Highland Trails of Love

by Barbara Bard

  “But how did you cope with all the stares? All the mistrust?”

  “With great difficulty. Blair promised me that he would protect me, but I did not want to go through life needing his protection. The decisive factor was his mother, Fianna. She is a wise woman,” Rosemary smiled. Sarah murmured in agreement as she washed Catherine's dress. Rosemary continued, “She wants what is best for her sons. She helped me see that I did have a place here, and that I could have a life. I know it may not seem like it to you at the moment, but the same is true for you.”

  “I appreciate the sentiment, but the only life I want is one back in England,” Catherine said testily.

  “Indeed, but unfortunately we cannot let you leave just yet. Please, try to be patient and enjoy life as best you can here. I wish to get to know you and I feel that the three of us can be good friends. Perhaps, in time, you will be able to return home.”

  “I'm afraid that we don't have that much time. As soon as my father hears of what has happened he will be coming to rescue me, and when he does he will not stop until everything here is covered in blood.”

  “You will find that the Highlanders will not give up their home so easily. We shall cross that bridge when we come to it anyhow,” Rosemary said.

  Catherine didn't quite understand how she and Sarah could be so calm when faced with the threat of war. Was it because they did not believe that her father would come to rescue her? If so then they were foolish, although the more that Catherine thought about it the more she doubted her father's resolve. He had never looked fondly on her, not as fondly as he had on Harold, and he was more likely to come to avenge Harold's death than to rescue her.

  Still, the thought of staying in the Highlands for any amount of time was intolerable. Catherine did not want to wait for her father to come to her aid. She was quite capable, and unlike Rosemary she did not fear death in the woods. She had faith in her ability to escape, and knew that if she made it out of this camp she would have a free run down to England. All she had to do was face south and keep heading in that direction, how difficult could it be?

  Although it pained her to be disingenuous, she knew that she had little choice but to play on the good nature of Sarah and Rosemary. If she remained stubborn and petulant she would always have a guard with her, and would never have the opportunity to escape.

  “I would like to apologize for my temperament. I understand you have been trying to make my stay as painless as possible, and I have not played my part in that. I hear what you have told me and I suppose it is in my best interests to try and adapt to life as best as I can in the meantime. I imagine this experience will stand me in good stead for the rest of my life, and will prove an entertaining story to tell to my children.”

  “It pleases me so much to hear you say that, and I am glad that we get to spend time together again. You were the only thing that gave me the strength to carry on,” Sarah said. Catherine returned the smile, and wondered if how she felt at that moment was the same as Sarah had felt all along, knowing that she was deceiving the person closest to her.

  “Well, with that settled I think it is a cause for celebration. I shall ask Blair if he can arrange a feast tomorrow. A day of hunting will help the men recover from the war, and then we can all take joy in each other's company,” Rosemary said.

  “I will suggest to Drew that they take Declan as well,” Sarah said. Catherine’s ears pricked up when she heard the name of her guard mentioned. “I think it is so sad what has happened to his mind. He sees enemies where there are none, and sees himself as the avenger of a rightful cause.”

  “Are you talking about the man who is guarding me?” Catherine asked.

  “Indeed, he came to us earlier and tried to convince Blair and Drew that they had made a mistake in bringing us here. It was a pitiful sight really. He is but a boy playing a man's game,” Rosemary said.

  “It took great courage though. I fear that if we do not act the resentment will fester within him and only cause him to grow more bitter. With him being away from his father he needs Blair and Drew to act as role models,” Sarah said.

  “He spoke about his father, and said that he needed to earn enough glory for the both of them. Apparently his father was wounded and cannot fight again, and he has instilled this idea of honor into Declan's head,” Catherine said.

  “It is a sad thing to see how parents can have such a dramatic effect on their children, even causing unintended side effects. I wish that he trusted us more. I would love to be able to sit down and talk with him about these matters. He often seems troubled, and he cannot truly be happy,” Sarah said.

  “It also doesn't help that Deirdre has been whispering in his ear, using her wiles to turn him against Blair,” Rosemary said, bitterness on her tongue.

  “Who is Deirdre?” Catherine asked. Hearing the women talk was intriguing, but there was much that Catherine did not know.

  “Deirdre is trouble,” Sarah warned.

  “She threatened to kill me when I arrived. She is in love with Blair, and thinks that I tempted him away from her. In truth the love was one-sided, only coming from her direction, but she was always trying to sink her claws into a man she could manipulate,” Rosemary said.

  “She even tried with Drew, who rebuffed her, but it seems she found a willing recipient in Declan,” Sarah added.

  “He is but a boy, and does not know Deirdre's true game. I hope he finds a way to learn about what it truly means to be an adult, otherwise life is going to be very difficult for him,” Rosemary said.

