wreathed her brow. Beneath it, a gossamer veil of white draped her long,loose-flowing hair, like a mist over a summer sunset. Her beauty was timeless, and he felt transported into another age when Scotland was young and maidens were fair and gentle beings who loved men for their honor.
Unable to take his gaze from her, he bowed before her. “I . . . ehm . . . I am Lord Robert Campbell.” He did not let himself forget his name, for he wanted her to know it. To come to know him.
“Have you found my sister, Lord Robert Campbell?” Her voice fell sweetly upon his ears. Her eyes did not blink while she waited for his reply.
“Aye, I’ve found her.” He was glad to tell her. But there was more, and for this he looked away and addressed the governor of Scotland as he led her into the hall. “But I have not found her brother. I fear he has perished in England.”
“Alas, we feared as much.” Monck rested his hand on Anne’s shoulder when she dipped her head to hide her tears.
Robert’s gaze hardened on the general as he took a step toward him. “Then . . . you knew?”
“He disappeared some months ago,” Monck said, offering Anne her seat. “Why do you think I sent you to find him and made haste bringing his sister here where I thought it safe?”
“I didn’t know why,” Robert answered truthfully.
“Now you do.” The general pulled out his chair and waited until Robert had returned to his own before he sat. “We have prepared for the worst news, but we did not expect you to bring it. My representatives are already in London engaged in other business. I have advised them to look into Stuart’s disappearance. I’ve dispatched three dozen others to search for Lady Stuart, but she is much like her brother. When she does not want to be found—”
“They are twins,” Anne said, turning to Robert.
“That explains much.” He smiled at the glistening warmth in her eyes when she spoke of her brother and sister.
“Is she well?”
“Aye, my lady. She waits anxiously to see you again.” He was rewarded with the faintest trace of a smile hovering about her mouth. When his gaze lingered on her, she looked away, veiling her eyes beneath a lush spray of russet lashes. He could smell her. Like the heather moors in the stillness of dawn, her scent washed over his senses, leaving him helpless to say or do anything but look at her. His gaze dipped to her lips, full and wide above a deeply cleft chin.
“How did you find her?” the general asked, hauling Robert’s attention to him once again.
“Quite by chance,” Robert answered. “We came upon her just before two of General Lambert’s men were about to . . .”
Monck bolted upright in his chair. His gray eyes sparked like lightning across a charcoal sky. “Lambert’s men are here in Scotland?” When Robert nodded, the general leaned back and rubbed his jaw, coming to some conclusion that drew his hand into a fist.
“And where is Lady Stuart now?” he asked, fixing his gaze on Robert.
“She’s safe,” Brodie informed him, shooting Robert a warning look to mind his mouth.
“I would see her.”
“There’s nae need,” Angus said, looking around for a server with their drinks. “If ye changed yer mind aboot trustin’ us with her safety, then we’ll leave now, withoot either o’ them.”
Monck sized up the beefy,auburn-haired Highlander with a penetrating, somewhat surprised look. “You are the one they call the Devil?”
“Nae,” Brodie answered again, “our laird had other matters to attend. We are here in his stead.”
When the general looked about to protest, Robert interjected. “My lord, I can vouch that these men are every bit as lethal as their chieftain. The sisters will be well protected with them until they reach Skye. I will escort them also, along with The MacGregor’s first in command, who waits with Lady Stuart while we speak.”
The general turned to Anne, then drew in a long breath before he returned his steady
Unable to take his gaze from her, he bowed before her. “I . . . ehm . . . I am Lord Robert Campbell.” He did not let himself forget his name, for he wanted her to know it. To come to know him.
“Have you found my sister, Lord Robert Campbell?” Her voice fell sweetly upon his ears. Her eyes did not blink while she waited for his reply.
“Aye, I’ve found her.” He was glad to tell her. But there was more, and for this he looked away and addressed the governor of Scotland as he led her into the hall. “But I have not found her brother. I fear he has perished in England.”
“Alas, we feared as much.” Monck rested his hand on Anne’s shoulder when she dipped her head to hide her tears.
Robert’s gaze hardened on the general as he took a step toward him. “Then . . . you knew?”
“He disappeared some months ago,” Monck said, offering Anne her seat. “Why do you think I sent you to find him and made haste bringing his sister here where I thought it safe?”
“I didn’t know why,” Robert answered truthfully.
“Now you do.” The general pulled out his chair and waited until Robert had returned to his own before he sat. “We have prepared for the worst news, but we did not expect you to bring it. My representatives are already in London engaged in other business. I have advised them to look into Stuart’s disappearance. I’ve dispatched three dozen others to search for Lady Stuart, but she is much like her brother. When she does not want to be found—”
“They are twins,” Anne said, turning to Robert.
“That explains much.” He smiled at the glistening warmth in her eyes when she spoke of her brother and sister.
“Is she well?”
“Aye, my lady. She waits anxiously to see you again.” He was rewarded with the faintest trace of a smile hovering about her mouth. When his gaze lingered on her, she looked away, veiling her eyes beneath a lush spray of russet lashes. He could smell her. Like the heather moors in the stillness of dawn, her scent washed over his senses, leaving him helpless to say or do anything but look at her. His gaze dipped to her lips, full and wide above a deeply cleft chin.
“How did you find her?” the general asked, hauling Robert’s attention to him once again.
“Quite by chance,” Robert answered. “We came upon her just before two of General Lambert’s men were about to . . .”
Monck bolted upright in his chair. His gray eyes sparked like lightning across a charcoal sky. “Lambert’s men are here in Scotland?” When Robert nodded, the general leaned back and rubbed his jaw, coming to some conclusion that drew his hand into a fist.
“And where is Lady Stuart now?” he asked, fixing his gaze on Robert.
“She’s safe,” Brodie informed him, shooting Robert a warning look to mind his mouth.
“I would see her.”
“There’s nae need,” Angus said, looking around for a server with their drinks. “If ye changed yer mind aboot trustin’ us with her safety, then we’ll leave now, withoot either o’ them.”
Monck sized up the beefy,auburn-haired Highlander with a penetrating, somewhat surprised look. “You are the one they call the Devil?”
“Nae,” Brodie answered again, “our laird had other matters to attend. We are here in his stead.”
When the general looked about to protest, Robert interjected. “My lord, I can vouch that these men are every bit as lethal as their chieftain. The sisters will be well protected with them until they reach Skye. I will escort them also, along with The MacGregor’s first in command, who waits with Lady Stuart while we speak.”
The general turned to Anne, then drew in a long breath before he returned his steady
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