Page 190 of Tales of Highland Loyalty

"Ainslee," said Mal, again, this time softly. Ainslee was not listening. Furiously, she waited, eyes pressed down.

"Ainslee, lass, just hark, will ye? I ken ye dinnae believe it, but I was kidnapped an' taken aboard that boat... an' that oor Bruce was the one to do it... Believe me, lassie... I'm going back to the clan right noo, to have it oot!"

Sharpness entered Ainslee's heart. A slight doubt formed, and lingered. All the same, it hurt too hard. Stiffly, she shook her head.

"Ainslee!" Malcolm tried again, but her back was turned. Trotting awkwardly about, she struggled, in vain, to point away from Malcolm's face. She could not look at him. She might find herself weakening.

"Nae," she eventually muttered. "Get tae!"

Silence.

Ainslee shuffled awkwardly in her saddle, as the turning tide became the only sound between them.

Then, the sound of someone dismounting and trudging over broke through. Still avoiding their gaze, Ainslee was forced to stay where she was.

"Hoo there!"

Ainslee immediately turned her head. Fully expecting Malcolm, she braced for the worst. Silently, she pictured seeing his face there, close up.

It was impossible to ignore him for much longer, and despite herself, she had to look.

To her surprise,it was James there, Malcolm's friend.

This did not really make Ainslee happy, but reluctantly, she shrugged.

"Guid morrow," said James, pleasantly. He was right in front of her. There was no way she could move now without squashing his feet.

"Guid morrow, sir," she said, somewhat stiffly.

She waited for him to leave. Of course, he did not.

Next to her, Marisse, sneaked a look, hiding whenever James turned around. This only racketed

Ainslee's irritation up more.

Annoyance spilling over, Ainslee took the reins. Meeting James in the eye, she addressed him plainly.

"Excuse me, sir. We must be on oor way..."

"Aye, that is where I think we can help," said James, smiling. Ainslee found herself drawn into his dark smirk. Perplexed, she stared. "Hoo about we give ye ladies an escort... back to the clan..."

Ainslee looked down. She was about to open her mouth to protest, when Marisse cleared her throat.

"I think that would be wise," she said to Ainslee. Reluctantly, Ainslee started.

"Yer pal has reason," said James, amiably.

Behind him, she could feel Malcolm, his eyes staring, boring into her. But she would not give him the satisfaction of turning. She just wouldn't.

"The roads are nae safe, especially at such an early hour… we were told there are bandits that roam between the coastal parts an' the clans, tis advisable to take the longer road around... that means arriving late... in the dark...," James looked meaningfully at her, and with a sinking thought, she knew he was right.

"Aye, it's nae safe here since he abandoned us," said Ainslee, with a barbed shot at Malcolm.

Malcolm gave her a pure look, Ainslee did not know how to read it, but he seemed pained.

Good.

A cold satisfaction crept through her. So he would suffer just like she did.