Highlander's Captive (Highlanders 0f The McCall Clan Book 2) Read online

  Chapter 8

  Declan slept soundly even though he had to sleep on the floor. The day's efforts had taken a great deal out of him, and the feast had drained him. He'd eaten so much meat and drank so much that his mind was deeply at rest, and he had fallen asleep almost immediately after saying goodnight to Catherine.

  When he awoke his thoughts turned to the previous night and all that he had experienced. Even though he had had many girls fawn over him, the prevalent memory was the brief time he had spent with Catherine. The feeling of dancing with her had lifted his spirits and given him much to ponder. In those moments it was easy to forget that she was Sassenach, for he saw her just as she was, a lonely, yet lively girl.

  He'd decided that this was going to be the beginning of the rest of his life. No longer was he going to be plagued with indecision or anguish. He had proven himself in the hunt, and now he was going to act like a man. He'd make Drew and Blair proud of him, and would return to his father with good news.

  He stretched out his limbs and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, then turned to face the door.

  He froze.

  The color drained from his face.

  He gulped, pushed himself forward, and looked into the room with much fear in his eyes.

  “Catherine?” he asked tentatively, hoping that somehow, she would still be in there, even though in his heart he knew that the worst had happened. Indeed, the room was empty. Declan was crestfallen. He had failed in his duty. The key was still there, hanging by the door, he had simply failed to lock it. He slammed his hand against the wall and cursed out loud, bemoaning his own failings. For all he wanted to be a responsible man, he was always making these silly mistakes.

  Or had Catherine planned it? Perhaps she had danced with him purely to make a mockery of his senses, and she took advantage of his drunken state, admiring his scar to distract him before sleep. It only served to prove his suspicions that the Sassenach were villainous schemers, and yet the thing that stung the most was that he had finally begun to like her.

  The end result was the same anyway, no matter who was to blame. He should have remained vigilant, and had been found wanting when it came to his duty. The empty room seemed to mock him, and he turned away, knowing that he would have to go to his cousins with this bad news. All the respect and honor he had earned the previous day would be cast aside, wasted by this mistake. Declan had made some errors in his time, but this one was the worst of all.

  With a heavy heart, he made his way downstairs and waited in the main chamber, surrounded by the remnants of the feast. There were plenty of men and women sleeping, groaning as they breathed. Declan took a quick look around, just to make sure that Catherine wasn't among them. If he was fortunate she would be found in the castle, but something told him that she had already slipped away into the night, on the way home to England.

  Declan left the chamber and knew he couldn't wait for them to rise. He went to their rooms to summon them, along with Sarah and Rosemary. He gathered them together and hung his head in shame.

  “There is something I must tell ye. I hae made a big mistake,” he said.

  “What hae ye done?” Blair asked.

  “It's Catherine. She's escaped.”

  Silence reigned between them. Declan hung his head, fearing their anger and disapproval. He chewed his bottom lip and didn't know if he would rather the silence be over, or if he wanted it to persist, for then at least he would not be the recipient of their scorn.

  It was finally broken by Sarah's sharp sob. Declan looked up and saw that the Sassenach girl had raised her hand to her mouth, and then turned away, burying her head in Drew's chest. Her body trembled. Rosemary looked concerned, and seemed to be holding herself together better than Sarah was. Indeed, the more Declan saw of her the more he realized that she was a strong person.

  Blair sighed. Drew glared at Declan. The entire mood was one of disappointment.

  “How did this happen?” Drew asked.

  “I was...it was last night, after the party. I walked her back upstairs. I wanted tae dae my duty. I wanted tae make ye proud. I decided I would stay there all night and make sure that she was safe. I must hae forgotten tae lock the door. It was open when I woke up, and she was gone. I looked for her, but she's nowhere tae be found. I was hoping that she'd be in the hall, but she was nae. I...I'm sorry.”

  “She'll never survive out there by herself. She thinks she's strong, but she has no idea what it takes to live in the wilderness. We have to find her and bring her back here, we just have to,” Sarah said, her voice cracking with emotion.

  Declan wasn't sure exactly what the link was between the Sassenach women, but it seemed that Sarah loved Catherine as much as he loved his cousins. He found himself ashamed that so much sadness had been caused by his negligence.

  “Aye, and if she should make it home, she could plot against us,” Blair said, rubbing his hand across his jaw thoughtfully. “There is nae doubt that she will be heading south. But she disnae know the terrain like we dae. Dinnae fear, Sarah, we shall get her back, ye shall be reunited once more, and maybe once she hae seen what the wild world holds for her, she will be a wee bit more grateful tae stay here.”

  Sarah sniffed. Drew kissed her tenderly on the head and whispered something in her ear that comforted her.

  “I am sorry, cousins. I never meant for this tae happen,” Declan said, wishing the ground would open him up and swallow him whole.

