The Highlander's Lady (3 page)

Myra raced down the steps to the dungeon, finding Rose where she’d left her.

“We must make haste.” Her voice came out harsher than she intended, but Rose made no comment on it.

Pulling Rose back into the darkened corridor, the
y
made their way f
a
rther down the stairs.

“We will have to crawl through her
e
. Think ye can manage?”

“Aye,” Rose said. She didn’t ask what Myra had found
and her voice too
grew
harder as though she knew her husband was dead.

Myra could not
imagine
how Rose felt. To be left so soon by her
husband and a bairn on the way.

They crawled through the last tunnel, the w
eight of the castle above them. The stones were slick and bits of debris littering the floor jabbed into her palms.

Ye can do this.
Myra repeated the words in her mind a thousand times, and with each
re
citation
, she felt a little stronger.

When they neared the end of the tunnel, a bright light slipped through a crack of stone, beckoning them forward.
A breeze whistled through the crack sending wintry chills up and down her limbs.
’Twas cold outside… Traveling would not be easy.

“We’re almost there,” she called to Rose who crawled behind her.

Rose let out a little grunt.

“Keep that bairn inside ye
.
” Myra
had
the sudden horrific thought that Rose might go into labor from all the stress of the day on her mind and body.

“He’
s to stay put,” Rose panted from the exertion of crawling.

“Let us pray ’tis a boy.”

They at last reached the end where there was room to stand. Myra helped Rose
up
, h
er legs wobbly.

“When we leave this cave, we will have to keep close to the walls, and ye’ll need to stay hidden while I fetch us a horse.”

“Nay!” Rose shook her head vehemently. “The attackers are sure to be out there.”

“Aye. But what choice do we have? We canna stay here and wait for them to find us.”

In the sliver of light coming from the hidden entrance, Myra could make out Rose’s eyes shifting about in thought.

“We shall walk into the village and get a horse fr
o
m there,
”
Rose offered.

Myra shook her head. “Most likely they’ve burned the village, or at the very least are looting it. I’ll not have us stuck there.”
Myra pressed a steady hand to Rose’s belly, feeling the child kick within. A surge of protectiveness filled her. “
Or be killed.
We will see my brother’s heir to safety. Ye and I together.”

“I trust ye.” Rose nodded, her eyes wide. “I do.”

“All right, then
,
ye stay here. If I’m not back within a quarter hour, run.”

Chapter Two

“
M
y son, y
e must marry!”

Laird Daniel Murray looked at hi
s mother
, irritated,
and tried like hell not to shout at the daft woman.
Please, not this again.
’Twas the same conversation—if one could call it that since he did not utter a word—each time he graced Blair Castle’s entrance, his home.
He’d only just returned with the dawn
,
and
already,
she was making his head ache.  He was sure she wouldn’t be pleased that he planned to leave within the hour.

“Aye, your mother is correct,” his uncle Artair said with a great sigh.
They all sat at the great table in the hall, bowls of lukewarm porridge and hunks of freshly baked bread before them. Uncle Arta
i
r’s
grey
, bushy brows sagged over his eyelids, and the wrinkles in his face were a map to his past. “Ye must have an heir, Danny, ye must.”

Daniel cringed inwardly. He despised being called Danny, for it brought out images of a lad
still dressing in bairn gowns
, racing and tripping through the bailey.
He glanced around the room, taking in the tapestries of Murrays of
the past.
They depicted strength, pure raw power.
Battle scenes, treati
es signed. Every image pounded the one thing into his head he couldn’t escape from—he wasn’t leader material. And yet, he was their laird. Daniel knew how to fight.
Hell, he
was an expert in combat
. He
could negotiate
a treaty or a farmer’s
dispute
with the best of them. But here, in Blair’s great hall, he’d always felt lacking.

