Page 7 of The Dark Highlander’s Heart (Thorns Of The Highlands #2)

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K atherine remained awake for a while after that, blinking up at the stars in the night sky that seemed caged behind the bars of the willow’s branches. Had that sentiment been calculated? One more bit of flattery to win her over?

Or had he meant it?

She caught herself wishing he had, for if so, then it would mean she might finally be warmly accepted by a clan after so many years of being coldly dismissed by her own.

But Romilly would surely have something to say about that, her brain reminded her. And no doubt ye shall be seeing her soon enough .

Eventually, she managed to drift off to sleep. It was far easier for her, she knew, than it would have been if she had attempted it with her wrists bound together. However, it was still quite a challenge persuading her eyes to remain wholly shut when she was being watched over by a pair of Oliphants with surly expressions.

She knew that Bryan had given them direct orders not to mistreat her, and she had every confidence that he meant to ensure they carried those orders out, whatever it took. Nevertheless, she still could not fully bring herself to shake off the feeling that the moment she allowed herself to sleep, the sentries might attempt to attack or abuse her in some way. And might at least partially succeed before Bryan managed to rise and stop them.

There was also some part of her that was frightened of sleep because of the nightmares she had been plagued with of late. It appeared to her as though many of them were likely about to come true, and she did not wish to endure a mental preview of her coming tribulations.

Still, she finally succumbed to slumber, for she could fight it no longer after the long and anxious day she’d passed.

When she awoke, there was dew beneath her hair, and the sun was already up. She was pleasantly surprised to recall no dreams whatsoever. Despite her anxiety due to her captivity and the uncertainty of what lay ahead, she did feel considerably more rested than she had before.

There were two different Oliphant sentries guarding her, and neither of them said a word to her. They merely motioned to the others that she was awake as she leaned on the tree’s stability to help herself get to her feet. The guards glowered at her and tensed, as though expecting her to flee at any moment.

“Ye may relax yerselves,” she informed them, yawning. “I know I would not get far before ye caught up with me, and that I would be a sorrier lass for it during the remainder of our ride.”

Bryan had been conferring with the other Oliphants, and when he saw she had risen, he strode over to her, looking fully refreshed. “I hope ye passed the night well enough,” he said pleasantly. “Do ye need a bit of time tae compose yerself, or shall we continue on?”

Katherine briefly considered telling him that she did require a bit more time, just so she might have a chance to take a look around and see if there was anything that might aid in an escape attempt—and, more to the point, to stall before having to face whatever fate awaited her at Castle Oliphant.

But ultimately, she knew there was no use. She could not outrun them, she could not outfox them, and she certainly had no hope of outfighting them. Her best option in terms of eventually making an escape would be to simply go along with them, pray they did not imprison her out of hand, and earn enough of their trust later on to plot something workable.

If, indeed, escape remained her intention.

There was some part of her that wondered whether she might somehow join in the Oliphants’ efforts to prevent an all-out war from occurring between their two clans—presuming, of course, that they were being truthful in stating this intention. Was there some way she might see to it that no one on either side needed to lose their lives in combat?

In doing so, would she earn the respect of her father? Or simply more of his scorn, since he had schemed violence and conquest against the Oliphants for as long as she could remember?

Perhaps he would disown her. Perhaps her own sister might as well.

If the Oliphants turned out to be as honorable and welcoming as Bryan had indicated, though…

She tried to tell herself it was foolish to hope that this man, who had grabbed her off the main road in her own clan’s lands and whisked her away, could be telling the truth. Even so, her hope continued to poke its head up.

“Nay, we may ride when ye and yers are ready,” she answered mildly. “And thank ye for cutting my bonds last night so that I could eat and sleep more easily. If ye feel the need tae replace them today, I will not object.”

Bryan studied her face for a moment, then shook his head. “So far ye have given me no reason tae believe ye intend trouble, or harm, and out of respect, I shall leave ye unbound. I ask that ye dinnae make me regret it.”

“Not that ye have any compelling reason tae believe me, but I will not, ye have my word.”

