Highland Escape (9 page)

“You are welcome, my lady,” Anna muttered, uncertain how to respond to her affectionate display.

Nessa held one of Anna’s hands. Mairi took the other and led her to the table. Standing directly across from Duncan, she faced him for the first time. He stiffened visibly, anger washing over his visage.

He tore his gaze away and rose abruptly. “Father, Mother, I ask ye to excuse me from the table.”

His father sighed wearily. “Verra well.”

Duncan stormed from the room without a second glance at Anna, slamming the door behind him. Everyone seemed embarrassed and the lingering silence created an uncomfortable mood.

Anna lifted her chin. “Forgive me, Laird, if my appearance is so hideous as to ruin your son’s appetite. Mayhap I should retire upstairs.”

At this, the three of them laughed lightly, and the laird bade her sit between his wife and daughter.

“Lady Anna, I again ask yer pardon.” The laird’s face softened. “Ye must understand. ’Tis my responsibility to keep our clan safe. For ye to appear from the shadows of the forest, dressed the way ye were, possessing the skills ye do, an English lass—I had to know by aiding ye, we werenae bringing yer troubles to our lands. Ye did much the same by not going to yer grandda. Aye?”

She considered his words then nodded.

“I kept ye prisoner so ye couldnae escape,” the laird said. “Both to protect ye from others who would do ye harm, and in case someone had a claim against ye. It rankled to do so, after ye bravely rescued my daughter, but I saw no other choice. The actions of my men since have been unforgivable. Ye are a guest of honor. I offer ye my protection. Ye lost a father and brother. Become as our daughter, and gain a new family with us. I understand if ye dinnae trust me, or dinnae wish to stay. Allow us a few weeks to prove ye have a place here. If ye decide to go, I would only ask ye wait until healed. I will send an escort with ye where ever you decide.”

Anna sat in stunned silence. Nessa did not exaggerate.

He pressed on. “Ye dinnae know where ye want to go, aye?”

Absorbing his question, she considered an answer but could think of only an honest one.

“No, Laird, I had no real destination in mind. My brother made me swear I would flee to safety. I could not bear seeing my mother’s clan meet the same fate as my home, so I traveled north and west, sticking to the concealment of the forests. I have no place to go.” She had not truly admitted this to herself, much less given voice to the thought, and doing so brought an unbearable sense of loss. Tears burned again, seeking release, but pride would not allow her to let emotion betray her in front of this man.

The laird nodded as though satisfied with her answer. “Then ye will stay with us.”

How can I agree to stay with the man who imprisoned me this past sennight?
What choice do I have? I would not make it a day in my present condition. Even if I were ready to ride, where would I go? Where could I find sanctuary?
Not sure what she wanted, Anna replied, “It is a generous offer, Laird. Would you allow me time to consider it?”

Pouring wine into his cup, he waved his hand. “Of course, take as much time as ye wish. Ye will stay with Nessa in the meantime.”

Nessa squeezed her hand under the table, beaming her approval.

“And your son? He does not appear too pleased with your offer.” She recalled Duncan’s face when he saw her tonight.

At this, the laird released a short burst of laughter and shook his head. Nessa giggled. Lady MacGregor merely smiled knowingly.

Laird MacGregor’s shrewd eyes met hers. “My son has been verra angry with me. Angry with the way I have treated ye, angry I allowed Shamus to challenge ye, and angry I dinnae let him kill Alain for attacking ye. I cannae say I blame him. Nae, my son wishes ye to stay. He greatly admires ye. I am afraid seeing the damage Alain caused was more than he could bear.”

Uncertain what to think, Anna kept her mouth shut. The laird eyed her trencher.

“Please eat. Duncan tells me ye hardly ate this week. Why not?”

She considered an answer so as to not offend. “The stew is not something I am accustomed to eating. I feared if I did, I would become ill, a condition I could not afford with my…current circumstances.”

His furrowed brow eased with a look of understanding. She could see he wanted to ask more questions but stayed silent.

