Chapter 2 #2
Hamish tightened his arms around her, forcing a squeak from her throat. “I’m sorry lass,” he loosened his hold.
“Thank you, Donal. I appreciate your concern, but I’m quite comfortable here with Hamish and I don’t think Aylwen has a rough gait.”
“Are ye sure?” he asked.
Elle nodded and smiled warmly at Donal.
“If ye change yer mind, I’ll be up ahead.” He nodded at Hamish and trotted on ahead.
“What’s the deal with you two?”
“Lass, I dinnae ken what ye speak of.”
“I feel like he’s having fun at your expense.”
“I dinnae wish to speak ill of the lad, but ye’d do well to stay as far away from him as ye can.”
“Whatever for?” This was getting good.
“Yer virtue may be compromised,” he said, sounding as serious as could be.
“I can handle myself,” Elle assured him. And I bet I could handle you.
“’Tis only a warning. Heed it if ye wish.”
She hoped she hadn’t offended him. That hadn’t been her intention.
As they rode along in silence, Elle began to realize that she couldn’t fight or deny this any longer.
She wasn’t in San Francisco. She wasn’t even in the United States.
She was in Scotland and she had no idea how she’d gotten here.
She decided to calmly accept whatever was happening and hoped that where ever they were headed, she’d get the answers she sought.
It was nice to have a break from all the noise in her life. Enjoying the scenery they passed, Elle began to hum a tune.
“What’s that yer humming, lass?” Hamish asked.
“It’s just a tune that popped into my head. Music is my life back home. I love it,” she explained.
Hamish opened his mouth to speak, but then seemed to think better of it. Shaking his head, his gaze focused on something up ahead of them.
***
Donal was headed back their way again with his nonsense. Hamish was about ready to pummel him and he probably would if he bothered Elle again. But as he approached, there was no sign of his joking manner.
“Hamish, Laird Munro and his men are lurking up ahead.”
“How many?”
“Ten. The same men who were at Breaghacraig.”
His instinct told him he should get Elle back to the castle as quickly as possible, without engaging with Munro, but his duty told him he needed to find out why he was still so close to Breaghacraig.
“Donal, as much as it pains me, take Elle. She’ll be safe with ye.”
“What’s going on?” Elle asked, sounding nervous.
“Nothing to concern yerself with,” Hamish assured her.
“It doesn’t seem like nothing.”
“Donal,” Hamish motioned to his friend to take Elle.
Donal moved his horse into position and reached his hands out to Elle, beckoning her to come to him.
She placed her arms around his neck and Hamish steadied her with his hands on either side of her waist as they transferred her form one horse to the other.
He noted that Elle looked quite worried, but he couldn’t shirk his duty to the MacKenzies. Donal would keep her safe.
“Ride behind us and if there’s any trouble, get her to Breaghacraig.”
Munro and his men were seated at a campsite when they approached. He stood and walked towards them. His men came up behind brandishing their swords. Hamish heard Elle gasp at the sight of them.
“Laird Munro,” said Hamish. “We thought ye’d be back at yer own castle by now.”
“Our horses were in need of an extended rest. We’ll be on our way soon,” Munro assured him.
“How soon?”
“Soon enough. No need for ye to be concerned. I promised Laird MacKenzie I’d be gone and I will be.”
Hamish quickly glanced back to be sure Elle was well hidden behind his men.
He could barely see her whispering with Donal and he felt an unfamiliar sting of jealousy.
His friend was enjoying Elle’s company while he was busy with Munro who, as luck would have it, hadn’t seemed to notice her. He was grateful for that.
“The Laird willnae be happy to hear that ye’ve lingered,” Hamish said and then stopped abruptly as he noticed Donal had moved his horse closer, exposing himself and Elle to Laird Munro and his men.
He cleared his throat and tried to speak, but Hamish held up a hand to stop him.
This was an incredibly tense meeting. The men on both sides had their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to fight.
The least little thing would set them to battle.
“Excuse me,” Elle raised her voice and Laird Munro spun to look at her. “You should probably know that the girl … I mean lass you were looking for isn’t here anymore.”
Hamish’s head whipped around, his eyes filled with ire, but not at her, at Donal. Every head had now turned in her direction.
“Lass …” Donal said.
Hamish shook his head, Why did she speak?
“Who is this?” Laird Munro asked.
