Page 33 of Highlander’s False Identity

“Really?” he said, as if in disbelief. Edme wasn’t sure, but she thought that she could detect the telltale signs of a smile across his face.

“I was the first?” he asked, finally moving away from her slightly and walking over to his horse.

Edme hadn’t noticed, but both the horses were lingering in the dip by the roadside, waiting patiently to be resaddled.

“Where, where are ye going?” she asked, surprised at the sight of him inspecting his horse as if he were about to saddle up and ride off.

Beathan said nothing but just looked at her slyly. Then, to her bewilderment, he began checking around the bags attached to Nutmeg, her horse. He delved into the saddlebag as if looking for something. Edme watched him with growing concern as Beathan rooted around inside the sack, increasingly frantic. He looked at her in panic.

“It’s gone!” he said, his startled green eyes searing into hers. But Edme was cool. Instead, she just dipped down beneath the cloak she was wearing and pulled out a smooth, shiny brooch, which glinted in the pale moonlight. Edme nestled the trinket in her delicate hands, with a smile.

“Is this what yer looking for?” she asked. Beathan walked towards her.

“I… I just wanted to be sure,” he said, abashed. He reached out for the Cairngorm brooch, flashing in the starlight, laying it flat on his scratched palms.

“Here, take it. It’s yers,” said Edme. “I dinnae blame ye for wanting to check up on me,” she said. There was no malice in her voice. At that moment, Edme didn’t blame Beathan for taking care of the family jewels. But Beathan looked at her in surprise.

“Nae, nae, nae,” he said, pressing the brooch into her hands. “I just wanted to check it hadnae fallen out, in the ride, or that maybe the English hadn’t got their dirty paws onto it!” he said. “Here, ye have it. Listen, I’ll pin it on ye….”

Beathan came close to her, so near that she could feel his breath on her skin. He lifted her soaking cloak and reached the simple léine she wore underneath. There, he securely pinned the beautiful Cairngorm stone brooch.

“Och Beathan, it’s too much,” murmured Edme.

“Relax, yer just looking after it for me,” said Beathan, staring straight into her eyes. “Although, I reckon it suits ye better than it does me!” he quipped.

Edme shivered, something didn’t feel right about her wearing such a precious jewel. She cringed at the thought that she had tried so hard to take this from him. And that was not all.

“I dinnae ken, Beathan, what if I lose it?”

“Ye won’t. It’s safer pinned to ye than in that sack!” he said, gazing at her.

Edme shrugged self-consciously. “That’s nae all, Beathan. There’s something else I’ve meant to say… it’s yer sgian dubh…,” she said, her eyes misting up. Beathan looked at her, suddenly interested.

“Aye,” he said softly.

“I… ken ye must think I tried to steal it from ye, but I swear, I just found it an’ I’d meant to give it back to ye, almost right from the start,” she said guiltily.

Beathan just laughed. “Almost?”

“Aye,” she continued shamefaced. Now the breeze that had crept around the glen had turned into a full-on gale. Winds were billowing across the hillside at a breakneck pace. Without warning, a storm had unfurled from the heavens above.

“Right at the beginning, I wanted to keep it, but nae for long,” she said, her words consumed by the all-powerful wind, which raced around them.

“Lass, I dinnae care,” said Beathan leaning forward and kissing her. His lips lingered there a moment, hovering over her before she took the lead and kissed him back.

Emotions flooded through the young girl’s head, washing out her doubt and guilt. Her heart was beating so loud that it blocked out the sounds of the oncoming storm. As she leaned in to kiss him, all she could think about was his tender lips and his soft his face, despite the deepening bruise spreading over his eyelid.

If Beathan’s injuries were causing him pain, he didn’t show it. It didn’t seem to matter to either of them right then whether it was raining or even snowing, they were too nestled into each other.

Even though she’d been shaking with cold just a few minutes ago, hot torrents now consumed Edme’s body. She felt like she could abandon everything and lay down and make love to him, right there, despite the rain and cold.

But something inside stopped her. Instead, she pulled her arm away and sat back up on the makeshift bench.

“Nae, come on, Beathan, we cannae stay here. We’re going tae have tae chance it an’ try an’ make it to Duncan tower,” she said, reluctantly pulling on her wet cloak. It was so heavy and cold that she stopped and cast it off.

Beathan, who had been watching her, went to his knapsack and produced a short blanket. He placed it on her shoulders and draped it over her head.

“It’s the best we can do for now, but ye cannae be thinking of riding in this!” he said, reaching his arm out to hers. “It’s pitch black; the horses are exhausted, an’ so are ye!”