Page 28 of Highland Dove

“Come inside,” she told him, opening the door a little wider. “Mayhap we can dance.” She reached over and picked up a sprig of mistletoe that had decorated the top of the bread. Holding it over her head she smiled and puckered her lips. “Care to kiss me under the mistletoe?” She smiled as his mouth turned down into a scowl while she waited. She reached out for him but he jerked his hand away.

“Nay, I have no desire to kiss ye when ye look like a leper. Now stay away from me and dinna try to touch me again until those blisters are gone.” He spun on his heel and hightailed it away from her.

Chuckling softly, she closed the door and looked over to Duncan. “All my discomfort is worth it when I see Eideard runnin’ from me instead of tryin’ to bed me,” she told him.

“Aye, but that willna last forever,” Duncan told her. “And soon, it’ll be me kissin’ ye under the mistletoe, no’ him.”

“I’m lookin’ forward to it,” she said shyly.

He reached out and picked up the heart locket with the two turtle doves engraved upon it, bringing it to his mouth and kissing it. “I may no’ be able to kiss ye now, Mari, but my kiss will stay here with ye if ye should ever need it. Please, wait for me. I will clear this all up and ye and I will somehow still be married. I promise ye, I will find a way to do it.”

“I long for that day,” she told him as he gently placed the locket back down against her chest.

“I need to go now, before I’m spotted,” he told her, opening the door and peeking out the crack.

“When will ye return, Duncan?”

“I’m no’ sure if I’ll even be able to,” he said over his shoulder. “It was a risk just sneakin’ in here. If Eideard catches and imprisons me, I’ll no’ be able to carry out the plan.”

“Then stay away . . . for now,” she said, fingering her locket, feeling her heart about to break to say this to him. “But please, talk to my faither and figure out a way to take back the castle and enable us to be married. I canna keep away from Eideard much longer.”

“I will. I promise ye.” He reached back to her and tucked a strand of her long, red hair behind her ear. “I will find a way to do it, or die tryin’.”

“Nay, ye’ll no’ die,” she told him, the thought of the ivy being brought into the great hall lodged in her mind and worrying her even further.

“I’ll try to find a way to get a message to ye to let ye ken when we’ll attack. Guidbye, Mari,” he said, flashing a sad smile. “Please be careful, and take care of yerself.”

“Guidbye, Duncan, and ye do the same.” She blew him a kiss as he slipped out the door and disappeared. “Have a guid Christmas,” she whispered, her lip trembling as she picked up the locket and kissed the turtle doves right where Duncan had kissed them. No matter what happened, he would hold a spot in her heart for as long as she lived.

Chapter 9

Mari awoke the next morning to hear people talking in her small room. Pushing up in the bed, she rubbed her eye with the back of her hand and blinked twice. “What’s goin’ on?” she asked, seeing her sister helping Angus into his disguise. He was having trouble keeping the pillows in place that made up his fake breasts.

“I dinna want to dress like a wench anymore,” Angus complained in his regular low voice.

“Ye’re doin’ it for a guid purpose,” Tillie told him. “Now stay still so I can try to scrape off the rest of yer whiskers. Eideard isna goin’ to believe ye’re a wench if ye have a mustache.” She raised the edge of the sharp knife to his face. Angus grimaced and turned his head.

“I’m hungry,” he complained. “Did ye bring me some of that guid cabbage stew ye make?” he asked. “Or how about some black bun? I could go for that and a big tankard of Mountain Magic about now.”

“Hush,” said Tillie, trying to hold him still to shave him. “I told ye, I’ll make ye all the food ye want after this is all over.” She scraped the edge of the knife against his upper lip.

“Duncan was here yesterday,” said Mari with a yawn.

“He was?” Angus’ head jerked around to see her. When he moved, the knife cut him between his upper lip and his nose. “Och, lass, that hurts!” His hand went to the cut. He was bleeding slightly.

“Well, if ye dinna stop movin’, ye’re goin’ to get yer throat slit next,” retorted Tillie. “I told ye to keep still.” Tillie reached out and turned Angus’ face back toward her.

“What did he say?” asked Angus, once again turning his head to look at Mari.

“I give up!” Tillie put the knife on the table and wiped her hands on her gown. “If ye want a shave, do it yerself.”

“Duncan said he would try to find a way to send a message to us when they’re ready to attack. But we need to find where Eideard is hidin’ Emmaline first.”

“Hopefully, it’ll all be soon,” said Angus, looking at the blood on his fingers and poking at his cut. “I canna go on like this much longer.”

“Ye need to find out from Eideard where he’s taken yer mathair,” Mari told him, getting out of bed and itching her arm. She still felt miserable and the blisters only seemed to multiply overnight.

“Och, I’ll just strangle the answer out of him with my bare hands around his throat.” Angus held out his hands and pretended to be squeezing.