“Very well.” He led her to his horse, helped her up onto the creature, then joined her as he had before. The other Oliphants were trying not to be obvious about it, but it was clear that they were sneaking glances at him and wondering among themselves whether he had grown too fond of his own captive. If he noticed this or was bothered by it, though, Bryan gave no sign at all.

They rode for many more hours, until the sun had passed its zenith. During that time, they did not stop again to take refreshment or allow their horses to drink or rest. This told Katherine that they must be getting close.

Just as she began to scan the horizon, searching for the spires of Castle Oliphant, a massive stag burst forth from the edge of the forest near the side of the road. Its fur shone gold and bronze in the midday sun, and it lowered its crown of antlers and charged forward toward the convoy of Oliphants with a blind fury.

Bryan drew his horse to a sharp halt and raised an arm, commanding the men who rode behind him. “Hold!”

The horses skidded to a stop, but they had all been riding at high speeds, and the foremost ones slid upon blankets of fallen leaves due to their momentum. Which placed them directly in the path of the frenzied stag, now seconds away.

Bryan acted without thinking; he threw his arms around Katherine—her scream still quivering in her throat—and heaved them both to the left. They tumbled from the horse together, and when they landed in the dirt of the road, their bodies collided tightly and knocked the breath from each other. Bryan was on his back, and Katherine touched down directly on top of him.

The moments that followed seemed to stretch out into eternity. The hoofbeats and panicked screeches of the animals overlapped, creating a hideous roar that felt like dirty fingernails scraping against Bryan’s eardrums.

Then he was inches away from the infinite dark pools of Katherine’s eyes, and he felt all else fade away within seconds as he sank into them like a stone. There was mystery there, but there was also comfort, which he could not explain.

Barclay called Bryan’s name several times, but Bryan could think of little else but her intoxicating scent in his nostrils, like roses and honey, or the feel of her chest heaving against his own.

We fit together .

It was a peculiar thought that glided across his mind, but nevertheless too clear to be denied. And was it his imagination, he wondered, or did her face seem to repeat those same words to him, as clearly as if they’d been inked across her fair brow?

A few more moments, though, and the insistent calls of Bryan’s soldiers broke through his reverie. He turned to look at the road ahead.

The stag had pierced two of their horses quite badly, but Bryan’s horse had apparently escaped injury. The stag itself lay dying by the side of the road, its side heaving sharply, bleeding from several lethal bolts that had been fired by the Oliphants whose steeds had escaped injury.

Still, two men were now without horses.

And Bryan and Katherine remained in the dirt, feeling more exposed and foolish with each passing moment.

As he prepared to roll aside and stand up, Bryan noticed something; Katherine’s wrists were pressed together as she braced herself for the impact, and now they were mere inches away from the dagger that was sheathed at his side.

Her eyes met his, and so each knew that the other had noticed it at the same time.

She could snatch the blade from its scabbard. She could press it to his neck in a flash. She could kill him, or try to take him prisoner; either way, she could perhaps secure her own freedom. It would take no skill, no fortitude, no particular cunning.

Just desperation, and the will to act at that moment.

He continued to gaze into her eyes, searching for that intention, that will to do whatever it took to get away. Searching for the ruthlessness it would require. Not out of fear of his own life, but from the need to have been right about her innocence in all of this, her lack of ill intent.

Katherine took a deep breath, and withdrew her hands to a safe distance.

Bryan pulled himself to his feet, then offered a hand so that he could help Katherine rise. She took it, brushing the dust from her garments and trying to act as though nothing unseemly had occurred, but the high blush of her cheeks betrayed her.

“Ye saved us both,” she breathed.

He inclined his head down toward the dagger. “I suppose ye just did as well.”

“What shall we do wi’ two of our horses mortally pierced?” Barclay demanded.

“Ride double,” Rory snorted.

“He’s right,” Bryan agreed. “It will take us longer, but so be it. Those without horses, choose men to ride with.”

