The Highlander's Promise

by Lynsay Sands

  "Me neither," Edith and Jo said at the same time.

  Jetta frowned with dissatisfaction at that and peered back to the chests as she thought aloud, "It must have been a long break for me to pack every last gown I owned." She considered that briefly, and then glanced to the two chests that had been in the room since her waking there and her frown deepened as she added, "And why were Aulay's chests not lost as well?"

  "Oh, those chests have been here since they rebuilt the lodge," Murine said easily.

  "Rebuilt it?" Jetta asked, and then gave her head a shake as she recalled Aulay telling her about the fire. "Oh, yes, the first one burned down while Dougall was courting you."

  "Aye. Compliments o' me cousin and half brother," Murine said dryly, and then shook her own head. "Dougall and I offered to pay fer the new lodge to be built, but Aulay would no' hear o' it." Clucking her tongue with something like exasperation, she then added, "Anyway, those chests have been here since the day the lodge was finished. Aulay kept spare plaids and such in them so he need no' drag a lot of cloth and weapons with him when he came to the lodge."

  Jetta nodded, but asked, "Why did I not do the same?"

  The women all exchanged somewhat panicked gazes, and then turned to the door with relief when Saidh rushed in saying, "The water is almost boiled, but I thought while we waited we could go through the dresses in the chests . . . in case whatever you choose to wear needs airing to let out any wrinkles."

  The women seized on the suggestion like it was a bit of water in the desert, all of them talking and moving at once. Jetta soon found her questions pushed from her mind as the women set upon the chests and began lifting out gown after gown for her consideration.

  Chapter 9

  "I take it from yer expression that talking to the men on the wall was no' very helpful," Rory commented.

  Aulay shook his head. "Nay. No' one o' them saw anything o' use," he admitted as he dropped to sit at the trestle table next to his brother.

  "They did no' see anything at all?" Rory asked with a frown.

  Aulay shrugged. "The archer must have been in the cover o' the woods. Not one o' them realized anything was amiss until Geordie reached back to catch the lass as she started to fall off his mount and one o' them noted the arrow sticking out o' her back."

  "Damn," Rory murmured.

  "Aye," Aulay agreed grimly despite it being exactly what he'd expected. While he had feared he wouldn't learn anything useful, there had still been that little bit of hope that he might. Sighing, he caught the eye of a nearby maid, and gestured to his brother's ale and then himself, letting her know he wanted some. As the maid nodded and hurried away, he added, "And I sent the men out again to search the woods surrounding the castle, but in a wider area this time. Still nothing. Whoever it was left nothing behind to hint at who they might be."

  Rory frowned. "So we have no idea who may have shot the arrow?"

  "No idea at all, and no real way to find out unless they make a second attempt," Aulay admitted.

  "I presume that's why Conran is up in the passage outside Katie's room?" Rory asked. "In case a second attempt is made?"

  Aulay glanced at him sharply. "How did ye ken he was there?"

  "I heard him," Rory said dryly. "And I heard who I presume was you last night. The two o' ye tromp around like bulls."

  Grimacing, Aulay nodded. "Good to ken. I'll warn him to be quieter, and try to be quieter myself."

  "That is probably for the best," Rory said mildly.

  "Aye, well, do no' mention his being there to anyone," Aulay murmured. "As far as everyone here kens I sent Conran out on a chore."

  "Ye're actually hoping whoever it is makes a second attempt," Rory said solemnly.

  "'Tis the only way I can think to catch them and give Katie and Geordie some justice," Aulay admitted. "If whoever shot her does no' make a second attempt, I've no idea where to even start looking."

  Rory nodded. "I'll make sure there is no reason for anyone to enter the room. No' even a maid. If anyone enters, 'twill no' be fer a good purpose."

  "Good," Aulay grunted, and then asked, "How is the lass?"

  Rory shook his head silently.

  Taking that to mean the lass was alive, but that his brother didn't expect her to remain so for long, Aulay rubbed one hand wearily over the back of his neck. He'd intended to ask the question and instruct Rory to say the girl was healing well at the sup last night. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten until it was too late. By the time he'd recalled talking about that with Conran, Aulay had already been installed in the passage outside the room where Katie lay. Grimacing, he said, "Next time I ask that will be in front o' a lot o' people. When I do, lie and say she is recovering surprisingly well and ye expect her to be up and about soon."

