Page 64 of The Lone Wolf's Bride

‘If you want me to go home then I will go home Murray but...’

‘Then it is settled,’ he said abruptly turning his horse and heading south.

‘Murray, stop, Shilllinglaw is but a short ride from here. Can we not at least stay there tonight?’

‘As you wish,’ he said.

Ilene could only follow on in misery. How easily he had dispensed with her. She wondered why he had bothered to risk his life to get her back if it was only to cast her off again, with such indifference.

So they had come full circle, with the silence hanging raw between them, just like their first journey to Shillinglaw. After all they had been through, still, they could not face their feelings, it was hopeless. Even if she did speak to him about how she felt, would he even hear her? The brutal truth was that she had killed his feelings for her the moment she had lied to him. If she now desperately wanted a man who did not want her, then she only had herself to blame.

Murray rode well ahead, squeezing his eyes tight to suppress the heartache which made him want to fling himself from his horse and grab her and beg her to stay with him. But it had to be her choice, she had to want him or it would mean nothing, and he’d not have her stay out of pity for him.

But there was still hope, which he clung to, as a drowning man does to a lifeline. He had the long journey back to Cailleach to convince her to be with him or to come to terms with handing her back to her family and riding away.

By the time they reached the village it had grown cold, as the evening crept in, and as they rode into Shillinglaw, they saw a crowd of people gathered. When they were spotted, the crowd rushed up and Duff pushed his way through to Murray, just as he dismounted.

‘Lord you are back, thank heavens.’

‘What is going on?’ Who are all these people?’

‘Word has come from Cailleach, a messenger, rode in at dawn yesterday. Damn fool lost his way and has arrived too late I fear.’

‘What was the message?’

‘Laird Campbell needs you to come, with every man you can gather, for the Grants have been gathering men and arms, and he thinks there will soon be a fight. Come at once, he says, as you pledged to do. I sent word back that you were not here.’

‘Did you tell him why’?

‘No, you told me to keep my mouth shut, so I did.’

‘Good. Have you mustered the men hereabouts?’

‘Aye, we’ve sent the word out, and men are coming, and we gathered arms, such as we have, pitchforks, axes, what swords we can lay hands on, and it’s not many I can tell you.’

‘It will have to be enough.’

‘Murray?’ He hadn’t noticed Ilene come up beside him, and her voice was fearful as she held on to his arm with both hands.

‘Duff, get all the men you can, we leave at dawn. We must not delay.’

‘Lady, lady,’ he heard Flora’s shriek of joy long before he saw her, as she ran up and took hold of Ilene in a fierce embrace. ‘I can’t believe it. ‘T’was feared you were dead, we were all sure of it, and him there, he searched and searched for you until he was fit to drop. Where have you been, what has been done to you? Aw, but you look well enough, braw in fact,’ she said, putting her palms to Ilene’s cheeks, scrutinising every inch of her face.

Murray turned to Ilene. ‘Go with Flora and get some rest for I have much to do.’

‘But I can help.’

‘You are tired and …’

‘My family is under attack and, tired or not, I will not stand by and do nothing. I am not some delicate little thing to break at the slightest touch. Tell me what is needed and it will be done.’

Murray saw no sense in arguing, and if she was busy it would take her mind off worrying. ‘By dawn, we need to have gathered weapons, provisions, horses and such like, in readiness for a long, fast journey.’

‘It will be done by dawn,’ she said, with a determination that reminded him of her father. He watched her rush off with Flora, turning his mind to arming his men with as much lethal steel as he could lay his hands on. They were his to lose or keep alive, and he was all they had to lead them. He could not let them down, or Duncan, so his attempt to salvage his marriage would have to take second place now, to staying alive.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

There was a flurry of activity in the yard as, a day and a half of hard riding later, they reached Cailleach.

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