Page 14 of Her Highland Prophecy
He would have to bring her to the Castle under the Clan’s protection. Once she was safe, they could take the time and figure out what to do.
Her tears were slowing as they sat there. Once she was mostly calm, he stood and pulled her up with him.
“Come on, lass. We need to go to me Clan.”
She frowned at his words and he looked at her in confusion.
“Why should I go anywhere with you?” she asked in a belligerent tone. “I need to get back to my sister.” The hostility in her voice raised his hackles.
“Where else would ye go? Ye told me yerself that yer sister was waiting for ye at the fair. Look around ye. There. Is. Nay. Fair. Ye cannae stay here alone.”
It was perhaps unnecessarily cruel, but she was being unreasonable. What was she going to do here all alone when it was obvious that she had no way to defend herself?
“And you think I would be safer with you? I only met you today!”
It was as if she had forgotten their run-in with the bandits. He felt he should remind her of what was at stake.
“How quickly ye forget that I have already saved yer life once. Ye ken well enough that I willnae bring ye to harm.”
Diana grimaced but seemed to calm at his words. Her breathing calmed, and a moment later, she looked down meekly, nodding.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I have done an awful job of thanking you since you found me this morning,” she said in a low voice.
“Ye don’t have to thank me. It was the right thing to do.”
“Still, it was rather ungrateful of me to attack you. It was not even your fault, honestly. I was just shocked when I saw the village.”
“Dinna fash, lass. It is nay bother. Now, will ye come with me to me Clan? We will protect ye.”
“I would like that.”
She smiled at him, their previous argument forgotten.
“We should go,” he said, looking at the sun. “The Castle is a two-day ride on horseback, and I want to get as far away as we can before the sun goes down.”
She nodded and climbed back onto Taranis, pushing forward in the saddle as he got on behind her.
It was only the third time she had been on his horse with him, but he found he actually enjoyed the sensation of her nestled against him as the horse moved. When she had fallen asleep on their way to Ballachulish, he held the reins loosely, scarcely daring to breathe lest he wake her from her slumber.
“Will you tell me about your clan?” she asked when they had been moving for a while.
“What do ye want to ken about it?”
“Anything. Where is your home located?” she asked.
“I live in Sutherford Castle, two days north of here with the rest of me family. Me Faither is the Laird of the Clan and me Mither his Lady. She is visiting her sister so she isnae in the Castle at the moment. I have three sisters: Eleanor, who is already married and the wee ones, Mabel and Joan. They are twins and just celebrated their four-and-tenth summer.”
Diana didn’t move from where she sat in front of him on the horse. He waited a moment for her to say something, but when she remained silent. He wasn’t sure if she was still listening, but he thought that she was a little calmer when he spoke, so he continued.
“Me father is a much-beloved Laird by our people, but I’m afraid that we willnae be able to keep control of the Clan for much longer. Our coffers are less full with every year that passes and he refuses to collect the rents as he should.”
He scoffed, remembering the many arguments he and his father had had in the last few years over that point.
“Now he has decided that I will have to marry into a wealthy family as the only way for us to keep control of the Lairdship.”
He shuddered in disgust at the memory of the awful Mary McKinnon.
“The lass they want me to wed is the most horrible shrew if you will pardon me. We have kent each other since we were bairns, but she is the most cruel, unfeeling person. Marrying her will be torture, but I must do it unless I find another way. For the honor of our Clan.”
