* * *
Feet splashing through the water, Rorie and Ewen made their way to shore while the rowboat returned to the birlinn anchored offshore. Once on land again, Rorie bent over to catch his breath.
“Come on, old man, we have no time to waste,” Ewen said, running up the embankment away from the beach.
“Speak for yourself,” Rorie said as he passed him. They’d been playing this game since they were wee lads. The only two boys in a family with eight children, they had often jested that they need stick together to avoid being overrun by the women in the family. All headstrong and brave, Rorie would not dare challenge any of them when they were determined to get their way.
Before long, they approached a heavily wooded area to the side of the castle. There were few ways inside, but Rorie understood from Fergus that the best way was a tunnel leading from the beach. With the best instructions, he followed it and entered the bowels of Dunrobin Castle undetected.
“Where to now?” Ewen asked.
“This way.” Rorie pointed to a flight of stairs.
As they neared the top, many voices could be heard. Some men barking orders, but mostly just movement of people working.
“What are we doing here?” Ewen asked. “They’ll know we don’t belong here.”
“Leave that to me,” Rorie said and stepped into the larder. “You just find a pretty lass and remember what I told you.”
“Who are you?” A grey-haired, stern-looking man asked, stepping toward them.
“We’re here about the barley,” Rorie said. “The king sent us.”
“Aye. We have barley. What do you want to know about it?”
“We need to inspect it for root rot.”
“But we grow our own and store it ourselves.”
“Is that so? In any case, I need to see your barley and make sure it is dry. The king insists on checking all the castles on the occasion he may visit from time to time, and wants to be sure the ale is not sour.”
Rorie could have laughed; the man looked positively perplexed and worried. He hadn’t quite worked out what he would say and was surprised himself when he blurted out something about barley. In any case, the inspection would give Ewen plenty of time to put the second part of their plan into action.
An hour later, they were under cover of the copse of trees to the side of the castle, waiting to see if Muren would appear.
“You are sure she could get word to her?” Rorie asked Ewen.
“Aye, she said she is one of the maids who brings food to her chamber.”
“Did she say if she fared well?”
“No, she did not, but she did say that she recognized you. Rorie, I fear this may have been too risky. What if someone else recognized you?”
“I cannot see how. I’ve not spent that much time at Dunrobin.”
“Then you have lost your ability to count, along with your wits.” Ewen ducked then. “Dammit.”
Rorie looked at the edge of the castle. “What is it?”
“It’s the lass I was talking to in the larder. I promised her a tryst but assumed we would be away from here by now.”
“So, if she is here, then where is Muren?”
“I do not know, but I think we should make haste to the road. We do not have much time before the ships sail around the point.”
Rorie was right, but the plan was completely foiled if Muren did not show.
“Look! There she is!” Ewen whispered.
Rorie watched as Muren shooed the kitchen maid back into the castle. Ewen let out a deep breath beside him.
“Rorie, where are you?” Muren whispered, whilst scanning the embankment.
“I’m up here, love,” he said and stood up. He could not help but smile when he saw she was dressed in the emerald gown he loved on her the most; it showed off her flaming locks and delicious curves. By God, no other man would ever touch her.
When she didn’t move toward him, he grew wary. “Muren, come up to me, love. We have a plan to get you out of here, but you must make haste.”
“I cannot come with you, Rorie.”
Christ’s teeth, he was too late. Without care for who might see him, he scrambled down the embankment and held her face in his hands. “Muren, tell me I’m not too late. Tell me you have not married that beast.”
Muren took his hands away from her face, her expression pained. “You are not too late, Rorie, I am not married to Douglas. But we are set to become betrothed this day.”
“Then our timing is perfect,” he said and grabbed her hand to lead her away. “We have but a few minutes before the ships arrive and, when they do, we must be on the other side of the castle.”
“Rorie, you do not understand. I have agreed to the betrothal.”
“To hell, you have,” Rorie said and turned back to her. “If you can look me in the eye and tell me you prefer that monster over me, I will let you go. And I will know if you lie.”
Rorie watched as various expressions crossed her face. But try as she might, she could not mask her trembling as he drew her closer. She could not mask the heat in her eyes when he bent low to kiss her.
“Muren, you can come with me willingly, or I will carry you out of here over my shoulder. The choice is yours. You belong to me. I do not know what they have told you in order to coerce you into this business, but I can say without a doubt you will marry him over my dead body.”
He watched as she warred with herself. Finally, after a couple of minutes, she tugged on her arm so that he would release it. When he did, she squared her shoulders and climbed up the embankment with no help from him. Not that she was incapable, but this change in her was notable, and not unwelcome. Rorie could not wait to find out what had brought it on.
Muren fell silent as they made their way to the road leading west. When they were well away from Dunrobin and on the road to Kinellen, he stopped her and lifted her chin so that she would look into his eyes.
“When we reach Eilean Donan, we will talk about what you’ve been put through, I promise you that. But for now, we need to make certain haste. I will not rest until you are safely behind the castle walls and away from this madness.”
