Highland Song (18 page)

Stephan shaded his eyes and stared down the road leading to his house. High on a hill a handful of trees burned with the yellow torch of fall. He stared for a few minutes more.

"Do you have time to come to some decisions about the girl?" Stephan asked easily. "I'm sure no one is counting the minutes until you get to Glasgow, Edinburgh or MacPherson land."

Slade shrugged. "I'm not betting against time. And time could come to hurt me if I don't come to grips with the decision I'm about to make."

The set of Slade's mouth said more than his words. He wasn't going to stay at his sister's home a moment longer than was necessary. But he was going to use the time to decide what he meant to do with Lainie.

"She's in trouble and you're her savior?" Stephan said without rancor. "You always were on the side of the underdog no matter what. It would help if you told me a little more."

Slade nodded curtly.

"Well," Stephan said thoughtfully, "Before we talk, you might think about Lainie. She looks more than exhausted. She looks as if you've already drug her through the highlands. Maybe you should leave her here to rest up, while you figure out where your head is."

Though nothing in Stephan's voice or expression suggested he thought there was something unusual about a Scottish lass riding through the countryside with an English soldier, a man who wasn't her husband, fiancé, or blood relation, Lainie's face colored.

"I'm his prisoner," she said without rancor and effectively ending whatever suspense or confusion, Slade had created.

"That's right," Slade retorted.

Stephan's dark eyebrows lifted.

"It's a long story," Slade muttered.

"Then it will take a long time to tell, won't it?" Josie demanded
,
she looked ready to torture her brother until he gave her the answers she was looking for.

"Josie…" Slade began warning her to back off or suffer the consequences of his wrath. "I didn't want to bring a prisoner into your home.”

"Don't you Josie me, Aaron Slade. I’m not afraid of you," she interrupted, putting her hands on her hips and planting herself in front of her brother. "She doesn't look like a criminal to me. I doubt if she is dangerous."

"Now just a min - " Slade began.

It was no use.

"Even if you both got fresh horses from the stables and galloped until sunset," Josie said, talking over her brother, "you wouldn't get more than a few miles down the road. You're staying for a time, and that's that. It's been too long since I've seen you, and I want a chance to get to know Lainie MacPherson before you take her for whatever reasons back to her clan."

"Darling, it's--" began Stephan.

"You stay out of this," Josie turned on her husband. "Aaron's been away too long. He's forgotten all the manners our mother taught us."

Lainie watched Josie with a combination of fascination and horror as she faced down the two large men. If Josie realized her husband and brother were a foot taller and far stronger than she was, it didn't slow down her tongue one bit. And it seemed Josie had either not heard her statement that she was his prisoner or chose to ignore it. "We both know he isn't going to turn her over to Bertram."

Yet neither man struck Lainie as the kind to step back for anyone, much less for someone who was half their weight and a third their strength.

Stephan and Slade looked sideways at each other while Josie inhaled. Stephan smiled,
then
began laughing softly. It took Slade longer, but in the end, he gave in to his little sister.

"All right, Josie. But only one night. We're leaving at dawn."

She started to object, looked at Slade's eyes, and knew more arguing would be pointless.

"And only if you have breakfast on the table early," Slade added smiling as he finally dismounted seeming to give up on the idea he would leave in a few hours.

Josie laughed and hugged her brother.

"Welcome home, Aaron. I've missed you."

Slade hugged her in return, but his eyes were shadowed as he looked beyond Josie's dark head to the house and the meadow where livestock grazed. He knew this was what he wanted. He had always wanted a home of his own and a family. Since he had given this land to his sister, he had no home save the townhouse in London. He didn't believe he could ever call London home.

For the first time in his life, the thought bothered him. It had been a long time since he'd thought about a wife and children. And that had been a lifetime ago.

The dining room smelled of the lamb stew, scones and berry pie that Lainie had insisted on making for dinner. He'd listened to their conversation. Josie hadn't put up much of a fight, letting her cook go home early and seeming to realize Lainie didn't want to be treated as his friend but as someone independent from him.

