Page 32 of When a Highlander Vows (Enemies to Lovers #1)
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F or a little while, Caitlin sat on her own, the chill of the air making her shiver, but she didn’t care. Swimming with Lucas had been exciting, thrilling, and it had made her happy too. It was like they were becoming friends of a sort, and she could see them living their lives in the same home together. It seemed their moment in the library was forgotten, but she’d been disappointed when he’d not kissed her again, this time telling her he loved her and wanted her. That he would not run away again. That he would want her to stay with him always.
Another set of footsteps made her turn her head, and she saw Lottie coming her way. Caitlin waved a bright smile on her face. She wasn’t sure how old Lottie really was. Her walk was strong and steady and her eyes were bright and energetic.
“Daenae mind me, Lass!” Lottie called before she stood right in front of her. “I daenae wish to disturb ye, but I did want to make sure ye were all right out here on yer own.” Looking up, she brushed a loose hair from her forehead.
“It will soon be dark, ye ken, and I shudder to think about ye bein’ out here on yer own when the darkness rolls in.”
Caitlin nodded and stood, reaching out for Lottie’s arm. “Thank ye, Lottie. That is kind of ye. Yer right, I lost track of the time. Will ye walk home with me?”
Fallows behind them and Lottie turned around, pointing at him.
“Here ye are supposed to protect yer mistress, and I find ye sittin’ there next to her as it grows dark, as pleased as ye can be.”
Her anger was not real, but Fallows looked the slightest bit sheepish, and Caitlin laughed.
“Och, daenae scold him so, Lottie, he was enjoyin’ the peace just as much as me.”
Lottie grinned, hesitated, and then she turned around, grasping Caitlin’s arm as they walked to the castle.
“Fine then. He will receive his usual treats I suppose.”
“Please. He has been most loyal to me.”
“As well he should. Now, what were ye thinkin’ about as ye sat on yer brother’s stone? Dae ye miss him, Lass?”
As Caitlin turned to face the older woman, she smiled fondly. She thought she was beginning to understand the true nature of grief, how it would hold her in its grasp for the rest of her days. But it did not mean she would always be unhappy. It did not mean she would pine for Seamus, so much so that each day would bring with it a new burden to bear.
“Aye. As I’m sure ye can understand, I will always miss him. I wanted to be with him today. To smell the sea, and to look out upon the thing that took him from me. To hear his voice, speak to him.”
Lottie patted her hand gently. “Ye understand it far better than me, for I’m afraid there is nay one now dead whom I miss, besides a couple of friends here and there. Nay, it is only Lucas now whose death would tear me in twain.”
Caitlin felt sorry for her new companion and the secrets she shared unknowingly about her family’s past.
“I am sorry to hear that, Lottie. But I ken that there is much love between ye and Lucas.”
“Aye, so there is. Much love.” Lottie’s eyes began to look hazy. “Even if I often think him to be a damned fool. But Caitlin, ye mustnae be angry with me or upset, but there is another reason why I came out to meet ye.”
“Och? What is it?”
Sighing, Lottie shook her head. “The blasted lad has took himself off again, and this time, he left a note.”
She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a small scrap of paper. Caitlin took it and put it close to her face so that she could read it properly.
Scrawled in a hurried hand, it read, I will return soon. Tell Caitlin I have said goodbye and willnae be gone longer than I need to be.
Caitlin read it again and again. And then, frowning, she handed the small piece of paper back to Lottie.
“I see. Well, why should I be upset with ye?” she asked, even though disappointment had created a yawning chasm in her belly.
Lucas, gone again? Again because of her? Why did he continue to run away?
Folding the scrap back into her pocket, Lottie gave her a cheeky grin. “Come now, Lass. There is nay need to hide things from me. I see it all well enough even though I am old.”
Caitlin blushed and looked down, wishing they were back in the castle, and they could busy themselves with a distracting task.
“What dae ye mean?”
“I mean that I ken exactly what is goin’ on between the two of ye, and I thought ye would be upset that Lucas is leavin’, again, seein’ how the two of ye have been carryin’ on lately.”
Caitlin blushed a fierce red, and Lottie only laughed when she looked at her surprised face.
Lucas had only just arrived home from the borders. But soon after his conversation with Archie, he left, jumping on his horse, and racing off into the late afternoon. Before he’d gone, he’d written a note to his Nan, Hoping that she wouldn’t be terribly angry, or that Caitlin would feel she’d been abandoned yet again.
