Page 70 of His Secret Highland Bride

Ah. Shane must have called on this woman to help. “Thank you for caring for me,” Lindsay said.

“Shane cared for ye, so it was easy for me to do the same. I hear he married you.”

“Aye.”

The woman smiled widely. “I am his aunt. Ye have a fine man.”

Lindsay didn’t argue, and not just because as his aunt she would most likely defend him to the death, but because she had seen his worry for his people. He was a fine man and even a fine laird. She just wasn’t certain he was a fine husband.

They went about helping with bandages and herbs. Lindsay took everything out to the wagon and was shocked to see it was gone. She turned to see the line of villagers had made it all the way to Cluny Castle on the hill.

“We must hurry,” she called to the other women, but she heard the chains let loose and felt the thump of the heavy gate as it crashed to the ground.

“It’s too late,” Bess said. “We’re trapped outside the gates.”

Lindsay put her hand on Jenny’s shoulder as the woman began to panic.

“We will be fine,” she said in a voice more confident than she felt.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Shane assigned a few of his best archers to stay behind to defend the keep. The rest of his men and a few of the men from the village stood ready. The clanking of weapons and the shifting of horses reminded him of his years fighting in France. But this was much more personal.

The men suiting up for war were his family. His clan. Their blood would be on his hands.

Alec rode up next to him. Their horses were fitted with armor. “I sent two more men to guard your wife,” he said with a frown. “Though, I’m not sure why they were needed inside the gates.” Alec hadn’t agreed with sparing more guards for such a task, but then, he didn’t know what could happen. He’d not choose his men over his wife again. He’d learned that lesson in the most painful way and wouldn’t lose Lindsay as he had Maria.

Lindsay may hate him for his deceit, but he’d see her protected, no matter what. And he’d care for her as a husband does, though they may not ever have a love marriage. That was the chance he took.

The sun was high in the sky as they held on the field to wait for the MacColls to arrive.

“It looks like we’ll have a busy day ahead of us, men. Rest assured, your families are safe in the castle,” Alec said.

Shane had wanted to keep the battle well away from Cluny, where his wife and his people waited for them to return. “We’ll head them off here in the meadow between the border and the river,” Shane said, leading the way.

If any of his men responded with more than a nod, he didn’t hear it. Maybe that was because he could barely hear anything beyond the rushing of blood at his temples. It was always this way when he went into battle. His nerves would rise up as if determined to take him down themselves. But as soon as it began, there was nothing but peace that came around him as he did his work to defeat the enemy.

It seemed they’d go to war with the MacColls alone. The warriors from the other clans had not arrived in time to offer aid.

It was just his clan against the monsters he’d heard tales of since he was a child.

On the opposite hill, he saw them, their weapons gleaming in the sunlight. The mass of men pulsed with anger and anticipation. Shane could already see they were outnumbered.

“We are fighting for our loved ones, our lives, and our home, men. Fight well.”

…

Lindsay paced in the small cottage. While Bess seemed calm, Jenny was a mess with worry for Hal as well as them.

“We don’t even have a blade between the lot of us,” the woman fretted.

“No one will expect us to be here. It’s not like they’ll come looking for us.”

She shared a glance with the older woman. Lindsay wasn’t accustomed to battle, but she knew if the MacColls won, they’d come to the village straightaway to claim their spoils. And here sat the three of them and a little dog, who just then went to the door and barked.

“Shh, ye wee beast. You’ll tell them where we are!” Jenny scolded louder than the dog had barked.

“What is it?” Lindsay asked the dog, not expecting an answer, but she followed Tre to the front of the cottage when she came to sit by the door. Lindsay peeked out the window and saw three men entering the clearing where Bess’s home sat. Their plaids were red and similar to the MacPhersons’ tartan, but she looked closer and noticed the differences.