Highland Challenge (Highland Generations Book 1) Read online

  A knot of trepidation twisted Andrew’s stomach. The thought of Kayden showing up at the castle and causing trouble was a real possibility. He prayed the day would never come when Elise got to meet him face-to-face. “There is no need for you to fash about Kayden.” He lied, but saw no point in causing Elise any worry. “But promise me you willna leave the castle unescorted. Na for any reason.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Determined to keep the discourse between her and Andrew from becoming the latest gossip bandied about the keep, Mareal managed to remain calm and in control as she left the great hall, but the minute she stepped into the corridor, she raced up the stairs and back to her chamber as fast as her legs could carry her. While she thought she could face anything life decided to throw her way, encountering Andrew in the great hall this morning, and holding her tongue was far more difficult than she imagined. She had so much she wanted to say to him, but in front of her entire clan was not the proper time or place to bare her soul.

  Frustrated and confused by her conflicting feelings about Andrew and his ability to affect her on so many levels, she wrapped her arms around herself and released a heavy sigh. When she learned he had followed her back to her chamber after the evening meal, then to the parapets, she was furious. She resented his inability to give her the time and space she needed to privately grieve in her own way, and his determination to control or second-guess her every move. The unexpected kiss caught her off guard, and instead of scurrying off like a frightened rabbit, she should have responded with a well-deserved slap across his face. Yet in hindsight, and if truth be known, she wished she’d stayed to see what fate might have in store for them, and if he’d kiss her again.

  She couldn’t deny the growing attraction she felt toward Andrew on a physical level. Given the overwhelming desire and flood of emotions she experienced when he held her in his arms, she wondered if any other man could compare. He awakened an array of feeling she had never known, and for a moment, she honestly believed he cared for her in the same way. She wished he would welcome the idea of staying on as laird permanently, and of becoming her husband. But after he apologized for taking liberties, called the kiss a mistake he would not repeat, he vowed to resume the search for her husband. He promised her father on his deathbed to see it done, and he was not the sort to go back on his word.

  More unsettled than ever, Mareal desperately needed to get away, leave the confines of the castle for a while, and gather her thoughts, but she knew getting Andrew to understand and to let her go alone would be impossible. After their run in with Kayden, she’d promised him she would not leave the castle without an escort, but she feared if he learned of her intent, he would insist on going with her. She appreciated his concern for her safety, but still found having to ask his permission distasteful, and talking to him right now was not something she was ready to do.

  As the chamber walls continued to feel like they were closing in around her, Mareal convinced herself she would go mad if she remained there much longer. There were also the crofters outside the curtain walls who depended on her healing skills to consider. It had been four days since her father died and she’d left the castle. Not only did she need a break from her thoughts, but she wanted to visit Hellen MacKay and her babe. While she was at it, she figured she could ride by and check on Tiran’s leg.

  Upon giving it some more consideration, she decided her need to get out of the castle and to visit those she was caring for outweighed the threat Kayden posed. Her father’s holdings were so vast, she concluded the first encounter she had with her cousin was purely a random event, not likely planned. Now her father’s funeral had taken place, there was nothing stopping Andrew from moving ahead with his plans to find her a husband. She was aware her da asked several of the men who attended the internment to enter the tournament Andrew was planning, and she did not fancy remaining in the keep as prospective husbands milled about, eyeing her up like a prized brood mare.

  She changed into her riding attire, braided her hair, and gathered her healing supplies before heading down to the main floor of the castle. She hoped to avoid running into Andrew, but she would not defy him either. She planned to find Seamus and ask him to accompany her. As she rounded the corner, she bumped into Elise, and almost knocked her off her feet.

  “Och, I am so sorry.” Mareal grasped Elise by the arm and steadied her. “I dinna see you.”

  “I was just coming to seek you out,” Elise said smiling. “Where are you headed in such a hurry?”

  “I wish to check on some of the villagers I was caring for before my father died.”

  “My mother is a healer too.” Elise said. “I envy anyone who has the skill to care for the ill, but sadly, I dinna take after my mam in that way. She also has the gift of second sight. I dinna inherit that trait either.”

  “Would you like to come with me?” Mareal figured Elise might enjoy the fresh air and a chance to get out of the castle for a while.

  “I hope you are na going alone after Andrew forbade it?” Elise cautioned.

  “Nay. I was about to find Seamus and ask him to accompany me. If you want to come along, I will go and find him while you change into something more suitable for riding.”

  “I would love to go with you. Once I have changed, I will let Andrew know,” Elise said.

  “Nay. That willna be necessary,” Mareal snapped, then quickly softened her tone. “I promised Andrew I would na leave the castle without protection, and am honoring his wishes. But it doesna mean I must ask his permission to go. I see no point in bothering him with such things.” Since they were taking one of her father’s most trusted warriors along, she saw no need to inform Andrew. She also feared Andrew might forbid Elise to go.

  After taking a minute to ponder Mareal’s remark, Elise nodded. “You are right. Andrew is busy with other important duties and we are taking Seamus for protection.” She headed toward the stairs.

  “I am glad you decided to come with me. It will give us lots of time to get better acquainted. Go and change while I find Seamus.” Mareal turned on her heel and trotted down the hall in search of the man.

