Page 60 of Tempting the Highland Devil
“I am Isabella,” the woman said and placed her right hand on her chest. “I took you from the castle with the help of some of your guards who are loyal to the one who sent me.”
“Who?” Yvaine questioned. “Who is the one who sent ye? Is it Laird Macmicking? What does he want from me? Why is he doin’ this?”
“I cannot tell you who my master is yet because you must do something for me first, my lady.”
Yvaine relaxed a little when the woman smiled, and her eyes softened. The tremors wracking through her heart lessened, and she sucked in a deep breath before asking. “What do ye need me to do for ye?”
“It is quite simple, my lady. Since you came to clan MacGregor, the lives of the people have changed. The laird provides for those who have nothing, and he seems more attentive to their needs. We have you to thank for that.
“I need you to convince the laird to help the villagers claim back the land that was stolen from them by one of the neighboring clans. This land belonged to my father, and it has been in my family for generations. You are the only one who seems to have the laird’s listening ear. All petitions filed to the castle have been ignored.”
“Are ye from the Highlands?” Yvaine wondered out loud because she doubted the lady’s origins as she spoke in a perfect English accent.
The woman shook her head quickly. “My father was, but I have lived in England with my mother for most of my life. I am sure your husband, the laird, remembers him. He is, after all, responsible for his death.”
Yvaine’s brows drew together as her frown deepened, and Isabella chuckled before Yvaine could consider,Who did Arran kill?
She had never once doubted that Arran was a good man, and the more she learnt about his clan and their past, the deeper she understood just how much ruin his father had caused to many lives.
Isabella smiled again as she assessed Yvaine closely. “Do not fret, my lady. I mean you no harm, and neither do I want to harm the laird. I only want ye and the laird to hear my plea.”
When Isabella reached for her hand, Yvaine gasped and nearly pulled away from her shock.
“I beg this of you, my lady. You must help my family recover their land. It is the only means of survival that we have left.”
Yvaine sighed as she stared into Isabella’s clear blue eyes. A moment of silence passed between both women, and Yvaine replayed every word Isabella said in her head.
I have so many questions,she thought as she nibbled on her lower lip before voicing one of them.
“How did ye make it to my chamber? Did ye kidnap me all by yerself? How did we make it out here?”
“We are not alone,” she answered in a raspy tone. “I was with two men, and they are outside this inn laying watch for the night. What I used to make you sleep was powerful enough to keep you unconscious for an entire day. I do not know much about these men. All I know is that they come to my mother and I for potions like this all the time, and sometimes, I assist on their missions. When I found out you were their target, I knew this was my chance.”
“Who is behind this? Who sent them to take me? What do they want? If ye want me to trust ye, then ye must at least tell me this much,” she urged.
Yvaine’s questions were met with a downcast look, and she knew the answer Isabella would give even before she spoke.
“I do not know these things, my lady. I have never met the leader, and I do not think these men have either. They simply get their orders from a messenger. Perhaps if we find him, then we can have more answers.
It was Yvaine’s turn to clutch Isabella’s hand. “Tell me anythin’ ye ken. Anythin’ at all that can help me, please.”
They heard footsteps approach a moment later, and Isabella’s eyes widened before she quickly said. “You must pretend to be unconscious for now, my lady. When we find a way to escape these men, we will head back to MacGregor. We have traveled very far away from the clan already. It will take almost a day to return.”
Yvaine swallowed hard before she nodded then lowered herself to the bed again. Her heartbeat was faster than ever as she tried not to think of anything else but her means of escape.
For now, she had to lay still and pretend to be asleep. She hoped she would make it back to Arran soon enough. She knew he’d blame himself while looking for her.
31
Arran searched every inch of ground on his way to Macmicking for his wife. His joints ached as he managed to dismount from his horse one last time and lead the horse onto the castle grounds.
Macmicking men surrounded the front of the castle, covering every square inch of ground to barricade his men from the drawbridge leading into the keep.
James walked beside Arran after they tied their horses at some trees nearby. Their sure-footed strides came to a grinding halt when Laird Macmicking stepped forward, his hands crossed behind him as he glared at Arran with a mocking sneer on his lips.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of yer visit, Laird MacGregor?” Laird Macmicking asked as he glanced from Arran to the squad of men behind him. “Have ye come to start a war, Laird MacGregor?” he continued.
“I might start one if ye dinnae hand over me wife,” Arran answered with intent as he took a menacing step forward and clenched his right hand over the edge of his sword. “Our clans have been rivals for decades, I understand, but that was in me faither’s reign. Now that I am laird, I will nay condone such acts. If ye try to harm my family, then ye have me to deal with.”