  Catherine chewed on her food absently and tried to ignore the pang of jealousy she felt when they spoke about Deirdre. She had assumed from his appearance that Declan was innocent, but it appeared that he had more experience than he let on. He had become something of an enigma to her, and hearing the two other women talk about him made Catherine want to know more.

  He was the same age as her, and yet he seemed to have lived more life than she, although her life had not been completely without incident. It was just a shame that he was so prejudiced against the Sassenach, for if he was so easily manipulated then she would stand a better chance of escaping.

  “Still, at least he has plenty of life yet to live. I am sure he will be fine. I think of how much Blair has changed in the time I have known him,” Rosemary added.

  The three of them continued talking for a little while longer, until Catherine had dried off and the food had all been eaten. She felt a little better for having her belly filled, and in truth it was almost possible to forget her situation when she was with the other two, but she was determined to not allow herself to enjoy one moment. Despite what Sarah thought, Catherine considered herself a captive, and she was going to remain vigilant. When an opportunity presented itself she would escape, and nothing would stop her.

  The three continued talking for a while longer, but then it came time for them to depart. A tension settled over the three Sassenach girls, for it became clear that Catherine would have to be taken back to her room. Rosemary and Sarah glanced at each other, and then Rosemary walked away. Sarah came up to Catherine and clasped her hands.

  “These last few hours have been so enjoyable. It reminds me of old times. I pray that you will reconsider and welcome this new life.”

  “I will try to. I suppose you must see me back to my cell,” Catherine said, her voice carried a soft snarky tone.

  Sarah's face fell.

  “It is not a cell, Catherine. I have tried to make you as comfortable as possible. I have tried...” but Sarah's words faded as she realized that nothing she said would convince Catherine she had her best interests at heart.

  So, it was that Catherine was led back to the room. Declan was standing there once again. Their eyes met, and Catherine was struck by the intensity that lay behind his youthful eyes. Then, the door was shut, and Catherine was left staring out of the window once more.

  Chapter 6

  Declan had been waiting patiently for the prisoner to return.
His mind had been focused on his last conversation with his cousins. His heart ached, for he wanted to show them how much they had been blinded by the Sassenach girls, yet it seemed Rosemary and Sarah had already poisoned their minds to such an extent that they were unwilling to see the folly of their own actions.

  It was a strange thing, to see how such mighty warriors could be undone by two Sassenach waifs. He was also confused about the dynamic between the Sassenach girls. If they were all so close why were they keeping Catherine locked up? It seemed as though there was a world that he wasn't allowed to enter yet, for he was still young, but Declan knew he was ready for more.

  He also knew that he was not done with Blair and Drew yet either. One way or another he'd get them to see the danger of keeping the Sassenach girls here, although he wasn't sure how to go about doing that now. The worst possibility in his mind was that nobody would listen to him and the clan would fall into ruin before anyone could do anything about it. He didn't want to witness the destruction of all that he held dear. Blair and Drew weren't to blame, not really, it was the women and their wiles that were at fault.

  “Are you still there?” Catherine called out from the room.

  “Aye,” Declan replied curtly.

  “Would you mind opening the door? I am so terribly bored, and it seems that you are all I have for company. If we are to talk then I would prefer to speak with you properly, and not to have to face this door the entire time.”

  “Dae ye think I'm stupid, lass?”

  “I don't know you well enough to think anything of you.”

  “I am nae gaing tae fall for yer games. Ye think I'm just gaeing tae let ye walk out of here?”

  “I should think no such thing. Perhaps you are not as clever as I first thought. I'm hardly likely to stroll out of this castle, am I? Even if I were able to get past you there are hundreds of other Highlanders to stop me. Or do you think you are unable to stop an Sassenach girl from escaping?”

  Declan grimaced at her words, and yanked the key from where it hung next to the door. He unlocked it, not willing to have his honor or ability tested like this. Of course he wouldn't let her escape, and in truth it would help pass the time to speak with her. It may give him an insight into how they thought as well, so that he could go to Blair and Drew with some proof.

  When he opened the door he saw that Catherine was walking back over to her bed, and perched on the end.

  “Well, come in then,” she said. Declan looked unsure, and cast his gaze across the room, checking for a trap, but there was nothing lying in wait for him. Tentatively, he took a step forward and pushed the door ajar behind him. Catherine perched on the edge of her bed. She looked in better spirits than when he had last seen her. As much as Declan tried to be the proud warrior, Catherine's sobs had struck at his good heart. It was a terrible thing to hear the weeping sobs of a girl, even if she was Sassenach.

  “You can sit down,” Catherine said. Declan stood in the middle of the room, his arms folded, not wanting to show any weakness. He didn't make any response to Catherine, for he was still unsure if this was some scheme of hers. Catherine sighed and shook her head, and occasionally she glanced at Declan. He saw fear in her eyes.

