Page 9 of Highlander's Rebellious Affair
“She is called a witch,” Ian replied. “That is enough reason to be an outcast.” With a loud voice he gave the horse a cue to lurch forward by gripping the horse with his legs. “Go.”
The animal moved, and they galloped toward the cottage at full speed. Once they arrived, he dismounted and left Hope on the horse, and approached the cottage.
The surrounding yard looked deserted. There was a broken bench, and pail lying around, the flower pot right at the doorstep contained a dead plant, dust and snow covered the stairs and when he climbed up, they creaked beneath him.
Ian didn’t think anyone lived in the cottage, but when he knocked, the door opened instantly and he stared into the eyes of a demented woman.
“I have been expectin’ ye,” she said to him and instantly grabbed his hands. “Where is she? Where is my sister’s child?”
Ian immediately became protective. “How did ye ken we were comin’?”
“It is winter, and ye have taken a young girl far away from home. If ye are ridin’ far into these mountains it is because ye are comin’ to find me,” she explained. “I am the only one crazy enough to live this far up in the mountains.” She released his hand when her gaze wandered to the horse waiting a distance away from the cottage and she walked toward the stairs.
“Is that her? My sister’s daughter?”
Ian cleared his throat. “Orlaith,” he began.
“Shh,” she hushed him and turned back to face him. “It is a cold night, soon Drummond men will be searchin’ the borders of Cawdor on Laird Gretchen’s orders. Ye have to be safely inside even though none of his men would venture this far to search. They would never believe ye would seek help with a witch.”
Ian stared at her, confused as she rambled. Her brown curls looked uncombed, her face was stained black, but he could still see her freckles and brilliant brown eyes shiny through the crazy look. He could tell she was once a pretty woman, and he could also see a specific resemblance between Orlaith and Hope’s mother.
He had seen Lady Drummond only once in the Hall, but her haunted look was etched into his memory.
“Bring the child and come in, she must be starved as it is,” she said and walked past him into the cottage. “I was preparin’ a meal.”
* * *
Inside the cottage didn’t seem as deserted as the outside, and it made Ian question the woman’s existence. Hope looked around the small, cramped space and turned to him. “It doesnae look so bad.”
“Compared to yer large chamber in the Castle?” he asked jokingly and her gaze dropped on the small bed by the side and moved to the dresser. “It looks terrible,” she admitted.
Orlaith returned from the outside inner chamber that served as her kitchen, holding small clay bowls. “Porridge,” she said and handed one over to each of them.
When she gave Hope hers, she paused and Ian saw her smile at Hope, flashing brown set of perfectly arranged teeth. “I have nay seen ye since yer birth,” she whispered and touched Hope’s cheeks.
Hope sucked in a deep breath, and Orlaith shook her head. “I willnae harm ye, my child. Ye are my child… when yer maither so desperately needed one, she came to me for help and I treated her with the best of herbs. When she was finally blessed with ye, she deserted me. I always warned her about that man she married, he was never any good for her. How is she?”
“Good,” Hope replied with a shaky smile and Orlaith pulled away, and turned to Ian.
“Why have ye fled yer home, my child?”
“Hope,” Hope interrupted, “my name is Hope.”
“Why have ye left home?” Orlaith asked again, but she was staring at Ian. She sized him up and moved closer to him, and Ian took a step back, his hands instinctively moving to his sword by his side.
“Did this man make ye leave home? Have ye left home for a man, child?”
“Nay,” Hope replied and heat rushed to her cheeks. Ian looked at her, and she continued, “My faither wishes to wed me off for power and wealth. He wishes to wed me off to men old enough to sire me, but I dinnae wish to be wed, Aunt.”
Hope moved and walked to Ian’s side, and he was shocked when she linked her hands with his. He gave her an alarmed look, wondering what she was up to, and she turned to him, her eyes locking on his.
“I dinnae wish to wed any of them, so I would wed Ian instead,” she announced. He was overwhelmed, his pulse skipped and for a moment as he looked at Hope, his heart leaped with joy and also stirred with something more than just the desire he had felt since he first saw her.
His heart stirred with a sudden urge to make her his, and promise her everything he could offer.
She will be my wife, and the mother of my children, she is entrusting her life to me,he thought as he tried to deal with the array of joy and an overwhelming need.
Orlaith’s frown slowly dissipated, and she looked at Ian. “We just need a kirk and a priest to bless us and ye as witness. It is why we have come up here,” he added, going with the flow.
