Journey to the Highlands: Robbie and Caralyn (Clan Grant Series Book 4) (14 page)

“Aye?”

“The man killed her brother and her father right in front of her. She will not quit until he is dead.”

It was all the motivation Logan needed to pivot and run out the door.

By the time the Grants and Caralyn returned to the great hall, Logan had finished with the preparations for his trip—having grabbed another plaid, a loaf of bread, a chunk of cheese, and his satchel. He headed out the door, swilling an ale on the way.

Quade, who was also in the great hall and had been brought up to speed on his mission, yelled after him. “Good luck, aye? See you, brother.”

“Och, aye,” Logan yelled over his shoulder as he ran down the steps and out of sight.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Later that night, the Grant brothers sat around the hearth drinking ale, along with their brother-in-law, Quade. The only female present was Maddie, fast asleep in Alex’s lap, resting in their favorite chair together, the one Alex had made special for them. He kissed her forehead and she sighed and cuddled closer to him.

“So, Robbie, do you want to tell us exactly what this lass means to you?” Alex asked.

Brodie smiled, “Aye, I see a bit more interest than is usual with you. Most of the time, you just ignore the lasses until it suits your needs. Your eyes follow this one everywhere.”

Robbie sighed. “’Struth, I am interested in her. But her past has been so difficult that I don’t know if we will ever suit. Her life is focused around her bairns, and I don’t know if she wants another man in her life.”

Maddie sat up, brushing the sleep from her eyes. “Your pardon. May I, Robbie?”

“Och, aye. I was hoping for your input, Maddie. I seem to say and do all the wrong things.”

“Based on what she has said, my guess is she won’t want to be touched for awhile. She was forced for so long, she probably wants no part of a man’s touch right now.”

“She isn’t afraid of a man’s touch. But I don’t think she understands the way things should be between a man and a woman. Again, her experiences have tainted her view of the world.”

“Aye, because all she has learned is wrong. It has been five years for her since her husband passed. The years since sound like pure torture. I know this is hard, but you will have to be patient if you really wish to pursue her.”

He paused for a moment before he admitted the truth. “Aye, I do.”

Quade said, “Are you ready to be involved in her daughters’ lives? I think that would be important for her. She needs to see you interact with her wee ones.”

“Gracie accepted me right away, long before Caralyn did. So she isn’t an issue. I guess I am not sure about Ashlyn. They are so tied up with their new friends, I haven’t spent much time with them.”

“You must court her,” Alex said.

“What do you mean?” Robbie asked.

“Start from the beginning and do the things she has never had done for her. Take her for a walk, go for a picnic, go for a boat ride in the loch. She needs to know life with you will be different.”

Maddie nodded. “Aye, she has to learn what a good relationship is all about.”

“Mayhap we can set her up in a place so that she feels she has something of her own. What about the cottage by the loch? We could fix it up for her.” Robbie looked at Quade for support.

Alex said, “The family cottage is still there and it needs fixing up, but she can’t stay there alone until the issue with Murray is done. I don’t think it will be long before he’ll be here, so go ahead and work on it if you wish.”

Quade said, “I’ll help. Will give me something to do while we wait for our new niece to be born.”

“Nephew,” Maddie said.

“Another lad, wife?”

“Aye, another lad. I can tell from the way he carries. No blonde haired lassie yet, Alex.”

“Hmmph. Then we’ll just have to try again,” he said with a smile.

***

Two days later, Caralyn raced up the stairs to get her mantle. Robbie had offered to take her for a walk down by the loch, and she had accepted. She was so excited to go, and found her heart was pounding like a young lassie’s.

Ashlyn followed her into the chamber. “May I go with you, Mama?”

“Mayhap this afternoon, Ashlyn. I think ‘twould be too far for Gracie, and I need you to stay and watch her. I’m hoping to find our own cottage for us to live in.”

“We can no’ stay here?”

She knelt down in front of her daughter, “I need to find a place where I can make a contribution to the clan. I thought we could fish and clean the fish for Cook to use for midday meal. Remember how we used to fish with Papa?”

“Aye, I like fishing. That sounds like fun. And we do need to help, though I do care for the wee bairns, Mama.”

“Aye, and I am proud of you. You are doing a great job with the weans. There will be a brand new one soon.”

