Page 45 of Highlander's Rebellious Affair
They had stayed in their chambers for the past days. He fed her, made love and spent time talking and watching the large fields outside from their chamber window, and he enjoyed every moment of it. It was a few days wrapped in a cocoon of peace… the kind of peace he wanted with Hope when all of this was over.
He was at ease with her, and he could remain this way forever. When they held hands and strolled the garden, he saw she was also happy being with him.
When they walked into the chamber, Hope saw the servant awake, and standing by the window, and she rushed inside to meet her. “Gretchen,” she called in a soft voice, and smiled.
Watching her happiness made his heart burst with joy, and he could do anything to make sure she always smiled like that. “How are ye feelin’?” she asked and he closed the door to give them some privacy.
“I am all right, My Lady, thanks to yer kindness. What about ye? How are ye feelin?”
“I am well taken care of, Gretchen,” she replied and hugged her. Ian remained where he stood, and Hope turned to him.
“This girl saved my life,” she told him.
“I cannae thank ye enough, Gretchen,” Ian said to her, and Gretchen shook her head.
She curtsied. “Ye saved my life once in the village. Ye dinnae ken who I was, but ye stopped the mob from stealin’ the little fruits I had with me, and tramplin’ on me with their horses. I am forever indebted to ye.”
Gretchen bowed again before Hope led her to the bed, and told her to sit. Ian sat on the chair in the room, facing both women, and Hope said, “Gretchen told me who her faither is, and I believe he is the man we’ve been lookin’ for, Ian.”
Hope turned to Gretchen, and she sucked in a deep breath. “My faither was a goldsmith for the late Laird, and when the Laird passed away, his brother came to find us in our cottage in the out skirts lands, and kicked us out of our home.
“My faither begged him to take me under his care instead of sendin’ me into the streets with him, and that is how he took me and made me a servant in his Castle, but I have never been to the Castle. I only serve in the cottage where he–”
Her voice trailed off, and she swallowed. “It is all right, Gretchen, ye can tell us what happens in the cottage.”
“He lets his men take any woman they want from the village and bring them up there,” she replied in a tiny voice. Ian clenched his fists on his lap as he listened to her, and his blood boiled with a renewed rage directed at his uncle.How far can he take his treachery?
“Did they hurt ye?” Hope asked in a tiny voice, her eyes gleaming with sorrow as she squeezed Gretchen’s hands.
“Once,” she replied and lowered her head.
Ian sighed when Hope’s gaze met his briefly as Gretchen said, “If they ever find me, they will kill me.”
“Dinnae worry, I will keep ye safe,” Ian promised. “But I need ye to tell me… is yer faither still alive? Do ye ken where he is?”
“I dinnae ken if he is alive, but if he is…” her voice trailed off, and she broke into tears, “I want to see him.”
“Is there a place where ye think yer faither would have sought out refuge? If he was living among the peasants in the village then I would have found him… my men have combed everywhere.”
Gretchen seemed thoughtful for a moment before she said, “My maither was from Drummond. He might have sought refuge there to avoid death.”
Ian nodded. “Can ye tell me his name?”
Gretchen nodded her reply, then said, “Peter Macgregor.”
33
Lyall flung his quaich of wine halfway across the Grand Hall, spilling its contents on the face of the guard who brought him news. “I paid those men a huge sum of money to do just one task, keep Laird Drummond’s daughter where only I can have her, and they let her get away?” he shouted.
“I am sorry, My Laird.”
The door opened, and he turned to see Callum walk in. Callum bowed, and said in a steady voice, “Ye sent for me.”
“My men lost Lady Hope, I assume ye had nothin’ to do with Ian findin’ her?”
“Ye asked me to help yer men take the Lady, and I did that. I dinnae ken where they took her from there, so how could I have helped him?”
Lyall fell silent, and he studied the man. Callum’s head remained bowed, and he couldn’t see the expression on his face, but he knew better than to trust the man completely. He was only using him because he could.
