Page 56 of The Lady of Her Highland Clan

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Fiona ran and ran until she could run no more. Eventually, she reached the spot where the treasure had been taken. Even seeing the hole there, open and empty, made her heart shiver.

The words she had said to Clyde were true. It wasn't just about the gold. There were the memories too. She had wanted to find the haul and take it back to the clan, not only for her and her siblings but also for the clan members as well.

The betrayal built up within her. Leaping onto Lizzie May, Fiona felt her rage fizzle and eventually turn to tears. Only now that she was out of reach did she finally allow them to fall.

Hot mist filled her face. Her eyes blurred with tears. Glancing around, she could see that Clyde's horse had already gone. She had no idea where or if Clyde had found him. And she didn't care. Aside from a little wistful glance to the gray stallion, she mounted her horse and was gone.

Fiona rode solidly for some time. She was not sure how long a time had elapsed, but the scant sun had risen into the sky and made the odd appearance from behind its wall of clouds. It was not exactly sunny, but it was an improvement in the rain.

Everything in the valley was glistening, shining with a rainy green. The air in the glen was fresh, and in between the raindrops, the faint glow of a rainbow shone over the hills. Pausing to admire it, Fiona took the first deep breath she had for miles.

It was all so perfect. It was easy to forget its beauty sometimes. Now, back on Duncan terrain, Fiona got an odd pang of emotion.

This was hers. At least, it could be if she did not mess things up!

But mess things up, she had. Or, rather, Clyde had.

Mournfully, Fiona pressed her head to Lizzie May's. Everything had gone so wrong, and she still had no idea exactly how she was going to tell the clan elders, let alone her sisters.

Then, as she had started trotting again, a little quicker through the sodden land, Fiona saw something on the horizon.

Not just something: a horse.

And not just any horse, but Clyde's gray stallion.

At first, she was not sure, but as the thickset horse cantered toward her, she saw for certain. It was Clyde's horse.

But the rider was harder to make out. By now, the sun had revealed itself, blinding her with light. All she could make out was a solid shape on top of the stallion.

"Clyde?" she mouthed, riding toward him. It was true she didn't want to see him, but she could not help being curious. Setting Lizzie May to follow him, she drew closer.

Then, she slowed to a trot. Just as she was reaching out to him, something stopped her.

In front of her, a man stood, clad in the blue plaid of Fraser's army. Fearfully, Fiona looked down. The soldier grinned, slowly.

"Think carefully about yer next move, miss… It might be yer last!"

At her throat was a knife.

From behind the boulder on the road, Clyde looked on. He was still some way off. Fiona's horse was very much in the distance, but he could just make out the shape of Lizzie May and Fiona's black-brown hair straggling in the wind.

For a moment, he was lost in her beauty. Yes, he could not see the detail, but in his mind's eye, he filled it all in. She was pure and rosy, her eyes glistening and alive...

Hungrily, Clyde feasted his eyes upon her. And as her dark tresses billowed about, he wished desperately to run his fingers through them. But there was no time for any of these thoughts. Shaking himself, Clyde came back around.

She was not the only figure he could see. Now that he had his bearings, Clyde could clearly see another person clad in the blue tartan of the Greenock clan.

To his profound disbelief, Fraser had managed to commandeer Clyde's own men against him. And now Clyde watched as a ring of them encircled Fiona.

"Fiona!" He leaped up from the side of the road and called her name. But she didn't hear. She was too far away. Maybe it was just as well because it was already too late for her to get free of them, and the last thing he needed was them seeing him too.

Everything had moved so fast. Fraser's betrayal was something he should have seen coming. With hindsight, everything was clear. Fraser had been on his case for months offering "help." How stupid of him to take him at his word! But the betrayal he felt was only a small fraction of how Fiona must be feeling.

Yes, it had taken what just happened for him to realize this. Now, he felt shame. He should never have gone along with Anderson's plan, no matter how desperate he was. It wasn't fair. He should have seen that.

Watching Fraser's men—his men—encircling Fiona, Clyde felt his hackles rising. He needed to think, and quick.