  “What dae ye want tae talk about?” he asked.

  “I don't know. I just don't know! I want to talk about anything that will distract me from this place. I want to talk about something that will make me forget that I am a prisoner here. I want something different.”

  “It seems tae me ye dinnae know what ye want.”

  “I want to get out of here,” she said tersely, glaring at him, her voice lowering so much that it had a distinct bitter edge. Declan sighed and went to leave.

  “Where are you going?” she cried out anxiously.

  “I am nae gaeing tae stay here just tae hear ye plead with me.”

  “I am going to do no such thing. It has been made quite clear to me that your heart is as cold as stone and you will not take pity on an innocent Sassenach girl. You have done nothing to show me that you are anything but the brutes I imagined you to be, and it is quite incomprehensible how Rosemary and Sarah have been charmed by those two men.”

  “It is my cousins who have been charmed by those lasses. They have blinded my cousins with sweet words.”

  “It is they who have been blinded,” Catherine said indignantly. “I am sure they were not in their right minds when they met those two men, and now they are probably too afraid to leave.”

  “How dare ye imply that my cousins would strike women. Dae ye truly hae nae idea of our honor?”

  “Your honor? All I've seen so far is a bunch of loud, angry men and women singing until all hours of the night, lusting for blood, taking joy in the murder of a Sassenach lord. I'm quite sure that nothing is beyond your capabilities.”

  Declan snarled and stepped forward, for she had pricked at the most sensitive part of his heart. There was nothing he held dearer than the honor of his people.

  “Ye know naething of what ye speak. There is more honor in our little fingers than ye Sassenach have in yer whole hearts. We would never strike a woman. We fight proudly, we fight with great vigor, but we fight honorably. We dinnae break the rules of war, and we dinnae fight for the sake of it.”

  “That does not marry with the stories I have been told.”

  “Then ye have been told wrong. Aye, perhaps over time some of the other clans dae things that ride on the line, but we McCall hold our honor dear. That's why it is so surprising that Blair and Drew have taken these Sassenach lasses as their women.”

  “So, honor is the most important thing in the world to you?”

  “Aye, and one day I shall prove myself able to lead men into battle, just like Drew and Blair, but I shall nae make the same mistake as them.”

  “Do you really think it honorable to keep me here? Do you even know why I'm here?”

  “Because ye are Sassenach.”

  “I'm here because I had the sudden misfortune of befriending the wrong women. In any other world I would have been sent back with the rest of the Sassenach entourage. I would be in my comfortable estate, playing cards, and dining on fine meat. I would be having a proper life, with the prospect of a marriage and a family on the horizon. I would not be wasting away in this tower. You are not the only ones to have a duty to perform for your family. Thanks to your cousin I am the only living heir my father has left, and I am stuck up here with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs.”

  “Aye, and here ye will stay.”

  “Only for a short time,” Catherine said. She seemed all too confident of that. “Declan,” her voice had a pleasing quaver whenever she said his name, and despite himself he found that he liked the way it sounded on her tongue. “From what I understand you are concerned about the safety of this clan, of all the Highlanders, yes?”

  “Aye.”

  “Well then, don't you think that it would be in your best interests to smuggle me out? I am going to be honest with you here, I would rather there not be another war. It is a horrible business with far too much blood and loss of life for my liking. I shall think I will be haunted by the sounds of battle for the rest of my life,” she shuddered. “I do not see how anyone can want to partake in such a violent thing.”

  “There is nae greater honor than proving yerself in battle. Tae pit yerself against other men and come out victorious, tae prove yer strength and yer vigor, tae make yerself a man. I dinnae thirst for war, but when it comes I will meet it and I will conquer it.”

  “Strong words, but it will end up conquering you all. I am sure that the fathers of your people thought the same thing, and their fathers before them.”

  Declan towered above her and glowered. “My father was one of the finest warriors there has ever been. He is held up as an example of all that is good and noble. I am gaeing tae make him proud of me, nae matter how long it takes, so ye can forget about being set free. I would never gae against my duty like that.”

  “Even though it co
uld save the people here from dying? I am not lying when I say that my father will come in force, and I am sure that once he is done with this place and turned this castle into a pile of rubble you will have wished that you released me.”

  “Ye can speak fine words, but these are just words. How dae I know that yer father is even coming?”

  “He is coming,” Catherine said, her face set in grim determination. It was difficult not to believe her, and Declan felt his stomach swim as he looked into her eyes. She hated the Highlanders as much as he hated the Sassenach, and he knew that if her father did attack as she said then they would be in trouble.

  “We hae beaten yer army before, we can dae so again,” he replied.