She risked her own safety to pull him out of the loch after he fell through the ice and she became desperately ill as a result. I owe her more than I could ever pay. The only worthy gift I have to give is peace with ye, and the only way to bind that peace is with a marriage.”

If this was true, surely Dougal wouldn’t kill her. Again Eoin briefly considered attacking, however he didn’t trust the MacLeods and wasn’t willing to risk Anna’s life. Finally he said, “Then give yer daughter to one of my brothers in marriage.”

“Mairi’s only fourteen. I will agree to a betrothal with one of yer brothers, but she’s too young to leave home now. Furthermore, we both know that arranging a marriage for Anna after this will not be easy and that’s my fault. I promise ye she will be cherished.”

“Then let me speak with her.”

“Nay, lad. It looks as if ye have at least half of yer garrison with ye. The temptation to take her and start a skirmish is too great. Ye will agree to the betrothals and sign the papers before ye speak to her, or we ride away—with Anna.”

“My father asked me to consider her wishes in marriage. I must speak to her before I agree.”

“I understand yer father’s request. I would like to give Mairi the same gift, but I cannot. The good of my clan as well as yer own depends on this. I am not going to lie to ye, Anna wants to come home and I did not discuss this with her. I have no doubt she’s as angry as ye are right now. However, she is smart and compassionate and I suspect, if given enough time, she will see the wisdom in this.”

Eoin didn’t say anything. He ran one hand through his hair and stared at his sister. She did look furious. He hated being backed into a corner and yet, he knew it was the best solution. Sighing and shaking his head he said, “Fine. But I want a betrothal between Mairi and Tasgall and a solution to the border dispute.”

“Agreed. Cross the straight and we’ll sign the papers. Yer brothers and six other warriors can cross with ye.” Dougal, Graham and Donald dismounted.

Shaking his head, Eoin motioned to his brothers and six of his guards and they urged their mounts into the straight, at its deepest the water reached well up to the horse’s chests. They dismounted on the other side and Dougal approached, offering his hand. After a moment Eoin took it. “I don’t like being cornered, MacLeod.”