Caralyn fussed with her plait and then headed back to the staircase, Ashlyn trailing behind her. She stopped at the top and just stared over the railing. Robbie sat on a stool in the middle of the great hall while Gracie and Lily ran circles around him. Even though Lily was two summers the elder, both girls squealed and giggled as if it was the best game they ever played. Caralyn’s heart melted at the sight of this big, braw Highlander playing with two wee lassies.

Robbie shouted, “Halt!”

The girls froze and didn’t move at all. Caralyn leaned her chin into her hand, her elbow on the railing, so entranced with the way the two lassies gazed up at him, cherubic expressions on their faces as they awaited further instructions. She wondered what game they were playing.

He reached over and turned them so they were facing the opposite direction. “Ready. Now, Gracie you have to chase Lily and try to catch her. One-two-three, go!” The girls took off in a flash, arms swinging with glee, their laughter filling the hall as Gracie raced to catch Lily while everyone in the hall stopped to watch their antics. A simple game of chase and the bairns were having the time of their lives.

Ashlyn stood next to her mother and giggled. “Lily and Gracie play chase all the time, Mama. They love it.”

“You like having new friends, don’t you?” Caralyn smiled as she tucked a few of Ashlyn’s stray hairs back behind her ears.

Ashlyn nodded. “Aye, we never had friends before.”

Caralyn descended the steps with Ashlyn and walked over to Robbie with purpose. Ashlyn ran off to play with the others.

Robbie quirked his brow at her when she bent down and kissed him on the cheek.

She blushed. “That kiss is for your talent with the wee ones. ‘Tis part of who you are, I think, and I deem it a most noteworthy skill.”

Robbie smiled and kissed her on the lips, careful not to move into the path of the rushing weans. “Kiss accepted and returned. Loving bairns
is
part of who I am and I thank you for noticing. I adore all my nieces and nephews, but mostly when they are a bit older and out of rags.” He stood and held his arm out to her.

Caralyn caught Gracie as she raced by and picked her up to kiss her cheek. “Bye, my sweet. Mama will be back in a wee bit.” Gracie gave her a kiss and scooted back down to continue with her game.

Loki came running over and jumped into the melee. “I’ll help watch them, Master Robbie. I will make sure no surly pig-nuts bother them.” He held up his fist to give impact to his words.

“Aye, I’m sure Ashlyn could use your help, but try not to teach the weans any bad name calling. Keep that between warriors.” Robbie ruffled the lad’s hair.

Loki covered his mouth and sheepishly apologized to Caralyn. “Sorry, my lady.”

Caralyn smiled and said, “You may call me Caralyn, Loki. I’m not of noble birth.”

“Nay, he can call you my lady. ‘Tis proper respect.”

Robbie took Caralyn’s hand and tucked it inside his elbow as he escorted her to the door. Before leaving, they turned and blew the wee ones a kiss, though the only one who noticed was Ashlyn. A crisp autumn breeze caused Caralyn’s skirts to billow as soon as they stepped outside.

“Are you still enjoying the Highlands, my lady?” Robbie gazed into her eyes as they strolled through the courtyard toward the gates.

“They seem to become more beautiful each day. The leaves are stunning. I am glad they hadn’t all turned before we arrived. But I also love the sound of the wind through the pines.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Once they were outside the gates, he took her hand in his. “I want you to see our loch before you decide where you would like to live.”

“Do you think Alex will approve my request?”

“There are a couple of issues to be resolved and considered. First, there is only an old, run down cottage here. I want to check inside to see if it can be repaired. Second, and this is for both of us to think about, you will be a short distance from the village, so ‘twould be harder to keep you safe. I don’t think ‘twould be wise for you to be here alone, and Alex won’t approve your move until we know what will happen with Murray. It just wouldn’t be safe for you and the girls.”

They meandered for a short time, but soon came to a hill. The loch came into view when they reached the top. Caralyn stopped, awestruck by the sight in front of them. “Robbie, ‘tis so beautiful.” The hills and valleys ran in every direction, and the colors of orange and red decorated the landscape in sheer splendor. Golden leaves rippled in the breeze and Caralyn held her face up to the sun, drinking in the warmth of the rays. She smiled at the way the water sparkled, reflecting the sunlight across its small waves.

