Marti Talbott's Highlander Series, Volume 4

by Marti Talbott

  Neil waited while Jessup whispered to Glenna and watched her eyes widen. Then he turned back to Greer. “And this lord may not let the lass go?”

  “Not willingly.”

  “He will need to be persuaded?”

  Greer reached for her goblet of wine, took a drink and then set it down. “Or you might need to take her away in the night, ‘tis not so easily done as it may sound. The English have guards too and if you kill them...”

  “Nay, we will not be starting a war with England even for the sake of wives.”

  Greer reached over and touched Jessup’s hand to get her attention. “If they were to approach the ladies of the manor, though.”

  Jessup smiled. “Especially for the pretty ones?”

  “Aye.”

  Neil wrinkled his brow. “What?”

  “In England,” Greer said, “a married woman is treated very well while an unmarried is...gotten rid of whenever possible. She is a danger to their society, you see.”

  “A danger, how?”

  “Well, suppose a family has sons and intends for the sons to marry only lasses from wealthy families. Letting a pretty unmarried near him might tempt him to fall in love and thereby marry...beneath him.”

  Neil wrinkled his brow again. “Still I do not understand. Why approach the ladies?”

  “If the lady of the house wishes to be rid of an unmarried woman, particularly a pretty one, she will reason with the lord. Of course he still may refuse.”

  Jessup giggled. “Not if he wishes to sleep in his own bed. His wife would accuse him of bedding the servant if he refuses to release her.”

  Neil rubbed his brow. “But first, we must get the lasses to agree to come. Will it be difficult?”

  “In some cases, not hard at all. An unmarried lass is anxious to have a husband. Usually ‘tis the unmarried who are accused of witchcraft and if not that, they are accused of other things and sent off to become a Nun, ‘tis sad indeed, very sad.”

  “What is?”

  Said Greer, “That a lass will marry even the most unworthy lad simply to say she is married.”

  “Then perhaps they will be agree...” Neil tried, but couldn’t remember the end of the word.

  “Agreeable.” Jessup reminded him.

  “Aye, agreeable. How do we find these lasses?”

  Greer looked to Jessup for help, but Jessup shrugged. “Short of going from farm to farm, I do not know.”

  Jessup’s eyes suddenly lit up. “They could attend a festival.”

  Greer roared with laughter. “Just imagine what would happen if Highlanders walked into an English festival? The lasses would faint and the lads would declare war.”

  “But there are festivals where both the Scots and the English attend,” said Jessup.

  “Aye, but our lads are looking for wives. How well would the English lads like that?” Greer asked.

  “Not well at all, perhaps,” said Jessup.

  For a long moment, they all remained deep in thought. Finally, Greer spoke up. “I could go with them. If I talked to the lasses, the English lads need never know what we are up to.”

  Again, Jessup’s eyes lit up. “Indeed you could. You could go to the festival, spread the word among the lasses and have them meet the lads somewhere in the forest.”

  Greer was getting excited too. “I could even take them from the festival to the lads myself, and that way they would not be so frightened.”

  Without even realizing it, they were all speaking Gaelic and it made Glenna smile. She thought about letting them know, but decided it would be fun to see how long it took them to realize it.

  “If Greer goes, it would solve another of my problems,” said Neil. “Kadick would not be the only lass.”

  “Aye and she must not go to find a husband alone.” Glenna forgot too. When she spoke up the others realized they were not speaking English anymore and laughed. Soon their laughter subsided, however, and again everyone was quiet, each trying to think of all the problems they might encounter.

  “The answer is meat,” said Greer finally.

  Neil frowned. “Meat? Now what are you talking about?”

  “Meat is a lord and lady’s way of showing their wealth. The more meat they can serve at a meal, the more they can display their pride. However, the servants are given very little meat to put in their pottage each day. Promise the lasses ample meat and they will follow you anywhere.”

  “It cannot be so simple as all that,” Neil said.

