The Highlander's Secret

by Jennifer Siddoway

  “Eamon…I’ve seen the way Conrad has been harassing her. If he finds out—”

  “He won’t,” Eamon insisted. “Ye and I are the only ones who ken the truth.”

  Alan breathed out a sigh of relief and a moment of silence passed between them.

  “I would ask yer permission to let me marry her,” he stated calmly.

  Eamon rested his hand on Alan’s shoulder. “Ye have my permission, and I give it wholeheartedly, but I will not press Jain. Her heart ye must win yerself. Let her ken that she has a voice that can be heard and respected.”

  Alan nodded. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just wanted to make my intentions known to ye.”

  “Thank ye, Alan. I’d be honored if she took a fancy to ye, if I was being honest. Ye’d make a fine husband fer her. Promise me something though, if things go badly…if they come fer her, make sure that she gets out safely.”

  The words settled Alan like a mantle of armor. Eamon trusted him enough to protect his child. The magnitude of that responsibility hit him and Alan nodded. “I swear to ye, nothing will ever harm her.”

  Eamon smiled, turning back down the road ahead and called back over his shoulder, “I’ll hold ye to that.”

  ~ * ~

  As Eamon passed through the village gate on his way home, a sense of urgency overtook him. After the news Keenan shared with them at the meeting, he was frightened for his daughter. After all these years, he never imagined the secret of her lineage would come back to haunt them. Although he couldn’t be sure it was them to begin with, Eamon was terrified at the prospect.

  Jain had to be warned, she had no idea that her kin might be coming for her.

  As fast as he could, the tired farmer hurried down the road on his way down the hill. The moon shining overhead cast a ghostly sheen on the rocks and shrubbery. Cold air hit his lungs, gasping for air from the exertion.

  For so long, he and Jain were the only ones who knew the truth about what happened on the coast. They guarded the secret of her Viking origins from everyone, including his beloved Moira. All this, because he wanted to save a child.

  But now there was another who Jain had brought into their circle, Alan. Jain told him what really happened, which meant she trusted him enough to keep her secret. More importantly, he cared about her enough to keep it. It brought Eamon a sense of comfort knowing there was at least one other person who loved Jain enough to risk his own safety to protect her.

  God bless Alan and his kind heart.

  God bless Alan, and may he truly be the man that Jain deserved.

  Eamon’s heart pounded with every step he took, racing back towards the farm. The sound of his shoes beating against the dirt road was the only thing that he could hear. All Eamon knew was that he had to keep Jain safe, he had to tell her. If anything happened to his sweet child, Eamon would never forgive himself.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Aileen smiled weakly from the bed as Jain changed the wet cloth upon her head. “Thank ye, Jain.”

  “Hush,” she soothed her calmly. “Ye’re goin’ to be fine.”

  She frowned at the flush that had risen in her cousin’s cheeks and set the rag down in a basin on the floor. Aileen’s cough had gotten worse and they had sent her to the sick bed for most of the day. Moira had taken it upon herself to make some broth to help soothe her throat and smeared a mustard plaster across her chest. The common remedy was used to stimulate healing especially with respiratory ailments. Jain brought some broth in a bowl for Aileen to drink and helped her cousin to sit up.

  “Thank ye, Aunt Moira.”

  The woman’s brow line furrowed with concern. “Drink up now. It will help.”

  Aileen took the bowl from her and drank. The piping hot liquid filled the home with the scent of herbs and spices. Even Jain appreciated the aromatic smell as it wafted through the house. She drank it slowly, but finished the entire batch before looking back at them and saying, “Mmmm! Thank ye, Moira. ’Twas delicious.”

  Without a word, Moira took the bowl from her and stepped over to the wash bin. Jain could tell from her expression that she was worried, even though she didn’t say it. She guessed that Moira didn’t want to frighten them by letting on about the depths of her concern. It was in her nature to worry.

