Highland Steel: Highland Chronicles Series - Book 3

by Rose, Elizabeth

  Logan shook his head. “He agreed to give me a few days to do it. Besides, Wren doesna think Rhoswen and her siblin’s should leave and neither do I.”

  “My mathair doesna have the final word,” said Hawke. “My da is comin’ down on me to get ye to take action. So, when are ye goin’ to do it?”

  “I dinna see why they have to leave,” complained Logan. “They are no trouble at all.”

  “Mayhap no’ now, they’re no’,” said Caleb. “But as soon as Lady Rhoswen decides she wants our help goin’ up against the Drummonds, that is when the trouble will start.”

  “Ye dinna ken she is goin’ to do that.”

  “Oh nay?” asked Hawke. “She’s been askin’ everyone in camp this mornin’ which road to take to get to the Drummonds and how long it takes to get there.”

  “She is?” Logan didn’t like the sound of this. He was hoping that Rhoswen would forget all about her foolish idea of trying to get her sister’s boy away from the Drummonds. With nothing to trade, and Rhoswen’s sister dead, he was pretty certain she’d never see the boy. “Well, I suppose she’s worried about her nephew, that’s all.”

  “She’s goin’ to start a battle and get us all killed is what she’s goin’ to do,” said Caleb.

  “Talk to her,” growled Hawke. “Convince her to leave here with her siblin’s and go back to England where they belong. Tell her we’ll even escort them back to the border personally.”

  “That’s no’ goin’ to be an easy thing to do,” said Logan.

  “Why no’?” asked Ethan. “Because ye’re in love with the lass after beddin’ her last night? Everyone in camp heard ye two gruntin’ and screamin’ like a pair of beasties durin’ matin’ season.”

  “They did?” Logan made a face. “I suppose we were a little . . . loud.”

  “I’ll say so,” said Caleb. “Ye scared Slink. He hid under the pallet and wouldna come out until it got light.”

  “Did yer faither hear it, too?” Logan asked Hawke, worried for what people would think about Rhoswen, although he had no care what people thought about him.

  “I dinna ken and I dinna want to ask him,” said Hawke. “Now do us all a favor, Logan, and tell them they have to leave.”

  “I’ve got a few days yet, per my agreement with Storm.” Logan got off the chair so quickly that it toppled over, banging against the wooden floor, scaring Slink. The pine marten shot out the open door.

  “God’s eyes, Logan, ye scared my pet again. I’d better go find Slink before yer bluidy wolf eats him.” Caleb rushed out the door.

  “I’ll try to keep my faither occupied, but ye really need to do somethin’ about this, Logan before it gets out of hand. The chronicler already recorded Rhoswen’s story in the king’s book. Any more tales like that and King Robert is goin’ to rip out the pages of guid things written about us.”

  “I dinna care what the chronicler does and I certainly dinna care about that blamed book,” said Logan with a wave of his hand through the air. “Now, all of ye just leave me alone.”

  “Whatever ye say,” answered Hawke, leaving the building.

  Logan looked down at Ethan who was sitting there with his feet up on the table. “Ye dinna think she should really leave, do ye, Ethan?” asked Logan.

  “I’m no’ the clan’s chieftain, so it doesna matter what I think,” said Ethan, sliding his feet off the table and standing up. “But if ye want my advice, as a friend, I’d say ye better find out another way to remedy this situation and do it quickly. Because after what I heard last night, and by the way ye two look at each other, I dinna think it’s goin’ to be easy for ye to send her away.”

  “Ye’re tellin’ me,” mumbled Logan, as Ethan headed out the door.

  * * *

  Humming to herself, Rhoswen got dressed, having slept soundly after her wonderful night with Logan.

  “You sound happy,” said Blaine, pulling the blankets tight over the pallet, fixing the bed she’d slept in. Since there weren’t any MacKeefes with illnesses or any other travelers right now, Rhoswen and her siblings were the only ones staying in the hospice.

  “I feel happy,” Rhoswen said cheerfully. “Where is Newell?” She had noticed he was already gone when she awoke. She figured mayhap she’d slept later than she thought.

