“Aye.”Jamie touched a hand to the sword athis waist.“Step away, Lindsey,” he commanded softly.
“Nay.You must not do this, Jamie.”She casta pleading look in her father’s direction.
Seeing the fire in Jamie’s eyes, Douglasmoved quickly to diffuse his anger.“I understand your mistrust,Jamie.We voiced the same questions as you.But Ian has put all ourfears to rest.He carries a missive from the queen, attesting thathe journeys to Holyrood at her bidding.Surely one who has thetrust of our queen must have our trust as well.”
Jamie’s gaze never left Ian’s face.“I wouldread this missive.”
With a smug look Ian reached into his tunicand withdrew a rolled parchment.Handing it to Jamie he said with asneer, “I hope the Heartless MacDonald can read.”
Jamie unrolled the parchment and studied thewords, then carefully scrutinized the queen’s seal.He handed itback without a word.
Ian’s voice was a low challenge.“I awaityour apology.”
Jamie fixed him with a chilling look.“Youwill receive my apology only when we reach Holyrood and hear thisfrom the queen’s own lips.”
Everyone in camp seemed shocked.
“You would question the queen’s seal uponthis missive?”
“Nay, only the manner in which you acquiredthis parchment.”Jamie deliberately turned his back on IanMacPherson and said to Douglas Gordon, “We take our leave of thisplace within the hour, my lord.Prepare your men to ride.”
The old man glanced at his daughter andthought sadly about the joyful reunion he had planned.“I had hopedwe could take a day to rest and feast my daughter’s safe returnbefore resuming our journey.She has been through so much.”
Jamie’s lingering anger caused his words tobe harsher than he intended.“And our queen has been through muchmore.’Twas your decision to bring the female along on thisdangerous mission, my lord.Our queen has need of us.We havetarried long enough.”
Seeing the remorse on her father’s face,Lindsey stepped between the old man and Jamie.The look she shotJamie was filled with fury.To her father she murmured, “Do notfret.I am well rested and strong enough to ride.”She turned toinclude Jamie as she muttered, “And, like my lord MacDonald, I ammost eager to leave this place.”
Giving him one last furious look, Lindseyhurried away to change her gown and prepare for the journey loomingbefore them.
Douglas watched as Jamie’s gaze followed hisdaughter.Then he turned and gave the order to his men that theyshould prepare to ride.
* * *
Jamie drove their small band unmercifully.For the next two days they were up at dawn and riding hard untildusk.Four men took turns watching the camp each night while theothers slept.Jamie refused to allow Ian to join those who watched.He made no secret of his intense distrust of the man.
At night, as they sat around the fire, Jamiekept to himself.While the others spoke in muted tones, he mendedharness, tended to his horse or sharpened his weapons.
Often, as he worked, he watched IanMacPherson seated by the fire, regaling the young Neal and Robbiewith stories of his adventures.The young, impressionable lads hungon every word spoken by the man who carried a missive from theirqueen.In their eyes he had become an adventurer, a hero.
When Lindsey joined the group around Ian,Jamie found himself honing the blade of his sword with a vengeance,until it was razor sharp.The lilt of Lindsey’s laughter seemed tomock him.The husky sound of her voice on the night air only addedto his misery.All in their company, it would seem, had taken IanMacPherson to their bosom.
With a sense of sadness Lindsey watched Jamieas he drove himself and the others.During the day he led themsilently through the treacherous Highlands, watching always for anysign of the band of villains that had escaped.When they made camphe worked long into the night, until the others were asleep.Often,before dawn, he was joining the men who guarded their camp.
Did he never rest?Worse, did he neverquestion his righteous attitude?Even though she harbored similarquestions about Ian MacPherson, Lindsey was willing to wait untilthey reached Holyrood to make a judgment.But Jamie’s mind hadalready hardened against the stranger.And once his decision hadbeen made, he refused to back down.
She missed Jamie, she realized with a shock.Though their conversations had often been stilted and awkward, theyhad, in their short time together, begun to enjoy and respect eachother’s company.As she listened to yet another of Ian MacPherson’sflamboyant stories, she experienced a deep yearning for Jamie’scalm tones and quiet humility.She found Ian’s boastful storiestiresome.Whatever titles and honors had been bestowed upon theHeartless MacDonald, they had truly been won upon the battlefield.The rumors that abounded about him were spread by men who feared orrespected him, and not by his own inflated sense of pride.
She studied Jamie’s shadowy silhouette,nearly swallowed up by the dark shape of trees around him.Gettingto her feet she left the fire and made her way to where he workedover his horse’s swollen hoof.
He looked up as she drew near, then loweredhis head and continued working as though she did not exist.
He had stripped off his tunic and shirt andthe muscles of his arms and shoulders rippled as he bent to histask.Despite the coolness of the evening, sweat beaded his brow.Alock of hair had fallen across his forehead, and Lindsey had tofight the urge to brush it away.
“It is late to be working.”
“Aye.”He did not bother to glance up.“Butthe work never ends.”
She crossed her arms beneath her breasts andstudied him.“So it would seem.”
