Graham clansmen,” Jamie said. “Ye have transportation ready, in case it is needed?”
“Aye. How many will ye be taking to Inchmurrin with ye?” asked Dermot.
“A dozen o’ Argyll’s men and an equal number o’ Grahams,” Fraser said. “At the first sign o’ trouble, ye will signal them. Pray to God, we willna have need o’ them.”
“I dout ye will ha’ any trouble from Lord Walter,” Dermot said. “He no had the foresight to bring an armed guard with him. It would appear he was bit by the bug o’ overconfidence, and he is not a man to rally to a cause unless he is certain it will go in his favor.”
“Then let us move the men and retrieve yer lass,” Jamie said.
The sun must have overslept this morning, Claire thought, for it seemed well past the hour of sunrise. There was only the faintest hint of tinted sky that formed behind the black silhouette of trees. The wind blew not, the birds were quiet, and her heartbeat was thunderously loud.
She stood at the window in her dark room and waited for enough light to enable her to see, at least beyond the end of her hand. Her breathing was unsteady, and her palms were damp. Nothing stirred, as if the entire world was enveloped in the same sense of urgency that gripped her.
She was worried for Dermot, Fraser and Jamie, and whomever they enlisted to help them. If it were Argyll, she was not too concerned, for Argyll was too powerful to touch, unless it was by the king’s own hand.
The plight of her sisters was utmost on her mind. For their sake, she thought it was good that Fraser did not want her to inform her sisters of their plans. Their innocence of the matter should protect them from any hostile retaliation from Isobel or Lord Walter, although she did not think that was likely. They would be upset, of course, that she chose to marry in this manner, but they would adjust to it in time. Lord Walter was like a father to Kendrew, and Isobel was equally maternal to Claire and her sisters. In spite of Fraser’s distrust of them, Claire thought their motives pure.
When the sky began to grow lighter, she had a sudden attack of panic. What if something went wrong? What if Fraser was not on his way for her, but detained, or suffering a change of heart? That was followedby a sense of loneliness, and then an acute longing for the presence of her father.
Somewhere in the shadows she thought she saw something, and she pressed her face closer to the pane of glass. Were they here now, waiting for enough light to show their presence? She doubted Argyll himself would be with them, but he might have sent one of his men to present Lord Walter with a letter bearing the duke’s seal, or perhaps it was given over to the sheriff who would present it. Or perhaps Argyll did not wish to involve himself and only Fraser and Jamie waited in the shadows for the coming of first light.
The sky was lighter now, and she could see the waters of the loch. Once she thought she heard the sound of someone walking over the cobblestones in the courtyard, but when she listened, she did not hear it again. The smell of oats cooking in the kitchen reminded her that she had not eaten. It also reminded her that somewhere in the castle, Lord Walter was awake and dressed, unaware of the guests or the surprise that awaited him.
She saw a man, standing just outside the courtyard wall, and then he turned and walked away, but not before she saw that it was Dermot. He must have penned the dogs, for they were always trailing behind him at this time of morning, and that gave her some reassurance that all was going well, at least so far.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Fraser and Jamie approach, and she left her room to make the longest walk of her life, down to the arms of the man who awaited her.
Lord Walter was livid with anger, and it showedfrom every angle of his bearing, before she even saw the rage on his face. When he saw her, he turned angrily. “And this is how ye repay our many
“Aye. How many will ye be taking to Inchmurrin with ye?” asked Dermot.
“A dozen o’ Argyll’s men and an equal number o’ Grahams,” Fraser said. “At the first sign o’ trouble, ye will signal them. Pray to God, we willna have need o’ them.”
“I dout ye will ha’ any trouble from Lord Walter,” Dermot said. “He no had the foresight to bring an armed guard with him. It would appear he was bit by the bug o’ overconfidence, and he is not a man to rally to a cause unless he is certain it will go in his favor.”
“Then let us move the men and retrieve yer lass,” Jamie said.
The sun must have overslept this morning, Claire thought, for it seemed well past the hour of sunrise. There was only the faintest hint of tinted sky that formed behind the black silhouette of trees. The wind blew not, the birds were quiet, and her heartbeat was thunderously loud.
She stood at the window in her dark room and waited for enough light to enable her to see, at least beyond the end of her hand. Her breathing was unsteady, and her palms were damp. Nothing stirred, as if the entire world was enveloped in the same sense of urgency that gripped her.
She was worried for Dermot, Fraser and Jamie, and whomever they enlisted to help them. If it were Argyll, she was not too concerned, for Argyll was too powerful to touch, unless it was by the king’s own hand.
The plight of her sisters was utmost on her mind. For their sake, she thought it was good that Fraser did not want her to inform her sisters of their plans. Their innocence of the matter should protect them from any hostile retaliation from Isobel or Lord Walter, although she did not think that was likely. They would be upset, of course, that she chose to marry in this manner, but they would adjust to it in time. Lord Walter was like a father to Kendrew, and Isobel was equally maternal to Claire and her sisters. In spite of Fraser’s distrust of them, Claire thought their motives pure.
When the sky began to grow lighter, she had a sudden attack of panic. What if something went wrong? What if Fraser was not on his way for her, but detained, or suffering a change of heart? That was followedby a sense of loneliness, and then an acute longing for the presence of her father.
Somewhere in the shadows she thought she saw something, and she pressed her face closer to the pane of glass. Were they here now, waiting for enough light to show their presence? She doubted Argyll himself would be with them, but he might have sent one of his men to present Lord Walter with a letter bearing the duke’s seal, or perhaps it was given over to the sheriff who would present it. Or perhaps Argyll did not wish to involve himself and only Fraser and Jamie waited in the shadows for the coming of first light.
The sky was lighter now, and she could see the waters of the loch. Once she thought she heard the sound of someone walking over the cobblestones in the courtyard, but when she listened, she did not hear it again. The smell of oats cooking in the kitchen reminded her that she had not eaten. It also reminded her that somewhere in the castle, Lord Walter was awake and dressed, unaware of the guests or the surprise that awaited him.
She saw a man, standing just outside the courtyard wall, and then he turned and walked away, but not before she saw that it was Dermot. He must have penned the dogs, for they were always trailing behind him at this time of morning, and that gave her some reassurance that all was going well, at least so far.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Fraser and Jamie approach, and she left her room to make the longest walk of her life, down to the arms of the man who awaited her.
Lord Walter was livid with anger, and it showedfrom every angle of his bearing, before she even saw the rage on his face. When he saw her, he turned angrily. “And this is how ye repay our many
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