“No one ye need concern yerself with,” Hamish replied.
“They seem to know something about Brenna that ye havenae told me.”
“Aye, but she only kens it because Donal, here, told her.” Again his fiery gaze landed on Donal, who defiantly sat up taller in his saddle.
“’Tis a lass then?” Laird Munro asked, eyeing Elle from head to toe, a mixture of amusement and disbelief on his face. He inched closer for a better look, but Hamish moved his horse in the way.
“’Tis nae concern to ye,” Hamish said, his voice dripping with contempt.
“I’d like a better look at this wee lass who thinks she’s a lad,” Munro insisted.
“As ye now ken, ye’ve nae need to continue on MacKenzie lands. Brenna is gone. She left with her new husband.”
“And where did they go?” Munro turned his attention back to Hamish.
“Somewhere ye’ll never find them.”
“I wouldnae be so sure. I’ve a score to settle and I’ll do whatever is necessary to exact me revenge.”
Hamish wished he could go back in time …
before Elle spoke and before Munro had seen her.
She’d now made this confrontation even more tense than it had been before she spoke.
Worst of all, Laird Munro was now fully aware of her presence and he seemed to have her in his sights.
Hamish was so angry he could spit. What was Donal thinking?
He should have stayed behind the others and kept Elle out of sight and under control.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have the luxury of reprimanding him at this moment.
He had to find a way to get them all out of this situation in one piece.
He didn’t like the way Munro was eyeing Elle.
He knew from the recent past that he’d have no problem stealing her away right from under Hamish’s nose if he thought it would help him find out where Brenna was.
“None of us know where Brenna is. All we know is they’ve gone.”
“To San Francisco’s lands?”
“San Francisco!” Elle exclaimed as she practically leapt from Donal’s arms.
“Aye. Do ye ken this Laird San Francisco, lass?” Munro asked.
Hamish gazed up at the heavens and closed his eyes. When he looked back at Elle, she seemed to know she’d made another blunder.
“Laird San Francisco?” she asked, sounding unsure of herself.
“Aye. Do ye ken him?”
“No. I’m from San Francisco, but I don’t know any Laird San Francisco.”
“But ye ken how to get there?”
“She doesnae. She’s lost,” Hamish interrupted.
“Is this true?” Munro asked, aiming his question at Elle.
“She’ll nae answer anymore of yer questions.
Now, I must insist that ye be on yer way.
We are returning to Breaghacraig. When Laird MacKenzie finds that yer still on his lands he’ll send more men out to see that ye leave and they may be more forceful with ye.
” There. He hoped that would do the trick.
He wasn’t very good at this kind of thing.
He’d only recently become a captain and this is the first encounter he’d had to handle on his own.
He didn’t want to risk a fight, especially not when Elle was with them. It was his duty to protect her.
“We’ll be on our way, but rest assured this willnae be the end.
What’s yer name, lass?” Munro asked, again staring directly at Elle.
This time she glanced at Hamish, who shook his head.
Munro turned his attention back to Hamish.
“I’ll be back and I’ll ken her name.” He signaled to his men and they rode off towards the border of MacKenzie lands.
Hamish watched them disappear from sight before turning his anger on Donal. “Of all the daft things ye could have done, why on earth did ye let her speak? What were ye thinking, man?”
Elle came to his rescue, answering before he could speak. “Don’t blame Donal, he’s not responsible for what I do or say. I spoke up because I thought I could help and I don’t need permission from him or anyone else when I want to speak.” Her eyes met his and never wavered.
“Ye put us all in danger, but ye put yerself in more. Ye dinnae ken who that man is or what he is capable of. He’s set his sights on ye now and we’ll all be putting our lives in danger to keep ye from harm,” he barked.
“Me? What could he possibly want from me?”
“He wants Brenna and he thinks she’s in San Francisco. He’d use you to find her.”
“But I don’t know where she is!”
“Ye dinnae need to. All he wants is for ye to take him to San Francisco.”
“She didnae ken it,” Donal said, defending her. He pulled her in closer. “I’ll protect her. There’s nae need for ye to worry about it.”
“Thank you, Donal,” Elle said, her voice softening. “I’m sorry, Hamish. If I’d known, I would never have spoken.”
Hamish, still fuming, acknowledged her words with a nod of his head and then he signaled his men to get back on the road to Breaghacraig.