“You have found the Englishman?” demanded Forbes. “I killed the man and brought proof. What proof do you have?”
Laird MacDonald turned to stand in front of Kenna protectively. He didn’t notice when Kenna moved close to Ferguson and grabbed his hand. Ferguson did one better, he moved Kenna behind him. At the same time, Connor moved Charlet behind him.
Laird MacDonald lowered his voice. “I do not yet exactly know the name of the Englishman, but I know the name of the Cameron he spoke to.”
Blair’s rage was beginning to build. “What is his name?” he demanded.
“Who are you?” MacDonald demanded right back.
“I am Blair Cameron and I want the traitor who tried to have Charlet killed.”
“Killed? I had not heard that,” said MacDonald.
Blair began to move forward. His glare was fierce and his eyes were on fire. “I want the name now!”
The old man was clearly no match for Blair and he quickly yielded, “'Tis Cowan...Cowan Cameron.”
Laird Forbes roared with laughter. “MacDonald, you lose. I killed the Englishman and you only have the name of a traitor. Charlet will be mine.”
“You both lose,” Blair roared. “She has agreed to marry me!”
MacDonald spun around to face Kenna, “Charlet is that...” Only then did he realize she was no longer behind him. “Charlet?”
Near the door, Charlet leaned around Connor. “I am over here.” When MacDonald turned back around, she smiled and waved to the elder man.
MacDonald was still scratching his head when Forbes spoke up. “MacGreagor, you said the one who brought you the Englishman would have her.”
It was Kevin’s turn to glare. “You heard wrong. I said I would encourage her to accept the lad, who brought me the Englishman, not force her. Be gone with you, you tire me.”
“You have not heard the last of this.” Forbes stormed out the door yelling for his guard at the top of his lungs.
Kenna could wait no more. She ran across the room and threw her arms around Charlet. “I am so happy you are safe! I have missed you so.”
Charlet hugged her back. “I have missed you too. I am getting married.”
“So am I.” Kenna’s eyes widened. She realized she hadn’t actually accepted Ferguson’s proposal and she looked at him. He was pleased and she guessed she had just said yes.
Kevin was smiling, Connor was relieved, Blair was calming down and the only one not happy was Laird MacDonald. Laird MacDonald looked from one redheaded beauty to the other and back again. “I am too old for this.” He quickly and quietly walked out the door.
Kevin laughed. “All this and we only managed to offend one of them.” He opened his arms and waited for Charlet to run into them. “I have nearly lost my mind with worry over you.” He began to take her in his embrace when he remembered. “Is your arm badly hurt? Let me see it.”
She showed him and tried to ease his worried look. “I did not even see the Englishmen. If Blair had not been there...”
“I know, Thomas told us what happened. Is it true you wish to marry Blair?”
She smiled, walked to Blair, boldly kissed his lips and faced Kevin again. “With your permission, of course.”
“Granted. Now, you must go upstairs and see Anna. She is waiting and wants very much to see you.”
“I have missed all of you so much!” Charlet quickly kissed Blair on the lips again and rushed up the stairs. Then she stopped and turned to look back. “Kevin, he did not shame me.”
“I knew he would not.”
Anna took one look at Charlet and stuck her head out of the bedchamber door. “Kevin, Charlet would like a bath and could you send someone to fetch clean clothing?”
“I will see to it.”
“Thank you, love.” Anna closed the door and both she and Charlet shrieked with delight at seeing each other again.
Ferguson went to Kenna and grabbed her hand. “I would like to speak to you, alone.” He opened the door, ushered her out and winked at Kevin just before he closed the door.
Kevin took a forgotten breath and handed Blair a goblet of wine. “At last we will have peace again in this home. Did she try to run?”
“Aye, that is how they got to her. The fault is mine, Kevin. I should have been watching her more closely.”
“I blame myself, Thomas blames himself and you blame yourself. The only one who takes no blame at all is the King of England.” Kevin shook his head. “What will you do about your traitor?”
“As much as I want to kill him, I will let Thomas decided.”
“You are a good lad. Go home and see to your rest. I expect we will be seeing you around here often until you manage to take her away from us.”
Blair downed the wine and nodded. “I could use a bath myself.”
CHAPTER VII
Charlet gasped. “I will become the Queen of England?”
Anna nodded. “You are first in line. The king believes his nephew is the one trying to kill you. The nephew is second in line to the throne.”
Clean and once again clothed in a MacGreagor plaid, Charlet sat by the fire and let Anna brush her long red hair dry. She closed her eyes and tried to absorb all that Anna told her. “The nephew will not give up until I am dead, will he.”
“I have come to the same conclusion.”
“But after I marry Blair...”
Anna stopped brushing. “It would seem to be the answer, but husbands die and if Blair...”
“Do not say it, Anna; I could not live without him.”
“I feel the same way about Kevin. But sweetheart, what if someone decides you would make a better sovereign than the king’s nephew? Someone could kill Blair to free you from your ties to the Highlands.”
“So Blair is in danger because of me. Even all of you are in danger because of me. I am sick at heart. I am only sixteen, Anna, why has this happened to me?”
