Annie said nothing, although she silently agreed. She didn’t wish to be seen as criticizing the decisions made during that bloody period. Through the years, she’d come to understand that her father had been seen as a traitor to the new king. But that was a different time, and Scottish loyalties ran deep no matter which side they were aligned with. Her father had stood as he felt he must, and if his clan must suffer for it, then so be it. No one seemed to bear him ill will for the misery he’d brought on them by standing for his beliefs. And hope burned in the heart of every MacDougall remaining that one day the clan would rise again; the Campbells would be ousted from MacDougall land and all would be as it once was.
Annie longed to give that to them. She didn’t question whether this desire stemmed from her own long running anger with her father that he’d defied the king, been labeled a traitor and deprived her and their clan of the prosperous, secure life they were entitled to, or that his beliefs seemed to have mattered more to him than a daughter who had loved him beyond reason and longed for him still.
“Annie, I’m grateful you don’t hold a grudge against me for what happened to your clan.”
Annie raised her head, startled. “Nay, Jean.” Impulsively, she gripped her hand. “I treasure your friendship more each day.”
“If only your Laird had reconsidered his position,” the other woman said in a rush. “’Twas said he was most stubborn.”
“Aye, he was stubborn, and naught could sway him from his thinking once his mind was made up.” Her words were spoken with a mixture of pride and sadness that still plagued her.
“Let us speak of something else.” She leaned forward to knock off Annie’s hat and drop a circlet of flowers on her tangled golden hair. “You look like a regal princess.” They laughed, comfortable with each other.
“Are you…” Annie hesitated, fearful to offend Jean with her question.
“Don’t be afraid to ask me anything. We’re friends,” Jean said kindly.
“I but wondered about your feelings for the young captain,” Annie said, looking up from under the circlet of woven flowers.
“He’s the man I intend to have for my husband,” Jean said emphatically. “Although ‘tis taking my father longer to accept that fact than I care for. I’m no longer a maiden and soon will be too old to bear the children I want.”
“You’re not too old,” Annie protested. “I remember Bridey Dougall had children well past her twenty and eight years.”
Jean laughed. “Well, I shall have to go well past that if I’m to have as many sons as I wish.”
“And how many would that be?” Annie asked with some surprise.
“Six sons, at least, and a daughter or two.” Jean cocked her head and gazed at the younger girl. “How many will ye be wanting yourself, Miss Annie of Dunollie?”
“I never gave it a thought,” she replied somberly. “I’ve never thought of marrying until…” She paused, blushing, and ducked her head.
“Until Rafe came along?”
“You must not say anything,” Annie said breathlessly. “You’ve promised.”
“And I’ll not break my promise,” Jean said quickly, putting a hand on the girl’s arm. “Why do you still take this disguise? Why not tell Rafe who you really are?”
Annie was quiet for a long moment, her hand still in her lap “I haven’t told you all the story of how the Campbells attacked Dunollie.”
“There’s more? ‘Tis already a dreadful tale of barbaric proportions.”
Annie looked off across the highlands. “Aye, it was. I saw Archibald behead my father.”
“Oh, my child.” Jean threw her arm around Annie’s shoulders.
“For a long time, I wasn’t able to speak. There was so much death. The Campbells were killing and raping. No one was safe. Father Cowan was our priest, and he tried to save me. When he saw the dead goose girl, who was also a mute and a cripple, he made me assume her identity, and since I could no longer speak, it worked out well. When I got better, he taught me things about the history of our clan and Scotland itself, about the feuds between the MacDougalls and Robert the Bruce, which brought us to this grief and much more. If not for him, I don’t know where I would be now.”
Jean’s normally animated face had grown still and troubled. “Annie, do you know anything about the men who attacked the Campbell patrol a few days ago? Were your kinsmen the ones who fought our soldiers?”
“I know the rumors,” Annie hedged, not wanting to lie to her new friend, but unable to betray her own clansmen. “But rumors are not always true. No orders were given to the men in the village to attack the Campbells.”
Jean smiled. “I’m being foolish. But I couldn’t bear if your clansmen were to attack my Aindreas and try to kill him.”
“Nay, they never would. The MacDougalls have no feud with the MacIntyres. I know you fight with the Campbells, but ‘tis against the greater enemy of Baen and his renegade band.”
