Highlanders Collection. Ann Lethbridge

the mare’s back. ‘Do your brothers know you ride this well?’

      He shook his head. ‘All they care about is teaching me to fight.’

      ‘How did you learn?’

      Dougal returned to his own stallion, inspecting the animal and speaking softly to him. ‘I sneaked out at dawn and taught myself.’

      ‘Why wouldn’t you ask your brother for a horse of your own?’ she began. ‘Alex might—’

      ‘He won’t.’ Dougal cut off the conversation and nodded towards the castle. ‘Now, if you’re wanting to talk to Grizel, you’ll find her inside.’

      Not ‘my mother,’ but ‘Grizel,’ as if the woman were a stranger. Casting her gaze back to Monroe, who had finally caught up, Nairna suddenly spied several riders behind him. The sun hid their faces from view, and when Dougal saw the direction of her gaze, he drew closer to her, resting his hand upon the hilt of his dirk.

      ‘Who are they?’ Nairna murmured, half-afraid to wonder. Her question was answered a moment later, when Bram came riding over the crest of the hill.

      Bram hung on to his horse, the green hills blurring as he raced towards his wife. Though he’d longed to see Nairna again, he’d never expected to find her at Locharr. He didn’t know what had driven his wife to come here, but he intended to find out.

      When he pulled his horse up short, he directed the worst of his anger at Dougal. ‘Why in the name of the bloody saints would you bring Nairna here?’

      Fury incensed him, at the thought of the horse stumbling and throwing Nairna off to break her neck. The race had been reckless and dangerous. But before he could speak another word, Nairna moved close to him and threw her arms around his waist.

      He gripped her hard, as if he could bring her within his skin. Even when her hands relaxed around his neck, he wouldn’t release his tight grip. She smelled earthy, of wildflowers and herbs, and, God above, he’d missed her.

      ‘I asked Dougal to bring me here,’ she explained. Lifting her face to his, she said, ‘I’m glad you made it home safely. Did you find Callum?’

      ‘No. They moved him to one of the other garrisons.’ He drank in the sight of her, from her tangled brown hair to the soft green of her eyes. When his gaze settled upon her mouth, he considered whether or not to kiss her.

      ‘Was anyone hurt?’ she asked.

      ‘None of our men. And we freed the remaining prisoners.’

      She gave a nod, but her face appeared troubled. ‘What will you do now?’

      ‘We need to find Callum while he’s still alive.’ Bram released her, striding towards the horses. Though he’d wanted to pursue Callum immediately, Alex had refused. Instead, his brother planned to send clansmen to each of the outlying fortresses until they discovered which one held Callum.

      He understood that his brother’s calm, rational plan would work. But it didn’t diminish his need to see this through. Remaining behind, waiting for someone to find Callum, made him feel helpless. Useless.

      ‘Alex sent men to search the other garrisons. When they’ve found Callum, I’ll go after him.’ His gaze flicked over the large stone wall in the distance surrounding Locharr. ‘We brought back a woman from Cairnross. I left her with Alex.’

      ‘A woman?’

      He saw his wife blink at his pronouncement, as though she weren’t certain what to think. ‘Why was she there? What happened to her?’

      Bram shrugged. ‘She was betrothed to Lord Cairnross. I wasn’t about to leave her there.’

      Nairna stepped back, staring at him with dismay. ‘You stole Lord Cairnross’s betrothed?’

      ‘No. It was her choice to come.’ He didn’t regret it for a moment and his temper started to push at the edges of his control. ‘I wouldn’t have left a dog with Cairnross, Nairna. Much less a woman.’ He reached the horses, adding, ‘Her father is a French duke.’

      ‘Duke or not, Cairnross will bring an army to attack us.’ She rubbed at her arms, as if she’d grown cold thinking of it. ‘Couldn’t you have taken her to the kirk for sanctuary?’

      ‘There wasn’t time. And she’ll be safe enough for now.’ At least until they sent word to her father. He’d leave that in Alex’s hands.

      ‘Or Lord Cairnross will burn Glen Arrin to the ground because we took her,’ Nairna dared to say.

      He didn’t deny that the English would retaliate. ‘We can defend ourselves.’

      ‘Not well enough.’

      He bit back the urge to argue, for words wouldn’t demonstrate anything. ‘We should go back to Glen Arrin,’ he said, guiding her by the arm. He didn’t know why she’d come to Locharr, but he didn’t want her to join the other women here. An emptiness centred through him as he wondered whether she’d planned to leave him.

      ‘I can’t go back until I’ve finished what I came here to do.’ She withdrew her arm from his, trying to walk back to the castle. ‘I want to talk with your mother and the women. You should visit her, now that you’re here.’

      He’d rather be eaten alive by insects than spend an hour with Grizel MacKinloch. ‘I’d rather not.’ He kept his tone emotionless, for she didn’t understand what she was suggesting.

      He supposed that Nairna was missing her own mother, who had died years ago. But Grizel wasn’t at all gentle or kind.

      ‘All right. If you want to return to Glen Arrin, go on without me. I’ll see her for myself.’ The glint in her eyes told him that she wasn’t about to abandon this idea.

      ‘Grizel hasn’t changed, Bram,’ came Dougal’s voice.

      The young man drew closer, leading the stallion alongside him. Beneath his tone, there was still resentment and Bram couldn’t blame him for it.

      ‘I don’t suppose she’s forgiven me.’ Bram came up beside his brother, wanting to make amends. ‘And I doubt that you have, either.’ He rested his hand on Dougal’s shoulder. ‘I know you’re angry that I ordered you bound when we left. But I didn’t want you hurt.’

      ‘I’m old enough to fight,’ his younger brother insisted. In his eyes, Bram saw the frustration of being left behind. Dougal leaned his cheek against the stallion’s face and the animal gave a light nicker.

      It was like looking at a younger version of himself, when he’d claimed to his father that he was old enough to defend the clan. Nothing he said would make any difference to Dougal. The only thing that would help his brother was the right preparation.

      ‘Train with me,’ Bram suggested, ‘and when we’ve located Callum, we’ll make the decision then. If you’re strong enough.’

      The light of determination blazed across the boy’s face, but he gave a silent nod.

      ‘You’ll have to prove yourself,’ Bram said. ‘But if you’re not ready to travel with us, there’s no shame in defending our home.’

      His brother’s brown eyes met his own. Though it was clear Dougal was itching to voice all the protests rising inside, he held his tongue.

      ‘Shall we go inside?’ Nairna ventured, nodding towards the castle walls. His wife appeared anxious, despite her outward eagerness.

      ‘If you want to visit the other women, I’ll take you to the gates.’ And perhaps, once she’d met Grizel, she would be satisfied to leave his mother where she was.

      ‘I want to bring them home,’ Nairna said. ‘It’s not right for them to be living within these walls, not when they could be home with their husbands.’

      Dougal and Bram exchanged looks. ‘One night,’ Bram said, meeting