Anna went back to brushing her hair. “I do not know.”
“Is there nothing I can do?”
“I can think of only one thing and I pray we do not have to kill a lad to do it.”
“Have you ever killed a lad?”
“Not yet, but deep down inside I am furious enough to.”
Blair promised Charlet he would return the next day, after the noon meal, and he was right on time. His hair was washed, his clothing were clean and even his horse had suffered a bath. Kevin stood on the landing and waited until Blair dismounted, handed his reins to a waiting boy and climbed the steps. Then Kevin nodded. The boy raced to get the horse into the stable, the drawbridge began to rise and a guard of ten MacGreagors ran across the courtyard to face Blair.
Blair glared at Kevin.
“I would tell you this inside, but I fear you will break everything and everyone in it. Charlet is gone.”
On the outside, he was calm and collected, but on the inside he was a raging bull screaming to get out. “Gone where?”
“I can not tell you.”
“Tell me this, has she married another lad?”
“Nay, she loves you and she will come back...I hope.”
“Why can you not tell me where she is?”
Kevin puffed his cheeks. “Because you will go after her and she does not want you to stop her.”
Blair closed his eyes. “She has gone to England.”
Lying to a man bigger than even he, did not sound like a good idea, so Kevin nodded. “If you promise not to break anything, I will pour you some wine and try to explain. However, know this; you are not leaving here for the next two days at least. I intend to let her get all the way into England where you can not find her before I let you out.”
“Does Thomas know you are keeping me?”
“Not yet. I suppose I will have to go to war with him over you. Did I not warn you Charlet has the power to start a war?”
Blair finally smiled, “Aye, you did.” His rage had turned to hurt, disappointment and finally fear. He was losing her and he could feel it.
“By the way, my men will be guarding the hidden doors in the wall. Come, I have more to tell you.”
Inside, the two men chatted about Kenna, the lairds who came to marry Charlet and all the blond hair that turned to red. But Kevin could see Blair was hardly listening. He saved the bad news for last. “Charlet is the King of England’s niece. She is first in line to the throne.”
Blair slumped against the back of his chair. He closed his eyes, ran his fingers threw his hair and rocked forward. Then he grabbed the goblet, drank until it was empty and set it down. “I was worried because I can not make her mistress of a clan. How do I ask her to give up the throne of England? What kind of man would do that to the woman he loves?”
“You are a better lad than most.”
Blair’s eyes were closed, he was rubbing his brow and he was mumbling. “...choose me over the throne of England? There is not a hope in hell.”
Kevin felt bad for Blair and tried to think of some comforting words. “Anna went with her. I swore I would never let her go again, but my wife is a determined woman when she wants to be and I am powerless to stop her. They have a guard with them and they will be safe.”
Blair didn’t hear a word Kevin said.
It was another boring day in the King of England’s court. The king’s heavy crown was crooked and he was slouched over with his head propped up on one hand. Then there came a commotion in the back of the court and he heard a woman yell.
“I will see the king now!”
The king stood up and tried to see who it was. First he saw flaming red hair and then he spotted Anna. “Let them come!” he commanded.
Both women wore English gowns and Charlet was still glaring at the guard when Anna pulled her away by the elbow. She stopped midway to the king and began to curtsey.
But not Charlet. She marched straight up to the king and stopped only two feet from him. “I would honor you with a curtsy, but I am too furious to do it.”
The king smiled. Her mother once said the same thing. She was just as lovely as Anna said and he stared at her face for several moments. Yes, he could see his sweet sister’s resemblance in her child.
Charlet sneered, “Which of these mules is your nephew?”
A man of twenty sitting next to the king stood up. “I am the king’s nephew. What do you want?”
“I want to strangle you!” she walked closer and looked him in the eye. “Do not pretend you do not know who I am.”
“My lady, I do not know who you are.”
“Then it is time we met. You tried to have me killed and I suspect you are responsible for the death of my real parents … and the ones who raised me. You had their cottage set on fire trying to kill me, but I lived.”
The king was aghast and signaled for his guard. But when the guard surrounded Charlet, he said, “Not her, him!” Two of his guards grabbed his nephew under the arms. Then the king turned back to his niece. “Have you any proof?”
Charlet opened the palm of her hand and then unfolded the letter. She handed it to the king and stepped back. She watched him read it and saw the fury building in him. The king turned his angry eyes on his nephew. “Take him away. He will die for this.”
“Nay!” the nephew screamed. “Uncle, it is a mistake. I have done nothing, I swear it!” He was still screaming after the guards carried him out the door and then all the way across the king’s courtyard.
Finally, the king motioned for Charlet to come closer. “I have longed to see you and now you are here at last. Will you stay and talk with me?”
She noticed for the first time the many eyes watching her and turned all the way around to see them. Some smiled, some looked stoic, and others had dropped jaws. She wondered if she should tell them who she was and then decided she would. “I am Charlet, daughter of...” She turned to the king for help.
“You are the daughter of Austin and Victoria, my sister. And you are next in line to the throne of England.” He heard the gasps from the crowd and turned to them. “You will honor my niece, protect her and see that she has all she desires.”
