Page 24 of Highlander’s Quest of Desire

Chapter Nine

Going over the island with Elspeth was different from when Bruce was doing it alone. He was more aware of the danger from the hunting lodge. Avoiding detection was paramount. It was also clear that Elspeth hadn't divulged all of what had happened to her in the town. There was a haunted look about her eyes that worried him. Yet, he was in no position to pry. The secret of the Honors was a palpable bruise between them.

Deep in the forest, away from the shore, they sat to eat the little food they had brought with them.

"I didnae ken Inchmurrin was a secret island," she said after they had consumed half the meal. "One can see it for miles and miles."

Bruce laughed. "Is nae the island that's a secret. It's what's hiding here."

"Am I allowed to ask what it is, or will ye be exceedingly cold to me after?"

Surprised by her sarcasm, Bruce wasn't sure if he was amused or annoyed. Half-remembered moments from their childhood surfaced where Elspeth's quick wit had made an impression, but his overall idea of her had been of a quiet, timid woman. Why did he remember her like that?

"I'll tell ye what we're looking for if ye tell me how it is that ye found yer tongue and wit quick enough to take on English soldiers?"

The effect of that question was the opposite of what Bruce had expected. Elspeth became quiet and withdrawn. She was mercurial, ever-changing, and the most intriguing woman he had ever met. No part of the question he asked seemed inappropriate to him, but he kept wondering what it was he'd said that had offended her into silence.

"Aye," she finally said, breaking into his thoughts. "If ye tell me what we're looking for, I'll tell ye what ye ask."

"That's settled then," he said, throwing his apple core across the glade. "I suppose I should start. I'm seeking a map."

"A map?" Elspeth made the most adorable face, like a rabbit scrunching up its nose at the scent of something strange. "It must be a map to Heaven's sequestered door to be kept so secret."

Bruce smiled. Elspeth was more than quick-witted; she was sharp as a blade. "’Tis the map to something we lost."

"Clan Grant lost it?"

"Aye," Bruce said. It was a lie, but a small one. The Honors were lost to all of Scotland, and clan Grant was a part of Scotland. "It is my mission to recover it."

"And ye willnae tell me what 'it' is." Elspeth pursed her lips. He was on thin ice again.

Choosing his words carefully, Bruce cleared his throat. "Family heirlooms. They were passed down from father to son until they were stolen and lost to us. They are of no significance, but they mean a lot to me. I must recover them before leaving Scotland."

"Surely, if they have been lost for so long they can wait for ye to return to Scotland to find them. Ye run a great risk for something that has been lost for so many years."

"Aye," Bruce nodded. "But there was no trace of them before. Now that I ken there is a clue, a way to get to them, I cannae rest in peace abroad. I must find them."

"And only then will ye leave for safety?"

"Aye."

Elspeth bit her lip, and Bruce saw that she was considering her options.

"Then it will be an honor to serve ye in yer purpose. It is a noble quest."

With that, she got up and collected her things.

"But what of yer side of the bargain?"

"My story can wait," Elspeth said, shading her eyes against the sun.

“That’s nae fair,” Bruce protested. “I kept my end of the bargain.”

“Aye, and I intend to follow through. ‘Tis not for avoiding telling it that I ask ye to wait. We only have a little light left. We must find yer map and make camp for the night. Then I will tell ye my story."

She turned and looked down at him, holding her hand out for him to take, and Bruce had to catch his breath. The sun formed a halo around her, filtering through her dark hair, her face aglow with excitement and purpose, and her eyes, her mesmerizing eyes were full of life.

“Lead the way,” she said.