Page 11 of The Dark Highlander’s Heart (Thorns Of The Highlands #2)

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A lex leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers pensively. “Then ye feel that ye are reaching her, Bryan? Turning her tae our point of view, as it were?”

Bryan sat across the desk from Alex in the laird’s private study as the golden rays of morning sunlight streamed in through the window. The captain of the guard had passed a rather restless night, replaying his conversations with Katherine in his mind, and wondering how much he had been able to persuade her of the Oliphant Clan’s good intentions.

When he rose from bed at last, he did so with a renewed sense of purpose and determination where the lass was concerned. He did believe that she was starting to come around; that he’d made progress with her, and would manage still more progress with a new day and new opportunities to win her over.

For the sake of the clan , he reminded himself firmly as he performed his morning ablutions in front of a looking glass—and preened, perhaps, a bit more than he might have otherwise, in preparation for the time he meant to spend with Katherine.

And for peace. That is the reason I must succeed in gaining her trust and friendship. To contemplate any other purpose would be a distraction; one I cannot afford to entertain .

After making himself presentable, even somewhat dashing, Bryan sent a servant to request an audience for him with Alex at the laird’s earliest possible convenience. As soon as the servant returned to say that Alex was ready to see him, Bryan strode the corridors of Castle Oliphant jauntily, whistling a cheerful tune.

He smiled as he greeted Alex, and told him all that had transpired between himself and Katherine the previous evening.

Now Bryan considered his laird’s question carefully, not wishing to seem overconfident in his answer. “In fairness, Alex, she has just been here a short span thus far. This is all quite confusing and overwhelming for her, as it would be for anyone in her position. But following our chats, and especially after the visit with her sister, I can say with confidence that progress is being made, and far more swiftly than I’d have dared tae hope.”

“How much longer, do ye think, before she will agree tae help us without reservation?” Alex demanded. He rose from his chair, restless, and began to pace in front of the window.

Bryan had seen this behavior from Alex before, during many other important conferences such as this one. Alex had a tendency to peer out the window at the farms and fields of his domain while he discussed matters which were vital to the Oliphants’ future.

The captain knew this was because Alex’s ability to see his people, to observe their daily lives and travels from his vantage high in this tower, played a large part in the decisions he made regarding their welfare. It helped him to visualize them, to predict how his choices might make their lives better.

Or, in some cases, how he might be putting those same lives at risk.

Bryan laughed uneasily. “‘Tis nay like building a stone wall! I cannae calculate the outcome with that sort of certainty, much as I might like tae. I can only tell ye that I deem the results tae be promising so far. Another few weeks, perhaps a month…”

Alex sighed, exasperated. “We might not have nearly so long as that. Her father is a cunning old vulture, and not known for his patience or restraint. Who can say what sort of fiendish plan he might try tae hatch while ye’re courting this lass.”

Bryan’s face went somewhat red. “Well, ach, I wouldnae say I’ve been ‘courting’ her, merely trying tae carry out yer orders tae the best of my ability.”

“Aye, of course, ‘twas naught but a figure of speech,” Alex interjected absently, still staring out the window. If he detected Bryan’s discomfort at the choice of words, he gave no sign—rather, he seemed lost in thought. “Is there anything ye judge we might do tae hurry things along? Any gesture we might make, any assurance we can give her?”

“I’m still doing all that I can tae determine that,” Bryan assured him. “Ye can count on me.”

Alex peered back at Bryan over his shoulder with what appeared to be mild surprise. “Of course I can, Bryan. I’ve always been able tae before.”

“I still remain unconvinced that she ought tae be given so much freedom during her stay here, though,” Alex grumbled. “She is a valuable asset, and if she were tae escape, we might lose our only chance of preventing a war with the McGregors.”

“I tell ye, If we try tae tighten our grasp on this girl even slightly, or do anything which might be perceived as not having her best interests at heart, we’ll make her feel like a prisoner here instead of one whose better nature we are simply trying tae appeal tae. I have little doubt that she will instantly retract any hint of goodwill or cooperation toward us in that case,” Bryan informed him firmly. “It shall set our efforts back immeasurably. Indeed, I’d nay be surprised if such a tactic ended up with two stubborn McGregor lasses in our dungeons, which would be no good tae anyone.” He paused, then said, “Her heart willnae open tae us if we keep her hands tied.”

“Huh! A rather florid sentiment for the likes of ye.” Alex considered this, then nodded slowly. “Aye. Perhaps ye are right. As I’ve said, Bryan, I trust yer judgment implicitly. That’s why I’ve entrusted her care to ye while she’s here. However, I would only caution that in yer optimism regarding her potential for cooperation, ye remain vigilant no matter what. After all,” he added ruefully, “we were recently deceived by one of our own, as ye may recall.”

Bryan’s heart sank, though he knew he deserved such an observation from his laird—indeed, probably deserved far worse. “Once again, Laird Alex, I owe ye my deepest apologies for.”

