Highland Escape (22 page)

He shook his head. “What am I to do with ye, Anna Braxton?” A corner of his lips quirked upward in question.

Her eyes sparkled with invitation. “Kiss me, I hope, sir knight.”

* * *

The next morning, Anna rose and descended the stairs to the hall to eat, meeting Liam, Donnan, and Rory along the way. The rest of their group followed shortly after. Bowls of oat porridge with fresh fruit, cream, and honey awaited. She saved a bit of cream for Trean
,
who
bedded down in the stall with Orion
.

“The laird wishes to see us off this morn,” Duncan announced.

They lingered in the hall while the wagons were readied. Duncan caught Anna’s hand, leaning into her so no one else could hear.

“Da wanted me to wait and assess the Graham laird’s reaction to ye before proceeding. He has written a missive to yer grandda, briefly explaining where ye are.”

All the air left Anna’s body, and her stomach clenched as though she’d been punched. Fear clouded the edges of her vision as she gave Duncan an apprehensive look.

“He left it in my hands, but said not to carry on without yer consent. The message is coded so if read by anyone else, they willnae understand it. We think yer family should know ye are alive and well. Do ye agree?”

She couldn’t find her voice so she nodded, her eyes wide. Putting his arm around her comfortingly, he gave her a tender smile.

“It seems everywhere ye go, ye inspire strong feelings. The Grahams are amused by the way ye handled Angus. The laird feels a debt to ye for yer care of his commander and people. I have nae doubt we can trust him to deliver our message with the strictest confidence as thanks for yer services.”

Anna fought to push back her distress, moisture welling in her eyes. “I—I trust your judgment, Duncan. I would like nothing more than to allay the sorrows of my remaining family.”

Placing a kiss on her forehead, he gave her shoulders another squeeze.

The Graham appeared with a dark-haired young man at his side. He introduced him as his son Blaine, of one-and-twenty years. His merry eyes matched the color of his short, dark brown hair, his smile quick and infectious. The laird turned the discussion to a possible marriage between his son and Nessa. Her sense of protectiveness instantly aroused, Anna assessed the young man. He seemed bright and respectful to both Duncan and his father. His eyes met hers more than once, no doubt having heard the news of her encounter with Angus. He smiled when their eyes met, though she merely nodded in acknowledgement. Anna knew Nessa would pester her with questions, so she wanted to see the things Duncan would not think to notice.

Nessa, he is broad of shoulder, has a strong jaw, and stands as tall as Duncan. He is a youth, but moves with confidence and strength. I see kindness in his eyes, and when he speaks, he is thoughtful and gives sound answers. He looks to be a good man. Mayhap good enough for you.

Blaine pulled her into the conversation. “Ye must be the lass I have heard so much of since last night.” He bowed politely.

Duncan nodded. “Aye. This is Anna of clan MacGregor, my sister’s
Curaidh
, her champion.”

Blaine’s eyebrows rose at the title, his smile growing wider. Duncan quickly explained her relationship with the clan and with Nessa.

To his credit, Blaine responded, “I look forward to the opportunity to earn yer respect in the future, milady.”

She smiled, hearing both the sincerity and playfulness in his tone. “As do I, Sir Blaine.”

Blaine took his leave, clasping Duncan’s arm and bowing to her with a smile. Duncan took the opportunity to pull the laird aside and ask about a rider for the missive. As he explained the details, the laird’s face grew hard, then softened into understanding. The laird motioned for Anna to come closer.

“The least I can offer is to see this important message delivered. I am honored to have the opportunity to repay some of what ye have done for us. Whether ye wear the MacGregor plaide or nae, ye will always be welcomed here.”

She bowed her head. “Thank you for your generosity, Laird.” She moved to where Iain and Malcolm waited, a gamboling Trean waiting impatiently for her in the wagon. Iain quietly slipped her
sgian dubh
into place on her belt. She quirked a brow in question. He gave a brief nod.

