Page 25 of The Veiled Wish of a Highland Bride

Half of the time Mia took the forefront of his mind; the other half he spent thinking about his abductors. Although Archie had put up a careless front to Lennox, he still wondered who the men were and what they wanted from him.

He knew he could conclude they were Dallas's men and be done with it, but he refused to believe that his rascal brother had grown so bold. He hoped not. He did not want to have to get entangled in a full-blown war with his brother, no matter how much he hated him.

Archibald shoved the rest of his things into his pack and saddlebag, grateful for the solitude that he was basking in.

Gallopingaway, the sun nearly completely risen, he was looking forward to getting home before the nextdaybreak.

He was not afraid of being abducted. He was confident that no one was following him when he went to see Mia, and the path was just as clear now. The Highlanders were known to be tough, and Archibald was no different. If a man tried to take him by surprise on horseback, he would easily thwart him.

He rode all day, only stopping at a brook to water his horse, spurred on by the memory of Mia leaving him by the loch.

Every road took him farther away from Murray castle. Fromher. Yet she still refused to leave his thoughts.

He had ridden hard. Just before the sunset, he could see Castle Ledoch in the distance. The knot in his chest loosened a bit at the sight of her. Home. His favorite place in the whole world.

As he reached the gates, he could see his men saluting him.

Archibald was a Laird loved by all in his clan. The carefree yet firm character with which he ruled his tenants made them feel seen and loved. And he treated them like family.

"My laird!" Lennox cheered, walking towards Archibald from the keep as the Laird dismounted his horse. "Ye made it back safely. I take it that yer journey was uneventful."

“‘Tis good to see ye, Lennox. How have ye been holding the fort while I was gone?"

"Quite braw. I dare say ye need nae have come back. Ye could have stayed to keep enjoying the bonnie Murray lasses for longer."

Archibald chortled. If Lennox noticed the apprehensive glances that Archie gave him, he said nothing.

There was quite a lot of activity in the keep on this day. Several men were tending to the surroundings before needing to head home, pushing wooden carts around, others returning from hunting. The women carried woven baskets of fruits and vegetables here and there. Archibald greeted some of his men, giving them an encouraging pat on the back as he rushed into his castle.

His home. The stone fortress that had been his family's pride for generations.

His back and worth japes with Lennox were cut short as he entered the great hall. The council was there, all six members seated around the long meeting table, wearing the clan’s colors.

“Laird Macnab,” one of them said. “I am glad ye could join us despite the lateness of the day.”

His war chief had already moved to stand near the council. He looked at Lennox for some kind of explanation, especially as to why he was not warned about this, but Lennox did nothing but stare ahead. His face was as unreadable as a blank sheet of paper.

"Good sirs," Archibald said back in greeting, bowing to the entire council.

The great hall was a large room with tall, stone pillars, but it felt much smaller than it was with the men whose air now commanded the entire room.

Archibald greeted his councilmen in order, nodding his head. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit? I do hope all is well."

"Have a seat, Laird Macnab." The head councilmember, Sir Alastair, gestured to the Laird’s seat at the head of the table.

Archibald said nothing about being permitted to sit in his own home, but his eyes narrowed.

"We have a very serious issue to discuss, and the council will need yer keen attention," Alastair said. "Our visit here is one of great importance."

Archibald clenched his jaw. He could feel them watching him, but he said nothing. Instead, he waited for them to speak and to state the purpose of their visit.

"It is a matter of the Crown, Laird Macnab."

Archibald's head snapped up at the mention of theCrown. He was furious. TheCrownhe had almost lost his life for? TheCrownwhose whereabouts no one had known for weeks now?

Alastair continued. "We have received word from our allies in the lowlands. They are harboring the one whom ye ken as Bonnie Prince Charlie."

"I ken him all right. I still hold scars for him from the very Battle of Culloden," Archibald said through gritted teeth.

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