  Rory didn't ask for an explanation. Apparently he understood why Aulay said that, because he merely nodded.

  Aulay asked next, "How is Geordie?"

  "Stuck to her bedside and praying," Rory said solemnly, and then added, "He's no' going to take it well when she finally goes."

  "I'll ha'e to think o' something to get his mind off o' her when she passes," Aulay said quietly.

  "Mayhap we'll get lucky and Jetta will turn out to have three or four sisters in need o' rescuing," Rory said dryly and when Aulay glanced to him in question, he shrugged and pointed out, "Saidh has run out o' friends in need o' rescuing, yet we still have three brothers in need o' brides."

  "Jetta has at least one sister," Aulay informed him. "She recalled that after ye left fer Buchanan. And we ha'e four brothers in need o' brides, no' three," Aulay corrected him.

  "I was considering you already attached thanks to Jetta's arrival," Rory said with amusement.

  "So was I," Aulay said dryly. "Ye're leaving yerself out."

  "Oh." His eyes widened. "Well, I never . . . I mean, I do no' need . . ." Pausing, he frowned and then changed the subject. "Speaking o' Jetta, Saidh and the girls have arrived at the lodge and are bringing her back today."

  "What?" Aulay stared at him with surprise.

  Rory nodded. "Uncle Acair sent one o' the men ahead with the news so Cook could prepare for the added company for the evening repast. The soldier arrived while ye were talking to the men who were standing guard when Katie was shot, so he spoke to me. He said the women are presently bathing, and preparing Jetta, but they intend to bring her back in time for the sup."

  "Damn," Aulay breathed. While he wanted her there at his side, and had even known that Saidh planned to bring her, now that Jetta's arrival was imminent, every single problem that her presence at Buchanan could cause was marching across his mind. Problems like the possibility that someone would tell her they weren't married.

  "What the devil is Saidh thinking bringing her here?" he said with dismay. "She kens the lass thinks me her husband."

  "Aye, well, that may be what she's thinking of," Rory said mildly. "If Jetta arrives and--in front of witnesses here--greets ye by calling ye husband and ye call her wife, or even if ye do no' call her wife, but do no' deny being her husband, ye'll be handfasted, brother. As good as married in the eyes o' the law."

  Aulay blinked as the words reverberated in his head and he softly breathed, "Damn."

  He hadn't thought of that. Just her greeting him could seal her fate and make her his wife by law. He could keep her. They would be considered by both church and state to be married by consent. A ceremony and priest weren't even needed.

  The thought was an enticing one. Handfasted to Jetta. To have her as his wife for real. He'd be able to bed her and . . .

  And if she ever found out that she hadn't really been married to him in the first place, but had basically been tricked into handfasting to him . . . The thought made him frown and shake his head.

  "Why not?" Rory asked. "Ye obviously like the lass."

  "Aye," Aulay agreed solemnly.

  "And am I right in guessing ye would welcome her being yer wife fer real?"

  Aulay peered out over the nearly
empty Great Hall. There were only a few people around, a handful of men on break seated at the far end of the trestle tables, a couple maids cleaning and the lass bringing him his ale. His gaze caught on the woman briefly, something about her reminding him of Jetta. He couldn't say what. Her face was smudged with dirt and he couldn't see her hair--it was secured on her head and covered with a kerchief--and she certainly didn't walk like Jetta. This woman's stride was confident and quick, while Jetta tended to walk slowly and cautiously if she walked at all. She hadn't walked much yet and wouldn't until she'd regained more strength.

  Deciding it was just another case of everything reminding him of Jetta, Aulay turned his attention back to his brother and nodded silently. Aye, he'd welcome Jetta being his wife for real. She was . . . well, he'd never thought he'd be lucky enough to find a woman who would marry him willingly. Actually, the idea of a willing woman was so attractive he probably would have made do with nearly any woman who agreed, but Jetta . . . Well, with her it wouldn't be making do at all. She was smart, sweet, funny, kind, passionate, beautiful . . . And she genuinely seemed to like and want him. She wasn't repulsed by his scar at all. She was perfect, and he wished with all his heart that she truly was his wife. But . . .

