Page 74 of Highlander’s Quest of Desire

“Nae!” Bruce’s hand on her cheek tightened a little, and she saw alarm in his eyes. “I will nae have ye marry him. That honor will be mine, and mine alone. But ye must prepare for yer wedding day and walk to the altar. That’s where we’ll unfold our attack.”

“We?” she asked.

“Laird Labert, his spies at Dunnottar, and Domnhall.”

“Domnhall?” Elspeth was so surprised she sat up. “My brother is here?”

“Aye,” Bruce said. “He is here to rescue ye. His men are at the base of the cliff making certain Leo doesnae call for reinforcements.”

Elspeth was in shock. She couldn’t conceive of her brother taking so much risk and antagonizing another Laird, least of all for her. Most of her shattered faith in herself had resulted from his passive approach to most everything in life. Domnhall Buchan was known to stay out of the affairs of other Lairds and keeping to his lands and men. But now, here he was, risking almost everything he had built since becoming Laird to protect his sister.

“He came for ye,” Bruce said. “Ye should have seen the look on his face when we met at Balquhidder. I was certain for a minute that he would strangle me for nae delivering ye home the minute I saw ye on the shore off Bass Rock.”

“I still cannae believe he’s here,” she said.

“Yer brother loves ye,” Bruce said. “Laird Labert loves ye. And I love ye. And none of us will see ye used as a bargaining tool by Leo Sinclair.”

He kissed her forehead and then began to get dressed. The notch of sky they could see from the window was fading from black to deep purple. Elspeth didn’t want the night to end, but the sun didn’t care for their mortal desires.

Elspeth sat on the chest, the bedsheet tied around her, and watched Bruce pull on his own pantaloons, and his shirt. It was a simple delight in watching him dress, but it meant a lot to her. A few hours ago, she had thought she had lost him. God had returned him to her, and though she was grateful she was also worried about what the days was going to bring.

She couldn’t lose him again.

They were kissing goodbye when someone knocked on the door and Gwen entered. “Laird Grant,” she hissed. “We only have a minute.”

“Thank ye, Gwen,” he said. “I’ll just be out.”

“I do nae want ye to go,” Elspeth whispered, hugging him closer.

“Only a few more hours, my love,” he said. “A few more hours and I will emerge victorious with ye on my arms, and my castle back in my grasp.”

Elspeth prayed for this to be true; she prayed like she had never done before. And she believed in him too. There was no other man she believed could achieve what he set out to do. Yet, the worry ate at her. He had been betrayed and bested by Leo twice before. Would he be able to succeed now?

One last kiss, then Bruce left her, and though the sun was rising, the room which had glowed without needing any light throughout the night was suddenly darker.