Highland Angels

by Ceci Giltenan

  “Aye, Davy, I have.”

  Mairi too was in the great hall and rushed over with slightly more decorum than her young nephew. “Oh Anna, what happened? I thought ye were going home.”

  “She is home, Mairi,” Dougal said.

  Anna felt a lump form in her throat. At this moment she hated Dougal MacLeod with everything in her, but she did not want to cry in front of them again.

  “What do ye mean, Da? Did yer brother not want ye back, Anna? Are ye staying with us after all? Are ye very sad?”

  “Mairi, hold yer tongue. Of course her brother wanted her back, that has nothing to do with it,” snapped Andrew.

  “Andrew, she means well,” chided Laird MacLeod. “Mairi, I wanted an end to the feud, so Laird MacKay and I came to an agreement: Anna and Andrew are betrothed.”

  “What? Ye’re going to be my sister? That’s wonderful! It is a shame ye have to marry Andrew, but I’m so happy. I really didn’t want ye to leave.” Mairi threw her arms around Anna.

  As upset as Anna was, it was all she could do to keep from pushing Mairi away.

  “Well Mairi, it’s good to hear ye’re happy to be Anna’s sister, because Da has another bit of news that’s sure to please ye,” said Andrew.

  “Andrew, enough,” said Laird MacLeod.

  “What’s he talking about, Da?”

  “Mairi, Laird MacKay wasn’t particularly happy about Anna marrying Andrew and he wanted something in return, so I agreed to another betrothal.”

  “For Graham? I thought he was already betrothed. Anna, ye didn’t tell me ye had a sister.”

  “I am betrothed,” said Graham.

  “And she doesn’t have a sister,” said Andrew.

  Realization dawned and Mairi went pale. “The betrothal is for me? To a MacKay? Ye are marrying me to a MacKay?”

  “I’m a MacKay, Mairi,” Anna said quietly.

  “Aye, but ye’re all right. I know ye and ye saved Davy. Da, don’t make me marry a MacKay!”

  Still terribly angry herself, Anna had trouble keeping the irritation out of her voice. “Mairi, my brother Tasgall is good, kind man. I love him very much and I know ye will like him if ye give him a chance.”

  “But he’s a MacKay,” she moaned. “Da, how could ye?” She looked at David and said, “This is all yer fault, Davy! And yers, Andrew! If ye hadn’t brought her here in the first place none of this would have happened.”

  “Actually, Mairi, I was the one who brought her here, and if I hadn’t she would have died. Ye wouldn’t have wanted that,” said Graham rationally.

  “Aye, I would if it meant I didn’t have to marry a MacKay!” she cried, turning and running from the hall.

  “That went well,” said Andrew. “Da, I think it would be prudent to put a guard on Mairi, lest she decides to bolt.”

  His father frowned at him. “Andrew, why do ye goad yer sister? Ye didn’t make this any easier. She’s upset now, but she’ll soon see the wisdom of it just as Anna has. Anna, dove, I am sorry for her rudeness. She didn’t mean it. She’ll come ‘round soon.”

  Anna couldn’t hold her temper in check. “She’ll see the wisdom of it just as I have? I’m not sure I’ve seen the wisdom of it yet. I don’t want to be here. Ye let me think I was going home and I—” the words hate ye, were on the tip of her tongue but she realized David had been standing silently with his arms around her. She couldn’t release the venom she longed to. She stood there trembling.

  David tugged on her dress. “If ye marry Da that makes ye Mairi’s sister?”

  She nodded, stroking his head absently. “Aye, Davy.”

  “And Uncle Graham’s sister?”

  “Aye, son, when Anna marries me she will be a sister to Mairi and Uncle Graham and Aunt Ena also,” answered Andrew.

  “Will she be my sister too?” he asked hopefully.

  Andrew knelt on one knee beside him and said, “Nay, Davy.” He smiled at his son’s crestfallen expression. “When I marry Anna, she’ll be yer mama.”

  “My mama?” His face burst into a grin and he hugged her even tighter. “That’s much better than a sister. My angel is going to be my mama! I have to go tell Cora, she keeps saying I need a mama and now I am going to get one!” He let go of Anna and ran from the hall.

  Anna pressed two fingers to the bridge of her nose. She had to regain control.