“Listen to your uncle, he is an elder of the clan and speaks the truth.” His mother
pushed from her chair and
rushed toward him, still beautiful even with a few crinkles at her eyes and
grey
ing hair. “We’ve presented ye with nigh on a dozen
brides and yet ye’ve tossed them all to the wind. What will become of the Murrays without an heir?”

Daniel
stood and
trudged toward the
wide
hearth
filled with a roaring fire
, not because he sought heat, but because he wished to put some distance between himself and his
loving
family.
He took a long gulp of his ale.
The brides, as his mother called them, were ridiculous half-wits. Not one of them wanted to be with him for h
im. They wanted to be mistress
o
f
Blair. They wanted his wealth. His name. Not one of them had been blessed with an intelligent thought, nor could they hold a meaningful conversation. Daniel had been bored within moments of being introduced.
He was not stupid
. He
realize
d
that all the
assets
he had would garner interest, and instead
that
was what would draw a woman to him
. Even still,
he would also like for his wife to like
him
. At least enough to smile when he walked through the door.
His mother and uncle
meant the best for him, but he found their tireless efforts to see him wed taxing. He was not ready to marry.

Settling down when he was in the prime of his bachelorhood did not appeal to him
. He wanted to sow those oats before pledging his life to another. Daniel
was not the type of man who would leave his wife to entertain himself elsewhere. At least, that’s what he believed since he’d never been married before. His cousin Magnus, Laird Sutherland, was a good man, a man he saw himself much like. Magnus loved his wife.

Daniel couldn’t imagine t
hat he would feel the same way about love,
as Magnus. Especially
since he
un
sure what love was, or that he felt any interest in perhaps being on the
receiving
end
of it
, but he did want companionship. Someone he could share things with, enjoy an evening of dancing and even the pleasure of bedding.
Making love was a superb way to let the nights pass.

All of that however, seemed an impossible feat.
’
Twas luck that brought Magnus to his bride, Arbella de Mowbray.
’
Twas that same luck that brought Magnus’ brother Blane to his wife Aliah, for she was Arbella’s sister.

There were no sisters left in the De Mowbray family.
Daniel
was out of luck.

“Are ye listening to your mother?” Artair
’s
voice
was
heavy with weariness.

Daniel turned to face his mother, trying not to let his frustration show.
Artair was his
father
’s brother—and
his mother the sister
to his
Sutherland
cousins
’
father.
When his mother, Fiona
,
married the old Laird Murray
—his father
, grey as a storm cloud
—
she’d been young and he already on his third wife.
The laird
had passed the year before in a clan battle. Died like a warrior—although before Daniel was ready to take on the duties expected of him.

“I was not pleased with the brides ye showed me. I willna tie myself to a woman who does not satisfy me.”

“What are ye looking for then?” his mother asked. Her eyes were dark green like his own, and sh
o
ne with her own bit of annoyance.
“Ye must marry, Danny. Everything is at stake. ’Tis best—”

“I know what’s best for the clan,” Daniel said, his voice coming out harsher than he intended.
He was tired of everyone thinking him not fit. Whether they believed it, or he did, there was no other way for it. Daniel was laird.
He had to do what was best for his people. And as much as it pained him, he had to reveal the terms he’d agree too, his terms,
else
they nag him to an early grave.
“I will marry come spring.”

“Spring? This spring?” Fiona’s eyes were wide
flashing between
speculation
and hope
.

“Aye, this spring.”

His mother was
so moved, she clapped with joy, and his uncle breathed such a heavy sigh of relief, the ale in his cup
rippled.

“
Until that time, I leave the clan in your hands
,
Uncle
.”

“What?” His mother’s exasperat
ed shout
rattled the rafters.

Artair raised his brows and sat heavily back in his chair
, placing his ale on the table, no doubt getting ready to calm Fiona
.

“I’ve decided to join William Wallace and the Bruce.”

Artair sat forward at that, whatever relief he’d experienced completely wiped from his face. “Are ye insane, Danny?”