Caralyn stared up at Robbie, a smirk on her face. “Race you.”

“How can you run with your bad ankle?”

“Och, ‘tis much better now.”

Robbie grinned his handsome smile, but she could read the question in his eyes. “Where to?”

Caralyn pointed to a stone building on the other side of the loch. “Isn’t that the cottage?”

“Aye. You want to race me that far?” Robbie’s eyes widened.

“Aye, I have my boots on. Race you to the cottage.” Off she went, laughing in sheer delight as she scuttled down the hill, trying to maintain her balance. Her arms windmilled a couple of times just to stay upright, but she didn’t let that stop her. She had started with quite a lead on him, but she could hear his heavy footsteps getting closer. A hand reached over and squeezed her waist as he came along beside her and she squealed, pushing him away and running in front of him.

She lost her footing and was about to fall head over heels when a strong arm grabbed her around the middle and righted her, pulling her in next to him. “Nay!” she screamed, shoving against his chest, her mood suddenly shifting to desperation.

Robbie’s hands fell away from her and he held them up in the air. “Caralyn, nay. I will never hurt you or force you to do anything. I was just trying to keep you from falling.”

Caralyn panted, mostly from running, but also a bit from fear. Stopping a distance away from him, she settled her hands on her hips in order to catch her breath. She gazed into his eyes and saw the hurt there, and something more. Concern.

And she did the only thing she could think of doing, she strode over to him and wrapped her arms around his broad chest and whispered, “I’m sorry. I know you would never hurt me.”

Burying her face in his chest, she gripped his biceps while she chastised herself.
Bad, why must you continue to be bad?
But she was having so much fun and what was the harm? Racing with Robbie had made her smile again.

Her mother’s voice echoed in her mind.
Do not be bad with your husband or he will get rid of you. Good women do not like it, only bad women. Do you hear me? Be a good and proper wife.

Every time she thought she had a chance with Robbie, her mother reminded her of all the reasons it wouldn’t work, all the reasons why Caralyn wasn’t a good, virtuous woman. Something inside her was bad, that had to be it.

She was rotten, right to her core.

Robbie stepped back and lifted her chin. “Caralyn, don’t look so frustrated and forlorn. I know you have issues you must deal with. We will work through them together. Just tell me what makes you uncomfortable.”

She stared at him, fighting back tears, wanting to tell him, wanting to confess all. But she couldn’t. If she did, he would hate her.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Robbie held his hand out to Caralyn. “Come, what’s done is done. I won’t let it ruin our day. We’re almost to the cottage.”

Caralyn put her hand in his and smiled. “Aye, I would like to see it.”

They walked around the edge of the loch until they reached the small stone cottage.

Robbie still held her hand in his. He tilted his head toward the hut, overgrown weeds lining the exterior. “What do you think?”

Caralyn perused the area. A small dock sat over the water, mostly still in good shape. She gasped as they made their way closer to the building, thatches of wildflowers in plots arranged around the outside of the building. Groups of trees sat behind it. She glanced up at the thatched roof, where there were a few holes clearly in need of patching.

She stopped when they were directly in front of the house. A covered entrance was attached to the front with a wide railing on one side, probably for cleaning fish. Three stone steps beckoned them inside. “Robbie, ‘tis beautiful.” She turned her head to glance at him and her eyes sparkled with hope. “May we go inside?”

He nodded, pleased to see the glimmer of hope in her gaze. He had always loved this cottage, though he hadn’t been inside in years. It was often just used for fishing in the summer, but he and his brothers had spent many warm months swimming in the loch.

He opened the thick oak door with a shove and it creaked as it swung open. As they walked through the front room, he was surprised to see the floor was also made of stone. He had remembered it as a dirt floor, but it was solid—quite dirty, though some soap and water would clean it up nicely. It made sense for the cottage to have a stone floor with water so close.

Caralyn’s eyes lit up as they took in the front room, clearly the main room. A large hearth sat on the side wall with a big kettle hung to the side. Utensils hung from a row across the back, a few pots mixed in. A table and four chairs sat in the middle and a work bench of sorts stood in the back near the utensils. An assortment of stools sat in various spots along with two large chests. They had to brush some cobwebs away, and everything was coated with dust, but the place held promise.

