Page 58 of Abducted By the Highlander
Symon gave a nod. “Aye. Sounds like a plan.” He glanced over his shoulder at the caves, and Hugh’s gaze lingered on the one where Roisin had disappeared, and a dull ache filled his chest. All day he had harbored impossible dreams of sharing one last night with her, or at the very least, holding her again in his arms.
But now he would be lucky to receive one last smile from her.
Symon looked back at him. “’Tis a pity about Lady Roisin. But ye always knew nothing could come of it, Hugh.”
“Aye.” His voice was hollow, and he had no more words to say, but Symon seemed to understand as he gripped his shoulder and gave a quick nod before striding away.
Hugh went over the fire, where supper had been put aside for him, and he sat on a rock, methodically eating the food although he scarcely tasted a thing. He still needed to tell Roisin about the plan for escaping on the following day, although as yet he wasn’t sure how he was going to split away from Darragh without the chieftain charging after him. But compared to the prospect of facing Roisin again, after witnessing the disdain that had glimmered in her eyes before she had turned away from him without another word, Darragh was a minor hurdle to overcome.
He’d speak to her first thing in the morning.
*
Back in thecave, as Grear made a fuss of Ecne, Roisin tried to push Hugh from her mind, but his last feral words to her echoed around her head in an endless refrain.
“I came this close to doing all in my power to keep ye with me, whatever the cost to ye.”
How many times had she dreamed of hearing him confess that he believed they should be together? That he’d do anything to ensure they would never be parted?
Too many times to count. But in her fae-inspired fantasies, his words had been as sweet as honey, his eyes had glowed with love, and he had never threatened she would be expected to suffer for it.
Shivers trickled along her arms, and she hunched her shoulders in a futile attempt to throw off the despairing sense of catastrophe that wrapped spectral fingers around her. She should have known better than to think there could have been a way for them to find lasting happiness together. The ancient gods in her beloved tales had always demanded a high sacrifice for any wish they granted, and she’d no reason to believe God Himself was any different in that regard.
Hugh, it seemed, would keep her by his side if she said the word. But the price was too high. She had seen honor when there had been only lies and mistaken lust for love.
She had been nothing but a foolish, reckless lass. The only small relief on the bleak horizon was the knowledge that at least there would be no lifelong consequence of the magical hour they’d spent together in this cave.
Alas, it didn’t make her feel any better.
“Milady.” Grear’s voice was hushed, and Roisin forced a smile on her face and took the younger woman’s hands. Even if everything had been different, the stark truth was she could never have stayed with Hugh in this life. Not unless Grear could have been safely returned to Eigg.
But then, that had never been what she really wanted. Right fromthe start, she’d dreamed of Hugh escaping the life of an outcast to be with her.
“We must pack as much as we can from the casket into the saddlebags.” They needed to travel as light as they could and while she could carry Ecne’s basket while riding, the casket was too unwieldy. “Tomorrow, we shall begin our journey back to Oban.”
“Shall we?” Grear sounded dubious, but Roisin didn’t want to consider all the things that could go wrong with her plan, especially as she hadn’t finalized it yet.
“Aye.” She opened the casket and from the glow from the small fire began to sort out its contents. As she packed the saddlebags, her fingers brushed against the inkwell Hugh had bought her, and pain squeezed her heart. She’d been so sure it was proof he felt the same for her as she did for him, but now she wasn’t certain of anything.
The best thing she could do was leave the inkwell here in the cave, so she could pack more supplies from the casket in the saddlebag. But she couldn’t do it. Maybe it didn’t represent everlasting love, but it would serve to remind her to never let her foolish feelings rule her actions in the future.
When she and Grear had finished, she couldn’t delay any longer. “I won’t be long, Grear. Ecne, stay,” she said, before ducking out of the cave. Although the sun had set long ago, twilight still bathed the land, giving her plenty of light to see how Hugh still sat morosely by the fire. As though he were aware of her presence, he turned and caught her gaze and she despised how, even now, she wanted nothing more than to go to him and have him tell her everything was not the way it seemed.
No. Roisin wouldn’t make a fool of herself with him again. She clearly had little pride when it came to Hugh, but she had managed to salvage a shred, and she was determined to cling onto that tattered remnant until the bitter end.
Innis and a couple of the other women were also around, foldingblankets that had been drying beside the fire all afternoon. She took a deep breath to boost her courage and approached them.
“Innis, might I have a word?”
Innis stretched her back and came over to her. Since they were still uncomfortably close to Hugh, and the last thing she wanted was for him to overhear what she had to say, she took Innis closer to the small cave.
“I can’t go to Fergus’s camp.” Her voice was low, but she didn’t quite manage to hide the quaver of fear. “I’m certain if I do, I shall never see my kin again.”
Innis glanced over her shoulder, perhaps to ensure no one could overhear them, and then she sighed and shook her head. “He’s Darragh’s oldest friend, although I’ve never had much to do with him. I want to tell ye he’ll abide by Darragh’s word to ye to see ye safely reunited with yer kin but,” she hesitated as though she battled against familial loyalties. Finally, she took a great breath as though she had reached a decision. “I cannot. And it grieves me to admit for if Clan MacGregor loses its honor, what do we have left?”
“Innis, we need to accompany ye to Oban. I can book passage back to Eigg from there.”
Innis looked troubled. “We’re not sailing from Oban, Roisin. We’re traveling farther south before we cross the sea.”
