Highland Escape (34 page)

Elliot took a long drink, as if to wash away the bitterness of the memory. “Morna and I lived as strangers for three months, from the time she told me, to the time I discovered the truth. I knew I had badly damaged the one person who loved me above all others—the one I could truly trust with my life.”

“How did ye get her to forgive ye?”

Elliot pinned Duncan with a hard expression. “I did exactly what ye will do when Anna wakes. Beg her forgiveness. Convince her ’twill never happen again. Tell her she is the most important thing in yer life, and ye cannae live without her. If ye dinnae, I will thrash ye within an inch of yer life, then take her home when she is well enough to travel. Ye willnae be welcome on Elliot land, and ’twill be a cold day in hell before ye get close enough to hurt her again. I can protect her from the evil of such men as the earl. She will be safe amongst her kin.”

The force of emotion behind his words startled Duncan, but no more than he deserved. “What if she willnae come around? I dinnae deserve her forgiveness.”

“Nae, neither did I, but she will forgive ye if she is convinced ye love her and vow not to indulge in such foolishness again. Women have a greater capacity for forgiveness than we men. ’Tis especially true with the ones they hold most dear. We mock the softer feelings of women until ’tis is the verra thing we need. Swallow yer pride, son. Win her back.”

“Pride?” Duncan spread his hands. “I have no pride in this. I watch her every day and live with knowing I am the one who hurt her.” Duncan buried his head in his hands, ashamed of the tears threatening to fall.

Elliot placed his hand on his shoulder. “Aye, ye have the right of it. Ye will do just fine then. ’Twill be a wedding soon enough.”

* * *

Early that same evening, Anna opened her eyes. She glanced around the room, trying to understand why she felt like she’d picked a fight with Duff—and lost. No part of her body felt unbruised. Her head, especially, throbbed with pain.
MacNairn!
She was a prisoner of that foul beast. No, that couldn’t be right. She was in a familiar room—Duncan’s room. She blinked a few times, trying to reconnect all she knew. Threads of memory reformed. The abduction, MacNairn’s intentions for her, her escape. After that, details grew a bit fuzzy. Turning her head, she saw Lady MacGregor in a chair next to the bed, working on a square of embroidery.

Mairi noticed her wakefulness. “Thank the saints ye are awake! What can I get ye?”

Swallowing hard in an effort to speak, Anna whispered, “I need to use the privy.” Weak as a newborn lamb, Anna leaned heavily on the older woman while they stepped into the garderobe. Merely making her way back to bed exhausted her.

“I will fetch Duncan and Fiona,” Mairi said and moved toward the door.

“Wait,” Anna feebly replied, but Mairi had gone.

Duncan entered a few moments later, a haggard, yet hopeful look on his face.

She puzzled at his appearance—he looked as bad as she felt. “Duncan, what has happened to you?”

He smiled faintly in return. “I am fine, love. Ye are the one everyone has been fashed over.”

He called her ‘love’. Hope surged in her breast, but she warned herself not to put too much meaning behind it. “How long have I been here?”

“What do ye last remember?”

“I recall escaping that evil man, but everything after is murky.”

Duncan described events after she stumbled into camp, including her three days of fever, along with the past two. She absorbed his story, remembering more of her time with MacNairn. ’Twas then she felt a familiar cold nose on her hand.

“Trean!”

“Aye, he has rarely left yer side since we returned.”

“I thought him dead. I saw him felled by one of MacNairn’s men at the loch.”

“He has a wee scratch on his shoulder—all but healed. We found him following the trail of the men who took ye. He is a braw laddie. Other than being a mite skittish of people, he seems as tamed as a wolf can be.”

Anna stroked his muzzle while he licked her other hand.

“You still haven’t explained what has happened to you.” She took in Duncan’s gaunt appearance and the bruised circles under his eyes.

“He has nae left yer side these past five days,” Fiona answered as she bustled into the room. “We had to threaten him to eat what little he did, and he has nae had a full night’s rest for worry and watching over ye.”