The table held fresh bread, cheese, some sort of roasted bird in a thick sauce with vegetables, and fruit. A bowl of soup smelling of peas and leeks sat in front of each trencher. Pitchers of wine, ale, and water awaited. Anna took a few grapes, squeezed them into a cup, then filled it with water. Tearing off a small piece of bread, she sliced a pear and slowly ate the soup. It went down easily and tasted quite good. Glancing around the room, she noticed the others eating from full trenchers, making hers appear almost empty.

“Ye must eat more if ye are to get yer strength back,” Lady MacGregor said.

“Thank you, my lady, but I am nauseous from the blow to my head and cannot eat much immediately after fasting a week.”

Lady MacGregor placed her hand on Anna’s arm, patting it to show her understanding. Anna’s response seemed to pique the laird’s interest. His face betrayed the questions he wanted to ask. Anna stopped eating and faced him in invitation.

Chapter 7

“Ye are a baron’s daughter, yet ye’ve been trained to endure imprisonment. Why is this so?” Kenneth MacGregor asked.

One corner of Anna’s mouth twitched at the laird’s question. She knew of no other noble, especially not a woman, who’d been prepared thus. But she’d grown used to being an oddity.

“My brother and I had a tutor who was very thorough in his instruction.”

He cocked his head. “What kind of tutor teaches such?”

“Zhang had been a prisoner, rescued by my father when he fought during the Crusades, before my birth. He served as bodyguard to a wealthy Chinese merchant. They were part of a trade caravan ambushed by the Mamluks. Zhang attached himself to Lord Braxton as payment for his freedom.”

A smile crossed MacGregor’s lips. “Tutor? He must have begun yer
education
at an early age. How many years do ye have, lass?”

Steeling her body and expression against the grating question, she answered. “A score, Laird.”

His smiled turned puzzled. “When did ye become twenty, then?”

“Three days ago.”

Nessa quietly gasped, squeezing Anna’s hand. Lady MacGregor stiffened next to her. The laird’s smile hardened, lips disappearing as they curled into his mouth, his jaw tight. He rubbed the back of his neck. Anna kept her features flat, as unreadable as possible.

Tension seemed to drain the air from the room. Reaching for her cup, Anna drank the fruited water.

“It appears I have more to make amends for than I thought.”

His words sounded like pity. She would not allow it. “As laird, you did what you thought was best for your clan. There is no need to dwell on it further. If you will excuse me, I feel unwell. My thanks for the meal.” Anna stood to her feet. “Nessa, stay with your family. I need no assistance getting back to the room.”

Once upstairs, Anna brewed another tisane for pain. After drinking it, she crawled into bed, exhausted.

Hands gripped her shoulders, pulling her out of a deep sleep. Someone called her name. Startled, she frantically grasped the stranger’s wrists and bolted upright, meeting the look of panic on Nessa’s face. Anna released her and slumped forward, head in her hands.

Nessa touched her hair. “Ye cried out in yer sleep. Another nightmare?”

She had no memory of it, though her heart raced and her breathing was ragged. She shook her head and watched Nessa rub her wrists. “I am sorry. Did I hurt you?”

Nessa sat on the edge of the bed and wiped the sweat from Anna’s brow. “Nae, only frightened me, ’tis all.”

Anna took her hand, squeezing it gently. “I am sorry I woke you.”

Nessa’s lips slipped into a sympathetic smile. “Worry not. Pleasant dreams this time.”

With a sigh, Anna curled under the covers and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

After three days, the swelling around Anna’s eye receded, restoring her vision. Thankfully, the nausea also eased, the headache and dizziness no longer constant companions. The tea and
bian shi
did their work.

Afternoon naps aided her recovery. Nessa read to her at times. Her own eyes struggled to settle on the words, and attempting the task invited an unbearable headache. Nessa possessed a small collection of books she was proud of. Anna thought of all the books, maps, and scrolls in her father’s library destroyed by fire. Their loss made her heart hurt as much as her head, teaching her a painful lesson about taking things for granted.