  “Newell and Oliver are out practicing their swordplay,” said Blaine. “It seems they are best friends now.” The girl looked sad and Rhoswen didn’t understand why.

  “I think it’s good that Newell has a friend that is nearly his age,” said Rhoswen. Oliver was only two years younger than her brother, but since Newell was a big boy, he towered over his friend.

  “I suppose so.” Blaine looked like she was going to cry again, and Rhoswen didn’t know how to make the girl happy anymore. Ever since the death of their mother and sister, Blaine had been so affected by it that her personality had changed. Blaine had always been shy and not outgoing at all, but at least she used to be happy.

  “Blaine, come here,” said Rhoswen, pulling her younger sister into her arms in a big hug. “I know you’re sad. We all are. But we’ll pull through this. We always do.”

  “I feel so alone,” Blaine admitted. “That’s what makes me scared. I’m afraid I’m going to lose you and Newell, too.”

  “Nay, that’ll never happen,” Rhoswen promised, grooming her sister’s hair with one hand as she continued to hug her. “You are never going to lose us, Blaine. We’ll always be together. We are family.”

  “But Newell has Oliver now and you have Logan. Once you marry Logan and have children, you’re going to forget all about me.”

  “Wait a minute. Slow down.” Rhoswen laughed and held Blaine by the shoulders, looking her directly in the eyes. “Where is this coming from? I’m not going to marry Logan.”

  “But you have to marry him now,” she said.

  “What does that mean?”

  “I mean, we all heard you two making love in the shed last night. You’re no longer a virgin, Rhoswen. No nobleman is going to want to take you for his wife.”

  “Oh, you heard that?” she said, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

  Her sister nodded. “Everyone did.”

  “Everyone?” Rhoswen covered her face with her hands, now regretting cutting loose like Logan had told her to do. “This isn’t good.”

  “Does it bother you that everyone knows?” asked Blaine.

  Rhoswen thought for a moment and then shook her head. “Nay, not really. That part doesn’t bother me, but something else does.”

  “What?” asked her sister.

  “Well, last night I mentioned love to Logan and he didn’t seem as if he felt the same way about me as I do about him.”

  “You – you love him, Rhoswen? Already? You just met him. And he is a – a Highlander. You can’t marry a Highlander.”

  “I can’t? Why not?”

  “Because Ailsa married one and she ended up dead,” cried Blaine, terror in her eyes as she said it. “If you marry Logan, you will die as well.”

  “That’s nonsense!” Rhoswen waved her hand through the air. “Now, I want you to get that idea out of your head right now, do you hear me? Because it is the furthest thing from the truth.”

  “Aye,” said Blaine, biting her lip. “Rhoswen, I want to go home.”

  Rhoswen’s heart went out to her little sister. Blaine was a shy girl who often was a loner, not coming in contact with a lot of people. Their mother told Rhoswen at one time that Blaine would never be like Rhoswen, and that they’d have to treat her like a child for the rest of her life. She really meant that Blaine needed a lot of attention and reassurance to help her build up her self-confidence. But Rhoswen, being outspoken for a lady, and one who knew how to use a sword as well, didn’t know how to give this kind of care to her sister. Rhoswen always felt that they should each strive to become someone who did something in the world to make a difference. But Blaine didn’t seem to be able to do that on her own.

  “Blaine, we need to
build a new home now. I don’t think we can ever go back to our castle in England.” She took her sister’s hands in hers as she spoke.

  “Because of what father did?”

  “Aye. Without the king’s sword returned, we wouldn’t be welcome. Even so, I’m sure there would be some sort of punishment for us if we did return. I’m not sure that’s what we want – to go back to England. I like being here in the Highlands with the MacKeefes. Don’t you like it here as well?”

  “I guess so. But what about Lockie?” she asked. “Are were ever going to have a chance to be with our nephew?”

  What about Lockie? she asked herself. That was a very good question. She’d been so happy being with the MacKeefes and so distracted by the time she’d been spending with Logan, that she hadn’t even thought how they’d save the boy, now that the sword was gone.

  “I don’t know, right now. But I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to save little Lockie so we can raise our sister’s child for her. Ailsa would have wanted that.”