Robbie tugged her hand toward the passageway. He had to duck to walk through it, but it led to a good sized chamber with a large bed. Two doors were at the back of the room. A quick examination revealed that one led to a smaller bedroom with one nightstand. The other was another small passageway that led to a garderobe and the outside.

“Robbie, I love it. Aye, it needs work, but it could be a lovely place to live. Right near the loch where you could listen to the frogs at night.”

Robbie glanced at the ceiling. “The roof needs quite a bit of repair. And we would need to replace the bedding. Seems there are a few critters that won’t be happy about that, but I agree with you. There aren’t many three room cottages with such a large main room. I wonder why no one else is here, except ‘tis a wee distance from the village.”

“Aye, but I like my privacy.”

“’Twould be mighty cold here. You don’t have many pines for protection. A few out back, but the snow must drift terrible here.”

“Could we transplant some pines to help with the snow?”

“Aye, I don’t see why not.” Robbie couldn’t help but share her enthusiasm. He could absolutely picture living here with Caralyn as his wife, especially with the extra room for their bairns. They could sit outside at night and enjoy the peace and quiet of the loch, and fish and swim when the water was warm. They weren’t far from the keep and he could protect her.

He glanced at her beaming face. Somehow, he didn’t believe they shared the same vision.

***

Malcolm stood in the middle of the clearing, bellowing at the four men with him. “I told you we were heading into the Highlands. Why would I pay you so much coin otherwise? I wouldn’t pay you this kind of coin to run around Glasgow. I knew it would be tough.”

The biggest man stood opposite Malcolm. “Aye, but you never told us we would have trouble breathing up here. I can hardly sleep in this air. We’re out of here. C’mon Duncan.”

He beckoned to the man next to him and headed for his horse. “We’re getting the hell out of these Highlands. You can keep your coin. This ’ere place will kill me if I keep on.”

“Wait,” Malcolm yelled. “I’ll double your pay.”

“Nay, ‘tis not worth it to me. You’re daft.” The two jumped on their horses and galloped back down the path.

Malcolm had known this would be a tough journey for anyone not used to the Highlands, but he wouldn’t give up. Not now. Finally, he was almost exactly where he had always wanted to be. Trading in anticipation of a possible war had earned him more coin than he had ever wanted. The sale of weaponry, especially the bows and the Irish bills had reaped great wealth for him. He had put his parents in a nice cottage and his father was proud of him.

Erskine had tried to talk him into selling slaves, but he had turned him down. Malcolm didn’t have much of a heart, but one existed. And Erskine had wanted to sell Caralyn along with her friend. Nay, never. Caralyn was his, he had trained her well and she had become quite the delight the way her mother’s guilt nagged at her.

He rubbed his shoulder where the arrow had pierced him. Damn, but Grant had good aim. Caralyn had been right where he wanted her till Grant had interfered.

He still had two men left, Ross and Bruce. Three men ought to be able to steal Caralyn away.

“How can we kidnap three of them when there are only three of us?” Ross asked.

“We don’t need all three of them. We only need one daughter to get her to do what I want. Hell, I’ll be happy if I just steal Caralyn. We’ll just need to change our plans a bit.”

This satisfied Ross and Bruce, but he had to give it some thought. Malcolm paced around the grove of trees while he thought the situation through. Mayhap he should give it all up and go back. He had several others he liked. Why did he need Caralyn?

Aye, she was a beauty, but it was the way he could make her moan that forced him to go after her—that and his other purpose. He chuckled. The true reason he liked her so much was because of her mother. She had filled Caralyn’s head with madness, and he used it to his advantage. Why, he never had to punish the lass, she spent all her time punishing herself. He had seen her cut herself once, just to stick her own fingernail in the wound to cause herself more pain. The girl was daft, even if she was passionate.

Then Robbie Grant popped into his mind. How could he forget him? That was reason enough for him not to turn around. He wouldn’t let the little weasel have his woman. Captain Grant couldn’t win. He had stared down his nose at him as if he was better or of noble blood.

He would take care of that look in Captain Grant’s eyes. He would show him who was best. The hell with the daughters. Malcolm Murray would kidnap Caralyn to make the captain pay.