Lady MacGregor visited daily. Anna saw no sign of the laird or his son except at the evening meal. ’Twas just as well. She needed separation from them and had little interest in hearing any more apologies or answering more questions. Whatever his motivation, the laird’s decision to imprison his daughter’s rescuer remained a bitter taste in her mouth.

She’d considered what her father would have done in his place, and how his men would have treated a noblewoman held captive. There would have been no challenge and certainly no attack due to argument. She would have been well treated and well fed. A maid and bath would have been provided in a guest room. She’d never needed a maid, but a bath and decent food would have been welcome.

Barbarians
.

The MacGregor women were a different tale. Anna shared more laughter with the girls than she was accustomed to. She felt strange to be in the company of females, but wonderful as she bathed in the warmth of feminine companionship for the first time in her life. She realized she’d never before known a female she could truly call her friend. Could she walk away so easily?

Conversations often led to speaking of various couples, speculation of who would pair for marriage, the merits of eligible males, and those families expecting children. These conversations typically ended with Nessa and Isla giggling, and Anna feeling oddly left out.
No man wants a woman who can outride, outshoot or outfight him. And I have no interest in becoming a man’s property or some dissolute nobleman’s breeding stock.

The thought of never being in love or having children caused a pang of regret, though she brushed it off each time it crept into her mind. It was foolish to think of love as a baron’s hoyden daughter, yet even more foolish when trapped in a land whose people resented her very existence.

Something in her expression must have given her away.

“Anna, are ye unwell?” Lady MacGregor’s brow furrowed as she stared at her intently.

Banking her emotions as best she could, Anna took a deep breath before answering. “I am fine, milady.” The forced smile she offered as proof didn’t seem to fool anyone in the room.

Lady MacGregor nodded, but Anna noticed her speculative looks, as if she’d read her very thoughts.

The next afternoon, Lady MacGregor arrived as usual. “Anna, let us take a short walk outside. ’Tis a beautiful day.”

A sense of apprehension rippled through her, but Anna could not think of a polite way to say no. “As you wish, milady.”

She followed Lady MacGregor out the door. They settled on a bench overlooking the herb and vegetable garden outside the main tower. Anna kept her breathing steady, waiting with trepidation, reminding herself this woman had shown naught but kindness thus far.

“I wished to speak where we willnae be interrupted. I have need to say again how thankful I am ye rescued Nessa. It tore my verra heart out when we found she had been stolen. I have lost one child and couldnae bear to lose another. Ye have my eternal gratitude, and also that of my mutton-brained husband, who held ye in that infernal cell for a sennight.”

Anna subdued a smile, realizing the laird had likely experienced almost as difficult a week as she at the hands of this soft-spoken yet firm woman. “You are most welcome. When I heard them cry out, I could not ride away. I am glad all turned out well.” Hearing the MacGregors had lost a child created a lingering sympathy. Not knowing how to respond, she let the information pass.

“Anna, I know ye lost yer mother at an age before ye became a young woman.”

Anna dropped her head, shame of what those words implied coloring her cheeks.

Mairi continued. “I can only imagine how hard it must have been growing up without an older woman to guide ye. I know I could never replace yer mother, but ye would do me a great honor if ye could perhaps see me as a dear aunt.”

Using a finger to gently tilt Anna’s chin so their eyes met, she continued. “I am not judging how ye dress or behave, but every lass needs older women in her life for support and counsel. I want yer promise ye will allow me to fill such a role whilst ye are here.”

Anna’s discomfort rose. While grateful Lady MacGregor would care enough to offer such, she was mortified about her ignorance of what it meant to be a woman.

“I see the conflict in yer eyes.” Mairi gave her a look of sadness.

Leaning closer, she put her arms around Anna. The simple motherly gesture led to her undoing, and Anna’s tears fell. Slowly at first, then a torrent. She bent over, openly weeping in Lady MacGregor’s arms. Feelings of loss, loneliness, of not fitting in poured through her. She cried for the loss of family and the loss of home. As her sobs subsided, she huddled against Mairi’s shoulder, inhaling her scent. She smelled of lilacs and heather, reminding her of her own mother, calling forth another wave of grief. At last, her tears were spent.