“Aye.”
The women gazed at each other, then of mutual accord threw their arms around each other. When they drew away, Annie could see that Jean's eyes were brighter.
“You’re a wily one, Annie MacDougall. I see how you neatly drew me away from talk of Rafe Campbell,” Jean teased.
Annie giggled.
“Tell me truthfully, Annie, have you no feelings for him?”
“Do you see how the sun lights yon hill?” Annie asked mischievously. “I wonder will it rain tonight?”
“Aye, I see you don’t care for the young commander,” Jean said with a serious demeanor. “Therefore, you will not want to hear how Dianne has set her cap for him.”
Annie’s giggles died away, and she grew pensive. “Since I can never hope to win the love of Rafe Campbell, why should I care about the good noblewoman’s machinations?”
“Good noblewoman, pah!” Jean replied. “She is greedy and unkind and without any honor. She strikes the serving girls and strives to always get the best for herself. She tells lies and flirts shamelessly, even with my Aindreas.”
Annie had remained silent during Jean’s listing of Dianne’s faults, but now she grinned. “Ah, now I understand.”
“Nay, Annie, you don’t. ‘Twould be a shame for Dianne to win Rafe. She would make his life miserable. Besides, though she’s shameless in her attempts to win his attention, he ignores her. I don’t think he cares for her himself. Since he’s met this woods fairy, he has no use for other women.”
“How do you know?” Annie asked quietly.
“Because he’s told me of his feelings for her,” Jean stated emphatically.
“What did he say?” she asked too quickly.
“He said she was as beautiful as a moon goddess, and he loved her. Will you not reveal your true self to him and tell him of your own feelings?”
Annie clasped her hands tightly in her lap while her heart leaped with joy. He loved her. She’d never felt such happiness.
“I can’t, Jean…I mean, m’lady.”
“No, please, call me Jean. We’re friends now, and I pray we’ll remain so for the rest of our days.”
Annie couldn’t meet her gaze, she was that filled with happiness. The wind blew fresh and free against her back, the sun warmed her face. She sprang to her feet and danced gaily around the high meadow while a nightingale song, wild and sweet of such unbridled love, filled the air and she echoed its notes with her own. Silently, Jean watched her impromptu dance and listened with a dreamy smile softening her features.
The golden afternoon seemed endless in its happiness, but finally the sun rimmed the edges of the hills with its fiery glow and they gathered their garlands and trudged back to the castle.
“Why do you not wear the gowns I gave you?” Jean asked before they parted and was sorry to see Annie’s happy expression fade.
“’Tis best I don’t.” She gave a final wave goodbye and hurried down the dirt lane toward her hut. Upon reaching the village, Annie paused and looked back at Jean, sending her a final wave then with hunched shoulders and a limp, she entered the village.
* * * *
“Annie.” Father Cowan ran to meet her, his tall, spare figure looking like a scarecrow in its clumsy movements.
Alyce, the midwife, followed close behind, her face twisted in fear.
“Father, what is it?” Annie cried, giving up her own pose and running to meet him.
His wrinkled old face was devoid of color. “Lass,” he called. “’Tis Bryce and some of the men. They’ve gone off to fight against Rafe and his patrol. You must go after him.” The rest of his words were lost in a fit of coughing.
“Where did they go?” she asked, gripping the old man’s trembling hands, but he was unable to answer, drawing in deep rattling breaths of air. Helplessly, Annie looked at Alyce.
“Tell me what you know,” she ordered.
“’Twas Bryce. He was all crabbit, cursing and bellowing at everyone. No one knew what caused his mood, but it was all a frightful tirelee, then he took to drinkin’ the baurley-bree and his bad temper worsened.” She paused, gulping down sobs and wiping at the tears that rained down her cheeks.
“He clouted the stable boy and shouted at anyone who came near. Finally, he went bellowing around the bailey from one shed to another how he was about to beat the Campbells at their own game. The others tried to shush him, but he wouldn’t be still. Finally, he challenged the other men to go to the Broderick borders to the east where they heard Baen and his scallywags are camped and reluctantly the men agreed to go with him.”
“They promised they’d not go out without my explicit orders,” Annie said in dismay.