“Aye, Rorie, I will go with you, and then we will talk. And know this, I have a lot to say.”
Reaching Kinellen was fairly easy. The roads were good and dry, and it was not difficult to hide by the roadside when riders approached. For Rorie’s part, he could only assume the plan worked. His men had instructions to stay offshore until the alarm at Dunrobin was sounded upon discovering Muren’s absence. Only then were they to pull anchor and set sail for Rona.
Upon entering the keep, Rorie took Muren by the hand and led her to the stairs. Moments later, maids followed with trenchers and pitchers. He’d sent word ahead to have food prepared. They would stay here to pass the night and leave on horseback at dawn on the morrow for Eilean Donan. Rorie would hear Muren out, but he was determined to see this through, and if she were willing to go fully against her brother and the king, by this time tomorrow, they would be wed.
Inside the master chamber, the fire had already been lit, so the chill had been chased away. Rorie led Muren to a table and chairs near the fire and pulled out the one closest to the fire then placed a fur over her shoulders.
She promptly lifted it off her shoulders and placed it on the back of the chair. “Thank you, but I do not need the fur,” she said to him.
“Will you take some ale and food, then?” Rorie asked. He’d never felt awkward around her before. Theirs had been a sweet, budding attraction up to this point, but this woman was almost new to him. She appeared to possess a new courage and strength about her that he’d never witnessed before. It was like getting to know her all over again, and he had to admit the thought excited him.
“Aye, ale and meat and bread would please me,” she said.
Rorie chuckled. Muren never drank aught but mead. He could not help but wonder if she had been pushed to her limits by the events involving the Douglas. He woul
d not wish harm upon her for a moment, but a part of him was excited by the prospect of this new determination she wore.
Chapter Five
Chewing her food, Muren collected her thoughts and what she wanted to say to Rorie. She would give him a chance to say his piece. Part of her was thrilled he had come for her again, and this time with a definite plan rather than to merely talk to her brother. But Rorie did not know half of the situation yet or what she was about to do in order to preserve the peace, if even for a little while. Had she actually made up her mind to follow through with the Douglas? Mayhap not, but she had certainly intended to talk through her terms with the Douglas before agreeing to anything—with the bishop’s aide, of course. Apparently, he was quite open to putting things in the betrothal contract for her benefit as well. It was something Muren was sure never existed before now, though the bishop insisted the French had been using such contracts for centuries.
“You seem much changed,” Rorie said.
Was she really that much changed? She had experienced that moment when she realized that no one could champion her cause better than herself, but was her determination really that visible to everyone else?
It was true, all her life having been plagued with her headaches, she’d leaned on others to help her through the weakness and supposed she became accustomed to doing what others expected of her. If only there was a way for her to take control of her headaches, now that would be truly something.
“Am I, Rorie? Or perhaps I am finally standing up for myself in matters that affect me so very directly.” She had not tried to sound harsh, though she supposed she could not help it.
“Are you vexed with me for some reason?”
Was she? Logically, she had no reason to be. He had come for her three times, and this last time was successful in getting her away from Dunrobin. It didn’t really matter that she had made significant strides by her own convictions. Not that marrying Douglas was wanted. Far from it. What she wanted was the man in front of her to love and cherish her as he had always done. But would her feelings for him survive, now that she viewed her world a little clearer?
“I am not vexed with you, Rorie. You see, I have only just returned to Dunrobin, having spent a sennight at the abbey in Dornoch. Bishop de Strathbrook granted me sanctuary after I fled Dunrobin upon your leaving.” Muren did not find pleasure in the resulting wince she received from that statement.
“You think I left because I did not want to fight for you?”
“I think the situation at the time was impossible, and so I managed to find a way to change the rules, so to speak. By remaining at the abbey, I was able to secure an audience with my brother away from Dunrobin and Douglas, to ferret out the truth of why he had allowed the king to break our betrothal in the first place.”
“And did you discover the reason?”
“Aye, ‘tis much more complex than I had imagined. You see, the king owes Douglas quite a lot of money. In offering me to him as compensation, he was also able to bully Ronan by reversing his earlier commitment to reversing his writ of bastardy, and also of allowing all the chiefs to hold onto their authority. In short, Douglas gets me and my substantial dowry which equals the debt the king owes him, and the king gets all the power here in the north.”
“No wonder the man looked like he’d been dragged through the nine levels of hell the last time I met with him.”
“Aye, the situation has weighed heavily on him. My brother has aged much in the past two months.”
“Why did he not seek council with the other chiefs? We would have all come to his—and your—aide and defense.”
“I cannot answer that.”
Rorie took her hands in his. The look he gave her was one she had seen many times before when the pain in her head overtook her. She didn’t ever want to see that look again. Taking her hands back from his, her heart constricted when he frowned.
“Muren, I tried to help you—help us. I want us to get back to where we were before this, planning our life together. Don’t you still want that?”
