and take command over all, even the Abbess, with the authority
of a born leader. Somehow, it made being around him feel safer. But she wasn’t about to cower to him, big, brooding Highlander
or not. “You cannot expect him to travel all the way to England alone. Look at him! He will be attacked on the road before
he reaches the border!”
“Who’s going to England alone?”
Davina turned to see Finn entering the hall with Colin at his side, the latter already eyeing Edward caustically. Will hung
back, peeling the skin from an apple he’d pilfered somewhere along the way back down to the Refectory.
“No one is, Finn,” she replied, returning her unwavering gaze to Rob. “He is my friend.”
Rob met the challenge in her eyes with a determined stare of his own. “He’s an English soldier, Davina. He willna’ be welcome
at my home.”
“My brother is an English soldier, Rob,” Finn pointed out, then grew silent when Rob turned to pin him with an incredulous
glare.
“That’s different,” Colin said, making his way across the room to Edward. “Connor is kin.” When he reached the captain, he
looked him over the way a cat might size up a mouse before pouncing on it. “Why is he still in possession of his sword?”
“Ease off, cousin,” Will called out, leaning his hip against the table and biting into his apple. “He’s no’ a Covenanter.”
He paused in his chewing and cut his gray gaze to Asher. “Are ye?”
“No, I am not,” Edward told him, looking slightly uneasy around the four north men all staring at him now.
Will was the first to smile at him, or maybe, Davina corrected herself, it was Sister Elaine standing just behind Edward who
was the recipient of his favor, for she blushed a full two shades darker.
“Dinna’ mind young Colin, Captain,” the rascal Will sang. “He’s a wee bit bloodthirsty when it comes to his enemies. Much
like his faither—who ye’ll be meetin’ soon enough if ye come wi’ us.”
“He’s stayin’,” Rob ground out and turned to leave. “And we’re wastin’ time.”
Davina looked around at the others for aid, but no one had the boldness to stop him. Not even the Reverend Mother. It blistered
Davina’s nerves. Who did he think he was, ordering a captain of the king’s Royal Army about as if he was nothing but a peasant?
Dismissing everything she said as if she wasn’t even there! Well, she was tired of being invisible. This meant too much to
her. She’d lost everything, everyone who mattered in her life. But God brought Edward back to her, and she wasn’t about to
lose him again.
“I was wrong about you, MacGregor,” she called out, following him out of the Refectory. “I thought you could keep me safe,
but I was wrong.” When he pivoted around slowly, she gathered her courage and strode right up to him.
“What do you think will happen if Edward is captured by Admiral Gilles? Hmmm? How long can any man hold out if he is tortured?
How long do you think it will take Gilles to find out where the MacGregors make their home? His men burned nuns alive. Do
you think he will not kill every MacGregor he finds until he finds you?”
She had his ear now and for a moment he looked as though he might give in. She plunged ahead. “And even if Edward makes it
to England, do you expect him to lie to his king about what happened to me? It will only be a matter of time before the king’s
army enters Skye.”
“Why? Why will he come fer ye?”
“I cannot tell you. I will not.”
“Then Asher stays.”
Oh,
she fumed, staring at him,
blackmail was quite unattractive.
“Very well, I will tell you! King Charles promised me to a man who—Where are you going?” she demanded when he began to turn
away from her. “I was not finished. When he died, he commanded his brother James to—”
“I dinna’ believe ye, Davina.”
“What do you mean you don’t believe me?” She chased after him as he took up his
of a born leader. Somehow, it made being around him feel safer. But she wasn’t about to cower to him, big, brooding Highlander
or not. “You cannot expect him to travel all the way to England alone. Look at him! He will be attacked on the road before
he reaches the border!”
“Who’s going to England alone?”
Davina turned to see Finn entering the hall with Colin at his side, the latter already eyeing Edward caustically. Will hung
back, peeling the skin from an apple he’d pilfered somewhere along the way back down to the Refectory.
“No one is, Finn,” she replied, returning her unwavering gaze to Rob. “He is my friend.”
Rob met the challenge in her eyes with a determined stare of his own. “He’s an English soldier, Davina. He willna’ be welcome
at my home.”
“My brother is an English soldier, Rob,” Finn pointed out, then grew silent when Rob turned to pin him with an incredulous
glare.
“That’s different,” Colin said, making his way across the room to Edward. “Connor is kin.” When he reached the captain, he
looked him over the way a cat might size up a mouse before pouncing on it. “Why is he still in possession of his sword?”
“Ease off, cousin,” Will called out, leaning his hip against the table and biting into his apple. “He’s no’ a Covenanter.”
He paused in his chewing and cut his gray gaze to Asher. “Are ye?”
“No, I am not,” Edward told him, looking slightly uneasy around the four north men all staring at him now.
Will was the first to smile at him, or maybe, Davina corrected herself, it was Sister Elaine standing just behind Edward who
was the recipient of his favor, for she blushed a full two shades darker.
“Dinna’ mind young Colin, Captain,” the rascal Will sang. “He’s a wee bit bloodthirsty when it comes to his enemies. Much
like his faither—who ye’ll be meetin’ soon enough if ye come wi’ us.”
“He’s stayin’,” Rob ground out and turned to leave. “And we’re wastin’ time.”
Davina looked around at the others for aid, but no one had the boldness to stop him. Not even the Reverend Mother. It blistered
Davina’s nerves. Who did he think he was, ordering a captain of the king’s Royal Army about as if he was nothing but a peasant?
Dismissing everything she said as if she wasn’t even there! Well, she was tired of being invisible. This meant too much to
her. She’d lost everything, everyone who mattered in her life. But God brought Edward back to her, and she wasn’t about to
lose him again.
“I was wrong about you, MacGregor,” she called out, following him out of the Refectory. “I thought you could keep me safe,
but I was wrong.” When he pivoted around slowly, she gathered her courage and strode right up to him.
“What do you think will happen if Edward is captured by Admiral Gilles? Hmmm? How long can any man hold out if he is tortured?
How long do you think it will take Gilles to find out where the MacGregors make their home? His men burned nuns alive. Do
you think he will not kill every MacGregor he finds until he finds you?”
She had his ear now and for a moment he looked as though he might give in. She plunged ahead. “And even if Edward makes it
to England, do you expect him to lie to his king about what happened to me? It will only be a matter of time before the king’s
army enters Skye.”
“Why? Why will he come fer ye?”
“I cannot tell you. I will not.”
“Then Asher stays.”
Oh,
she fumed, staring at him,
blackmail was quite unattractive.
“Very well, I will tell you! King Charles promised me to a man who—Where are you going?” she demanded when he began to turn
away from her. “I was not finished. When he died, he commanded his brother James to—”
“I dinna’ believe ye, Davina.”
“What do you mean you don’t believe me?” She chased after him as he took up his
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