A Highlander's Love

Chapter 2

Crissy worry’d her hands as she sat by the hearth in her room. She didn’t know when her betrothed would arrive and she didn’t want him tae. Her brothers all congratulated her when she rode back intae the bailey a few days ago. No doubt her father had told them all about her getting married tae the devil MacFaddan.

She got up from her chair, deciding she wasn’t going tae sit thaer and be scared of the man. She was go’n tae go out and ride her horse and calm down in her meadow.

When she got tae the stables she didn’t even wait fer her horse tae be saddle’d. She just mounted it bare back and took off. She slowed her horse down tae a trot as she came upon the meadow. She loved it here. She felt calm here. The trees swayed in the summer breeze and the birds sang their songs. A small river flowed not but twenty paces outside the meadow. Feeling the peace the Meadow brought, Crissy dismounted her horse and walked tae the center. Once thaer she laid back in the tall wild grass and flowers and watched the clouds.

She must have drifted off tae sleep because when she opened her eyes she heard men talking. Worried tha’ they would see her, she jumped up and went fer her horse. When she saw her horse was not where she left it she really began tae worry.

Crissy let out a few curses on the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Her horse was trained tae come tae a whistle but she didn’t want tae alert the men tae her presence thaer in the meadow. So she went in the direction of the voices she heard.

Hiding in the shadows of the woods, Crissy spied on the men. They were definitely Scottish. She took in each one, her eyes coming tae rest on what must have been their leader by the way the men were addressing him. He was the most breath take’n sight she ever laid eyes on. His hair was dark and his eyes a deep gray. They reminded her of the storms she watched from her window when she was a wee lass. Moving her eyes lower she saw tha’ he had a straight nose and it pointed down tae the most glorious mouth. His mouth was soft yet firm and jaw squared. His shoulders were wide and muscular and his shirt stretch tight over them. Her eyes kept moving downward and she saw tha’ he had strong legs. Just looking at him awakened a desire in her tha’ she didn’t know she possessed.

When she finally tore her gaze away from him, she noticed tha’ they had found her horse. A man wi’ a scar running down the length of his face was tying her tae his. The fact of it infuriated her. She was so mad she fergot about keeping her presence a secret. She stormed out of the woods ready’n herself to rip the brute to shreds.

“What dae ye bloody think ye are doing wi’ my horse.” She yelled. The man wi’ the scar turned tae her wi’ scowl. His eyes flaring wi’ anger. She didn’t care. He had no right tae touch what was hers.

“If it is yers, the why does in not have a saddle.” He replied wi’ as much venom as she had used on him.

“I rode her bareback. Now hand her over.”

“And just who might ye be lass tae be give’n orders.” The voice who spoke did not come from the man she yelled at but the man she had admired from the woods. His voice was deep and held authority.

Wide eyed she looked at him. She didn’t want tae give her name. Instead she turn a made a dash fer the trees. She gave a loud whistle and her horse knocked the man, who meant tae tie her, tae the ground.

When her horse caught up tae her, she grabbed the mane and mounted. Crissy rode straight back tae the castle. Crissy was aware of the men follow’n her but she didn’t chance a look back. Instead she just kept going.

……..

When the girl wi’ blondish-red hair came storming out of the woods chastising Angus, one of his men Malcolm couldn’t look away. The girl had hair tha’ looked like the sunsets he had seen from his castle. It tumbled from her head down tae her waist in soft, lose curls. Her face looked full of rage but soft wi’ freckles scattered across her nose. Her eyes were a lovely shade of green. Her lips, which were busy, looked as soft a rose petals.

When he finally got his sense back he heard tha’ the lass was talking about the horse tha’ they had just found when they took a break from their long ride.

When he asked her who she was she took off running and then whistled fer the horse. Then the horse knocked over Angus and stormed after her mistress. Just before they disappeared intae the woods completely, he saw her mount her horse on the run. He was impressed by this mainly b’cause she female.

“Bloody hell. After the lass. Don’t let her get away.” Malcolm commanded. His men were quick tae mount their horses and go after her. They were gaining on her when a castle loomed up out of the hills and the lass was almost tae it.

A horn sounded when they drew closer and he saw tha’ the guards on the wall had drawn their weapons. Pulling back on his reins, he commanded his men tae do the same. By the time they got tae the draw gate tae the castle the lass had already dismounted her horse a was at the top of the stairs leading tae the keep wi’ a tall muscular man was standing beside her. He had the same color hair so he was guessing they were related and by the age difference he was her father.

“Who are ye and why are ye chasing after my daughter?” the man questioned.

“I am Laird MacFaddan. She disrespected one of me men and I wanted her name.” Malcolm called back tae the man. It didn’t escape him tha’ when he said his name, a grin stretch’d across the man’s face and the girl eyes went wide.

“Aye, then ye already know her name, she is yer betrothed.”

Malcolm stared disbelieving at the lass. She was tae be his bride.