“Where’s Helene?” the man on the other end of the sword said.
“Dougall!” Helene rocketed out of her chair. “Put that sword away.”
Dougall moved swiftly, never once putting the blade down. He grabbed Helene by the arm, pulling her in to his side, where he wrapped a protective arm around her.
“Helene.” Zeke watched carefully as Dougall rested his cheek atop her head. The moment Dougall’s eyes were off of him for a split second, Zeke made his move, backing away and pulling his own sword from the scabbard hanging on a hook in the entryway. The two men now faced each other.
“Let her go,” Zeke calmly stated.
“I willnae. She is mine.” Dougall said with equal calmness.
“Hey, you two,” Sara shouted. “Helene isn’t a piece of meat for you two to be fighting over.” The other man with them filled the doorway, letting Zeke know without words that he was there to aid Dougall.
Zeke was shocked. In his wildest dreams, he’d never imagined Dougall and a companion showing up on his doorstep along with his sister. “Sara, what’s going on here?”
“I think it’s kind of self-explanatory. Dougall and Logan arrived here in San Francisco this morning. Dougall’s come to take Helene back home with him.”
Helene remained silent in Dougall’s embrace, a shocked look on her face. She finally pushed herself free of him. “What are ye doing here, Dougall?”
“I’ve come for ye, Helene.” He glanced from Helene to Zeke, who noted that Dougall was doing his best to make himself appear bigger and scarier than anyone else in the room.
“Why do ye think I’d want to go anywhere with ye?” Helene’s voice was filled with a venom Zeke hadn’t heard before and from the look on Dougall’s face, neither had he.
“I ken yer angry with me, but ye must let me explain meself.” Dougall’s tone softened as he spoke to Helene, but she apparently wasn’t having any of it. Zeke was proud of her.
He was pleased to see Helene’s inner strength showing. It was obvious in the way she stood up to Dougall. “There’s nae need to explain. Ye left me with yer Da to go off with yer men. ’Tis more important to ye that ye please him so ye can become laird. Ye may as well go back home and do as he wishes.”
“Helene, please listen to me.” Dougall’s shoulders drooped as he pleaded with her.
Helene looked righteously indignant. “I’ve nae time to speak with ye today, Dougall. Zeke has planned a special day fer me and I willnae disappoint him.”
Zeke hid his satisfied grin behind his hand and a feigned cough. She was angry, that was obvious and Zeke was pleased that she’d chosen to go with him despite her history with Dougall.
“Helene I dinnae wish to stay here even a second longer, ye must return with me. ’Tis nae right that yer living here alone with this man. I cannae believe ye’d allow that to happen.”
“Zeke came to me rescue while ye were off doing yer duty as the future laird of the MacRaes. I dinnae wish ye to stay and wait fer me.” The longer Dougall persisted, the more obstinate Helene appeared to become.
“Ye dinnae mean that Helene. Ye love me, dinnae ye?”
“I dinnae ken what I feel fer ye now. I’ve been through so much since ye disappeared, leaving me alone with yer Da. Ye didnae even see fit to come and tell me.”
“I’m sorry, Helene. I had nae choice.”
“There always be a choice, Dougall and now ye’ll have to go back without me.”
She went and got her things and then came back to take Zeke’s arm. “Shall we go?”
Zeke didn’t know who was more surprised by this new Helene, him or Dougall, but he wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity. He had competition for Helene’s heart now and he was planning to win. Sara moved out of the way so they could pass. “Lock up when you leave,” he directed her.
Dougall couldn’t believehis eyes or his ears. He knew Helene would probably be angry with him, but he had no idea she wouldn’t be happy to see him. He didn’t know what to do about the situation.
“You boys can come with me. I guess you can stay at my place.” Sara said.
“We should stay here,” Dougall answered.
“No you shouldn’t. You weren’t invited to stay,” Sara said, appearing quite irritated with him.
“Come, Dougall.” Logan said. “We’ll stay with Sara. What else can we do?”