  Jain glanced up as her mother rinsed off the dish and pursed her lips together. She was about to inquire about when Eamon would return when there was a knock at the door. Jain turned when she heard it and Aileen sat up in the bed to see who it could be. Moira went to answer it and the door flew open with Nora standing outside in the cold.

  “There ye are, my darling!” Nora crooned.

  Aileen’s face lit up when she saw her mother returning from her trip. “Mam!”

  The two warriors who’d travelled with her on the trip hovered in the doorway. Jain glanced over at them and offered a respectful nod.

  “Thank ye fer coming with me thus far, lads. Go home to yer families and I’ll come visit ye in the morning.”

  The men backed out of the threshold with a bow. “Until next time, Nora. I pray yer little love here makes a swift recovery. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight,” the women all spoke to them in unison.

  Nora closed the door behind them and rushed over to her child’s bedside. “I came as fast as I could. Are ye making out alright?”

  “I’m fine, Mam.”

  “We’ll get ye home first thing in the morning. Thank ye so much fer taking care of her,” Nora told Jain and Moira together. “I dinnae ken what would have happened if she’d been here by herself.”

  “Ye’re quite welcome,” Moira told her. “Ye ken Aileen is always welcome.”

  Jain kissed her cousin on the forehead and stood up to give Nora and her daughter some private time. “Shall I go and unhitch yer horse?” she asked Nora pleasantly.

  “Aye, that would be fine. He’s probably hungry, too.”

  Jain backed away with a tiny grin and said, “Then I’ll bring him some carrots and a pail of water. See to Aileen and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  Jain gathered the carrots and water for tending to the beast outside. She wrapped a cloak around her and stepped out into the bitter chill. On the grass Nora’s faithful horse, Pepper, was hitched to a weighted-down cart and buggy. She held out her hand and offered him a taste of carrot. Pepper ate it hungrily and nuzzled his nose into her apron, looking for more scraps. Jain laughed and brushed his mane affectionately before unbuckling the harness keeping him in place. “That’s a good lad,” she told the horse. “Oh, but ye must be freezing! Let’s get ye to the stables, shall we?”

  Gently, she led him by the reins and took him around to the back of the house. Pepper whinnied softly when she led him to a pen and shut the gate behind. Once he was securely stationed, Jain retrieved a horse blanket from the shelf overhead and threw it across his back, so he could rest and get warm from the long journey across the hills. She placed the bucket inside for him to drink and a pail of oats for him to eat, then scratched behind his ears before going back inside the house. Her breath was visible in the cold and she clasped her hands together beneath her woolen cloak. Jain made her way back inside and found the others in more or less the same positions she had left them.

  Nora had managed to shed her cloak after coming inside and was quietly speaking with her daughter, brushing her hand across her forehead. Jain brushed her hands across her skirt to smooth some of the wrinkles and sat down next to them on the floor. “Pepper is warming up in the stable and I gave him a portion of oats as well.”

  “Thank ye, Jain. ’Twas mighty kind of ye.”

  “’Twas nae trouble at all.”

  “Where’s Eamon?” Nora asked them suddenly, looking around to find her brother.

  “There was a meeting in the village,” Moira told her. “They’re discussing what to do about the Northern invaders.”

  Nora nodded solemnly. “Has there been much happening since I left?”

  “There have be
en a few attacks,” Jain informed her. “Tell me about Inverness! I want to hear all about yer travels. What did ye see?”

  Nora raised an eyebrow at Jain’s inquisitive nature and took her hair down from its wrap. The dark brown locks of her hair tumbled down Nora’s back and her lips curved up into a knowing smile. “My, ye’re certainly full of questions!”

  “Sorry…”

  “Never apologize to me, lass. It’s one of my favorite things about ye.”

  The firelight dimmed, but they continued to talk and hear about Nora’s journey to the west. Aileen was sitting up and drinking another cup of broth, giving all of them hope that she’d make a full recovery.

  Eventually, Eamon made it home and the women were delighted when they heard him open the door. He was out of breath and panting when he made it in the house and said, “Nora?”

  “Eamon, ye’re back!”