And here they went…

“Nay, quite the opposite.
” Daniel tried to keep his voice calm, even placed his ale on the mantel and crossed his arms over his chest, trying for casual. “
’Tis a known fact the English plan an attack on our people come the spring. When Wallace and his eight thousand men took Stirling castle, ’twas a blow to Longshank’s Sassenach pride. The English king is
a
bastard and willna let a prime stronghold easily slip from his fingers. Rumor has it he’s already recalling troops from abroad to aid in his cause against us. He willna stop until he’s seen to it that every last Scot is bled from this world. Wallace needs my help to train the men. The Bruce needs the support of all the leaders in Scotland. We must show that we stand behind him, that the Murrays dinna want to be ruled by English.”

“Aye, but did ye not say your cousin Ronan was going?”

Ronan was Magnus
’
and Blane
Sutherland
’s youngest brother. The man was a force to be reckoned with when it came to a sword, a man Daniel was not only proud to call blood, but proud to call a Scot.
He
’d
have Ronan guard his back any day.

Daniel
took a few steps toward
the great table
, his lips thin.
Mother rushed to sit, ringing her hands.
He’d known this would not be easy. “That he is, and I plan to help him.”

“But what of your other cousin Angus Moray, who fought beside Wallace at Stirling Bridge and was mortally
wounded?”
Fiona gripped the edge of the table, her voice low and smooth as tho
ugh she fought to keep her temp
er in check.
“Should ye like that to be your fate?”

Daniel was sure his mother hoped to scare him from going. But his cousin’s death only further made him want to join the fight.
Her reminder of it only upped his
keenness
to leave Blair.

He
crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her.

Blood
drained from his mother’s face and her mouth opened and closed a few times before she spoke.
“Ye will not back down.” ’Twas a statement not a question. Despite how much she badgered him, Daniel’s mother was well aware when he would not falter from his course.

“Nay.”

Artair let out a long breath, placed his gnarled hands on his knees and pushed to stand. Taking a moment to gain his bearings, the old man hobbled toward him.
He placed a firm hand on Daniel’s shoulder—having to reach up considerably high given that Daniel took after the Sutherland side of the family and was easily a foot taller.

“I give ye my blessing. I will support ye. But ye must come back alive. ’Tis a dangerous thing ye’re planning to do, and ye’ll put the clan in danger should ye get yourself killed.”

Daniel gave his uncle a small smile of appreciation.
The older man’s support meant a lot more than Daniel was willing to let on
. ’Twas something he’d not ever
received from his
own
father.
“Thank ye.” Turning
to face
his mother he said, “Will ye give me your blessing?”

She contemplated, her fingers dancing over her skirts as if she counted how many things could go wrong.
Her gaze was fixed on her hands, and if he wasn’t used to such behavior from her, he might have thought she’d not heard him.
Finally
,
she nodded. “I will support ye, Danny, but I dinna like it.”

He stepped forward and pulled his mother into his embrace. Citrus and cloves. She smelled as she always had since he was a small helpless thing. ’Twas a smell he’d forever associate with comfort. For however prickly she was, Fiona had a tender heart at her center.
Daniel knew that was as good as he was going to get.

“Thank ye.”

She nodded against his chest, patted his back. “Ye’d best go so ye can come back. I’ve a list of brides to prepare. Not sure who is left.” She pulled back a bit and gave him a challenging lift of her brow. “Might have to marry ye to Heather.”

“Dear Lord, n
ay
!” he teased back. He’d not ever marry Magnus’ youngest sister. Not only was she too closely blood related for his tastes, she was only fifteen summers. Far too young for
him
. Daniel liked a woman fully grown and ripe.

“Well, it was a good try. The lass is going to have a hard time finding a husband that w
ill
take her on.”

Too true. Heather was a hellion of the highest order. Magnus often sent her to
Blair Castle for the guidance of Daniel’s mother.
Not that Daniel was sure any of her guidance was heeded.