Anna didn’t know how to respond to this news, but the hope she felt earlier increased tenfold.

“I will tell Cook to prepare a broth and to soak some bread in it. Isla will see a bath is sent up afterward. Do ye need anything else?” Fiona asked.

Anna shook her head. The one thing she needed, only Duncan could supply.

Fiona hurried from the room. Duncan sat in the chair next to the bed. He picked up her hand and, holding it to his lips, he kissed each finger.

“Anna, I beg ye forgive me. I cannae lose ye. Ye are my life. My words that day—I knew they were wrong the moment they left my mouth.”

Anna saw tears pool in his eyes. Though she regretted his pain, her heart leapt with the knowledge he still loved her.

“Duncan, ’tis not your fault. I was the one who rode away.”

His jaw clenched and his expression hardened. “Dinnae think to absolve me of this. I shamed ye in front of the men and others. I drove ye away with my senseless jealousy and anger. Because of my actions, ye almost died. I am the one who is supposed to honor ye, protect ye.” Bitterness filled his voice.

“Duncan, I am not Callum. It was not your fault then, and it is not your fault now. I will be well soon enough, and an evil man is dead. I should have been able to ride to the loch in peace to clear my head whilst you cleared yours. ’Tis not your fault an enemy took advantage of my solitude.”

He leaned over the bed and kissed her on the forehead. “Does this mean ye forgive me?”

The tortured look in his eyes was more than she could bear. She would have said or done anything to remove it. “Yes, I forgive you. I love you. You are to be my husband, aye?”

He hugged her, burying his face in her hair. “Aye, I will be yer husband if ye will still have me.”

Anna nodded. “Duncan, my love for you does not change simply because of a few harsh words spoken in anger.”

“Anna, the past nine days have cured my jealousies. If the words are important, ye have my vow I will never behave that way toward ye again, nor will I ever speak to ye out of anger in public. I am not foolish enough to believe we will never quarrel. Howbeit, I will save those words for when we are alone. The fear, guilt and humiliation I have lived through have conspired to scour my very soul.”

His confession and promise reassured her, but somewhat confused her. “I do not understand. Humiliation?”

Duncan gave a grim chuckle. “The men—
yer
men—knew exactly what happened. Though not a word was spoken, the anger aimed at me for days was unmistakable. I would fear for my life if ye were to leave us. Those same men volunteered without hesitation to rescue ye.”

She considered his words. While deeply moved by their loyalty, Anna didn’t wish it to be at Duncan’s expense. Not knowing how to respond, she reached for his lips instead. The kiss was born out of desperation and a hunger for what they’d almost lost. As it ended, he pressed light kisses all over her face and neck, until Anna couldn’t help but smile. When she opened her eyes, his gaze told her they were whole again.

Epilogue

Before dawn on her wedding day, serving lads brought a bath upstairs, fragrant oils scenting the water. Isla scrubbed her mercilessly and used a special mixture on her hair, creating a mass of glossy black waves. Wrapped in a warm robe, Anna sat while Nessa and Mairi dressed her hair.

They wove flowers and thin strips of gold fabric into the gathering of curls atop her head, allowing tendrils to drape loose around her face and shoulders. At last finished with her hair, the women carefully placed a gossamer-fine silk chemise over her head. Anna fingered the fabric in wonder.

“Mairi, where did you get this? It is quite beautiful, but is much like wearing nothing at all.”

Anna’s soon-to-be mother-by-law gave her a knowing smile and leaned in to whisper. “I never properly thanked ye for yer special gift to me. Kenneth was too embarrassed to thank ye, though he has enjoyed it as much as I. ’Twas only fitting to return the favor.”

Anna’s cheeks heated and her nervousness spiraled upward until she found it hard to breathe. Mairi poured her a cup of wine.

“I remember my wedding day. I was tender of nerves, also. The only advice I can offer is to think on the love ye share with Duncan. Remember the plans ye have made together. They will banish yer fears.” Mairi gave Anna a wink. “Taking a deep breath and a long drink helps also.”