  Glenna giggled, “If that does not work, have the lads take off their shirts.”

  THAT NIGHT, GLENNA was already under the covers and the baby was sound asleep in her box, when Neil sat down on the bed and began to unlace his shoes. “I need not go with them now that Greer is going.”

  “Is my husband trying to get out of going?”

  “My place is here with you and the clan.”

  Glenna rose up on one elbow and waited for him to undress and lie down beside her. “You forget I have been with you the last two times you have traveled. I know little, but I know when my husband is happy and you are happiest when you partake in adventure.”

  He lay down, reached out and drew her to him. “Have I no secrets from you?”

  “I hope not.” She nuzzled his neck and snuggled closer. “There is another very important reason for you to go.”

  “And what might that be?”

  “Only you can prevent the lads from starting a war with England.”

  He kissed her forehead and then thought about her words. She was right, the last thing he wanted was a war and who better to talk to the king should something go wrong?

  CHAPTER III

  BRENDAN WAS NOT PLEASED when he heard Neil was taking Greer with him to England. He never even suspected it was a possibility. Had he known, he would have drawn lots with the other men ... but he did not know. Hannish and Bethia were finally married and he hoped he would marry Greer soon too.

  He was not normally a jealous man and he was willing to let her slowly make up her mind about his marriage proposal, because he wanted her to be certain. Yet who knew how long Greer would be gone and with twenty other men ready, willing and able to cater to her every whim, he was feeling anxious.

  He did not let on as he helped her mount her horse and looked deep into her eyes. “I will miss you, lass.”

  “And I you.”

  “Do not do anything foolish.”

  “Such as fall in love with another lad?” She winked as she said it, smiled and followed the men out of the courtyard. She didn’t mean to and even promised herself not to, but she couldn’t help herself. At the edge of the village, she halted the horse, turned around, rode back into the courtyard and slid down into his waiting arms. Then she passionately kissed Brendan’s lips. “Do not let anything happen to you, Brendan MacGreagor.”

  “Such as fall in love with another lass?”

  “Precisely.” She quickly kissed him again, let him lift her back up and then galloped after the leaving entourage.

  KADICK DID NOT HAVE a man taking her riding; she had twenty and her laird besides. The men kept the two females and their laird encircled where they could protect them, and she felt just as she imagined the Queen of Scotland felt when she went riding. Behind her, four of the men also held the reins of pack horses burdened with everything Glenna thought might make the women more comfortable on the journey back. They brought extra plaids, brushes, soap, food, bowls, spoons and fine belts made of leather to use for barter.

  Kadick knew few of the men. Most were MacGreagors and those that were MacClurgs had long since forgotten about her. No matter, she did not prefer any of them either.

  When she first thought of going away, she had little hope that she would actually find a husband on her own. On the contrary, she thought she would probably be stoned to death by people who feared her. However, on some days her loneliness was so great, she was not put off by the idea. Yet never had she dared dream of being surrounded by strong, hands
ome men who would protect her. Protection was not love, but it was as close as she had come to the love of a man since her adopted father died.

  She knew the MacClurgs and MacGreagors would protect the clan should the need arise, but this was the first time she felt the protection was just for her. It was enchanting, made her chest swell with pride and her heart fill with joy. Kadick still wore her cape with the hood, but on this day, she held her head just a little higher.

  DONNAHAIL NOTICED KADICK.

  Two days earlier, he had been in the great hall when she pointed out the error of the clan’s ways, and he thought her speech quite eloquent. Even the most witless among them knew exactly what she was talking about. They perhaps had not set out to shun her, but ignoring her existence was just as bad. It was a crime he was glad he did not feel guilty of.

  Indeed, Donnahail noticed her. Even before they left, he noticed the horse Ben chose to take the place of her older, nearly worn out mare was too big for Kadick’s small size. Straddling a horse for days was hard enough for a woman unaccustomed to it, but when the horse’s back was too wide, it could be torture. He did not make a display of it; he merely whispered to Ben and helped him unload her things. Then when Ben rode the new choice back into the courtyard, he loaded it again and lifted Kadick up.