  “Aye, she would.”

  “Come on, let’s go see if we’ve missed the meal or if there is any food left.”

  “If Newell’s been there, I’m sure it’s all gone. He eats so much,” said Blaine with a slight smile. “Mother always said that’s why he was built like a bear.”

  “Yes, she did say that,” answered Rhoswen with a giggle. It was good to see her sister smile again, even if it was only for a moment.

  “I miss Mother and Ailsa,” said Blaine. “I even miss Papa, although I know now he wasn’t a good man.”

  “I know, Sister. I miss them, too. Papa made some wrong decisions, but I believe he was trying to make up for his mistakes in the end. That’s the only reason why he stole the sword. It’s because he was willing to do anything to bring Lockie home to make things right.”

  “Do you really think so?” asked Blaine, sniffling and wiping her eye on her sleeve.

  This part was a lie, but only Rhoswen knew it. She never told her siblings that her father hadn’t planned on bringing the boy home since he was only the stableboy’s bastard. It hurt Rhoswen to think her father could be so cold-hearted, and that the only reason he really stole the sword was to get close to Ranulph to kill him. He wanted revenge, thinking that would redeem his soul or make it all better. But nothing could change the course of events he set into motion when he decided to betroth his pregnant daughter to a Highlander. He’d made a mess of things, and now it was up to Rhoswen to fix them.

  Dear God, she had no idea what to do, and couldn’t do it by herself. Her only hope would be for the MacKeefes to help her. Mayhap after her intimate time with Logan, things would start getting better. Rhoswen was at the end of her rope, and only Logan could catch her when she fell. If he turned them away, Rhoswen didn’t think she and her siblings would have the means or the will to survive on their own.

  Chapter 15

  Logan kept busy all day, purposely trying to avoid Rhoswen. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to be near her, it was just the opposite. He was afraid he was starting to like her too much and this, he realized, only meant trouble.

  Rhoswen had mentioned love last night. He knew what she really meant. She was saying that she was falling in love with him. That troubled Logan. He wasn’t sure if she really liked him, or was just infatuated with the fact that he was her first lover. Had he done the wrong thing by lying with her? She had wanted it just as much as he, so what did it matter? Mayhap the only thing that mattered was that he didn’t want to fall in love with a girl again. In the past he’d had a secret tryst with Drummond’s daughter and thought mayhap, at the time, he was in love. Well, it only brought death and destruction to his clan. He should have learned his lesson.

  “Logan?” Hawke brought him out of his thoughts. They’d been teaching Oliver and Newell to spar all morning. The boys were getting very good at it, too. That pleased him. He liked having Newell around. Logan wasn’t a father, but somehow he felt like one, taking the boy under his wing. He liked being the teacher, the provider, and the protector, all rolled into one.

  “Oh, sorry, what were ye sayin’?” Logan asked Hawke.

  “I said, I see Rhoswen comin’. I’m goin’ to take the boys fishin’ so ye can talk to her.”

  “Talk to her?” asked Logan.

  “And tell her to leave,” Hawke whispered. “My da will no’ be patient for long. And be sure ye have yer things ready to trade because the merchant comes first thing tomorrow mornin’.”

  “Och, that’s right,” said Logan, almost forgetting that the traveling merchant stopped by on the first Thursday of the month with things from other clans. Logan had whittled bowls and cups, canes, and even some toys that he’d held back from the trade fair because he knew Bug, the traveling merchant, sometimes had knives and he needed a new whittling knife desperately. “I’ll get my things together,” he told him.

  “Dinna forget to talk to her,” Hawke mumbled, heading away with the boys.

  “Where is everyone going?” asked Rhoswen, walking down the hill to join them.

  “We are going fishing with Hawke,” said Newell excitedly.

  “I’m goin’ to show him how to catch fish usin’ rabbit meat for bait,” said Oliver.

  “Rabbit?” Rhoswen giggled, making Logan’s heart beat faster. He loved the sound of her laughter. “Do fish even eat that?”

  “The fish in the loch will eat anythin’,” said Oliver. “They even nibble at Logan’s arse when he swims naked.”

