Page 75 of The Forest Bride

“When you do that, I would ride with you.”

“Margaret.” He shook his head.

“I wish my brother were here. He would help. Do you know Henry?”

“I met him years ago. He was not keen to speak to me at the time, as I recall. He was very protective of you.”

“He is still protective of me and my sisters. Lilias too, especially with Papa gone.”

“At least we have some evidence about the escort incident now.”

“I did try to tell you that all along.”

“You did. I see that now.”

“Surely Menteith and De Soulis, too, know something about Lilias. And the brooch,” she added. “It is mine to protect, you see. The stones must never fall into the wrong hands. Grandda insisted on it.”

He frowned. “Wrong hands?”

“Because of the enchantment. Listen now,” she said, touching his arm. “The Rhymer’s things must be kept by those who share his legacy and will honor it.”

“The pendant you wear—was that his too, and under some faery spell?”

“So Thomas said. When the queen gave him the gift of truth-telling, she gave him a few treasures too, all with an enchantment.”

“Your sisters and your brother as well?”

She nodded. “Tamsin was given pages of his notes and prophecies and such to create a book. Rowena has something of Grandda’s too, a healing charm. I do not know much about it. She is very private about her healing work. Henry was given something too, but he has never said much about it.”

“I see. Well, we are sorting through it now, my lass.” He took her elbow as they stepped over a fallen log and neared the edge of the forest. The castle walls loomed, blocking the twilight so that the forest fell into deep shadow.

“Duncan—the other day when you told De Soulis we were betrothed—were you truly making an offer? Or did you say it to annoy him?”

“I did want to irritate the man,” he admitted. “And I wanted to protect you.”

“Am I considering two offers, or just his?”

He cocked a brow. “Would you give thought to his?”

“Should I?” She smiled a little.

“Consider mine alone.” He spoke quickly, sincerely, surprising himself a bit.

She stared up at him. “I—will do that.” She blushed—he saw it even in shadow—and turned to scan the ground. “Where did we put the arrows we found?”

A long, rich blast of sound caught his attention. Glancing through the trees toward the castle wall, he saw a soldier highon the battlement lifting a horn. The same pattern sounded, two long blasts, one short.

“Danger? Soldiers approaching?” Margaret asked, arrows in hand now.

“That signal means a boat is coming up the loch toward Brechlinn.” He took her arm. “Hurry. Mungo, come!”

As the horn sounded again, he ran, Margaret beside him, the dog trotting ahead toward the gate.

Chapter Nineteen

“Who are they?”Margaret asked.

Duncan Campbell watched from the parapet where they stood, his arm pressed to her shoulder, his height an advantage as he leaned to look down the loch. “I have an idea who it may be now that they are closer.”