  She might have been returning his smile, but she quickly covered the lower part of her face with the side of her hood and simply nodded.

  And when they began to ride, he stayed just a little behind and to the side of her. She reminded him of the little sister he lost to the plague, who even at sixteen was not much larger. Most of the women in his family were small. His sister did not have a mark on her face, but she did have one foot that was bent outward and forced her to walk with a limp. The other children were cruel, he grew up protecting her, and when she was gone, he greatly missed watching over her. Donnahail supposed that was why he was taking such an interest in Kadick—he missed his sister.

  THE FIRST DAY, NEIL took it slow and stopped often. They were in no hurry, he wanted to get the lay of the land and once they were stopped, he sent men out to hunt. If meat was the answer to getting wives, it would help to know how plentiful or how sparse the hunting was.

  Greer and Kadick were exhausted, especially Kadick and walking the stiffness out together was just the thing after the day-long ride. Various men took care of building a fire, feeding all of them and seeing to the women’s every need, which made Kadick feel even more like a queen. She was sore but she enjoyed walking with Greer and her spirits were high. Then just as they turned to go back, her toe caught on a rock and she went hurling toward the ground.

  Greer instinctively reached out to grab her arm but she missed. All she could do was cry out and put her hand over her mouth which got everyone’s attention.

  A mere second before Kadick was about to hit the ground, Donnahail grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back up. He held on until she got her feet firmly on the ground, then he slowly let go. “You cannot see where you are going. Perhaps you should not wear the hood when we are stopped. Everyone here has already seen your mark and if they stare I will kill them.”

  Kadick turned to face him and tried to smile, but it took her a moment more to catch her breath before she could speak. “I tried killing one once, I was five, and his mother blistered my backside.”

  He returned her smile and watched her eyes as he pushed the hood off her head. “There, now you will see your own feet before you stumble over them. I may not manage to catch you the next time.”

  Instead of being insulted over her implied clumsiness, she became curious. “I have not seen you before.”

  “I am Donnahail and I have not seen you before either. I was one of the eight sent back to find the lost and only just returned.”

  “My mark does not frighten you?”

  He mockingly put a finger to his chin as though he had to think about it for a while. Then he looked at her face from one angle, moved and looked at it from another. “May I touch it?”

  She was completely surprised. Strangers could hardly look at her mark let alone touch it. At length she nodded. His touch was soft and when he pushed her hair back to see how far the mark went around her head, she let him.

  “‘Tis in the shape of a large kiss.”

  Kadick giggled. “Millin called me ‘Kissy’ until I got older and embarrassed by it. She said I have been kissed by the angels.”

  He ran his finger slowly from the normal part of her cheek to the marked part. “It feels the same as your other skin. Does it hurt?”

  “It burns just as the rest of my skin does when the sun hits it too long, but otherwise it does not hurt.”

  “That is it then.” He withdrew his hand and straightened her hood so it would lay flat on her shoulders.

  “That is what?”

  “The answer to all my questions. Now I will not wonder.” He gave her a slight bow and walked away.

  Kadick turned to Greer and shrugged. “At least he is not afraid of me.”

  “None of us are afraid of you, not now leastwise. And he is right, you should take the hood off when you are alone with us. Let the men get used to seeing it. Who knows, maybe one of them will prefer you.”

  Kadick rolled her eyes. “Nay, I have decided on an Englishman. If I do not understand what he is saying, he cannot upset me.” Greer looked concerned until Kadick smiled. “Do not take me so seriously.”

  CHAPTER IV

  BY THE THIRD DAY, THEY were beyond the land of the Kennedys, the hills of the Haldane, the valleys of the MacPhearson, and were into the lowlands of the Swinton. But the Swinton were not a peaceful people. They wore dark blue kilts and shirts, were unclean and had blue war paint on their faces.