  ****

  “Where in damnation have you two been? The last I saw either of you was at the morning meal and it is now almost dark. I have been beside myself with worry.” Andrew stood on the castle steps with his arms crossed over his chest. He shifted his eyes from one lass to the other, then fixed his stare on Mareal. “I told you not to leave the castle without informing me first. And to make things worse, you took Elise along,” he shouted, despite the relief he felt that both ladies were alive and well when he had feared the worst.

  Andrew spent the morning planning the tournament and after the cool response he got from Mareal at the morning meal, he’d decided to give her some breathing room and time to calm down. But when neither his cousin nor charge showed up for the noon meal, he began to wonder what they might be up to, and if he’d made a mistake by trusting her. A quick search of the castle and a brief discussion with the stable lad, confirmed his suspicions. Mareal had left the castle on horseback, without telling him of her intent. But worse, she had taken Elise along.

  His immediate thought was to go looking for them, but no one seemed to have any idea where they went, and he might never have found them. He did however send out a search party to look for them, but they had yet to return.

  “After everything that has happened, I canna believe you defied me again, Mareal.” The heat of anger rose in his face and he felt as if the veins bulging at his temples might burst.

  Mareal nudged her mount forward. “Calm yourself, Andrew, we did no such thing. I promised na to leave the keep without an escort, and we—”

  “What is all the palaver about?” Seamus rounded the corner before Mareal could finish, then dismounted. He helped Elise out of the saddle, while Mareal climbed down on her own.

  “What’s all the palaver? What in the hell did you think you were doing, man?”

  Seamus looked puzzled. �
��I have no idea what you are havering about.”

  “You took my cousin and Mareal out on a jaunt and dinna inform me first. That is what all the fuss is about.” Furious, Andrew could hardly speak.

  “You lied to me, lass. You told me Andrew gave you permission to leave the castle.” The glower of anger Seamus shot Mareal spoke volumes.

  “We dinna lie. . . na really,” Mareal stammered. “Andrew dinna tell me I couldna leave the stronghold, only that I could na leave without an escort, and we took you.”

  Seamus fisted his hands at his sides, his mouth drawn in an angry scowl. “You are walking a fine line between the truth and deception.” He looked up at Andrew. “If aware you dinna know, I would never have taken them.”

  Elise cast a wary glance at Mareal, then peered up at Andrew. “I am sorry if we caused you any grief. We knew how busy you were and since Seamus was going with us, we dinna think we needed to ask. I left a note, but I guess you dinna see it.”

  “Nay, you dinna think,” Andrew growled. “And I dinna find any note.” He glared at Mareal. “You had no right to take my cousin out of the castle without me, or my expressed permission. What have you to say for yourself?”

  Mareal returned his glower with one of her own. “I say we are both grown women and dinna need a nursemaid,” she spat. “I say there are more important things for me to do than sitting around like a princess waiting for you to choose me a husband I dinna want.” She sucked in a quick breath, then continued. “I am a healer and have people in the village and surrounding area that rely on me. You have been so busy trying to act like a laird that you must have forgotten there is more to the chieftain’s duties than planning feasts and useless displays of male brute strength.”

  Andrew stiffened. He could not believe she was turning this around and making it look like he was to blame for her folly. With fists balled and about to lose his temper, he took a menacing step in Mareal’s direction. “I am aware of my duties, and one of them is seeing you and Elise are safe.”

  “No harm came to either lass. I made certain of it.” Seamus stepped in front of the women. “Lady Mareal is right. When her da died, he left you in charge of his affairs. But trying to take the burdens of the entire world onto your shoulders is impossible. You must trust those around you to help with less important tasks. If you are angry with anyone, take it out on me, na them.”

  “My cousin is a frail woman who doesna know the area,” Andrew hissed. “I am responsible for her, and if anything happened to Elise, my father and uncle would never forgive me. That is if I could forgive myself for allowing it to happen.”

  “I thought you understood what my life has been like since the accident at the bog. But you are worse than my parents, Andrew. Why won’t people let me live a normal life?” Elise asked.

  The flush of embarrassment tinting his cousin’s pale cheeks, and the forlorn expression contorting her features, made Andrew wish he could take his words back. He knew her parents’ overprotectiveness made her feel like a bird in a cage, and she needed to spread her wings. But not while on his watch.

  “Hear my words and dinna mistake their meaning. As of this moment, neither of you is to leave the castle for any reason,” Andrew declared. “It is time for the evening meal. Go inside and freshen up, then meet me in the great hall. We will discuss this later.” He dismissed them, then scowled at Seamus. “You and I on the other hand, will deal with this now.”

  He needed a chance to gather his thoughts and to choose his words wisely when next he spoke to the ladies. He wanted to nip this in the bud and keep it from happening again, but neither lass seemed to understand the severity of their actions and possible consequences. He knew if he riled them, they would only become more obstinate, so figured he had better tread lightly. But Seamus was a different story. If he hoped to gain the respect of the MacCurtry men while he was acting laird, they all needed to heed his instructions and ask permission when it came to anything involving Mareal or his cousin. He’d be sure and make it clear to all the men, including his old friend.