  He walked over to embrace her with a hug, still breathing heavily. “I saw yer cart outside and thought ye might be in here. How was the trip?”

  Nora sighed. “Not as well as I’d hoped, but managed to sell all the wares. Jain and I were just talking about Inverness.”

  Eamon chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. “Of course ye were. Jain’s always been curious about the outside world. Will ye be staying the night?”

  “If that’s alright.”

  “Of course,” he responded instantly, glancing back towards the door. His nose and cheeks were red from running down the hill and he seemed upset about something, but Jain wasn’t sure what that could be. “Jain, can I talk to ye outside fer a moment?”

  Her brows puckered as she gazed up at him. Something about the way he said it made Jain worry that something was wrong. Carefully, she rose to her feet and followed him outside, grabbing her cloak along the way.

  “Da, what is it?”

  “Not here,” Eamon insisted. “The others might still be able to hear us.”

  A knot formed in her stomach. He continued on to where the chicken coop and cart were positioned on the grass. It was a fair distance from the house, without any chance that another soul could hear them. “Ye’re frightening me,” she told him nervously.

  “I’m sorry,” her father apologized. “Something at the meeting has me concerned. I wanted ye to be aware of it in case something comes of it.”

  “Okay…”

  “One of the neighboring villages was attacked by Vikings,” he stated calmly. “But a few of the residents survived. They told Eamon and the other clan leaders it dinnae seem like a usual raid – they were looking fer something.”

  Jain’s mouth ran dry as he recanted the story. “What do ye think it could be?”

  Eamon sighed and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. “Lass, I’m worried they may have come back fer ye.”

  “Ye really think that’s a possibility?”

  “I’m not sure, but just in case ye should be careful.”

  She stared blankly into the darkness that surrounded them. Her thoughts were a jumble of emotions and she didn’t know what to think. The clan had been good to her since Eamon and Moira took her in. She hated the thought of repaying their kindness by bringing danger to their doorstep. Yet, if what her father said was true, her kinsmen were still alive and looking for her.

  Her mind reeled with possibilities. Eamon cleared his throat again and said, “By the way, ye should ken that Alan spoke with me about this also.”

  Her head snapped towards him at the mention of Alan and asked, “What did he say?”

  “Just that he was concerned and wants ye to be safe.”

  “Oh.”

  “And he asked fer permission to marry ye.”

  A grin spread across her face before Jain was able to stop herself. “He did? What did ye say?”

  “I told him that he had my permission to ask, but the decision was up to ye.”

  She wrapped her arms around Eamon in a hug and whispered, “Thank ye, Da.”

  “We should be heading back. I dinnae want ye to worry about this anymore tonight, but if the time comes promise me ye’ll hide.”

  “Aye.”

  Jain stepped back and followed Eamon back towards the house where everyone else was waiting. When they went inside, Nora appeared to have changed the wet cloth on Aileen’s forehead and was sitting down beside her on the bed. She glanced up when they came inside and gave a weary smile. “Is everything alright?”

  “Of course.”

  Jain cleared her throat and said, “I can sleep on the floor. It’s fine really. Ye can share the bed with Aileen. That’ll be more comfortable after yer journey.”

  “Thank ye, lass.”

  Jain took her cloak and a spare blanket from the chair and made herself a makeshift bed while the others eased into bed. Eamon and his wife climbed the ladder to the loft where their bed was kept. Nora loosened the lacing of her surcote to remove it, but kept her overtunic on. Aileen sighed in the bed beside her and Jain knew she must be happy to have her mother home at last.

  Jain undid her hair and laid down on the floor where her bed was made, trying to find a bit of earth more comfortable than the rest. Slowly, the embers of the fire went out and the only sound that could be heard was the gentle breathing of her family.

  While the others drifted off into plesant slumber, Jain’s heart and mind raced, thinking about the conversation with her father. Her kinsmen could be looking for her—it did not the make for a restful sleep. It was terrifying to imagine after all these years the Norsemen had finally come for her at last. Why now? Why not in the months or years after she first took up in Elign? It didn’t make sense.

