Page 8 of Abducted By the Highlander
Finally, Amma spoke. “Do ye not feel it also, my bairn?” Her voice was hushed and a shiver of apprehension raced along Roisin’s arms. “Of all my girls, ye’re the one I believe inherited the same gift as I. Do ye not dream that ye must travel to the Highlands to discover yer destiny?”
Despite her earlier tangled thoughts, and shock that Amma had finally voiced something she’d always wondered about, her response was instant. “I’ll never leave ye, Amma. Ye must know that.”
Amma patted her hand and gave a sad smile. “Tell me why ye’re on the beach at dawn, without Grear accompanying ye.”
Grear accompanied her everywhere. And to be sure, that was her duty, but it was more than that. She considered her maid her friend and, since both her sisters had left the isle, her only confidante.
It was the reason why Grear now slept beside her in bed, instead of at the foot, where maids usually spent their nights. But after Freyja had wed, the bed had been too big, too lonely, and honestly, ’twas foolish for Grear not to share the comfort of pillows and covers, rather than wrapping herself in a sheepskin to stave off the chill.
Yet this morning she’d needed to be alone. And Amma wanted to know why. Maybe Grear had been right, and she should’ve confided in her grandmother weeks ago.
“My nights have been restless since Freyja left Sgur. ’Tis as though an invisible thread pulls me to the mainland, and I cannot understand why.”
Except that wasn’t quite the truth. For why else would she dream of the Highlands, other than it was the land of Hugh’s birth?
But although she might harbor the foolish wish that she had afuture with Hugh Campbell, she wasn’t reckless enough to let a misguided hope rule her life. Her sisters were convinced her head resided in the clouds, but she would never leave the safety of Sgur to chase an illusory fantasy.
Amma sighed. “I wish I could enlighten ye, Roisin, but I’ve no wisdom to share with ye about this. I see no man in yer future, the way I could when I had visions of Freyja meeting Alasdair Campbell before he arrived on the Small Isles. All I know is the Highlands awaits ye.”
“Ye saw Alasdair in a vision?” How had she not been aware of that? Did Freyja know? Somehow, she doubted it. Her sister was the most practical person ever and didn’t believe in anything she couldn’t see or prove for herself.
“No, lass. I only knew she would meet a Highlander and that she would leave Sgur. Yet when I first saw him, I knew he was the one.”
Another shiver raced through her. Although last summer she’d not had any inkling that Freyja would soon meet her soulmate, once Alasdair had arrived on the Small Isles, she’d instantly noticed a difference in her sister. When Freyja had talked of him, there had been warmth in her voice and a smile on her lips, and when Alasdair was near, her sister fairly glowed.
She’d thought it was obvious to anyone with a grain of sense that Alasdair was Freyja’s destiny. But maybe the only reason she’d noticed was because of this strange gift she shared with Amma.
It was most disconcerting.
Before she could think better of it, her tongue ran away with her reason. “Did ye not sense anything about Hugh Campbell?”
Ah, curses. She hadn’t even mentioned his name to Grear in the year since Freyja had left, but it wasn’t as though Amma was unaware of how she’d fallen for him. Amma saw everything.
Concern wreathed her grandmother’s face, which was all the answer Roisin needed. What else had she expected?
“No, my bairn.” Sympathy threaded through each word and mortification slithered through her like a malignant serpent. She really should have kept her mouth shut. “All I know is that the Highlands are in yer immediate future.”
“Aye, well of course they are.” She kept her voice light, in the hope Amma wouldn’t guess the depth of her disappointment. Her unrequited obsession with Hugh was truly getting a little irksome. It was time to push his memory into a dark corner of her mind and leave it there. “We’re visiting Isolde in two months, after all. Maybe that is all these strange dreams are about.”
It was possible, after all. She was excited about seeing both her sisters again, and the prospect of welcoming her newborn niece or nephew was frankly thrilling. But if that was the case, why did an undertow of apprehension permeate her every dream?
Surely it wasn’t the danger of childbirth. Freyja would be there, and she was not only a healer of exceptional skill but also an experienced midwife.
Besides, these dreams had started before Isolde had told them of her pregnancy.
“Do ye truly think that?” There was a musing note in Amma’s voice and Roisin heaved a ragged sigh. She could try to fool herself but clearly she couldn’t fool her grandmother.
“I don’t know what else it could be.” Because nothing would induce her to bring Hugh Campbell’s name into the conversation again.
Amma was silent for so long, Roisin half wondered if this uneasy conversation was over. But she should have known better. When Amma turned to her, she recognized the keen gleam in her eyes and knew her grandmother had reached a decision.
But a decision on what, exactly?
“Isolde is safe,” Amma said, and Roisin stared at her, uncomprehending. Before she could ask what her grandmother meant, she continued. “And so is Freyja. I fear these visions will never cease untilye, also, find yer path away from our beloved Sgur.”
Alarm spiked through her. “Are ye saying we’re not safe at Sgur? But how can that be? ’Tis the home of our foremothers. Surely no harm can befall us here.”
Amma shook her head and once again they resumed walking along the beach, heading towards the castle that stood high on the hill and yet still remained in the shadow of An Sgurr, the mighty ridge that defined Eigg and could be seen from the neighboring isles.
