Natalie noticed something in his eyes. “There’s something you’re not telling me. What is it?”
“Nothing,” the captain said, though he would not meet her eyes.
“What is it?”
He sighed. “Wallace is behind me. Come on out, you have the footsteps of a giant stamping about with lead boots.”
Wallace emerged from the fog, looking so fiercely at Natalie, she had to turn away. It felt as if he’d just looked straight through her, as if she was naked in front of him, unable to hide anything.
She told herself she had done nothing wrong. So what if the captain thought they should be together? It wouldn’t change the fact she was going home soon and he was going…wherever he was going.
“I wish to speak to you alone,” Wallace said.
“I can see when I’m not wanted.” The captain vanished into the fog.
“About what he said,” Wallace continued. “I…I have something to say to you.”
“Yes?”
He paused for a moment, taking another step toward her. “Perhaps not all MacCallisters are bad.”
“Is that it?”
“No. I…”
“Yes?”
There was a crunch and then the boat shook violently from side to side. Natalie lost her balance, tipping over the side. She saw the water rushing up to meet her and she was certain she was falling into the depths, perhaps never to emerge.
All of a sudden, Wallace grabbed hold of her, yanking her back into the boat.
“What happened?” she asked, trying to slow her breathing as she thought about how close she came to drowning. “You saved me.”
Wallace still had hold of her in his arms. She looked up into his eyes. He leaned down toward her just as the boat shook again, a loud scraping sound echoing up from below the hull. The moment was gone as soon as it came. The boat ground to a halt.
“Land ho,” the captain called out unnecessarily behind them.
11
“Have we made it?” Natalie asked, stepping down onto the stony shore. Above her the ship loomed, its mast lost in the fog. Wallace was climbing down the rope ladder, he stopped halfway down and looked about him.
She felt as if they were being watched. “Are we safe?”
“Hard to say,” he said. “In this fog, I can see little.” Jumping the rest of the way, he landed next to her. “Though I do not like it.”
“Me neither,” she replied, her hand slipping into his. A scream reached them from somewhere further inland. Wallace automatically took a step in front of Natalie, shielding her while the captainmade his way down to join them. “Can we sail somewhere else?”
“Not until I fix the damage that rock caused,” the captain said, running his eye along the hull. “We are lucky the water is deep right up to the shore else we might have been halfway up the beach rather than standing here.”
“And where is here?” Wallace asked. “This is not the mainland.”
“You’re sure?” the captain asked. “What makes you so certain?”
The scream sounded again, this time accompanied by drums. “That,” Wallace said. “I ken that sound. That’s the Frazer war cry.”
At the same moment he spoke men emerged from the fog in front of them. They looked brutal, their faces covered with mud. All held wicked looking weapons. Natalie counted at least two dozen, all of them looking at her.
“I am Wallace MacGregor,” Wallace said, squeezing her hand lightly. “And I did not come here seeking trouble.”