  The thought of them running into Kayden made him shudder, and he was thankful they’d managed to avoid him. While he did not want to upset Elise or treat her unjustly, he wanted to be sure she would not leave the castle again without his permission. As for Mareal, he’d learned from experience that she was not a woman who took things lightly when she felt cornered. There was enough tension between them, and he hoped to avoid any more if he could help it.

  Once the ladies were inside the keep, he inhaled deeply before confronting Seamus. He hated the idea that one of his first acts as laird would be to reprimand his friend, a man he held in high regard.

  “I know the ladies can be persuasive, and most likely convinced you they had my permission. But one lone man isna enough. It isna safe for them to be out of the castle without enough warriors to protect them should the need arise. I—” He stopped speaking when he saw a rider that he did not recognize enter the bailey with a destrier belonging to one of the men from the overdue search party. “Do you know him, Seamus?”

  After cupping his hand over his eyes and straining to get a better view, he shook his head. “Nay, I have na seen him afore now. But I have seen that horse.”

  “So have I.” Fearing the worst, Andrew ran down the steps, then waved his arms in the air. “Halt. What are you doing here, and where did you get that horse?”

  The man reined in his mount and leapt from the saddle. “Forgive the intrusion, m’lord, but I thought you might like to know, I found the beast wandering free near the forest.” He led the animal forward and pointed at the saddle. “I noticed the blood when I approached him.”

  After examining the crimson stain, Andrew asked. “Was there no sign of his rider? I sent out a party of five men to look for my cousin and the lady of the keep, but they have yet to return.”

  The man hung his head. “After I captured the horse, I searched the area and found a dead warrior at the edge of the forest with his throat cut. I assumed it was the horse’s owner and thought mayhap thieves attacked him. Since I was alone and dinna wish the same fate, I left him where he lay and came to inform you of my findings.”

  Andrew could not blame the man for ending his search when he found the dead warrior, and he was grateful he came to tell them what happened. He faced Seamus. “I dinna think he was attacked by thieves. Rally a garrison of men and we will head out to the woods and search for the others. I pray they dinna meet the same fate as their friend, but have a feeling, Kayden is ready to make his move, and may be responsible.” He handed the man a piece of silver. “Thank you for returning the horse, but I would appreciate it if you dinna tell anyone what you found.”

  The man closed his fist around the coin. “You have my word.”

  “If the men were ambushed in the forest, they could be on Lord Billingsworth’s land, in which case, he could claim they were trespassing and there was just cause for the attack,” Seamus pointed out.

  “On the border between the two estates is where Kayden attacked Mareal, so he may try to hide behind Billingsworth. But mark my word, if he is responsible, he will pay,” Andrew proclaimed. “Rally the men.”

  After Seamus dashed off, Andrew glanced over his shoulder at the castle. He was furious about the loss of a good warrior, but at the same time, he was both happy and relieved to know his cousin and Mareal were safe, and waiting for him in the great hall. But he needed to find out what happened to the rest of his men, and prayed they were still alive. Lecturing the lasses on the dangers of disobeying his orders would have to wait.

  Chapter Thirteen

  When she heard men talking in the hallway outside the great hall, Mareal leaned in close to Elise and lowered her voice to a whisper. “I think Andrew is coming. Are you ready to face his ire?” She squared her shoulders, her gaze locked on the doorway. She detested the idea of confinement to the castle as a reprimand for doing what she felt was in the best interest of her clan, but she’d had a bit of time to
think. As hard as it was to admit, Andrew was right when he scolded her for taking Elise away from the keep without telling him where they were going, even if they did take Seamus along. She did not plan to do it again, and if Andrew had allowed her to get a word in during his tirade, she would have told him so.

  “Andrew is like my Uncle Connor in many ways,” Elise said. “My guess is he will pretend as if everything is right as rain during the meal and wait until he gets us alone to tear a strip from our hides. I canna say I blame him. We were gone a long time and caused him to worry.”

  “I’m afraid I must agree to some extent.” Mareal exhaled a ragged breath. “We should have asked his permission, but hindsight willna change what has already transpired. However, we did take Seamus along for protection, so his anger is not totally justified.” She was grappling for excuses and hoped Elise was right and he would wait until the meal was over and chastise them privately. But she recalled the rage in his voice when they returned, and a niggling in her gut told her, he was too upset to put it off. “He is a stubborn man and takes his promise to my da and his duty as acting laird to the extreme. I willna be sorry to see him go home to Fraser Castle where he belongs.”

  “The tension between you and Andrew is so thick you could cut it with a dagger. But I dinna believe it is merely because you are both so hard-headed.” A smirk teased Elise’s lips. “Mayhap you protest too much. As does Andrew.”

  “What are you saying?” Taken aback by Elise’s implications, Mareal quickly countered. “If you ask me, Andrew Fraser is the most self-centered, irritating man I have ever met. We dinna get along as bairns, so what makes you think we would now?” This wasn’t the first time Elise tried to get her to admit her affection for Andrew. She had not confided in her on this matter and had hidden her feelings well. Or so she thought.