  "She'd be safe then from marrying whoever she feared was such a threat when she still had her memory," Rory pointed out. "And she seems to like ye too, brother. She seems perfectly content believing she is married to ye as it is."

  "Aye, but we're no' married," Aulay pointed out. "I'd be tricking her into the union. I can no' do that to her. She deserves better."

  Rory nodded solemnly. "Then ye'd best sort out a way to greet her where no one can witness her calling ye husband. Else she could claim marriage later."

  Aulay smiled faintly at the suggestion. "I did no' say I'd mind being her true husband. Just that I do no' wish to force her into it. If she forces me 'twould be a different story," he said with a wry smile.

  "Ah." Rory smiled as well. "So ye do want her to wife. Ye just do no' want to feel like ye forced her into taking ye as husband?"

  "Aye," Aulay admitted and then noting someone hovering behind him, turned to glance at the maid waiting there.

  "Yer ale, m'laird," she said and set the drink down in front of him.

  "Thank ye," he murmured, and then stiffened as he noted the way her lip curled with disgust as her gaze slid over his scar before she turned away. Mouth tightening, he swiveled back to the table and picked up his ale. That reaction was something he hadn't had to suffer in a month. Even before that he'd seen it less and less as time had passed since the injury. Mostly because if Mavis saw a maid react at all to his scars, she either got rid of them or reassigned them to somewhere they wouldn't have contact with him. Aulay had never ordered her to do that, never even asked her to, but he knew she did it. The action had meant the maids in the castle had changed quite frequently at first. They still changed often enough that he didn't always recognize the women in the Great Hall. For instance, while the one who had sneered at him seemed vaguely familiar, Aulay didn't at all recognize at least three of the other maids tidying the Great Hall.

  "She is lucky Mavis was no' here to see that," Rory said quietly.

  "Aye," Aulay murmured, staring down into his drink, and then, glancing to his brother, he asked, "Do ye really think Jetta does no' mind me scar? Or is she just better at hiding it?"

  "I think if yer scar bothered Jetta in the least, Mavis would ha'e sussed it out right quick and found a way to be rid o' her," Rory said honestly.

  "Aye . . . mayhap," Aulay muttered, but turned his gaze back to his ale, wondering if that were really true. Perhaps Jetta was better at hiding her disgust. Or perhaps the repeated blows she'd taken had damaged her brain.

  "Conran told me yer theory about the ship not sinking and the mast being all that was lost to the storm last night at sup," Rory said suddenly.

  "Aye," Aulay said wearily, suddenly feeling his lack of sleep.

  "I think 'tis a good theory," Rory informed him. "And I think ye should send some men out to ask around about any ships having taken that type o' damage. We could find out who she was that way."

  "Aye," Aulay agreed, but without much enthusiasm. Learning who she was might be one step closer to losing her. Or it might mean she'd willingly marry him to save herself. The problem was he didn't want Jetta to marry him for that reason. He wanted her to want to be his wife, not to see him as the lesser of two evils. But he was finding it harder to believe that might be possible after the maid's response to seeing his face. The last two weeks with Jetta, he'd managed to forget how monstrous most people found him. The maid had reminded him nicely.

  Clearing his throat, he straightened a bit and said, "Alick can go now he's back, but Geordie will no' go, and I can no' send Conran either. I need him to keep an eye on Katie and Geordie to help us catch her attacker," he pointed out.

  "What about Uncle Acair?" Rory suggested.

  Aulay frowned at the suggestion. "He's too old to ride as far and fast as we need."

  "But he could guard Geordie in Conran's stead," Rory pointed out.

  Aulay considered that and then shook his head and ran a weary hand through his hair. "He's no' as young as he used to be, Rory. I fear he'd doze off in the passage within an hour o' starting his shift and the killer could strike again and take both Katie and Geordie this time."

  Rory frowned, but didn't argue the point. He merely asked, "So ye'll no' look into it?"

