Page 47 of Highlander Redeemed
The one person she loved above all others. The thought almost stopped her heart. She loved him. And now she realized that she had been lying to herself for a long time. She loved Duncan. He was always in her mind, by her side, encouraging, teaching ... hoping she would grow up enough to one day return his love, despite what everyone thought of her, despite her own behavior. And it was only now that she had lost his love that she realized she had loved him all her life.
She was a selfish chit.
If she had listened to him, to allow him to explain the lesson she had just learned the hard way, none of this would have happened. If she’d only trusted him she might be folded in his arms now, telling him of her feelings for him, instead of facing her family and revealing yet another failure on her part.
They should bind her to a tree.
They should banish her to a lonely life where she could bring no more harm to anyone she loved.
It was what she deserved.
It wasexactlywhat she deserved.
DUNCAN SKIDDED TOa halt as he arrived in the cave clearing just as the Guardians emerged from the path that led to their bower by the burn. Nicholas and Malcolm, along with all the lads they had been training, stood at the far end of the clearing,weapons at the ready, while the women and the weans scattered into the forest, all except Peigi, who sat in her accustomed place near the cookfire.
He looked at her with raised brows, asking without the need for words why she remained.
“I am too auld to caper off into the forest, lad,” she said, waving a wooden ladle in his direction. “If ’tis the English they will find a fight on their hands from more than you warriors and Guardians!”
Duncan laughed quietly, grateful to the old woman for reminding him that sometimes a person just had to stand one’s ground, no matter the consequences.
“If it comes to that, Peigi, I will gladly fight at your back.”
“Of course you will.” She leaned a little to the side to look behind him. “Where is your charge?”
He sighed. “I dinna ken. I fear she has gone off and caused whatever trouble is coming into the glen, and ’tis my fault for leaving her alone.”
Peigi rose to her feet and stood before him. “She is no child, Duncan.” She accentuated each word with a poke of her finger in the middle of his chest. “For all her foolish tempers, she is a woman grown, and it is she who is responsible for her actions, not you.”
He nodded and rubbed at the place on his chest, where he was certain a bruise would form. “I ken that, but still I feel responsible. I thought she had changed. I was certain of it, but she has not, and in my anger and disappointment, I left her.”
Peigi clucked her tongue against her teeth. “You canna see the lass clearly, Duncan. She has changed these last weeks, but perhaps not enough. Not yet. Do not give up on her altogether. She just might surprise you.”
“She surprised me today when I discovered she has thrown aside all I have tried to teach her and retreated back into her selfish ways.”
Peigi twitched a gnarled hand toward the far end of the clearing. “It seems she has returned.”
The clenched fist in Duncan’s gut loosened. She was alive and appeared unharmed, but Malcolm’s cousin, Hector, accompanied her.
“Go, laddie!” Peigi gave him a push. “Find out what trouble our Scotia brings with her.”
SCOTIA STOOD SILENTLYnext to Hector, facing Nicholas and Malcolm, as Hector relayed what had happened. She dared not look at Duncan as he pushed through the line of lads who still held their weapons—swords, dirks, and rocks—at the ready behind the chief and his champion. If she saw the disappointment still there in Duncan’s eyes, or worse, hatred, she would ken that she had truly lost him. She pressed her lips together and fought to keep her composure.
He stopped just behind Malcolm.
“Denis sent Conall and Angus to watch the pass this one”—Hector glared over at her—“did not tell us of, but they will need help. The archer will make it impossible for our lads to attack them in the open of the pass, and they cannot guard the pass and hunt down the soldiers all alone.”
“I ken where the other pass is,” Duncan said, his voice harsh as if he, too, fought to contain his emotions. She glanced up, unable to keep herself from looking at him, but he did not look at her. “I can follow Scotia’s trail out of it and find the soldiers faster than anyone else can.”
Malcolm and Nicholas both looked back at him. “You ken where this pass is, and that she had left by it, and you said nothing?” Nicholas almost snarled at him.
“He only learned of it today.” Scotia took a step forward to defend Duncan, then stopped when he took a step back, the reality of the loss of him, of his support, of his love, only then reallysinking in. She stepped back, squared her shoulders, and looked only at Nicholas. “’Tis my fault alone that this has happened. He tried to stop me”—she took a deep breath but did not let her gaze falter—“but I refused to listen to his good counsel.”
Scotia heard Peigi’s wheezy laugh and saw her behind the line of lads, nodding her head, her gaze locked with Scotia’s, and Scotia almost felt a push from the auld woman to keep going.
“Time is of the essence, Nicholas,” Scotia said. “The soldiers may have already found their way to the pass. I will go with Duncan. This is a mess of my making, and ’tis only right I should help clean it up.”
“Nay—” Duncan said, but Malcolm cut him off.