  Andrew stood and said, “I told ye he would be happy.”

  Dougal looked at her seriously. “Do ye really not understand this, Anna?”

  “I understand it perfectly. I might have even ‘come round’ myself if ye had let me go home. And ye’re all three fools if ye think Mairi will come round easily.” It was hard to be a woman and to have very little control over one’s life. She had learned that lesson all too often over the last few weeks. Mairi was young and sheltered and as much as she complained about Andrew, Anna knew Mairi believed her father and her brothers loved her. In spite of that, Anna suspected, at the moment Mairi felt betrayed. Anna felt the same way herself.

  “I’m sorry ye’re so upset, and I wish I could have let ye go home, but as I told yer brother, this is too important. When the wedding is over, ye and Andrew can go for a visit. It won’t be long.”

  Anna clenched her teeth. She didn’t want to go for a visit, she didn’t want Andrew to go with her, and she certainly didn’t want a wedding, but she had no choice. This was real. She wasn’t going to wake up to learn it had all been just a nightmare. She was at Curacridhe, amongst the MacLeods, whom she had been taught to fear and hate since childhood, and she was going to marry the Laird’s heir. Anna suddenly felt very tired.

  Her consternation must have shown on her face because Dougal asked, “Anna, ye said ye understand why this wedding is necessary. Ye have accepted it, haven’t ye?”

  She looked down but didn’t answer.

  “Anna?” He gave her a questioning look.

  “Aye,” she said in little more than a whisper. “I’ve accepted it.” She sighed. “I’m tired, I need to rest. I guess I haven’t completely recovered my stamina. Please excuse me.”

  “Of course ye must go rest, little dove.”

  “I’ll walk with ye, Anna,” said Andrew, taking her elbow as she walked to the tower stairs.

  Anna wanted to escape and be alone but she didn’t pull away. She didn’t have the energy to fight. He didn’t say anything to her while they climbed the stairs. When they reached her chamber he stopped outside. “I’m sorry it’s been such a hard day for ye. But, Anna, ye didn’t lie to my father did ye? Ye have accepted this?”

  “Are ye trying to decide whether I need a guard?”

  “Do ye?”

  She glared at him. “Nay, Andrew. I didn’t lie, I have accepted the betrothal, and whether any of ye believe it or not Eoin is honorable and absolutely true to his word. If I did manage to get away, ye can be certain he would bring me back for the wedding.” She was unable to keep the sadness out of her voice.

  Taking her hands he said, “Angel, I promise I’ll try to make ye happy.” His grim expression didn’t quite match his vow.

  “That’s probably not a promise ye should make. Excuse me, Andrew.” She entered her room and closed the chamber door. She had never felt so alone in her life. She sat on the window seat, pulled her knees to her chest and gave in to the tears that had threatened all afternoon.

  ~ * ~

  Andrew stood for a moment outside her door. He heard her heart-wrenching sobs. He probably should just walk away; she clearly wanted to be alone, but he simply couldn’t. He opened the door. There she was, on the window seat, weeping uncontrollably.

  “Oh, Anna, please don’t cry,” he crossed the room and rested a hand on her back. “Ye’ll make yerself ill.”

  “Just l-leave me alone. S-stop pretending ye care about me.”

  “But I do care about ye.”

  “Do ye? If ye gave a f-fig about me, ye wouldn’t have let him do this.” She raised her head from her knees and looked into his eyes
. “I h-hate him.”

  “Nay, ye don’t. Ye have too big a heart to hate anyone. And I know ye understand why peace between the clans is necessary.”

  She put her head on her knees, giving over to sobs again. “I thought I was going h-home.”

  “I know ye did, angel, and I’m sorry ye’re so very disappointed.” Her tears tore at his heart. He knew his father’s decisions were sound, but it seemed the only person who kept being repeatedly hurt was the one who most deserved their kindness. Wanting to comfort her, he lifted her into his arms. She didn’t fight him, on the contrary, she buried her face in his léine and wept. He sat down, continuing to hold her. “Wheesht, now.” He kissed the top of her head. “Wheesht, angel.”

  When her tears were spent, she rested her cheek on his chest, accepting the comfort he offered. “I wanted to go home,” she whispered.

  He stroked her hair. “Maybe ye can try to start thinking of Curacridhe as home.”

