Chapter Two
“Just like a MacLeish,” Andrew said. He looked at her fear filled face. “Tremble in my grasp but only because you’re caught. Come onto my land, burn the homes of my people and then when captured red handed, you cry out for your mommy.”
Fury washed over him but as he looked at her the anger vanished like the morning mist when the sun rose high in the sky. She looked terrified but all of a sudden he wanted to protect her, not hurt her. Why was that?
People had been burned alive. This was no time to pat her on the head and say there, there, never mind.
She squirmed and fought to free herself from his grip. He let go, momentarily confused by his own feelings. He couldn’t stop staring at her.
She had eyes like none he’d ever seen before. Her hair was MacIntyre red and her eyes were ocean blue, staring back at him in terror.
She tried to run but his men stopped her at once. Her hair fell over her face as she twisted in place to try and escape.
What hair it was. Cascading around her shoulders, it framed her face perfectly. Even with soot smearing her features she looked beautiful.
For a moment he was speechless but then he recovered himself. She might be as attractive as a siren from the sea but that didn’t change what she’d done with the help of her cowardly comrades.
Burned the hall where he’d been born. No doubt they’d thought he was in there when they set the blaze. Indeed, he was meant to be inside the hall that morning but at the last minute he’d been called away to the new castle and he’d only returned in time to find the place ablaze.
Innocent people had been murdered. Murder meant escalation to clan war, something he could have well done without. Winter was coming and the Normans were rumored to be heading north again.
“Do we kill her?” Finley asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. “Send her head back as a warning?”
“She comes with us,” he replied. “Take hold but do not harm her. We may be able to use her to bargain with MacLeish. He’s likely as not to value one of his own that looks as bonny as she.”
She started to complain, talking about tickets and re-enactors and again calling out for her mommy amongst a load of other nonsense words he didn’t understand.
“We cannae have her blathering all the way to the castle,” Derek said, slapping her across the face. “Bind her legs and arms. Get a gag over her face.”
“No,” Andrew replied, angry at Derek’s unnecessary violence. “We are MacIntyres, not MacLeishes. “We dinnae beat women.”
“I say at least bind her,” Derek replied, his voice showing no sign of contrition. “Unless you want her to escape?”
“That is not how you speak to your laird,” Gillis said. “Apologize at once.”
“I will not. He’s clearly been bewitched by her already.”
“How dare you suggest that your laird is so easily…”
Andrew raised his voice over their bickering. “Now is not the time for an argument. Derek, this isnae your decision. Gillis, I can fight my own battles. As for you, lassie, I apologise for that blow. If you will ride to yon castle without blather or violence, I willnae bind your limbs. What say you?”
She didn’t move. “I want my mom.”
“We’ll get you to your ma soon enough. Now will you swear to-”
“You know where she is? You’ve seen her? Where is she?”
There was a cry of pain behind him. “Hold onto her a moment,” he said to his men before turning away.
He knelt beside the moaning woman, taking a damp cloth from one of the villagers. “Be still, you’ll be all right.”
Derek tapped him on the shoulder. “We should not stay long. They will come back in greater numbers.”
“You’d know,” Wallace said. “Wouldn’t you? They’re your kin Derek MacLeish.”
“So what if they come back?” Finley snapped at the same time. “Perhaps we’ll have a straight fight for once.”
Andrew spoke without getting up, still mopping the woman’s’ brow. “What good is it to leave our wounded to die just because you fancy a scrap? We can fight their whole army later. Right now, our people need our help.”