After a few more minutes of conversation, they bid the Grahams farewell. Anna endured the wolf pup’s enthusiastic greeting with a grin, scarcely able to keep his round body from spilling from her arms as he licked her face. She tucked him in front of her in the saddle and he settled in to his accustomed spot, watching the surrounding scenery go by.

They left the village in silence, Liam’s soft singing to the horses the only sound. Anna broached the subject most on her mind. “Is Blaine to be wed to Nessa?”

“What did ye think of him?” Duncan countered.

She gave him her opinion based on her slight observation.

“Aye, ’tis how I see it also. ’Tis something Da considers. Strengthen existing alliances or form a new one. There are strategic benefits. Ye saw the size of their clan. There are mutual benefits regular trade would provide. They have a large number of warriors and would be a powerful ally. If the laird were to ask for yer counsel, what would ye advise?”

“I would not offer advice beyond getting to know Blaine and his clan better. Perhaps an invitation to host him a month or more would be in order. I would need firm evidence Nessa would be happy and well cared for before I agreed to any marriage for her.”

“Exactly what I would have expected from Nessa’s
Curaidh
,” Duncan replied. Several of the men nodded agreement.

She smiled at the title. “Among other things, Duncan MacGregor, I am most assuredly that. Any man who would not treat her in the manner she deserves would welcome death before I finished with him.” Anna surprised herself with the passion of her words.

“I pity the man who would invite such,” Iain added with a grin stretching across his face.

The men laughed at Iain’s declaration, and a peaceful camaraderie settled over the group. Anna glanced at Trean’s small, furry form tucked before her. She hadn’t spent much time with him the past two days, though Liam assured her the stable boys had taken turns feeding and playing with the young wolf, winning his affection. The pup seemed happy to be back with her, continually nuzzling and licking her hands.

Anna sighed, watching the others as they exchanged stories and laughter, their moods light as they anticipated their arrival home. She canted an eye toward the clear sky. Was it too much to ask for an uneventful trip home?

Chapter 17

Toward the end of the day, the MacGregor party stopped to camp by a stream. Anna and Duncan made a fish trap out of tree limbs with Donnan’s assistance, and caught enough trout for supper. While supper was readied, Anna demonstrated a few joint locks and throws to the men, explaining each. Every time she executed a throw or dropped them to their knees with a joint lock, the men’s eyes rounded with disbelief.

Knowing they would be sore the next day, Anna called a halt in time to eat. She shot Duncan a smiling glance, noticing his brooding scowl had returned. Scrunching her brow in confusion, she let it pass. Like the night before, he would tell her what was on his mind if he wished.

As they all tucked into their meal, Malcolm spoke up. “Forgive me, Anna, if I am ill-mannered, but my curiosity has gotten the best of me. Where did ye get yer fighting knowledge? Ye have a collection of skills none of us ’ave seen before.”

Anna glanced at Duncan sitting next to her, mild surprise on his face. She knew he had the same questions, as did every MacGregor who’d ever witnessed her fight, though he’d not pressed for information. Considering how to answer, she glanced around the fire at the faces, all anticipating her response.

Taking a deep breath, she explained about Master Zhang and how he came to be in her father’s service. She described his teachings in great detail, from the healing arts to the armed and unarmed combat. She described the weapons and the games of strategy he’d taught, including chess and Yi. There had been long discussions of historical battles on this land and his own, analyzing the wisdom and folly of each using maps and drawings to explain the details, showing how each decision affected the outcomes.

Anna spoke of the continual questions designed to make her consider all angles of any situation, without emotion, seeing past ruses, seeking possibilities and solutions where none seemed apparent. She recounted the mental disciplines, through meditation, difficult physical conditioning and imprisonment, elaborating on the benefits of these disciplines with a zeal that would have made Zhang proud.

She compressed almost two decades of experiences and training, ceasing when her mouth finally became dry and she reached for a wineskin. A long silence stretched before anyone spoke.

“Yer father allowed his only daughter to be imprisoned for days at a time?” Malcolm asked in disbelief.