Archie had tried to dissuade him, as had his manservant, but Lucas was determined. He would find a way for Caitlin to forgive him. And to prove to himself that he was not all bad. That there was still hope to remove whatever blackness his soul had been tainted with.
“What am I to say to her?” Archie had asked, exasperated, when he saw Lucas on his way out the gates again, a bundle under his arm. “Promise me that ye willnae be gone for ages, that ye will return within days.”
“I cannae make nay such promise, but I dae promise ye this: that I daenae run for fear or to keep meself from Caitlin. I hope to be back soon. It’s the only way, Archie.”
His usually merry friend stared at him in the eyes for a few seconds, as if testing his resolve. But he must have found something he approved of. For after a little while, Archie eventually stepped back and nodded.
“Fine then. Go. Dae what ye must.”
“I have left a note for Nan. She will show it to Caitlin.” He clapped Archie on the shoulder and gave him a half smile. “Ye have done well, Lad. I have listened to yer words, daenae think I have nae.”
Archie looked pleased but at the same time, concerned. “But what of safety? Those mysterious men? And the MacGregor border? There are many who may cause ye trouble along the way.”
“Aye, but I have met many a trouble in me time. I daenae fear for me safety, and I have a noble mission to complete.” He turned away then and he left out the gates calling for aid for someone to get his horse from the stables.
Searbas did not seem pleased when they started riding. And especially not when the sun slipped behind the hills on the horizon. There was a slight chill in the air, and Lucas felt it might have been an ominous beginning, but as he’d told Archie, it was a noble mission he was about to complete.
When darkness fell in full. He stopped at the first lit village he passed and stopping quietly, he tied Searbas’ reins to a wooden post outside the tavern and walked inside, still cloaked.
Thank God it dinnae rain this eve.
Despite his noble mission, he would have been greatly disappointed to feel the cold icy droplets of rain on his skin again after having only just returned from the stormy borders. He called for ale and food, and he tried to find a seat as close to the warm fire as possible. He kept his hood up, heeding the warning Archie had given him.
He had neither the energy nor the inclination to fight against whatever mysterious men one might find in the darkened hills at night. Especially not when his mind was so full of something and someone else.
As he drank and ate, he thought of Caitlin, and the way she’d look at him when he’d return with her gift. Soon after Caitlin’s arrival, he’d overheard his grandmother speaking to Paige about Caitlin’s eyesight. He’d been intrigued enough at the time to stand nearby and eavesdrop as they’d discussed it.
“Is there any hope? As ye can see, she is able to find her way well enough. She is nae completely blind. And when she gets close, she is able to see very clearly. What dae ye think can be done for the lass?” his Nan had asked, and Lucas had been touched by her kindness.
She’d hardly known the lass but for a few days, and there she was, trying to solve her greatest problem.
“Nay, she is nae blind, but I worry that the condition will worsen,” Paige had responded. “However, if the disease began years ago as she claims, then the worst would have happened already. So, I think it is possible there might be a remedy.”
“Some herbs? A tincture?” his Nan had asked.
“Nay. Something a little more constant and physical. I have heard stories of people who make a sort of glass one can wear on the eyes. Ye tie it around yer ears or yer head, and it is somehow able to make ye see more clearly.”
“Och, how extraordinary!” his Nan had exclaimed.
He’d left thinking the same thing, as well as thinking that it was a ridiculous idea and not in the least possible. Therefore, he thought little more about it. But after Caitlin had accused him of hurting her unknowingly, he thought he could give it a try. It was a chance to make it all up to her. To make her see that even though his past was dark and fraught with problems, he could still do the right thing. He could still be the man that she deserved.
And if Paige had been able to learn about this special glass one wears near the eyes. Then surely, he could as well, using his influence as a laird as well as his ability to ride far and fast and his knowledge of the villages surrounding his castle. He had no distinct plan as yet, but as of then, he was hoping to speak to the healer in every village he passed, wondering if they’d heard of this special tool and could point him in the right direction.
After he ate and drank, he dropped a few coins into the landlord’s hand, and the man had Searbas taken to the stables and provided Lucas with his best room. He found he was utterly exhausted and spent, and without undressing, he simply laid down on the bed and fell right asleep.