Caledonia

Visitors

A party of unannounced and well-armed Highlander warriors on horseback arrived at the Campbell castle gate a month later. One of the wall guards came to announce them to Alex, as he sat in his solar talking with Malcolm. "Laird, there's a large party of warriors out front requesting entrance to the keep. They wear McLeod colours and one of them is claiming he's kin to our Mistress."

Alex nodded thoughtfully. "What is his name?"

"Andrew, my laird."

Callie was heavily pregnant, well into her eight month. Alex had finally gotten her to relax about it only in recent weeks. She had been constantly worried about losing this babe. She was also cleaning every corner of the keep and changing the order of things. Glenna did say the nesting period would ease once Callie thought she had everything in order. Now, Alex shook his head, unsure if he'd want her to know about this unexpected party of supposed McLeod warriors before he got a chance to interview them. He thought a moment before asking his uncle who was sat next to him. "Where is my wife at present?"

"Resting." Malcolm said. "Glenna said she was feeling tired earlier in the day and bade her to nap before we supped."

"Show this Andrew and his men into the keep." Alex ordered tersely. "Warn them that all of them must be come unarmed into the keep. Ensure that is the case for all of his men at arms."

"Yes, Laird." The guard answered immediately.

"We'll meet them in the front hall." Alex added thoughtfully, glancing over at Malcolm. "What are you thinking?"

His uncle replied with a sigh. "I would hate for their arrival to upset your Callie in her delicate condition."

"That's my worry as well." Alex confided. He watched as the young man led the group of warriors into his keep. He was sat in the Laird's chair with his muscular arms leaning forward noticing the men were lean in build and smaller in size than his own men. It could be a sign they had experienced a rough winter. Malcolm was standing beside him, watching all of them with trepidation.

The young man bowed elegantly. "Thank ye for welcoming me and my men into your home, Laird Campbell. I'm Andrew, oldest son of the acting laird of clan McLeod. Douglas who was younger brother to Callie's own father, Ross. We only heard in recent weeks that she was here. It's rumoured that her arrival to your clan was under duress. Naturally, we want to see for ourselves that she's well and in good hands. My father tried for years to get her back home where she belongs after we heard of her parents' deaths, but her uncle simply wouldn't hear of it."

"She belongs here with me. I'm her husband and laird of this clan. Ken this, the only duress she ever suffered was being kidnapped by her uncle Hamish's men after she fled his fucking keep!" Alex snapped in a moment of anger remembering the condition he found Callie during her ordeal, then he made a concentrated effort to calm himself. "I'll let her tell ye how she came to be here in her own words. I will assure you Callie is in good hands here, as they're mine. She is verra much loved and admired by everyone in our clan. I can't help but wonder if my wife would even recognise you given how wee she was the last time she saw anyone from her father's clan."

With clear disappointment on his handsome face, Andrew shook his head. "I'm not sure she will either, my lord. It is my most fervent hope that she might. We were but bairns when we last saw each other."

Alex glanced knowingly at Malcolm, then back at Andrew. "I need to ken something you have done that Callie would know about. I'm willing to mention it to her and give ye a chance. I'm sure ye understand my reluctance to upset my wife."

"Yes, actually I do." Andrew withdrew a small, wooden horse out of his sporran and handed it to Alex. "Callie gave this to me when I was a wee lad. I hope she'll remember it."