  Mounted on horses and waiting in a straight line, they blocked the lower half of a meadow and glared at the intruding MacGreagors. Their swords were drawn, their eyes were fierce and they each carried a round shield. The shields had unique markings so others of their clan could recognize each man even when his shield covered his face.

  The MacGreagors did not prefer shields and right away, the Swinton clan assumed an easy victory was theirs.

  Unafraid, Neil let his men walk their horses closer and then raised his hand to stop them. “I count thirty-two,” whispered Luag, the man Neil chose to be his second in command on this adventure. They were slightly outnumbered. Even so, Neil rode out alone to speak to the man in the middle. If the opposing man was impressed, he didn’t let on. “I am Laird Neil MacGreagor. We require safe passage through your land to England.”

  The man scoffed. He was an older man with graying hair, leathery skin and one hand that shook uncontrollably. “I am Laird Swinton and we require the payment of two lasses for safe passage through our land.”

  “We do not barter lasses.”

  Laird Swinton spit on the ground. “Pity, we will have to fight you then.”

  Neil slowly smiled, “Perhaps you would care to place a wager. Any of my lads against your strongest.”

  Swinton did not quite know what to make of Neil. He suspected a swindle somewhere but couldn’t make out exactly where. “You will allow me to choose both lads?”

  “If it pleases you.”

  “What will you wager?”

  “If my lad wins, you will grant us safe passage,” said Neil.

  “And if my lad wins?”

  “He will not win.”

  At last, a slow smile crossed Laird Swinton’s face. “If my lad wins, you will give up your lasses.”

  Neil only shrugged. Then he swung his arm out to indicate Swinton should examine his men and make his choice.

  Fearless, the elder Swinton walked his horse back and forth among all the MacGreagors, giving each man a good look. None of them showed any sign of weakness. However, when he came to Greer, he halted his horse and smiled. “She is a pretty one. I will have her when you lose.”

  Right behind him, Neil ignored his comment.

  Both women kept their head
s bent and their eyes down, and when he moved his horse closer to Kadick, he was charmed by the way she had her head covered with part of it held over her lower face. “Is this one too lovely to show herself? Perhaps I will prefer her instead.”

  Donnahail’s muscles stiffened and Neil noticed. He quickly shot his man a warning look but he was too late. Swinton noticed too and his grin grew wider. “A husband? That is even better. I like a woman with a little practice.”

  It was all Donnahail could do to keep from drawing his sword. Instead, he glared at his enemy hoping to be chosen to fight. Once he quickly did away with the other fighter, he would cut off the head of their laird.

  Swinton had already turned his attention back to Kadick. “Come now, let me see your beauty so I may anticipate my victory even more.”

  Kadick did not glance at Neil. Never before had she needed a man’s permission to do as she pleased and she did not need it now. Instead, she turned smiling eyes on Laird Swinton and began to taunt him by pushing her hood back just an inch at a time on the unmarked side of her face.

  She was indeed pleasing, he thought, and his lust increased with each of her movements.

  Then abruptly, she shoved the hood off, turned her marked side toward him and watched the horror grow in his expression.

  “Cursed! They are the cursed of the world!” Laird Swinton nearly backed his horse into Neil’s trying to get away, but Neil did not move fast enough so Swinton charged his horse forward instead.

  Donnahail pulled his dagger and desperately wanted to hurt the man, but he was worried Swinton would lash out at Kadick. Instead of getting out of the way, he wedged his horse between the two, forcing Swinton’s horse aside and Kadick’s horse to move over.

  Neil watched the frightened Swinton race away.

  Then Donnahail grabbed Kadick’s arm to keep her from falling off her agitated horse. He quickly put his dagger away and as soon as he was sure she was holding on tight, he let go of her arm, grabbed her reins and pulled her horse’s head down to calm him. Then just before Kadick put her hood back on, Donnahail noticed a tear roll down her cheek.