Page 177 of Tales of Highland Loyalty

The colors paled from Malcolm's face. Staring right at her, he disbelieved his own eyes.

In the bar, he had thought he was dreaming. But now, the shape of her in front of him, it seemed impossible to deny.

Weakening his grip, he let the lass go. Finally, she shook herself, removing her cloak, despite the rain. Without the heavy wrap of black, he could properly see her.

"Tis me, Mal, welcome home..."

Mal.

That was her name for him. Malcolm blinked.

Ainslee's eyes sparkled with tears, but Malcolm was too bewildered to think of anything right then.

"It... cannae be," he repeated, limply. But staring at her, he knew it was.

Now his heart was pounding quickly. Malcolm's palms sweat and he felt sick. There was no way he was ready for this.

"It's me, Mal," said Ainslee, fixing him with her intense brown gaze. But it was not a friendly look. In fact, she was downright hostile.

The tears that were flowing down her cheeks stung him. Malcolm was not prepared for this. None of it. He was so taken by surprise, he was not even sure of what his feeling were.

"Ainslee?"

He had to touch her, putting his hands out, he reached over to her. She flinched. Stony faced, she almost slapped him again. She was so fierce that, reluctantly, Mal was forced to drop his hands.

"Ainslee? It cannae be ye?"

Ainslee did not soften. "It can an' it is. Have I ruined yer plan?"

Her brown eyes stared truculently, as if accusing him of something. Totally bewildered, looked around at her.

"Plan? What plan?" he almost spat. "I dinnae have nae plan!"

Ainslee looked as if she was having a hard time believing it. With a snort of derision, Ainslee laughed.

"Och, really. Well I ken that marrying me, an' returning to yer clan, as leader wasnae part o' it! So what was? Perhaps it was a wee bit too hard, so ye ran away? I suppose ye got another lassie tucked awa' somewhere, wherever ye are?"

Her temper flared, as her eyes spiraled upwards. But Malcolm could simply not fathom her words.

"A lassie... ye think I have a lassie?" Malcolm spluttered. Perhaps it was obvious. He should have realized that she would think he had a woman. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Flustered and unsure, Malcolm tried to diffuse her.

"Ainslee, lassie, I dinnae have...," he began, but suddenly choked up. Tears rushed to his head, desperately, he blinked them back.

In the last ten years, there had been many women, but none were special. Even thinking about it hurt. He had no one.

Ainslee looked at him with total disbelief. "Wheesht!" she hissed, squaring up to him.

For a minute, he thought she was going to hit him again, but then she stopped. Instead she glared in naked fury.

"Och, so ye left me high an' dry for naeone? Do ye really expect me to believe that - yer bum's oot the windae!"

Venom flushed her cheeks. Malcolm thought he had never seen anyone so angry. Inside, his heart charged, he needed to persuade her, but how?

"Ainslee! I havenae wife or lassie! There's naeone but ye!" he paused, then looked at her closely. It was darkening, but he could still make out her hands. They were bare.

At least she was not yet married, he thought. But there was something else/