“We reminded them of their promise, but they just said they were following Bryce and off they went.” Something about the midwife’s tears seemed false.
Annie studied her expression.
“Go find them, Annie,” Father Cowan said urgently. “Stop them before they do more damage and more lives are lost.”
“Aye, I will,” she answered and would have set off on foot, but he called to her.
“Take a horse, lass. They’ve gone on foot themselves and have taken the trail over the hills. ‘Tis a shorter route, but on a good horse you might yet reach them before they stir up mischief,” he called. “Alyce, go tell your man to fetch a horse for Annie.”
The midwife set off toward the stables and soon Donald came riding astride a battle scarred but still spirited stallion. When he reached Annie, he brought the horse to a halt and slid from the saddle.
“Go quick, lass,” he urged. “I told my Roy not to ride with them, but he went against my wishes. He said I had followed Bryce, and he was bound to do so as well, but he’s just a child. He doesn’t understand the danger. He’s a foolhardy lad like his da, but I’d not have him come back like the others did.”
“I’ll do my best to see he remains safe,” Annie said as she climbed into the saddle. Chicks and geese scattered as she reined the horse about and rode from the castle.
“Halt, who goes there?” a guard cried, but she didn’t slow her mount and gave a prayer of thanksgiving when no sound of pursuit came to her ears.
In the distance, she could see horsemen riding toward the castle and guessed it was Rafe and Gare returning from their patrol. She must hurry. The day was drawing to an end, and she’d never find Bryce and the men in the darkness, especially if he was defiant enough to try and elude her. Pray to God there were cooler heads among the men he’d taken on this foolish mission.
She turned the horse eastward and nudged it to a full gallop, bent low over the saddle. Bryce and the men had a couple of hours’ head start on her, but they were on foot and traveling over the Highlands. She prayed she’d get to them before they reached the eastern border and the Broderick villages beyond. If they burned and raided the villages, they’d have the Brodericks themselves down on them, and they’d need them as allies should they ever go against the Campbells. Even then their support would be half-hearted. Damn Bryce and his temper. Why couldn’t he see ahead to what their clan must do if they were to regain their status in the Highlands? To dissolve into an unlawful band of thieves and murderers would only hasten the clan’s demise. In a fit of anxiety, she whipped up the stallion.
Long shadows lay over the valleys and hillsides. She nearly missed the band of men who crested a hill and began their descent. Reining her mount around, she rode up to meet them. At first, Bryce didn’t see her, but the others pointed her out and he gave a signal, waving the men into the rocks and boulders. In the gathering gloom, he hadn’t yet identified her, and she feared he might launch an attack on her, so she sent a long wavering whistle, which had been the MacDougall signal since the beginning of time and watched as the men froze then turned to gaze at her in disbelief. Taking advantage of their confusion, she kneed her mount upward.
“Annie, why do you be here?” Thomas Dougall asked, running to take her reins and offer a hand for her out of the saddle.
She chose to stay mounted where she had the advantage of height as she glared into the face of each man. “Why are you here?” she demanded. “You’ve not been ordered to come to this border or to attack the Broderick villages. So why have you left your homes?”
Shamefacedly, the men shuffled their feet and refused to meet her gaze. Some glanced at Bryce who had remained in the background. Now, when her gaze turned to him, he waited an insolent amount of time before stepping forward to confront her.
“Have you finished with your jaunt in the Highlands with the MacIntyre lady?” he sneered. “Do you make flowery crowns to put on your heads while you claver and tittle-tattle about this thing and that? Two ladies of leisure, are you?”
“It is no business of yours, Bryce MacDougall, if I go into the Highlands with Jean or of what we speak. Just as it is no business of yours to bring these men across the bens to enter Broderick lands and wreck mischief. Are you not a man, truly grown with a mind to think ahead of the consequences of your actions? Have you forgotten what happened the last time you took such foolhardy action?” Her gaze swept around the group. “How many of you will be carried home in a barley bag for this night’s business? And how many of your wives and mothers will be wailing this night for your feckless doings? Are you intending always to follow a tawpie—”
“Have a care with your words, lass,” Bryce charged her, gripping her stirrup, one brawny fist raised. “I’ll not have you dishonor me with such careless words. I’ll strike you from this animal.”