  “Oliver, that’s no’ nice,” Hawke scolded the boy.

  “Well, the lad’s right,” said Logan. “Like he says, the fish in the bay are hungry.”

  “Come on, boys.” Hawke led the boys away.

  “I was coming to watch their sword practice,” said Rhoswen. “I’m sorry I missed it. I could use a little practice myself.” She ran her hand over the hilt of her sword.

  “I could show ye that trick ye wanted to learn,” Logan offered. “How to flip a sword out of a man’s hand with barely tryin’.”

  “Oh, I would like that. Please.” Rhoswen drew her sword.

  “The first thing is in how ye hold it.” He walked behind her, putting his arms around her, helping her to get the right grip.

  “I see.” She looked up at him over her shoulder and he was instantly pulled into her bright, blue eyes. Damn, she was a beautiful woman. This was only going to make it harder when he had to tell her she couldn’t stay with the MacKeefes. “What’s next?” she asked.

  “Well, ye have to be able to read yer opponent. To ken what they’re goin’ to do before they do it.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “It’s all in the eyes,” he told her, once again getting lost in her swirling blue depths. “Usually, there will be a moment when yer opponent blinks, or glances away. It happens all the time. Ye need to take that opportunity, slip yer sword under his until the cross guard hits his blade. Then use a circular motion to turn it quickly. The opponent will no’ be able to hold on to his sword at that angle and he’ll readjust his fingers for a better grip. When he does, ye quickly raise yer sword, twistin’ yer wrist, and his sword leaves his hand, flippin’ up in the air.”

  “I think I’d like to try that. Can you practice with me?”

  “Me? Ye want me to spar against ye again?”

  “Just so I can learn the new technique.”

  “Sure, why no’?” Logan gladly pulled his sword out of his sheath, and once again sparred with Rhoswen. She was good, and her sword lightweight, but he had to be careful because he didn’t want to hurt her. One slip from him, and he could take off her dainty little hand if he wasn’t careful.

  She tried it twice, and wasn’t able to succeed.

  “This is harder than it looks,” she said with a frown.

  “Mayhap it’s because I ken it’s comin’ and ye canna surprise me. The element of surprise is essential while performin’ this move.”

  “I really enjoyed making love with y
ou last night, Logan. Do you remember when you kissed my . . . nipple? It made me squirm.” They continued to spar as she spoke.

  “Now that ye’ve put that thought in my head, I’m squirmin’, lass,” he said in a sultry voice, his eyes traveling down her chest, envisioning her perky breasts right through her clothes. Right when his eyes met her chest, he realized his mistake.

  “Hah!” she shouted, using the move he’d shown her, disarming him and sending his sword up into the air.

  “That wasna fair,” he said with a chuckle, reaching up and catching his sword by the hilt, keeping it from hitting her. “Ye cheat. Ye purposely distracted me with yer words.”

  “And you fell for it,” she said proudly. “How did I do?”

  “No’ bad,” he said with a smile and a nod. “Ye are a fast learner.”

  “I’m a fast learner with other things as well.” She put her sword back in her scabbard and reached up, kissing him quickly on the lips. “Thank you, Logan. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I have really enjoyed staying here at the MacKeefe camp. I could get used to living in the Highlands, I think. My brother likes it as well. I’m just not sure about my sister, yet. She is still having a hard time.”

  Logan put his sword into his sheath, feeling sad. He’d seen the way Rhoswen had changed since she’d been here. The girl opened up, and smiled a lot. When he first met her, she was frightened and gullible and then she had the cold-hearted demeanor of her father. But now, she was changing for the better. Rhoswen was a brave woman, and was taking over the role of leader of her family.

  “Let’s go for a walk up in the hills,” he told her. There is somethin’ I want to talk to ye about.”

  “All right, let’s go.” Rhoswen wanted to ask him about helping her on her mission, not to mention she wanted to see if she and her siblings could stay at the MacKeefe camp indefinitely since they no longer had a home. “There is something I want to talk to you about as well.”

  “I want to show ye somethin’ I think ye’ll like, lass.”

  “What’s that?”