  Aulay was silent for a minute, considering. Finding out who she was might mean losing her. But was it not better to find out and get it over and done with sooner rather than later? The longer he was around her, the more it would hurt to lose her. Straightening his shoulders, he said, "Aye. I'll look into it. I just need to sort out whom among the soldiers I can send. I need someone I can trust to approach the matter delicately, and keep his mouth shut."

  "Do we have anyone like that?" Rory asked with uncertainty.

  "That is the problem. I do no' ken. We probably do, but I usually depend on our uncle, or one o' our brothers to handle matters like this, so . . ."

  "So you're no' sure who among the men are as trustworthy," Rory said with understanding, and then smiled wryly. "Having so many brothers to count on has always been useful, but now that our numbers are dwindling . . ."

  Aulay gave a soundless laugh and shook his head. "Ye make it sound like Dougall and Niels are dead. They are still among our numbers."

  "But they are no' here anymore," Rory pointed out. "They have wives and their own homes to watch out for."

  "Aye," Aulay agreed. "And they manage without us always at their beck and call now. I will too," he assured him. "I just need to consider whom I might best be able to trust and who would make a good first in future once all o' ye have married and moved away."

  Rory's eyebrows rose at the words. "Pushing us out the door, Aulay?"

  "Nay," he assured him. "Ye'll always have a home here, brother. But seeing Dougall and Niels so happy makes me hope fer a wife, family and home o' yer own in future fer each o' the rest o' ye. Ye're all fine men and deserve it."

  "As do you," Rory said solemnly. "And greeting Jetta as yer wife when she arrives would see that ye have it."

  "Aye, well . . ." He peered down at his drink briefly, and then lifted his head and said, "I shall just ha'e to hope I can convince her to marry me without trickery once I can tell her the truth that we are no' married." Arching his eyebrows, he added, "When do ye think that'll be?"

  Rory grimaced at the question. "In truth, I do no' ken. I'd feel better did she regain her memories and realize that on her own."

  "And if she ne'er does?" Aulay asked solemnly.

  Rory frowned. "I do no' ken why ye just do no' let her handfast with ye and keep her. Then we could openly look for her family and her name. And I do no' think she'd mind. She likes ye, Aulay. She does no' e'en mind yer face."

  Rather than encourage him as Aulay believed his brother intended, Rory's word
s made him close his eyes to hide the flicker of pain they sent through him. "She does no' e'en mind yer face." Whether Rory realized it or not, those words told Aulay that his brother found his face as distressing as every one of the maids Mavis had removed from his presence. And that he was surprised that Jetta didn't.

  "Nay," he said finally. "I'll no' trick her into marriage. I'll ride out and meet the party ere they reach Buchanan."

  Rory scowled at him with frustration, then predicted, "She'll still likely call ye husband when she sees ye."

  "Aye, but then it will be in front o' friends and family," Aulay pointed out, positive none of them would do anything he did not wish.

  "And Greer's men," Rory countered.

  "Aye," Aulay murmured with a small frown.

  They were both silent for a moment and then Rory asked, "What will ye do about sleeping arrangements? She will expect to share a room here as ye did at the lodge."

  Aulay considered the issue and then pointed out, "The master bedroom and the room next to it are connected."

  Rory smiled faintly. "Father said it was the only way to keep from having a babe in the bed with him and mother. He said he got the idea after three miserable months o' sharing their bed with you and Ewan. Mother would no' dream o' leaving ye in a room on yer own when first born. She wanted ye both close where she could keep an eye on ye. So he connected the two rooms as a compromise. The two o' ye were in yer own room, but the door was left open so she could hear ye cry and get to ye quickly."

  "And it came in handy what with seven more bairns following us. It will also come in handy now. I will put her in the master, and as far as everyone else is concerned, I will take the smaller room meself."

  "But ye'll really be in the master with her?" Rory guessed.

  "Aye. I'll sleep on a pallet on the floor as I did at the lodge, but no one will ever see me enter the master bedchamber."

  "That should work," Rory said with a nod.

  Aulay raised his eyebrows. "Ye're no' going to protest me sleeping in the master chamber with her, or warn me no' to take her innocence?"

  "I do no' have to," Rory said looking slightly irritated. "If ye're unwilling to trick her into handfasting with ye, then ye're no' likely to try to force her into marriage by taking her innocence. She is probably safer with you than any man here."