Page 26 of Tempting the Highland Captive

CHAPTERTWELVE

When Amelia recovered enough to rejoin the efforts of the clan to rebuild the village, she was elated to finally be free. Most of the clan was just as happy to see her back acting as lairdess, except for the elders, though they were all quick to praise Ron’s efforts. He had worked his way into their hearts and it warmed Amelia’s own to see it before she remembered once again that he would be leaving them all. She did not know when, but she knew that it would be sooner than her heart was ready for.

“’Tis good tae see ye well, my lady,” one of the clanswomen greeted her as she walked through the village surveying the progress.

“’Tis good tae be out,” Amelia replied with a heartfelt smile. “I feel a bit like celebrating actually.” She laughed at herself.

The woman’s eyes lit up at her words. “We were just saying that we miss the days when we celebrated the harvest at Lammastide.”

“Do ye nae celebrate anymore?” Ron asked having heard their conversation.

“Nae, Faither considered it tae be tae frivolous an expenditure.” Amelia shook her head. “We have nae celebrated it since my maither’s death.”

“Then why nae begin again?” Ron suggested and the clanswoman nodded her head in agreement.

“With the fire, we dinnae have the extra funds,” Amelia shook her head regretfully. She did not mention the price that he himself had asked of her and she would be forced to pay upon his departure.

“A celebration need nae cost verra much at all,” Ron argued, smiling. The look in his eyes said that he had a plan.

“Oh?”

“Aye. We will take what we need from the land. The men and I will go hunting and we will have the first fruits of harvest. It will be more than enough.”

“It would give the laird an opportunity tae meet the rest o’ the clan,” the woman standing at Amelia’s side, excitedly clutching her elbow, offered.

Amelia was not certain how she felt about that, but she could see the excitement of the idea spreading throughout those standing nearby. “I suppose that we could send word.”

The woman nearly leapt with joy she was so excited. Running off to tell her friends and family, she left Amelia and Ron standing together alone in the middle of the village. “Have I overstepped?” Ron asked, closing the small distance between them.

“Nae.” She shook her head. “It is within yer right, and ye are correct in that we should celebrate. We should celebrate life at every opportunity.”

One of the elders overhearing the conversation frowned and stopped. “What is there to celebrate about life? We should be having an oathtaking to bring unity to the clan under our new laird. That would be something worth celebrating. Until then it will be as if nothing has changed.” The elder, seeming not to care whether she agreed or not, continued walking.

Amelia frowned, her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach. She had hoped to avoid any such mention of oathtaking until after she had proven herself to the clan and the oath was made to her. She could not allow her people to give their oath to a laird that was a fiction and that would be leaving them all as soon as was manageable. As if reading her thoughts, Ron shook his head. “I will nae agree tae an oathtaking tae me, only tae ye. Ye are who they should be bending a knee tae, nae I.”

Amelia was grateful that he understood without her having to say a word. “I have a feeling that we have nae heard the last o’ the matter from the elders.”

“What do ye wish tae do about it?”

“I dinnae ken but let us both think on it for a time.”

Ron nodded and took her hand in his. Amelia was not certain whether he did it to show unity before the clan or for more sentimental reasons, but she laid her head on his arm as they walked, and the people smiled in approval at the seemingly loving couple. Amelia was glad to have him to lean on as her wounds were still a bit tender, but it was more than that. She was discovering that in Ron, she had someone to lean on emotionally as well for the brief time that they would be together.

Once they had surveyed the progress being made in the village, Ron took her over to the training field to show her the improvement of the clan’s fighting men. There was pride in his voice and eyes as he spoke of each one by name. One would have thought that he was a proud father instead of the stranger passing through that he really was. It warmed Amelia’s heart to see that he cared so much about her people. Her father had cared about their people, but it had not been a fatherly love, as more a sense of ownership and responsibility.

“The men are looking well,” Amelia greeted Lucas as he came to stand beside them.

“Aye, they are at that.” Lucas echoed Ron’s look of pride.

“Let us pray that they ne’er need see battle, but I am grateful tae ye both for seeing tae it that should needs must, they are ready.” Amelia smiled at them both, so small against their towering muscular forms.

“Aye. Should our enemies give cause, we are ready.” Lucas nodded, his manner taking on a momentary fierceness at the thought.

“I may have a job for ye and yer men,” Ron informed Lucas.

“Oh, aye?” Lucas’ brows rose in question.

“A hunt.”