Page 51 of Bride takes a Scot
“I cannot tell you how pleased I am.”
“I only rejected your pursuit because…well, I was not ready to admit that ye were grown up and that ye did not need me.”
Rhona shook her head. “I will always need ye, Declan. Never forget that.”
“I hope ye do. Since da passed, I have had many regrets. That I left ye and Claude with Helena is one of them. I should have paid more attention to both of ye.”
“Claude and I understood that ye were pulled away for the clan. We did not mind so much.”
He clasped her hand and squeezed. Declan left her and hastened to find Isabella. A great relief eased his chest and he wanted to tell his wife that he’d spoken to his sister. Heapproached where he had last seen her with Claude, but they weren’t there.
His grandmother called to him. Declan hadn’t seen her and turned to greet her. “Good day, Gran. Have you seen Isabella?”
“Oh, aye, she is probably at the loch with most of the ladies in the clan. They take a respite there in the afternoons when ’tis hottest.”
He stuck out his arm and offered it to her. “Will ye join me?”
“I shall like that.” His gran latched her arm with his and they walked to the loch. “Never thought I would see ye this happy again, not since Leona… It does this auld heart good to see ye getting back to your life. I was wary of Isabella when she first came, but now, I cannot see our clan without her. She is most selfless in her demands and giving.”
“She is a force, is she not?” Declan chuckled. “But aye, Gran, she has awakened in me many things. My wife is tenderhearted and generous.”
“Isabella is well deserved of your praise for which I hope ye do so. It has not been easy for her to come to our clan and be an outsider. Many are finally beginning to accept her, even me, for she is so caring.”
He patted his grandmother’s arm and released her when they reached the loch. Declan was surprised to see the number of people by the water. When he’d arrived home and fought with Rhona, he hadn’t taken time to notice that his clan gathered. He was noticing now. His clan appeared joyful. Around him, his clan’s women laughed and mingled in small groups. Seeing their comradery delighted him. It had been too long since his clan beheld togetherness. All it had taken was Isabella.
He left his gran when she gave a wave and walked off to see Edith. On his approach to join his wife, son, and brother, he couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.
“This is a symbol for a cave. Is there a cave near here?” Isabella asked.
“There are a few of them, most by the glen on the edge of our land.”
“Is that far though?”
Claude scrunched his mouth before answering, “A wee bit, but I know of one that is on the other side of the loch.”
“We should search that one first. Oh, how exciting. Do you think the treasure will be there?”
“My grandda spoke of it when I was younger. He used to tell me stories about his ancestors and that a man called MacBeth, who was our king at one time, visited the clan, and was a good friend of his grandda’s.”
“What do you think the treasure will be? Gold, jewels, or likely it’ll be something with no worth but still a treasure?”
Declan found himself smiling at their excitement. “If ye go to the cave, ye must take Lorcan with you. I will not have ye unprotected outside the walls, Wife.” He meant to insert his concern, but it came out more of an order.
“We might need Lorcan for he is strong and could easily lift the treasure if it is large,” Isabella said. “What a fair idea, Husband.”
Declan chuckled to himself because his wife was as caught up in the mysterious treasure hunt as his brother was. He envied their passion for it, but since he’d grown and become laird, he had no time for such frivolities.
They spent the rest of the afternoon at the loch. Declan was unable to get Noah into the water and he despaired that the lad would ever get over what he’d seen the day his mother died. For that reason, he wouldn’t force his son into the water. Instead, he sat with him beside it as Isabella swam with the other women.
The sun sank behind the trees, and all vacated the loch. Declan joined Isabella for their supper and stayed at home in thefamily cottage. He was getting used to having a wife again, being home, surrounded by his family. The mood that night reminded him of when he was young and sat beside his father as he ate his nightly supper. There were always laughter and revelry inside their home—until the day Leona was found floating in the loch.
With each day, Declan found it easier to put the past behind him. Yet until he found his foe, he wouldn’t let himself be content. His foe was out there, and he would leave the day after next to find out what Campbell had to say about his father’s death. Then he would immerse himself into fleshing out the traitorous miscreant. He’d give himself one day more to enjoy the peacefulness that had overtaken them. One last day until he might learn the name of his foe. One more day before he could seek vengeance.
Chapter Eighteen
As dawn touchedthe horizon, mist grayed the sky. A new day sent night birds to their slumber, their songs lessening as the sky remained dismal. Declan assembled his men and rode out to meet with Robbie. Anse wasn’t pleased to be left behind, but Declan wanted assurance that his home was protected whilst he was gone. Hard rain pelted them on the trek to Campbell’s holding. It took overlong and they didn’t reach the fief until the next afternoon. The rain continued and had soaked them through, but none of his men complained. They too were impatient to gain answers.
At the gate, Declan told the guard that he was expected. Within moments, several Campbell guards came and lined the lane toward the keep. Declan took their show of force as a display of protection of their clan. If he were in Campbell’s position, he would probably have commanded his men to do the same.