Page 5 of The Highlander’s Dangerous Desire

“Niamh never knew her mother.”

“Even so, her mother was Highland born, and her kin are kin tae the MacDuff clan. Our cousin, the clan healer, is the daughter o’ a younger sister, I think. Or mayhap her mother’s mother was the younger sister.” Bloodlines were not something he kept track of. That was more the sort of thing Alistair and Catriona paid attention to.

Although, perhaps if he’d showed more interest in the matter, he would have seen the danger Gael MacTavish represented sooner - before whatever happened that had caused Devlin to send him such an urgent warning.

“I… see. But… it hasn’t even been a year since she was taken from here…” Grace looked almost hurt.

“’Twas a difficult time. Bonds can be forged fast, in such trials. And Alistair and Niamh were never indifferent tae one another, nae since I met her.” Whatever had occurred on the journey between the Cameron clan and the Highlands, it had brought those two together, even before the wedding. Oh, they’d fought, and still did, but even then he’d seen the beginnings of the relationship between them, even deeper and stronger than the love his brother had felt for his previous betrothed Constance MacBeth.

Well, whatever happened between Alistair and Niamh, ‘twill nae be repeatin’ between me and this English lass… assuming I can convince her tae accompany me at all.

“Tell me what happened, please?”

Ewan grimaced before he could stop himself. “I dinnae ken all the details, but even what I dae ken ‘tis a long tale. Too long fer a messenger delivering a message. If ye want the story, ye’ll have tae come with me.”

Grace nodded, her eyes going back to the missive. “Yes. Niamh did say she wants me to go… and I do so want to see her again. I have missed her, and our meetings. But I…”

“If ye want to come, then come. Make yer excuses. I’m sure yer guardian willnae mind ye goin’ tae see a friend.”

There was a flash of heat in her eyes when she responded. “If you think that, Master Ewan, then you do not know my guardian. Uncle William would never approve my going to visit another lady, escorted or no, unless it were perhaps a member of the royal court. And even then he would insist on accompanying me himself.”

Ewan scowled. “He’ll find himself in dire straits, if he wishes tae follow ye intae the Highlands.”

“There is not gold enough in the world to convince Uncle William to let me travel to the Highlands, not even with an invitation from a Lady. And if you knew anything of my uncle’s character, you would realize that his hatred runs deep indeed, that he would scorn wealth for such reasons.”

Clan MacDuff wasn’t particularly wealthy, in any case. They were still recovering from the Border Wars, and from Fergus MacTavish’s depredations. Alistair had forbidden him to empty the MacTavish coffers to repay Clan MacDuff, saying it would only incite anger and rebellion among the recently conquered clansmen.

But that was not the point, not now. Ewan sighed. “Then are ye refusing?” It would break Niamh’s heart, but if the lass refused to go with him, then there was little he could do.

“No. I would not abandon Niamh like that, not if she has asked for me. I am only pointing out that my uncle will never permit me to accompany you.”

“Then…”

“There is only one logical solution. We shall have to find some way for you to ‘kidnap’ me.”

CHAPTER THREE

Grace wasn’t sure what reaction she’d expected from the burly, brooding man before her, but it hadn’t been an openmouthed look of shock, followed by a strangled “I beg yer pardon?”

She swallowed her irritation. “I need you to ‘kidnap’ me. Steal me away.”

The Scotsman - Ewan, she supposed she must call him - shook his head. “I heard ye, girl. But dae ye nae ken what would happen tae me if I agreed tae such a mad plan? I’d be shot by the first Englishman tae see us taegether. And hunted the length o’ the Lowlands, if nae beyond. Stealin’ a lord’s daughter? I’d be a dead man.”

Surely it couldn’t be so bad. Ewan, however, certainly believed it was. And honestly, having been friends with Niamh for so many years… perhaps he was right. After all, Uncle William had scolded her fiercely for even deigning to verbally demand an apology from the man, and Lord Ambrose had hinted that actually stooping to exchange words with a Scotsman was one reason he’d refused to continue the courtship.

For that matter, she had to stifle a desire to do something incredibly rude and unladylike herself. Niamh was one thing, but the presence of this muscled, armed, bearded man with his clan brogue was another matter altogether.

Still, she did want to see Niamh. She’d missed her presence and her letters ever since she’d been carried away. If traveling with Ewan was what was required to see her dear friend, then she would do so.

He was still waiting for her answer, visibly impatient.

“What do you suggest?”

The Scotsman scowled, then smoothed the expression away with a quick glance at the door. “Can ye nae go… riding, or something? And meet me outside the village?”

“My uncle would surely see me escorted, if he did not choose to accompany me himself. And he might well. He has been increasingly interested in my whereabouts of late.” That was true, distressingly so, in fact.

“Then, if ye plan tae go with me, we need a plan that willnae result in me getting shot on sight.” The words were spoken in a low growl, that Grace suspected signalled the man’s patience was wearing thin.