“Yes, and it served me well when I first came here.” She motioned for Duncan to respond. He hesitantly told the men of her behavior during the five days of captivity with them. To a man, they were all shocked to hear of her treatment. They all knew she was held, but were unaware of the conditions. Iain rose with a jerk and strode away from the fire. The grimace on Duncan’s face told her he still held strong feelings about her imprisonment. Upon reflection, the anger she’d harbored had faded into a distant memory.

Anna thought about her responsibility to pass on the knowledge she had been entrusted with. Master Zhang always spoke of himself as merely another link in a long chain spanning the centuries. He said one day it would be her turn to be such a link. Before her lay the opportunity to both pass on these skills and protect her new clan.

She resolved to ask the laird’s permission to train whomever would be willing. She would contribute to the strength of clan MacGregor as best she could. Perhaps she could even convince him to allow her to teach Nessa a few skills. Just knowing she could handle a dagger would ease some of Anna’s worry once Nessa married and moved to her new home.

Wanting to change the subject and lighten the mood, Anna rose. She took a dagger and carved a rough circle at head height on a large nearby tree, with a smaller circle in the center. Uncoiling the rope dart around her waist, she began a demonstration. Anna explained its use, repeatedly hitting the target. She then put it away and showed them the throwing knife she kept hidden in her bracers, along with the steel throwing spikes.

When Duncan saw the spikes, he smiled and shook his head. Anna knew he recognized yet another weapon she’d held in her possession while captive. She quickly launched them into the target on the tree. “How about a friendly bout of knife throwing? The winner gets their pick of the watch.” Anna turned to Duncan for his permission. His smile-dimpled cheeks said yes.

The men greeted the challenge with enthusiasm. Each lined up for a turn, placing bets on the outcome. Having not seen a knife like hers before, each wanted a chance to use it.

Duncan slipped behind her and whispered in her ear. “These spikes, ye used them to open the lock on yer cell?”

She kissed him on the cheek. “You catch on quickly, sir.”

He chuckled. “What other weapons were hidden on ye?”

Anna gave him a sly grin. “I shall never tell—in case you get the foolish notion to imprison me again.”

His smile faded. “’Twas never my idea to imprison ye in the first place.”

She had always wondered about this, but knew not what to say, so she turned back to the contest.

Liam was declared the winner. Darkness had fallen, and watches were assigned. Iain approached Duncan and Anna, a pained expression on his face, and motioned for them to follow him outside earshot of the others.

“I wish to apologize to both ye and Anna for my disrespect earlier.”

Duncan offered his hand and Iain hesitantly took it. “Fear not, my friend.” Duncan said. “My reaction was much like yer own. I argued off and on for days with the laird, trying to understand his wisdom. Though I did not agree with him at the time, I have come to realize I would have done something similar, though with better accommodations.” Duncan glanced at Anna for her response.

“’Tis in the past, Iain, and it does not serve to dwell on it. Things have changed considerably. Whilst I thank you for your concern, let us not reflect on it further.” Anna patted his arm and offered a smile.

Mollified, Iain took the first watch.

Anna faced Duncan. “You argued with your father for
days
about how he treated me?”

He gazed at her intently. “Aye, though
argued
might be too polite a word. I have never been so angry at my da in all my life. I railed at him. Looking back, I am surprised he dinnae do me harm.”

She was taken aback by the emotion in his voice. “Why would you, for a stranger?”

He grabbed her with such force the surprise of it stole her breath.

Whispering near her ear, he said, “I have loved ye from the moment I saw ye, though I dinna know it at the time. I suspect the only reason Da gave me leeway was because he recognized how I felt about ye long before I did. Anna, I love ye and cannae imagine going a single day without ye with me. I want ye to be my wife, and the mother of my bairns. I have withheld the strength of my feelings, hoping to earn yer trust and heart. I am prepared to give ye as much time as ye need, but know I am willing to do anything to have ye belong to me.”