“Seems our riding company will nae be nearly so pleasant as yer own,” Barclay murmured. Some of the other Oliphant soldiers snickered.

Bryan raised his eyebrows, not allowing himself to rise to the bait. “Perhaps if some among ye bathed more regularly, that mightn’t be the case. Now be about it, for we are already late in our return, and Laird Alex is bound tae worry.”

They were mounted and ready in under a minute, and so they continued down the road.

“Why should I believe that ye are nae privy tae the evil schemes of yer father and sister?” Bryan asked suddenly.

The question caught her off guard. “Well, if I were ye and my position involved distrust in the name of my laird, I suppose I would nae have any good reason tae believe it.”

“Then provide me with one,” he countered insistently. “Convince me.”

She let out a surprised laugh. “Do ye wish tae find some reason tae believe me, or ye wish tae see how well I lie?”

“Let us say it is the first.” His tone was indifferent, but she could sense a curious urgency beneath it. “What sets ye apart from them?”

She shrugged, deciding that the truth would be her best ally in this situation. “‘Twas our father who set us apart. When he became certain that he would never have a male heir, he chose tae spend all of his time teaching my sister how tae seize power. Training her tae fight and kill, teaching her how tae use diplomacy and friendship as poisoned blades in the name of expanding our territories and riches. He never had any use for me, for he always deemed me worthless and beneath his notice. After a while, so did she.”

“And what if they had invited ye tae join in their plots against us?” Bryan asked slowly. “Would ye have helped them destroy us, to gain their favor?”

“I cannae say,” she answered simply. “Can any daughter, deprived her whole life of her father’s love, truly say what she might have been willing tae do tae win it from him? I can only tell ye that whenever I heard them speak their malice with regard tae yer clan, it appalled and sickened me. I wanted no part in their bloody strategies.”

“Not that ye would be willing tae share any of those overheard strategies with us, perchance?” His playful tone had an edge to it that Katherine could not ignore.

“I cannae,” she told him, “for I have none tae share. Only their hatred, which ye already know of, and Romilly’s involvement, which ye clearly exposed some while ago.”

Bryan grunted, sounding unsatisfied. They rode the next several miles in silence before he spoke again, “Why did ye not reach for my dagger?”

“‘Reach for it?’” She laughed. “I believe we both know I’d have done far more than ‘reach’ for it. I’d have had it tae yer throat before ye could have moved a finger!”

“Very well, let us say ye are right,” he agreed irritably. “Why did ye not seize it?”

“Because establishing trust means more than one party making the opening gesture, as ye did by cutting my bonds,” she replied quietly. “It requires the second gesture, the one from the other party, or it can go nowhere.”

He considered this for a while, then nodded. “Fair enough, my lady. Now, coming over the hill, ye shall see our destination in view at last!”

As the horses reached the crest of the hill, a strange thought took hold of her mind; so suddenly and ferociously that she felt as though she was being shaken back and forth in the jaws of a wild cat.

If only things had been different between our two clans, I might have enjoyed having him for a suitor and groom. Perhaps that might have been enough to ensure peace between the Oliphants and the McGregors.

Perhaps it would have been enough to make me happy for the rest of my days .

In the light of day, Katherine was able to fully take in the sights of the Oliphant territory for the first time in her life.

She had never ventured here before, not even during the days, which now seemed so long ago, when Romilly had been betrothed to Laird Alex. Even then, she’d known that the wedding plans had been made under false pretenses; that it had always been intended as a series of steps which would ultimately lead to the downfall of the Oliphants from within, once Romilly had been properly installed as the lady of the clan.

Then Laird Alex’s famed intolerance of imperfection had put an end to that, requiring other, more brutal means.

The entire time, though, Angus had bidden Katherine to stay away from the Oliphants, at least until the day of the planned wedding, when it would have been unseemly for her not to be in attendance. Katherine had initially assumed this was because he saw them as a potential danger to her.

Later, she came to understand the truth. That, in fact, he had been more concerned that she might prove to be a danger to their plans with her guileless nature and unwillingness to participate in schemes that would result in bloodshed and strife.