Alex waved him off good-naturedly. “Nay, old friend, I didnae mention it so ye could fall on yer sword again. ‘Twas not yer fault, and I dinnae blame ye for anything that happened because of it. If there had been any way tae detect the man’s disloyalty beforehand, I have nae doubt ye would have done so. I only meant tae say?—”

“That I must be fully on my guard, no matter how I wish for this endeavor tae succeed,” Bryan finished for him briskly.

“Aye. And no matter how engaging ye happen tae find the lass personally.”

Bryan raised an eyebrow. “What the devil is that supposed tae mean?”

Alex shrugged mildly. “Desire can come from peculiar places, Bryan. She’s a fetching woman, and no mistake.”

The captain let out an incredulous guffaw. “I’m the one who took her away from her homeland! The idea that she could ever see me in such a fashion is…”

The laird held up a hand to stop him from going further. “There’s no need to become defensive. I’m merely urging caution. Such lines between duty and the heart can become a bit difficult to keep one’s eye on.”

Those words continued to ring in Bryan’s ears as he left the laird’s study.

Was he being unwise in trying to get too close to Katherine? In trying to forge an intimacy which might sway her from her loyalty to her own clan, was he setting himself up to be tricked and used by her instead?

He knew that he needed to heed Alex’s words of warning.

“Bloody knife’s edge tae walk on, if ye ask me,” he muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, in her guest chamber, Katherine rose from her bed after a night of tossing and turning.

Her heart felt like it was being pulled in a dozen directions at once. There was the twinge of apprehension at beginning another day in unfamiliar surroundings—especially those teeming with Oliphants, whom her father had always spoken of as though they were nothing but a vicious pack of vermin.

How, then, could the truth she’d seen with her own eyes be so vastly different from that?

If anything, she felt she should be approaching the day with far greater fright and trepidation. That she ought to expect hostility, or at the very least, be on guard for any sort of subterfuge or manipulation on the part of her “hosts” in trying to solicit her aid against her own clan.

And yet…

More than anything, she found herself looking forward to the prospect of spending more time with Bryan.

Why did she feel so at ease with a man who had so rudely spirited her away from her homeland? She did not know; she only had a peculiar certainty that he meant her no harm, then or now. There was something comforting and warm about his presence. He seemed to take much of life in stride, and she appreciated the glint of genuine amusement in his eyes when she’d sparred with him verbally. He’d had a quick wit, too, and could clearly hold his own.

Which, again, ought to have made him seem more formidable to her, and therefore ought to have made her inclined to be more careful around him.

Instead, she found herself lifting her dress from the back of the chair where she’d draped it the night before and staring at it forlornly.

She’d been wearing it for two days. She’d been carried off struggling in it, for pity’s sake.

Therefore, the garment looked, objectively, quite pitiful indeed.

Katherine knew that most people would probably consider it extremely silly for her to care about her appearance among her captors. When she thought of it that way, she supposed she found it rather silly herself! Still, the notion that she would have to don these same clothes, that Bryan would see her looking so rumpled made her heart sink

She did not have any other options at her disposal, though, so she pulled it back on anyway.

Just as she was finished dressing herself, and she was about to brush her hair, there was a knock at the door. She was partly thrilled and partly mortified by the idea that Bryan might be the visitor; for though she longed to look upon his handsome features again, she did not relish looking unkempt and frumpy for him.

Still, she supposed it would be a terrible idea to keep him waiting. Too long, and he might imagine that she had escaped out the window.

Katherine giggled at the thought of herself shimmying down a rope improvised from bedsheets, and Bryan goggling down at her comically from the window. “Come in!” she invited, stifling her mirth.

The door opened, and to Katherine’s surprise, a poised and lovely young noblewoman glided in, leaving a pair of guardsmen in the corridor behind her. There was something oddly familiar about her face, though Katherine could not quite place it.

Nevertheless, she curtsied demurely. “Good morning! I apologize, I was not expecting tae have any visitors.”

“Except for the good captain, of course?” The lady smiled wryly, returning the curtsy. “Come now, Lady Katherine! Surely ye must have guessed that there would be others at Castle Oliphant who would be curious enough about our latest McGregor guest to introduce themselves.”

“Nay,” Katherine replied uneasily, “I suppose not.”

But the notion hadn’t occurred to her, and now that it had been pointed out, she felt the need to suppress a shudder. It was already difficult enough for her to keep from considering herself a prisoner here. Would she also have to allow herself to be treated as some sort of caged animal, to be gawked at whenever any Oliphant pleased?

Had her sister been subjected to the same dehumanizing treatment down in the dungeons, she wondered?

“I believe we might have met once,” the lady continued pensively, “at a clan meeting held at the McGregor Keep, some ten years ago? Perhaps ye dinnae remember me, since we were practically bairns back then. I’m Lady Isla.”

This lit a candle in Katherine’s memory, for she suddenly remembered the clan meeting that Isla referred to. “Och, aye, of course! We once went riding together, as I recall.”

“We did, aye,” Isla affirmed. “Ye, me, and Romilly. ‘Twas a delightful afternoon. We laughed a great deal, in fact.” She sighed wistfully, but there was something shrewd about the way she peered at Katherine while reminiscing. “And who would have thought we’d all end up here, eh? With me wedded tae the laird of the Oliphants, yer sister as their prisoner, and ye?—”

“My place here is somewhat more difficult tae define.” Katherine forced a small laugh, though it was difficult for her to find the sentiment particularly amusing given the circumstances.

