Three of Colin Campbell’s soldiers had brutalized her. Ripped her clothes from her body, lowered their vile, repulsive bodies on top of her, and violated her. It might have gone on until her death if some of her clansmen hadn’t arrived and mounted enough of a battle to get her away.
Rape was an all-too-common occurrence in feuds and wars between the clans, where men thought it a way to shame their enemy. But knowing that it was part of the time they lived in didn’t make it any easier to bear.
Battered, bruised, and brutalized, Annie had taken refuge on the Isle of Molach in Loch Katrine to recover. That had been ten months ago. Her body had healed, the cuts and bruises long faded. But the memories were far harder to erase. For months she’d woken up screaming in a cold sweat, the faces of her tormentors swimming in front of her in the darkness of her dreams. She could hear their hateful grunts and taunts. Feel their blows against her face and body as she tried to fight back. But the nightmares had lessened, and slowly life was drawing her back in.
She didn’t flinch when someone accidentally touched her anymore.
Her month-old new nephew, Iain—named for the brother killed along with their beloved former chief—was perhaps part of that. His birth had been like a ray of sunshine for them all. His sweet innocence was a much-needed reminder that not everything was dark and ugly in this world.
“I know exactly what happened to you,” Annie said to her brother. “You fell in love. And now you have a baby to love as well.”
Patrick smiled, something that had been so rare before, but since Lizzie had come into his life was much more frequent.
With all that had happened, it was hard to believe that a Campbell and MacGregor could find love. But her brother and sister-in-law gave proof that miracles did happen. Patrick MacGregor, chief of an outlawed clan, had fallen in love with Elizabeth Campbell, the favored cousin of the Earl of Argyll and sister to Duncan Campbell, the new Laird of Auchinbreck, and Jamie Campbell. She was also sister to the man responsible for Annie’s rape.
But Annie knew better than anyone else not to attribute the sins of the brother to the sister. Lizzie was no more responsible for Colin than Annie was for Gregor. But it was still strange to think that much of their recent good fortune was because of a Campbell. Duncan, Jamie, and Elizabeth had forced their powerful cousin, the Earl of Argyll, to make amends for his perfidy by restoring Patrick to his lands and looking the other way when “justice” was meted out to Colin Campbell.
Still, the enmity and hatred between the Campbells and the MacGregors had gone on for so long it was hard to think of them any other way.
But she would try. For her brother’s sake as much as her own. She’d meant what she said to him. She was tougher than she looked. Colin Campbell’s men had hurt her—changed her, maybe—but she would not let them destroy her.
Annie didn’t realize she’d resumed weeding until Patrick said, “You don’t have to do that anymore, you know.”
Aye, the MacGregors (or “Murrays,” as they were forced to call themselves—the name MacGregor was still proscribed) had indeed come up in the world with Patrick’s marriage. They not only had the family lands back, they also had a castle full of servants.
“I know,” she said with a wry smile. “But I like it. I’m used to being busy.”
It was being a lady that she wasn’t used to. Since she’d come to Edinample last month to help with the birth of the baby, her new sister-in-law’s generosity had been overwhelming—and embarrassing. For the first time in her memory, Annie had new gowns—lowland gowns made of fine silks and wools—more slippers than she could wear in a lifetime, shawls, a wool hauberk, and a matching set of pearl earrings and necklace. Patrick had warned her that the diminutive and waifish Lizzie could be stubborn, but Annie hadn’t believed it until she’d tried to refuse some of her sister-in-law’s “gifts.”
Suddenly her brother’s attention was drawn to the hillside opposite the castle. He must have sensed what Annie had earlier. The return of her unwanted sentinel.
“Will you see him this time?”
Annie stiffened reflexively, her spine as straight as an arrow protruding from its quiver. “No. Nothing has changed.”
Patrick’s raised brows told her he was about to challenge that assessment. “He killed Colin Campbell, made himself an outlaw in doing so, and gave up his right to be Chief of Lamont for you. I’d say quite a bit has changed.”
Yes, now Niall Lamont had been brought as low as he’d thought her.
Annie felt the familiar fury bubbling inside her. “I didn’t ask him to do any of that—nor did I want him to. It wasn’t Niall’s place to kill Colin Campbell.”
It was hers. The way she saw it, Niall Lamont had robbed her of her vengeance.
As if he could read her mind, her brother’s gaze narrowed with concern. He didn’t understand her need for vengeance. Her anger. What was viewed as a natural instinct for a man was seen as unnaturally “bloodthirsty” in a woman. Patrick didn’t question his own thirst for vengeance against Colin Campbell—Niall had saved Patrick from having to kill his wife’s brother—but hers made him uncomfortable.
But right now he just looked disgusted with himself. “I knew I should never have told you that story. I’m sure none of it is true.”
Her mouth curved. She believed every word of the family legend. One of her MacGregor ancestors had reputedly married the illegitimate daughter of Robert the Bruce, who herself had trained to be a warrior and was said to have saved the life of the warrior king.
“Whether it’s true or not makes no difference.”
“You haven’t given up your plan then?” It was more of a sad statement than a real question.
She quirked an eyebrow. “Because you refused to teach me? No. I haven’t. Someone else has agreed to help.”
He frowned, guessing to whom she referred. “Have a care with the lad, Annie. Robbie has worshipped the ground you walk on since he was a boy.”
She better than anyone knew the heartbreak of unrequited love, and her brother’s admonishment gave her a flicker of unease. Robbie knew she did not return his feelings. She’d told him many times as kindly as she could. But she could not deny that she might have taken advantage of his feelings for her in asking him to help her.