Therefore, she took in the farms and estates of the Oliphant lands with fresh eyes—and was amazed by what she saw.

What had she been expecting, based upon her father’s description of the Oliphants and their relentless evil and malice? Looking at them now, she realized that ever since she was a wee lass, her mind’s eye had responded to these stories by conjuring images of a bleak and desolate land. The sort that might be presided over by some evil warlock from a fairy tale, where the sky was always dark, the people toiled as slaves, and the ground was stony and unable to give forth more than the most meager of scrubby crops. A place of ignorance and misery, populated by near-savages who would do whatever it took to steal the glory of their neighbors for their own.

Katherine looked around, wide-eyed, and astonished, at the sights which greeted her instead.

The sky was clear and blue, and the sun shone down cheerily on the prosperous families who worked their farms. The crops were bountiful, and the valleys and hillsides bloomed kaleidoscopically with a hundred different kinds of wild flowers, each more beautiful than the last. The manors were welcoming, with servants singing merrily as they went about their chores, and pillars of white smoke drifting from the chimneys.

The villages were teeming with artisans going about their labors, and the taverns and inns appeared busy indeed, with travelers of all sorts coming and going; merchants, minstrels, envoys, and other assorted wanderers, all of whom appeared happy to be there.

And in the distance, growing larger and more awe-inspiring with each passing moment, was Castle Oliphant.

Again, Katherine had always imagined it as a dread and somber place, with forbidding spires reaching up into a malign sky, and ramparts bristling with soldiers in evil-looking spiked armor.

But it largely consisted of a main tower of sturdy, sun-bleached blocks, surrounded by a high wall that likewise gleamed white in the sunlight. There were sentries, of course, and they were armed with what appeared to be crossbows, but they conversed casually as they stood their watch, clearly not expecting any violent visitors.

“Do ye like what ye see, my lady?”

Bryan’s words, whispered in her ear, startled her slightly. As she admired her surroundings, Katherine had nearly forgotten the circumstances by which she was viewing them. His warm breath tickled her earlobe slightly, sending a ticklish shiver down her back.

“It’s breathtaking, tae be sure,” she admitted. “I had never imagined the Oliphants lived in such splendor. Truly, ye are a fortunate clan.”

“Ah, we are rewarded not so much for good fortune as for hard work,” Bryan replied proudly. “Generations of lairds have worked tae ensure a bright future for our people. Some, perhaps, more effectively than others,” he added with a slight grimace.

“Ye speak of Laird Alex’s father,” she guessed. “He who provoked the enmity between our clans tae begin with.”

“A rather jaundiced account,” Bryan said ruefully. “He was nae the best of our lairds, by a far piece. But he continued the strength and prosperity of the Oliphant Clan during his rule, and that, in itself, was a mighty feat indeed.” He realized something, and chuckled.

“What amuses ye?” she inquired.

“Ah, only that as ye come readily tae the defense of yer sister despite her shortcomings, so I still instinctively defend my former master in the face of his own. Perhaps we are not nearly so different as either of us would have thought.”

She was struggling to keep her expression as unreadable as possible. Her body language was tight, her posture rigid to the point of quivering.

She was a woman at war with herself. Over her fondness for him.

Her desire for him; she was increasingly sure of it.

Their party drew close enough to the ramparts to attract the sentries’ notice, but the men on the wall recognized their fellows almost immediately and did not bother to aim their bows.

“Open the gates!” one of them cried out. This order was echoed among several of the others, and seconds later, the heavy iron gates of Castle Oliphant swung open to greet and admit them.

When the guardsmen saw that Katherine was with them, a raucous cheer went up among them. Barclay waved to them, grinning. However, Katherine noticed that Bryan did not acknowledge their revelry.

“Surely, ye can show yer appreciation to them, heedless of how it might appear to me?” she asked innocently.

He snickered. “I merely see no need to gloat under the circumstances, my lady. I have succeeded in my mission, and that is reward enough for me.”

She did not answer, but she was impressed by his humility.

