Page 126 of Seduced By the Reckless Highlanders

“I submit,” he said weakly.

Gowan disarmed him and threw his sword to one of the guards, keeping his own at his side so that he could use it again if needed. He helped Minna to her feet while holding onto Jamie’s arm so tightly that he winced.

“Are you hurt?” he asked anxiously, as he looked into her face.

Minna rubbed her backside and smiled in a half-amused, half-embarrassed fashion. “A little on my body, but mostly my dignity,” she said ruefully.

“You are incredible,” he said fondly, hugging her shoulders. “Minna - I have something to tell you.”

Minna sighed, and was about to say something, but at that moment Lorna came flying through the courtyard, pulled heraway from Gowan and hugged her so tightly that she could hardly breathe.

“Lorna!” Minna protested, trying to laugh. “You are breaking my ribs!”

Lorna let go and looked into Minna’s eyes. Her own gray ones were shining with tears. “Ye are goin’ tae be the death o’ me,” she protested. “If I didnae love ye so much I would be ragin’!” Then she burst into tears on Minna’s shoulder, and whatever Gowan had been about to say was forgotten for the moment.

The two women clung together and Gowan knew he would be totally ignored for the time being. He almost smiled. They were weeping with relief, and Gowan wished he could do the same, but men could never do such an unmanly thing. They always had to be stern, fierce and unbending.

All the time that the two women had been speaking, Gowan had been the focus of attention from some of the maids, some of whom remembered him. Feeling himself being stared at, he looked around and met the eyes of Annie, one of the servants who had worked at the castle when he was no more than a boy. He still recognized her, and she knew him too, even though both of them were much older.

“Annie, how are you?” he asked, smiling at her. “You look well.”

Annie’s gray eyes filled with tears. “Oh, young master,” she said, using the title she had called him when he was a boy. “I thought I would never see ye again. We a’ thought ye were dead.”

He laughed. “No, Annie. It takes a lot more than a few Darrochs to kill me.”

“I am that glad tae see ye!” She took the great liberty of cupping his face in her work-worn hands and smiled at him. “Ye have grown intae a fine man, an’ what ye did for Milady just now was very brave.”

Gowan saw Annie looking at his scar and ducked his head down, but she chucked him under the chin and laughed. “Are ye worried about that wee mark on your face, son?” she asked kindly. “Ye can hardly see it, an’ ye are still a fine handsome man. Where have ye been a’ this time?”

“It is a very long story, Annie,” he replied. “I can tell you only that I have been in hiding.”

“But ye are back now!” She was delighted. “Are ye goin’ tae be our new Laird?”

He had opened his mouth to answer, but just then, Minna intervened. She looked up at him with open admiration before kissing his cheek tenderly. “You have saved my life twice,” she told him. “And nothing is going to happen to you as long as I am here to stop it.”

CHAPTER 20

Just then, Jamie came up to them, his face flushed with rage, but he was not alone. At his side was the tall figure of Andy Darroch, who was holding him by his sleeve.

“Gowan Hepburn, I believe?” he asked.

“I am,” Gowan replied warily. “Your name, sir?”

“I am Andrew Darroch, cousin of Jamie and Minna Darroch, and one of the elders of the clan,” he replied. “I had come back to see Jamie about a matter which concerns you too, Mister Hepburn, and it seems that I came at exactly the right time.”

Gowan looked around himself suspiciously. Was this a trap? However, just then, Minna appeared at his elbow. She was smiling widely. “I can vouch for this man, Gowan.” Her voice was firm and sure. “I trust him.”

“Really?” Jamie drawled. “More fool you.”

“I think I already told you to be silent, Jamie. You are not in any position to be insolent!” Andrew growled. Then he addressed Gowan. “If you can show me that you really are a senior member of the Hepburn Clan, then I believe we can talk. Do you have any way of proving it?”

Jamie held up his sword for Andrew to examine.

“‘Keep Tryst.’” he read, then examined the weapon more closely. “The Hepburn motto, and this is not an ordinary infantry soldier’s sword. It seems that you are who you say you are.” He looked up at the man who was supposedly his enemy, but he could feel no animosity towards him. For the moment at least, all he could feel was gratitude.

Another figure appeared at Andrew Darroch’s elbow. This time it was a handsome dark-haired woman in her middle years, who smiled at Gowan. “Flora Darroch,” she announced. Her dark eyes looked keenly at Gowan.

“Andy, you do not need a sword to prove this man is a Hepburn. No-one else in Scotland has such unusual coloring. His golden hair and dark eyes speak for themselves.” she said.