Anna considered Mairi’s words as she drank. Perhaps a bit more wine to settle herself would be advisable. Not too much though. She didn’t want her wits addled when it came time to say her vows. She had time to drink another cup before the ladies finished buffing, fluffing and adjusting every part of her. With a bright smile, Nessa took her hand and led her to stand before the reflection disc mounted on the wall. Staring back at her was a woman Anna had never seen before.

Small white blossoms, interlaced with gold ribbon contrasted with her dark tresses. Her creamy complexion held a hint of pink, likely due to the wine. Her deep green eyes glowed, wide with anticipation, and the full pink lips of her mouth formed a graceful bow. The green velvet gown with gold trim highlighted her features, drawing the eye to a modest décolleté. Taller than the younger woman standing next to her, the dark-haired beauty in the mirror bore an air of nobility and grace. Anna continued to stare at this stranger, mesmerized by her reflection.

“I am—beautiful,” she said in disbelief.

“Ye have ever been, my dear. We only added a bit of polish,” Mairi replied.

“Do you think Duncan will be pleased? He has never seen me like this.” Uncertainty crept into Anna’s voice.

“I predict my son willnae be able to tear his eyes from ye.”

“What’s more, I dare say every man who sees ye will experience the same.” Nessa added, a pert grin on her face.

Anna did not care about the rest. She only wished to please Duncan.

A knock on the door signaled it was time to leave for the kirk. Anna floated down the stairs, her feet scarcely touching the stone. As she reached the bottom step, her grandfather waited, a tremulous smile on his face.

“Forgive an old fool. Watching ye walk down the stairs reminds me of the day I gave away my Rossalyn in marriage to yer da.”

Anna accepted his arm with a smile on her face, gripping him firmly. “I think Mother and Father would be happy today, don’t you?”

“Aye, they would indeed. Verra happy. ’Tis a good man ye marry. I can go to my maker knowing ye will be loved and well cared for. Before I depart, howbeit, I would like to hold some great-grandbairns.”

Anna laughed at his request. “I will speak to my husband. We shall see what can be done.”

As they exited the hall, Anna gasped, astonished by the crowd of people gathered in the bailey. They stood on either side of a flower-decorated path leading to the kirk, its doors open wide. From where she stood, the small chapel appeared packed with people. Glancing through the doors, her eyes sought only one. She found him standing at the door with the priest. When she met his gaze, every care dropped away, and she hardly noticed her grandfather place her hand in Duncan’s.

As they bowed before the priest, Anna tried to concentrate on the words said, repeating her vows in a clear and confident voice. Entering the kirk, they bowed at the altar according to the priest’s direction. When they rose, she faced the man who held her heart. He placed a simple gold band, with a knot etched into the metal, on her finger.

Pulling her into an embrace, Duncan lowered his head. Without hesitation, Anna met him, offering her lips for his possession. The kiss was tender, but too short for her liking. She reminded herself this would be but one of thousands of kisses they would share from henceforth.

Duncan tucked her hand against his chest and turned her to face the cheering crowd before them.

“Are ye ready for the festivities, love?”

Heat flared in her cheeks. “Tonight?” she hissed, her gaze darting to the side to see if anyone else heard him.

He threw back his head with a hearty laugh. “Och, that, too. But I referred to the feasting and games and exhibitions.” He tilted his head at her. “Will ye compete?”

Pleased he considered her wishes, Anna turned sultry eyes on him. “Aye, milord. Let the games begin.”

DD’s Note to the Reader

The inspiration of Anna was born of two things, my 35 years of love of martial arts and fascination with the Crusades. She is actually a composite of two women I used to train with. With the exception of her archery, the other skills are held by a combination of both of these ladies. I attempted to keep the weaponry and abilities authentic to the period. In Chinese martial arts, it was common to learn the art of healing along with, or before one learned to fight, hence Anna’s knowledge of acupuncture and other herbal healing. History tells us acupuncture goes back thousands of years.