‘I think so. He has no love for Caelan. And no reason to stand for him.’
‘When do you plan to contact him?’ Rob nodded as Brodie caught sight of the woman under discussion as she walked through the camp.
Brodie turned and watched her make her way along the path that would lead to Margaret’s tent. The two were seeing to the suggestions about the supplies in the caves.
Rob whistled low, under his breath. ‘’Tis worse than I thought. If you keep gawping at her like that, everyone here will know the truth. Tell yourself she is not yours and move on with things, Brodie.’
‘I have sent him word already,’ he said, answering Rob’s previous question. ‘He is sending someone to discuss it.’
‘So we wait?’
‘Aye. We wait.’ Brodie could feel some change in things. He did not get this premonition often, but he’d learned not to ignore it. ‘Do the women and children know what to do if there’s trouble? Do they remember the plan?’ he asked.
‘Trouble?’ Rob signalled the men on duty with a shrill whistle and heard the answers declaring no danger. ‘What are you expecting?’
‘If the boy found us, so can others. Add to the guards down below. Review the escape route with Margaret and the others. We are getting too close to succeeding now and I do not want to risk failure.’
Rob nodded and would have walked away to carry out his orders if he had not stopped him.
‘What would you suggest I do with the lady?’
‘She is a liability, Brodie. She is nothing less than a distraction to you and nothing more than a hostage.’ Rob raised his hand to him before he could object. ‘Hear me out. We took her to give ourselves more time and...’
‘And to protect her,’ he added.
‘But if something happens to her here, The Cameron will stand aside no longer. Then we will have both of them breathing down our necks. For our plan to work, The Cameron must agree to the terms with the new Mackintosh chieftain. Losing both a son and daughter will make that impossible.’
‘So you are saying...?’
‘Send her home. Now that we know The Cameron is back at Achnacarry, send her there. Then her safekeeping is his responsibility.’ It made sense and yet he wanted her with him. He wanted...her.
‘I will think about it, Rob. Your advice makes sense.’
‘And the boy?’ Rob asked. ‘What will you do with him?’
Alan knew their location and could report it to anyone he could tell. The boy...
Flames again. Shadows.
Men laughing. Drinking.
Blood.
The boy...
‘Brodie,’ Rob called. ‘What just happened? You seemed to lose yourself for a moment. And it’s happened before. Several times in the last few days.’
Brodie shook himself free of the vision and turned to Rob. ‘He has to stay until we move from here. Then we can release him to find his way home. Something I’ll discuss with The MacPherson’s man—a place for our women and children until this is done.’
He waved Rob off and went about his duties. To battle the growing restlessness within him, he trained with some of the men. But mostly, he tried not to search for her around every corner.
He had fallen and fallen hard in spite of his words to Rob. The one woman who he had claimed could never be of interest to him was the one to capture his heart. The one whom he must turn over to another as part of this devil’s bargain.
The one whom he knew was a perfect match for him.
Brodie decided that it would be an easier parting if he did not spend more time with her, so towards the end of the afternoon, he took the black and rode out of the camp, needing some time apart. The full moon’s light was enough to make the paths visible and he did not push the horse as he would have in daylight.
He would have to give the horse back to her. He smiled at the way she was more upset that he’d stolen her horse than that he’d kidnapped her. Well, at least the black would see her safely home. Brodie knew he would have to follow Rob’s advice. He knew that she was becoming too much a part of their lives there and it could not continue.