Slade hadn't been pleased to find Lainie in the kitchen when he came in from choosing horses and readying the packsaddles for an early start tomorrow, but it was too late to object. Lainie and Josie were sharing kitchen duties, and talking together as if they were old friends.

Lainie had bathed and changed into an old dress of Josie's. Lainie was smaller than his sister. Still the dress did little to conceal Lainie's figure. Such as it was, it made a man want to measure the slender waist with his hands then peel off the soft cloth to get at the silken woman beneath.

The dress was so much better than the britches she'd been wearing ever since he first found her in that tiny hidden campsite. He had been afraid she would continue to wear the britches in Josie's house as a way of getting back at him for saying he wouldn't take a lying thieving spy into his sister's house.

He hadn't meant the remark as an insult; it was simply a fact. He had too much respect and love for his sister to parade a woman who had demonstrated few moral values her short life through his sister’s home. Yet he was doing just that. He swore silently at himself, the situation as his turbulent emotions for Lainie.

"Oh, darn," Josie said. "I forgot Robby's diaper."

"I'll get it." Lainie set the last plate on the table.

"Thanks. Robby's diapers are in the bedroom next to yours."

Lainie turned and saw Slade's cold disapproving eyes. She inhaled a sharp breath for courage, straightened her shoulders and strode past him without giving a second glance.

His sharp eyes followed the unconscious swaying of her hips until he could see them no longer. Only then did he turn back to his sister and his nephew.

"Here," Slade said, grinning at his sister. "Let me hold him. You deserve some leisure time."

"Your concern is noted. But I love the little rascal and being with him is what I want to do."

"Well, then, don't deprive me of enjoying him too. You'll have him again after we leave in the morning."

Laughing, Josie stepped aside.

Slade picked up the child and held him close, blowing bubbles on his neck until the child gurgled with pleasure. The baby reached for Slade with chubby little fingers. Slade drew back, but not quite soon enough. Robby grabbed hair and pulled.

"Robby's hands are almost as quick as yours," Josie said with a laugh as she watched the two
play
.

"You don't say?" Wincing, Slade moved to disentangle the small fingers. Despite the baby's happy yanking, Slade was careful not to truly discourage his nephew. He eased the fingers from his hair, gave them a smacking, tickling kiss, and laughed when Robby's eyes widened with surprise and delight.

The baby gurgled and made another grab for Slade's hair. This time Slade had the baby's range and tilted his head back to avoid the fingers.

"Don't try that again," Slade warned while laughing at his energetic nephew.

Robby's arms windmilled. Josie looked up from the stitchery in progress, saw her child's delight, and shook her head.

"You spoil him," she said, but there was no censure in her voice. "How will I cope when you're gone?"

"One of the pleasures of my life," Slade agreed. "You know I don't get to see him often."

"And whose fault is that?" Josie asked. "You know you are always welcome here. But you never stop or spend any time with us. You could change your ways--resign your commission. It's time you know."

With a joyful shriek, Robby grabbed hold of Slade's hair again. "Easy there, little guy." Slade ignored Josie's pointed statement. “I’m trying to resign my commission. Lainie is part of that plan but I’m afraid I’m going to make my situation with Bertram worse not better.

Gently he disentangled Robby's fingers one more time so that he wouldn't end up with a bald patch if Robby yanked.

“How is that,” Josie asked with a tilt to her head. “It’s Bertram that wants her. If I don’t bring her to Edinburgh, I’ll still owe Bertram time. I made a bargain with the general, I’m already regretting.”

Robby tried to wiggle free, but couldn't. Just when he was winding up for a good bellowing cry, Slade distracted him by picking up one of little hands, pressing his mouth against the palm, and blowing hard. The fruity noises that followed delighted the baby.

“Don’t compromise your principals for that awful man,” Josie said.