Page 3 of Scot of Desire
“I won?” she said in disbelief.
“Aye, ye did.” He reached up toward her. Uncertainly, shifting her feet against the trunk, she placed her hands on his shoulders and allowed him to lift her down onto the ground.
“Why did ye dae it, Bran?” she asked, her hand moving to his as he led her out from behind the tree. “Ye will get in trouble now. If they catch ye stealing from the kitchens…”
“Nay, they willnae tell me off too badly. Besides, I didnae want tae see ye in trouble again,” he whispered to her. “Ye’d had enough of shouting fer one day, hadnae ye?”
She nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears that she now blinked away.
“Thank ye,” she whispered, still not pulling her hand out of his.
Bran smiled and led her across the lawn toward where the others sat. Catreena was now poking Alec in the side to make fun of his inability to run far, and Tad guffawed loudly at Alec’s look of outrage. Strangely, Bran had no wish to join in the laughter. He sat on the edge of the group, with Ilyssa sitting down at his side. She pulled on the edge of his shirt now, trying to get his attention again.
“We’ll be friends forever, will we nae?” she asked suddenly, her voice tense.
Something in Bran’s chest ached again. He had no idea what it meant. He couldn’t understand either why Ilyssa staring up at him in this way mattered to him, but it did. It all mattered, very much indeed.
“Aye, forever and beyond,” he whispered, a little dramatically, though he knew he wouldn’t take back the words when he saw her smile.
“I ken!” Evander suddenly cried, jumping to his feet amongst the others. “I ken what game we’ll play next. A race. Last one to the loch has tae help Bran steal from the kitchen.”
Everyone was on their feet and hurrying to the loch. Evander and Dunn each tried to throw one another down. Evander won this time, only to be tripped up by Dunn putting out his foot at the right moment. Alec streaked ahead with his long legs, and Catreena complained loudly she was too short to possibly win this game. Tad loped around her with ease, teasing her that he could run so much faster than her, much to her annoyance, for she shouted back at him.
In the midst of it all, Bran was up, dragging Ilyssa behind him to make sure she didn’t fall behind. She giggled lightly, with her hand clasped tightly in his own.
Have nay fear, Ilyssa.He glanced back at the way their palms were tightly pressed together.I have nay intention of letting go.
CHAPTER ONE
Clan Mackintosh, Highlands, March 1698
“Ilyssa, I need more time.”
Ilyssa did her best to keep her temper in check. Her heart was pounding so much, she could hear it echoing in her ears. Her breathing was wild, her nostrils practically flaring in anger.
She glowered at her brother, Tad, the one pleading with her. His long dark hair, tangling around his ears and the gray eyes, dark as a stormy cloud, hid his thoughts very well.
Nay, it isnae something I can dae.
“Time? Time?!” she spluttered, losing her temper completely now.
“Patience then,” Tad said, waving a hand toward her. “Be patient and trust me. I will get ye out of this.”
“Aye, aye, because that has gone well so far, hasnae it?” She turned and marched away from him, up and down the study they found themselves in that evening.
She and her brother were staying at Mackintosh castle, as they often did. But where once they had played as children in the grounds, these days they seemed to gather together only to discuss things that were infinitely more serious. As she paced up and down restlessly, she looked toward the Mackintosh family on the far side of the room.
Laird Alec sat behind a vast desk, his face grave and his hands steepled together. His left hand bore his wedding ring, just about the only thing in the room that glimmered in the candlelight between them all on this dark night. Sat on the desk beside him was Evander, the broadest of all the Mackintosh brothers, and the one who carried the most weapons at his hips. He also bore numerous tattoos on his body, a black mark for each man that he had killed in his life. He was their war leader, and one glance explained why. Stood off to the side of the desk was Catreena, Ilyssa’s dearest friend. Catreena was nearly as restless as Ilyssa, buffeting her white, blonde hair every few minutes and fidgeting her hands together.
“There must be a way out of this,” Ilyssa muttered, somehow hoping that someone in the room would find a way.
Alec and Evander exchanged uncertain looks. Catreena whimpered.
“I will find a way,” Tad said with sudden depth and gravity. “Ilyssa, trust me. I willnae hand ye tae that man.”
She looked around for another face she knew should be here. There were two of the Mackintosh brothers missing from this room, Dunn and Bran. Dunn was on a scouting trip to a distant clan, but Bran…
“Where’s Bran?” Ilyssa asked, looking around haphazardly.