Did she still want that? Aye, she still loved this man. She gazed at his features, his soft brown eyes and dark-brown hair, his strong jaw and firm lips. He had always been able to make her insides flutter just by looking at her. But could she move forward at this time? Would he wait for her if she asked?
“So much has changed, Rorie—”
He sat back and released her hands. “Are you saying you do not want me anymore?”
“I’m not saying that, Rorie. I do love you, and I want to spend my life with you. But I have only just caught a piece of the strength I truly possess. How can I be sure of that which I am capable if I run off and marry you without standing on my own two feet first?”
Rorie crossed his arms over his chest. It was obvious to her he did not understand. Well, if he wanted her love, then he would have to find a way to understand.
“And how do you propose to stand on your own two feet? If you return to Dunrobin, your brother will marry you off to a Lowlander. He has no choice, as you yourself have described. And if you stay here, I will insist you marry me.”
She’d heard enough. Muren stood. “You will insist?”
Rorie stood, too. Stepping closer to her, she had to strain her neck to look up at him, and that fuelled her anger even more.
“Aye, I will insist,” he said.
Muren had reached her breaking point with him. She pulled her chair over and stepped onto it so that she was now face-to-face with him. “Well, insist upon this. I will not be going to Eilean Donan with you, or anywhere else for that matter. Where I go and what I do will not be your problem any longer. I do not care who says what or what says who; I would not marry you now if you were to beg me on your hands and knees.”
Muren seethed as she met his gaze head-on. His eyes were narrowed and his nostrils flared, his lips pressed into a hard line. “You will not leave this castle or my sight until your brother and I sort out this mess, do you understand?” His voice was too calm. Before today, this would have upset her, but not anymore.
“I ken your meaning quite clearly. Now, let me tell you something. If you had been reasonable, I was willing to let you court me to see if there was something still there between us, but you have proved that all you want is to get your own way without any consideration for what I need. And I will not have it.”
“You are saying you will not have me now?”
Muren held her breath. Was that what she was saying? Words spoken in the heat of anger could not be unsaid. She needed to choose her next wisely or risk losing him forever, and that was not what she wanted. She only wanted time he did not seem prepared to give.
“Are you saying you will not wait for me to sort through my feelings?”
“If you do not know how you feel about me after all this time, then I do not know if there is any more to say.”
Muren’s heart squeezed hard in her chest. That in and of itself told her how she felt about this man, but by God, it was not right that he would rather have her a cowering, terrified flower, than a strong woman. As much as it pained her now and would for the rest of her life, she had to let him go.
“Rorie,” she said in a whisper.
Before she could say another word, his lips pressed hard against hers. As if to swallow the next words they would both speak, he kissed her as though he would never get another chance. And Muren returned the kiss with everything in her very being. She kissed him for all those they had shared before and all those they would never share again. Tears streamed down her face as his tongue swept into her mouth and his arms encircled her. Muren’s hands went to the back of his neck to pull him closer. Large arms picked her up and carried her to the bed. Before she could register what he was about, he laid her on the bed and pressed his body over hers. His pelvis pushing into the soft apex of her thighs sent a fire through her the like she had never felt before.
Deeper and deeper his kiss pulled her into him. Their breathing heavy, when he
lifted his head to gaze into her eyes, she saw everything there. All the love and torment he felt was all revealed for her to see.
But it did not change a thing. Muren turned her head away and pressed hard against his chest until he rolled away from her.
* * *
Rorie sat on the edge of the bed. He didn’t dare to speak for fear of the rejection he saw in her eyes. Had he lost her so completely then?
“I do not want to lose you, Rorie,” Muren said. “I just want us to begin anew.”
“And the passion we obviously still share is not enough for you to be sure?”
“I do not know yet,” she said in a quiet voice behind him.
Rorie’s heart was heavy in his chest. He didn’t know what to suggest.
“Do you wish to go back to Dunrobin?”
“No,” she said.
That one word gave him a sliver of hope. At least she didn’t wish to return home.
“Do you want to stay here?”
“No.”
Rorie turned to her. Kneeling on the bed with her head hung low, she didn’t appear to have as much confidence in her new self as she proclaimed, but he was not about to push her in any direction she would not wish to go.
“Eilean Donan?”
With that suggestion, her head came up. “You would let me come to your family home despite my uncertainty? But without a member of my family present, that would not be proper.” Though she was in that exact position at the moment.
“If it is your wish, I will speak with Ronan and make the proper arrangements. I only want your happiness, Muren. If it is time you wish, time you shall have. I will court you anew if that is your wish. I will do anything you want.”
She smiled at him then, and it warmed his heart. God, how he loved this woman.
Muren moved closer to him and placed her hand on his cheek. “I will return to my mother in Strathnaver.”
Rorie’s heart sank. He fought back his disappointment as he took her hand in his and kissed it. “I will take you wherever you wish to go, Muren. But do not fight me when I insist on leaving men to protect you. I know you believe this letter of yours would have protected you from the Douglas, but once he finds out you’ve gone, I trust he will come and claim you anyway.”
Heart of the Highlander Page 4