  “Let this be a lesson tae ye. Always take heed of yer duty. Ye enjoyed yerself last night, and rightly sae, but one hunt disnae make ye a good soldier.”

  “I'll make this up tae ye. I'll gae and find her,” Declan said with determination, setting his feet in place, raising his head to meet Blair's gaze. He had let them down, and after he'd done so much good yesterday to make them proud of him. He was going to show them that he wasn't just some runt, some boy. He was going to show them that he was a worthy member of the clan.

  “That ye will, boy, that ye will, but gae careful. Dinnae harm her either. Maybe ye can talk some sense intae her as well,” Blair said with a smirk. Declan didn't think that was possible, but he'd try for the sake of his cousins.

  He nodded, and was about to turn to leave when Sarah rushed up towards him. As she grew nearer he could see the fretful look in her eyes and the tracks of her tears. She was a sensitive soul, and it seemed strange that she would choose to live a life out here away from the comfort of England's bosom.

  “I know that you do not approve of our presence here, but please find Catherine. I owe her so much, and I only seek to wish her well. Please, Declan, find her quickly, and bring her back as soon as you can.”

  “I shall,” he said solemnly, and then strode out of the castle.

  The drunken haze had been shaken from his mind and he had much to consider. Blair and Drew had not been angry with him despite his error, and he was grateful that he had the opportunity to repair the damage he had done. What most took him by surprise, however, was his feelings towards Rosemary and Sarah. Pangs of guilt stabbed at his heart when he realized how much his actions had affected them, and he was also worried about Catherine.

  Something had changed inside him over the past few days. The bitter anger that had poisoned his heart had faded. No longer did he hold great enmity for his cousins. He was still worried for them, but at the moment he realized that their moods were not under his control. He could only worry about what he was doing, and at the moment he was doing himself a disservice.

  The great hunt the previous day was supposed to have been the beginning of something new, but instead Declan had made a grave mistake. Now, he had another hunt. This time there was no chance of his quarry getting away. This time he would find her by himself and bring her back to the castle, but it wasn't only his honor he was worried about, but also Catherine herself. She was a fierce woman with a sharp tongue, yet she wasn't prepared for what awaited her in the wilds of the Highlands. If Declan didn't find her soon, there was a good cha
nce that he may not find her at all.

  With that thought, he increased the pace of his stride and found his horse in the stable, then slapped its rump and galloped away from the castle, hoping that he would return with what he had promised.

  Chapter 9

  Catherine had walked briskly out of the castle, daring not to look back. Under the cloak of night, she was able to make her escape and hadn't roused suspicion at all. She managed to find a cloak that had been hanging on a hook in a room in the castle, and wrapped it around her. The flame of the torch flickered wildly as she walked quickly, but nobody dared stop her. They were all too busy having fun. The feast was continuing long into the night, which suited Catherine completely as it meant that everyone would be too preoccupied to know that she was missing.

  The only one who would know initially, of course, was Declan.

  She had to ask herself why she was so concerned with leaving him behind. He was a Highlander, and she should have no regrets at all. Yet she could not help but feel remorse for leaving. The two of them had just begun to form a connection. She had been able to talk with him in a way that she was able to talk with few others. He was entirely unlike the refined gentlemen she had encountered at social engagements, and all the more entertaining for it.

  She didn't think she would ever forget the exhilarating feeling of being swung about in his arms while they danced, and it frustrated her that he would likely marry some coarse Highland girl, while she would end up with a boring Sassenach man. Not that she wanted to marry him of course, but in another life, if things were different, the prospect wouldn't have been unappealing.

  However, she couldn't turn down this opportunity to run. She only wished that she could convince Sarah and Rosemary to go with her. They were lost in their own illusion of paradise though, and there was no hope for them returning home. Catherine didn't feel as though she owed them much, but she would try to keep this place safe. It wasn't all bad, in the end, and the Highlanders certainly weren't the monsters that Harold and her father had made them out to be. Not all of them anyway.

  Catherine made her way across the camp. The thought of getting a horse crossed her mind, but when she went towards the stables she saw a group of men drinking heavily together, and quickly turned away. It was going to be a long walk, but she hoped that somewhere along the way she would meet a kindly merchant or traveler who would give her a ride back to England. For the time being the most important thing was to slip into the forest and get away from the castle.

  Catherine had a few hours head start on them, and she was confident that she could escape without being caught again.

  She smiled with glee as she made her way to the edge of the forest. There had been no alarm raised, and nobody was chasing after her. She was worried for a moment that it had all been too easy, but then she decided not to count her blessings, and continued forth.

  The light from her torch lit the surrounding area, which was also bathed in moonlight. The lights shining from the castle windows were fading into pinpricks, until they dwindled completely. Catherine couldn't be concerned with what she was leaving behind her, only with what awaited her in the future.