The room full of people quickly knelt. Charlet moved closer to the king, her eyes shifted and she whispered, “Should I also kneel?”
“Nay, they honor you. However, it would save a few knees if you were to tell them to rise.”
She cleared her throat, “You may rise.” She was amazed when they obeyed. Maybe being Queen would not be such a bad thing after all.
Each morning, Blair promised himself he would not go to the MacGreagor hold to see if there was any word of her. But sooner or later, he ended up there anyway. Kevin was not handling the absence of his wife well and was often foul tempered, so Blair spent most of his time with Connor.
Laird Ferguson seemed to be there almost as much as Blair and all three became friends. They were the next generation, close to the same age, could share stories and try to figure out how to solve problems. Even so, Blair was having trouble enjoying even the funniest stories or concentrating on much of what they said.
Ferguson told them of all the changes he was making at the Ferguson hold. He wanted everything to be clean and repaired when he took Kenna there as his wife. He asked for all kinds of suggestions and the other two men were happy to oblige, although Blair and Connor did not always agree.
Blair didn’t really believe Charlet would come back. The call of the English crown was a strong one and he could not blame her for accepting it. Still he hoped and when the whistle came to signal approaching riders, he raced up the steps of the keep to see who it was and to stand by Kevin on the landing.
It was clearly Anna and her guard, but Charlet was not with her. He had to fight the lump in his throat and calm the dread in the pit of his stomach. He watched Anna ride across the bridge and then across the courtyard. Connor lifted her down and then she climbed the steps to reach Kevin. Her expression was somber and for a moment, Blair wondered if something had happened to Charlet.
Anna never took her eyes off her husband’s. “The king is dead, he died in his sleep.”
Blair’s head was swimming, his mouth was dry and a harsh pain deep in his heart was beginning to consume him. He was barely aware of the thought forming in his mind and he certainly didn‘t realize he was saying it. “God save the Queen.”
Anna softly touched Blair‘s arm. “Nay, God save the King.”
He couldn’t believe his ears. He was sure she would not give up the crown for him and he could hardly catch his breath. “Where is she?”
“We did not think you would be here. She said her name was Bridget Cameron and she was going home. If you hurry, you might be able to catch up with her.”
He didn’t even bother to run down the steps. Instead, he jumped down and raced to his horse. He was mounted, across the courtyard and over the bridge in seconds.
Kevin opened his arms to his wife. “I will never let you go away again.”
Anna grinned and kissed his lips, “I believe that is what you said the last time.”
“Sometimes wife, you are completely unmanageable.”
“Aye, but you love me anyway.”
“That I do.” He kissed her passionately and then they both turned to watch Blair ride swiftly across the meadow. “Was the king unwell when you got there?” he asked.
“He did not seem to be. I think once he saw Charlet and knew she would be safe, he found himself able to let go. His life was not as pleasant as some might imagine.”
“I know, my mother loved him very much.”
Anna was surprised. “You knew?”
“Aye, she told me. She loved my father too, but in a different way I suppose. It was she who gave me the word.”
“Hollow?”
Kevin nodded. “I suspect my brother was the king’s son. Jacob died not long after my mother in the plague.”
“Perhaps that is why the king never married. He could not bear losing everyone he loved again.”
“I wonder if the new king will have the word.
Who is the new king?” he asked.
“He Sween’s same age and will no doubt be put upon by unsavory men before he is old enough to understand. I do not envy him.”
“Shall we give our son the word or should we let it die with the king?”
Anna wrapped her arms around Kevin and laid her head on his chest. “The word has saved a life. Perhaps Sween will be wise enough to use it only when necessary. Of course, it will not mean the same to him as it does to us.”
“Not the same at all, our world is changing. We will miss our Charlet.”
“You mean Bridget. She believes her life will be less complicated if we do not call her Charlet and she is right.” Anna lightly kissed him again. “Come inside, husband. I brought a new liniment from England to ease the pain in your knees.”
She was the most enchanting sight he had ever seen, and just before he reached the edge of the forest, Blair stopped to look at her. Bridget’s long red hair was no longer covered with a scarf, hung freely around her face and the wind softly lifted the edges of it. She sat tall on her horse with her two-man guard behind her and he had no doubt she would have made an eloquent queen. She had chosen him instead and he would never let her regret that decision.
Blair slowly walked his horse out of the trees and when she saw him, her smile was bright. She couldn’t take her eyes off of his as he drew his horse up next to hers, leaned over and opened his arm. A split second later, she was in his arms, hugging his neck tight and telling him how much she loved and missed him. He finally made her stop and kiss him on the lips.
She was so happy to be in his arms again, she didn’t notice when her guard left with her horse or when Blair turned his horse toward the Cameron hold. “Blair.”
“What.”
“I want to be married in the MacGreagor hold.”
“I want to be married in the Cameron hold. They are my family and you will become one of them. 'Tis right that we marry there.”
“'Tis not right. The MacGreagors are my family and they will want to see me married.”
“Then invite them to our wedding at the Cameron hold.”
“You are going to win this one, aren’t you?”
Marti Talbott's Highlander Series 1 (Anna, Rachel & Charlet) Page 25