  Although, perhaps it did.

  When those ships that left her made it back to Norway, they would have heard about the massacre. They would have known what happened to their settlement on the coast. It would have been a foolhardy mission for them to come back again after such a colossal failure. She knew the Vikings were not allowed to sail without permission from their ruler. If that were the case, Jain doubted the Norse king would risk sending them back for a mere child.

  Her head was spinning with the torrent of information, going around and around in circles. What would she do if the Vikings came to take her back? On top of everything else, Alan knew the truth. She had to talk to him about it, plainly from one person to another.

  Only then would she know if his feelings for her were true.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jain woke up with the sunrise.

  Her body was sore from laying on the hard earth and left her aching all over. She hadn’t slept well with the looming danger of a Viking attack still present in her mind. To make things worse, her tossing and turning in the night had knotted her hair into an unruly mess. When she sat up, blinking a couple times, she saw Moira fussing in the kitchen and starting on the morning meal. “Good morrow, Mam.”

  Moira glanced over at her with a smile. “Good morrow, love. Yer da just went out to get some eggs.”

  Jain groaned. She rolled her neck to relieve the ache and asked, “Do ye need me to go and fetch him?”

  “Nae, he’ll be fine.”

  Jain stood up and walked over to the stove where her mother was fussing with cooking and kissed her on the cheek. A few moments later, Eamon returned with a basket of eggs and set them on the table. Nora and Aileen woke up and helped with breaking the fast. Aileen’s cough was barely noticeable, thanks to the day of rest, and fresh color has risen to her cheeks.

  As they sat down at the table, there was a knock at the door and Jain turned to it reflexively. “Who could that be?”

  She went to answer it and found Rodrick standing there with a bouquet of wild flowers in his hand. Her eyes widened at the unexpected visit and said, “Oh, good morrow—”

  “Rodrick!” Aileen called out behind her. “What are ye doing here?”

  Jain held the door open for him to come and visit her cousin. “I heard ye weren’t feeling well,” he muttered. “I thought some flowers woul
d brighten the room a bit.”

  Nora stood up and took the flowers from him while Aileen blushed behind her with a giant grin spread across her face. “Thank ye, lad. I’m sure they will.”

  “Forgive me, Nora. I dinnae realize ye were back already. Please forgive my rudeness in interrupting yer time with yer daughter. I’ll leave these with ye and go.”

  Rodrick turned to leave when Nora stopped him suddenly. “Rodrick…”

  “Aye, Lady Nora?”

  “Thank ye. I’ll send word as soon as we’ve got her back in our home and well. Ye can stop by any time.”

  Jain tried to hide her smile as Rodrick beamed at her with gratitude. He bowed his head and walked out the door, disappearing into the grass outside. Jain shut the door behind him and watched her aunt sniff appreciatively at the fragrant blossoms. “Well, I best be getting these in some water before they wilt,” she said.

  Aileen let out a dreamy sigh, watching her mother find a vase as she poked at the remnants of her breakfast.

  With their unexpected visitor gone, Jain came back to the table and sat down beside her in an empty chair. A few minutes later Nora came back with the flowers and vase in hand and set them on the table.

  The meal was pleasant and lively with conversation before Aileen got up and gathered her few belongings. Now that her mam was back she could go home and rest up properly. It was sad in a way because Jain truly enjoyed her company and would miss seeing her every day.

  They hugged on the grass while Eamon hitched Pepper to the wagon again. After they climbed onto the cart, Aileen waved goodbye to them, still bundled in her winter blanket and cloak.

  Jain sighed with a heavy heart, watching them leave. Eamon patted her on the shoulder and went back inside.

  It was a long morning after that, and Jain had a lot on her mind. With Aileen gone, and nothing else to distract her from her troubles, she felt even more compelled to go see Alan –especially with the revelations from the night before. Things had changed between them once again now that he understood her heritage. Jain could only assume he was confused and had a lot of questions.