  Her adventure into the Highlands would always be strong in her memory, but she was looking forward to returning home and the comforts it offered. There was a life waiting for her there, a humble life in some ways, but a life that was her own. She had hopes and dreams that were all waiting to be fulfilled, and she hoped that whatever marriage her father had arranged for her would be somewhere far south so that she would never have to bear the thought of coming to the Highlands again. She could simply enjoy the memory of being swung through the air by a handsome Highlander...

  The night air was cool and still. The forest was eerily quiet, especially when compared to the raucous noise of the castle. Catherine walked so swiftly that she hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings until she was deep into the forest. She held her torch in her trembling hands and stuck to the path, assuring herself that she was heading in the right direction.

  As long as she kept going south she could hardly fail to reach England, for it was a big place, and whoever she met there would be far more hospitable than anyone up here. She did jump at sharp sounds though, although upon further inspection it was merely the nocturnal life coming out to play. Owls hooted and rodents scurried across the underbrush of the forest. There was movement in the dark shadows around her, but Catherine tried to ignore them, trying to remain focused on her goal.

  The fear she felt certainly added to her endurance, for even though it was late she did not feel fatigued. Her blood pumped fiercely through her body, and she ignored the aching of her legs. She was aware of her own breathing, and her own frantic heartbeat.

  The journey would be long, and she would have to suffer through many more days and nights like this, but she knew she could not rest yet. She had to put as much distance between herself and the castle as possible, otherwise the chances of her being discovered were greater. Somehow she knew that Sarah would send a search party after her.

  Some time had passed and Catherine was lost in her own thoughts, so much so that she almost didn't see a fire flickering in the distance. She stopped in her tracks and hushed herself, for she knew that anyone she met in these woods could be an enemy. She leaned against a tree, pressing her head against its rough bark, and took a few moments to catch her breath.

  Only now, when she was resting, did she realize how tired she was. Her legs were heavy, prickling with cramp, and her throat was scratchy. In her haste to escape she had not brought any supplies with her, and it was too dark to go hunting for a stream or some food.

  As she gazed at the fire the forms of men appeared, all wearing cloaks, sharing drink. They spoke in thick accents, and were certainly Highlanders. Catherine licked her lips, wishing for just a drop of the same drink they were sharing. Part of her was almost tempted to go up and ask, but she knew they had to be avoided. Her only hope was to come across a stream soon so she could slake her thirst. It wouldn't be long until the sun rose, by her estimation, and then it would be easier.

  Since she didn't want them to see her, she pulled the torch behind herself and the tree so that it was hidden, although the ambient light would still have been visible if any of them looked her way. However, it seemed as though they were more interested in their own company than in the world around them, so Catherine felt safe, although she knew that it was safer to leave as soon as possible.

  She was about to move away, putting the torch in front of her and praying that none of them would see, walking gingerly so as to not make any sound, when she felt the presence of someone nearby. She held her breath as a hulking man moved away from a tree just a few feet away from her. He belched and then laughed, declaring his return to his companions. The night was so dark that he had blended perfectly into the shadows, and she cursed herself for almost giving her position away.

  An unsettling feeling ran through her, and she knew she had to move away quickly. The fear of being discovered seized her heart, so she turned and walked away, only for a loud crack to pierce the air. Catherine closed her eyes and grimaced for she felt the cracked stick beneath her foot.

  “Who gaes there?” the man called. Catherine instantly dropped the torch she was carrying and ran away, but she felt the man close in on her quickly. Two hands with iron-like grips were around her shoulders, grabbing her back. She struggled.

  “Unhand me, you brute!” she cried.

  “Oh boys, we hae ourselves an Sassenach lass! Can ye believe it!”

  “What is an Sassenach lass daeing out in the woods this late at night? Dae ye think it’s one of the McCall’?” another of them shouted.

  “It cannae be. They would never let them out of their sight. Nay, this must be a stray left from the army. Well, lads, its time for us tae get our spoils of war!”

  The men got up with wolfish grins, rubbing their hands together as they stood to welcome Catherine to their little camp. There we
re three of them, each one of them more ugly and ravenous than the last. They were grimy and dirty. The stench of alcohol was heavy among them, and the bones of a carcass were left upon the fire that burned in the middle of their camp. Catherine was thrown down to the ground near the fire, so near that she could feel its heat upon her face.

  “Who are ye?” one of the men asked. All of them were looking at her with curiosity, their eyes roving about her body. Catherine felt entirely at the mercy of these men and she suddenly wished that she had remained in the castle. She pushed herself up and smoothed out her skirt, trying to avoid the gazes of these men. She couldn't help but think that Declan had never looked at her in this manner.

  Summoning all the courage she could muster, Catherine replied in a stern voice, remembering a lesson her father had given Harold once, that it was always important to hold your head high and never show weakness, for that is the moment you have lost the battle.