  “But it isn’t my home. Home is Naomh-dùn with the people I love and who love me.”

  “Ye’re loved at Curacridhe too, ye know. Although ye’ve tried valiantly not to accept it.”

  Her brow furrowed. “What do ye mean?”

  “Angel, ye’re the one who has been holding yerself apart. Everyone here wants to embrace ye.”

  “Only because I saved Davy, not because of who I am. Yer da threw me in the dungeon because of who I am.”

  “Nay, ye’ve got it backwards. Da threw ye in the dungeon because of yer name. Ye saved Davy because of who ye are. There’s a huge difference. We love ye because of who ye are, in spite of yer name. And probably more importantly, the MacLeods are learning that the MacKays are not the devil’s spawn because of who ye are.”

  Her lips twitched into a half smile. “There is at least one person who believes we’re the devil’s spawn.”

  “Mairi will get over it.”

  “Why are ye so sure?”

  “Because, I am holding a wee angel in my arms who will press her relentlessly until she does.”

  “Ye think I’m going to fix this?” she asked, her tone incredulous.

  He chuckled. “I know ye’re going to. It’s part of who ye are. Ye love Tasgall, ye love Mairi and ye won’t rest until they love each other.”

  She sighed but didn’t argue the point. Who was going to fix the mess she was in?

  “Are ye feeling better now?” he asked.

  Was she? “I still want to go home, but aye, crying about it won’t change anything.”

  “Anna, please don’t do this again.”

  “Cry? I know I can’t make that promise.”

  “That’s not what I mean. Ye were upset and ye shut me out. I don’t ever want to find ye curled up sobbing yer heart out again. I’m going to be yer husband, the least ye can let me do is comfort ye when ye weep and dry yer tears.”

  “If that’s the least I let ye do, this will be a terrible marriage.”

  Andrew laughed. “Well, it’s a place to start.”

  ~ * ~

  When he finally lay down in his bed that night, Andrew was more tired than he ever remembered being after a hard day of training. He hadn’t done anything physically exerting but the stress of the day had taken its toll. The ride to the strait and back with Anna on his lap had been excruciating. Not that he minded Anna on his lap, but sensing her nervous excitement on the way to the meeting caused his heart to ache. He had expected her disappointment to be profound and it certainly was.

  In fairness, it took her less time to accept it than it had him. From the moment his father first mentioned the plan for their betrothal Andrew had not stopped thinking about it. Initially he was every bit as angry as Anna and then Mairi had been. He didn’t like being forced into anything but he truly did not want to be married again. He had loved Joan and losing her hurt so damn much he never wanted to feel that again. Even now, four years later, anything that reminded him of Joan renewed the pain and he avoided it.

  After his initial anger cooled, he had decided he was taking the betrothal issue much too seriously. His father’s decision didn’t mean Andrew had to let the little copper-haired angel into his heart. He would do his duty, she would do hers, they could live together congenially—it was the way of things. He could still protect his heart. He had to admit it was certainly a boon that she was lovely. The fact that his son adored her and she loved him too was quite frankly both a blessing and a relief. David needed a loving mother. Andrew was certain Anna could be that for him.

  But today as he held her in his arms while she experienced the full emotional spectrum, he realized he was in real danger. He felt the pain of her disappointment, sharp and deep. Going forward, he had to do a better job of protecting his heart.

  Having made that decision, he tried to relax into sleep. Just as he began to doze off, he was jarred awake by a knock at his door. Alert and on his feet in a flash, he wrapped a plaid around his waist and opened the door to find Rory.

  “Andrew, I’m sorry to bother ye, but ye were right, Mairi is trying to run away.”

  “God’s breath, I may strangle her.” Beyond irritated, Andrew grabbed his clothes and dressed.

  “We did as ye asked, just watching and following her, but Andrew, Anna has gone too.”

  “What? Damn, she said she had accepted this.”

  “I don’t think she’s running away, I think she’s following Mairi.”

  “Where did they go?”

  “Into the stable. I left Cormag and Finlay to watch for them. The men have orders not to let them leave the walls.”

  “Let’s go.”

  When they reached the courtyard, Cormag and Finlay stood watching the stables.

  “Are they still in there?” Andrew asked.