“It is, certainly,” Isla agreed. “For example, though I asked that two guardsmen accompany me here to yer room as a matter of caution, I had assumed there would already be others stationed outside yer door. As it turned out, there were none.”

Katherine blinked, surprised. She had assumed that Bryan had stationed at least two of his sentries to guard her room when she was inside it, especially overnight. “I suppose Captain Black didnae wish for me tae feel unwelcome. The better tae encourage my cooperation, that is.”

“Ye may well be right,” Isla said. “He’s a keen one, and generally good at reading people. With the rather woeful exception of the guardsman who ended up betraying us to yer sister, that is. But then, I don’t imagine anyone could have seen that coming, for the plot was so sinister in its execution. Then again,” she added casually, “I suppose ye’d know all about that, for no doubt Romilly or yer father confided their scheme to ye prior tae executing it.”

Katherine shook her head vehemently. “As I’ve told the captain, I was nae included in their mad schemes. I wanted no part in them. Tae this day, I’m still nae wholly certain what they were. Only that they must have been grave indeed, tae merit remanding my sister tae such a gruesome pit as the one she currently occupies.”

Isla’s eyebrows went up. “Then ye have no knowledge of what transpired? Of the hideous crimes Romilly committed?”

“Not at all! Surely, though, her deeds couldnae have been as foul as all that?”

Isla seemed genuinely taken aback by these words, and from her tone, she appeared to choose her next ones quite carefully, “Romilly conspired tae have me murdered in cold blood, Lady Katherine. Indeed, the sword was drawn and ready tae pierce me mortally. If Alex had not managed tae arrive in time—largely through sheer luck, mind ye—I’d be in my grave today. She believed that she deserved revenge for being jilted in her engagement tae Alex, and her father convinced her that if the plot succeeded, it would mean war between my clan and the Oliphants. A war which would have destabilized both clans, and thus allowed the McGregors tae divide and conquer.”

As she spoke, the bitterness in her tone increased sharply, convincing Katherine that these were not idle words. This was a woman whose life had been threatened, and who still carried the fear and panic from that day with her—and might never find herself wholly rid of it.

Katherine did not believe this woman was lying to her. The notion that Romilly might have actually engaged in such dreadful skulduggery, however, was almost more than she could bear.

“I knew my father must have entrusted her with some underhanded errand to harm the Oliphants,” Katherine breathed, “but I could never have imagined anything so horrid. That she would attempt to murder a woman who had not wronged her or our clan in any way?”

Isla nodded sympathetically. “It must come as an awful shock to ye, and I am sorry to be the one to tell ye. Alas, it is the truth, though I fervently wish it were otherwise. I was terrified by the ordeal.”

“I believe that ye were.” But Katherine was unable to leave it at that: “Surely, however, the Oliphants have committed their share of terrible acts as well? I cannae imagine any clan could have ascended to become one of the most powerful in Scotland if it were otherwise.”

Isla nodded slowly. “Ye have a point there, tae be sure. Alex’s father was not known for his kindness or forbearance, and my grandfather died at the hands of an Oliphant. This caused strife between our people for quite some time; strife which was meant tae be alleviated by my marriage tae Alex. And it has. So ye see, there may be any number of ways for the wounds clans inflict upon each other tae be healed.” She considered for a moment, then said, “At the risk of pressing ye in that regard?—”

“Ye believe that if I cooperate, that, too, might mend things between our clans.” Katherine laughed humorlessly. “Ye forget that my father is the only leader our clan has, with no sons to his name. And if I were to help the Oliphants in any way, he would never forgive it, or me.”

Isla’s tone was sympathetic. “I know it may seem hopeless tae ye now. I know ye cannae see a bright future in it all, and that’s understandable, lass, truly. However, yer father is nae the first laird tae have no male heirs, and still, clans endure somehow. Things needn’t be nearly so bleak as that.”

“I hope ye’re right.” Katherine peered dismally at her own dress again, acutely aware of how disheveled she was.

This did not escape Isla’s notice, and she appraised Katherine’s outfit, raising an eyebrow. “Ye know, I’ve heard that Captain Black intends tae invite ye out on a ride this morning, tae show ye the Oliphant lands.”

Katherine’s heart leaped. “Really?”

“Aye, but,” Isla shook her head. “We cannae have ye riding in those clothes. Or doing much of anything in them, in fact, until they’ve been seen to. Wait here. I believe our sizes are close enough, and any small alterations which need tae be made can be attended to by the servants. I’ll bring a riding outfit, and some others as well, for ye tae borrow until we can arrange for ye tae have new ones.”

Katherine was deeply touched, not to mention excited. “Oh, thank ye, Lady Isla! That is most kind of ye.”

Within the hour, the women were pawing through a pile of lovely dresses; trying them on, and laughing together so merrily that the sound of it filled the upper rooms of Castle Oliphant.