Alex awaited them in the courtyard, along with several others. Katherine recognized the laird from the portrait of himself he’d commissioned to send to Romilly during their brief courtship. He was a striking and serious-faced man with blonde hair that shone like a halo in the sun. Next to him was a woman of fair but solemn countenance, and by her raiment and the way she stood so close to him, Katherine guessed that this must be Lady Isla, who had succeeded in marrying Alex, despite Romilly’s intervention.

Another man stood with them, and Katherine did not recognize him. He had a vaguely cherubic face and dancing blue eyes, and looked delighted to see Katherine in captivity.

If, perhaps, a bit confused.

The procession came to a halt in the center of the courtyard. Bryan dismounted, and once again, he offered his hand to help Katherine do the same. She took it, and, in reaching out to him, confirmed that she was unbound.

“Captain,” the blonde man said jovially. “It appears as though yer errand went well, better than one might expect!”

“It did, tae be sure,” Bryan replied. He turned to Katherine and gestured to each of them in turn, as though introducing them to a respected ambassador from a faraway country. “Lady Katherine McGregor, this is Laird Alex Oliphant, his wife, Lady Isla Oliphant, and Kirk Oliphant, cousin and chief advisor tae Laird Alex.”

“A pleasure to meet ye,” Katherine spoke up, offering a demure curtsy.

Alex cleared his throat, confused. “Aye, ‘tis a pleasure tae have ye here at Castle Oliphant. We hope tae make ye feel like a guest during yer stay, albeit one who is here under duress.”

Kirk and Isla chuckled quietly, and Alex’s face turned several shades of red.

“If the rest of the Oliphants are half as gracious tae me as yer captain has been,” Katherine replied smoothly, “then I have nae doubt that I shall indeed feel welcome. yer castle is magnificent, Laird Alex, truly. I am pleased that chance has finally afforded me a proper view of it, even if the circumstances cannot quite be called ideal.”

Her gentility took Alex wholly by surprise, and the laird turned to Bryan. “Captain, while our new friend is situated in her chambers, perhaps we might have a word?”

“Certainly, sir.”

Alex led Bryan out past the gates, and they perambulated the perimeter of the castle side by side. It took Alex a while to speak, and during that time, Bryan waited patiently. He knew that it was always better to allow Alex to gather his thoughts, rather than rushing him into a conversation and perhaps provoking his ire.

Finally, Alex said, “Ye saw no reason tae bind her?”

“There was no need,” Bryan answered. “She was restrained at first, aye, but then it became clear that she was interested in exchanging gestures of trust tae make her journey more pleasant. I saw no reason not tae oblige her, and she gave me none.”

“When ye say she was willing tae offer reasons for ye tae trust one another, did ye get the sense that she did so with an eye toward gaining the upper hand? Either out there, or once she arrived here?”

“I would never entirely rule that out, Alex,” Bryan assured him, “for keeping ye safe is my most sacred task, and to do that means never disregarding even the smallest possibility. And to be sure, the bloodline she comes from is poisonous beyond measure. But if ye ask whether I believe her desire for peace tae be genuine; if ye ask whether I believe she is, in fact, not in league with her serpent of a father, then my answer would be aye.”

“Interesting.” Alex stopped mid-stride and stroked his chin, considering this. After a few moments, he said, “Ye would vouch for her, then?”

“I would. I do.”

Alex nodded. “Then ye shall continue tae be responsible for her while she is our guest .”

“Me? But my duties involve keeping our soldiers trained and sharp, and keeping the ramparts and borders safe.”

“Others may attend to those tasks. Men of yer own choosing, so that ye may be sure they are up to the responsibility. There is no one whose judgment I would trust more than yers with regard to this lass and her motivations. If there is even the slightest chance that she is in league with Laird Angus, or means to offer her sister a means of escape, I know ye will see it and stop it.”

“I shall, sir, of course.”

Privately, Bryan found himself rejoicing at the task he’d been assigned, for it would mean more time spent with this fascinating McGregor lass.