  “Aye, Mairi’s in a fine fettle. I would have tried talking to her myself, but Anna MacKay was on her heels,” answered Cormag.

  “Thank ye, Cormag. Ye’ve always had more patience with my wee sister than I have.”

  “That’s because I’ve been around her more.”

  “Well, if ye hear screaming, come fast. I may need ye to keep me from killing her.”

  Cormag chuckled. “Andrew, go a bit easy. This has been a hard day for Mairi.”

  “It has been for all of us, but, aye, I won’t kill her. Not tonight anyway. The men chuckled as he slipped quietly into the stable. He heard Mairi talking so he remained still, just listening.

  “But ye don’t understand, Anna,” sobbed Mairi. “It’s not the same for ye.”

  “Now how did ye arrive at that, Mairi?”

  “Ye know us now. We’re nice people. Ye have nothing to fear from the MacLeods.”

  “Do ye think the MacKays are different?”

  “Of course they’re different,” sniffed Mairi, “they’re MacKays.”

  “But, Mairi, I’m a MacKay. The MacKays are nice people too.”

  “They can’t be. They’re MacKays,” she wailed.

  “We’re getting nowhere with this, pet. Let’s go inside and we can talk.”

  “Nay, I’m leaving. I won’t let Da force me to marry a complete stranger, a MacKay.” By the tone Mairi used, one would think she was naming the foulest vermin on earth.

  To her credit, it sounded as if Anna took no offense, saying gently, “Mairi, sweetling, ye can’t run away from this any more than I can. Besides, ye aren’t marrying a complete stranger. He’s my brother, I love him and I know ye will too once ye get to know him.”

  “But the wedding is in five weeks,” she cried.

  “Mairi, my wedding is in five weeks, but ye won’t be getting married for several years at least.”

  Mairi sniffed, “What? I thought…”

  “Nay, pet. Is that what ye’ve been so upset about? Ye’ll have plenty of time to grow up a bit and to get to know Tasgall first.”

  “Ye’re sure?”

  “Aye, I’m positive. I’m the one who is practically marrying a stranger.”

  “Nay, ye’re marrying Andrew
.”

  “Sweetling, less than a month ago, the MacLeods were my mortal enemy. I thought ye all were monsters and then yer Da proved it by throwing me in yer dungeon.”

  “But that was a mistake, Anna.”

  “I know it was, but can ye see how I might not be terribly happy about being forced to marry a MacLeod in five weeks?”

  “Well ye should be happy. Anna, ye’re marrying Andrew and he’ll be the laird someday. Ye’ll be Lady MacLeod. Ye know he’s a good man. Even if he is bossy and doesn’t like me very much, I know he loves me and I love him most of the time.”

  “Mairi, this conversation is hopeless.” Anna laughed. “Let’s go back inside the keep. I’m cold.”

  “Oh, Anna, Da will kill me if ye get sick again. Aye, ye must go inside now.”

  Andrew smiled, made some noise near the front of the stable and yelled, “Mairi MacLeod, are ye in here?”

  “Aye, Andrew, what business is it of yers? I am allowed to be in the stable,” said Mairi petulantly.

  “This is the brother ye love most of the time, remember?” whispered Anna loudly, her voice filled with amusement.

  “Mairi, ye’re allowed in the stables during the day. God’s teeth, lass, even horses have to sleep,” said Andrew as he walked towards them. “And ye dragged Anna out here too? Ye should know better. The night air is damp and cold and Anna has been ill.” He threw his plaid around Anna’s shoulders. “Come now, back to the keep with both of ye.”

  “Oh all right,” said Mairi and, pouting, she pushed past him and out of the stable.

  “Let’s get ye back inside too,” he said to Anna.

  “How much of that did ye hear?” Anna asked.

  “How do ye know I heard anything?”

  “Because I suspect when Rory woke ye, ye were planning to do more than just scold Mairi for keeping the horses awake.”

  He chuckled, “Ye knew she was being watched?”

  “Andrew, ye’ve had me watched for weeks now and ye’d have to be a fool not to guess she’d do this. However, just in case, I was listening for her to sneak away too. So what did ye hear?”

  “I heard my illogical little sister tell ye why it is so much worse for her to have to marry a MacKay in a few years than it is for ye to marry me in five weeks.”