Highland Supplanter (Book 2)

Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Fyfa snuggled closer to the solid muscle of Hamish’s chest, as his arms tightened around her. Listening to his solid heart beat as she tried to keep hers in rhythm with his as she listened to him speak. The soft timbre reverberating through his chest, lulling her into a sense of security, even when his words threatened to negate that.

“After leaving you in the upper room of the Keep, I went back to the,” he struggled over which word to describe the chaos that had ensued, holding Fyfa tighter to him, proving she was safe. “Meeting, in the main hall. There was uproar.” Hamish knew that would never fully described what he had walked in on, but it was the simplest way he could get the gist across to her. “Grant,” the word was torn from his throat. “Was, shall we say, upset by the fact I had taken you out of the main hall. He had wanted to take you as you were, then and there. They had tried to get through the clan warriors,” he could only smile as he remembered his comrades closing in to help Hamish get his wife out of the firing line. “So when I re-entered the hall, I found that Grant had tried to follow us, and had the start of a black eye to prove it.”

He felt more than heard Fyfa gasp at that news. Knowing it was not for the pain Grant had suffered, but the violence in general she abhorred. “There was a lot of shouting, and threats. There was also, and I am not proud of this, some violence.” Her gaze flew to his, but he was too ashamed at that moment to look at her for more than a moment, before his gaze wandered to the crashing waves beyond. Her soft palm upon his cheek, had him slowly turning back towards her, taking a deep breath of the cold sea air. Her soft voice barely audible over the sound of the sea colliding with the shore, and the birds squawking overhead.

“Who did you hurt?” The words hit him like the clanging of a bell. He could not take her disappointment. “And why did you do it?” He almost missed the subtle hint of curiosity. Needing and not needing to know what she thought about him at the same time was tearing him into two. He could not look at her as he answered. “Your father made some very inappropriate comments about you, which Grant took up, and extended upon. I will not tell you what, but let me just say, Cam did not try to hold me back, and I managed to swell Grant’s other eye, and I may have knocked your father out cold.”

Fyfa watched his face closely. She was not sure he was even aware of the slight wince he made with his last words. She knew he did not want her to react badly to his words, but also that he would not change his actions if he had to. She also understood that it showed his true feelings for her. That he felt the need to protect her anyway he could. Defend her honour, even against those that had none themselves. “What happened then?”

Hamish was perplexed that she had not dwelt upon the violence. But took the offer she silently offered and forged on with the tale. “Grant was threatening a feud between the clans. Cam at that point was more than ready to draw his sword and start the fight then and there. Grant basically brought it down to an ultimatum. We, as a clan, had a choice. Either you were brought down to him, by sunset the next day. With his most gracious promise, that I could keep the whelp growing within you, as he had no need for another’s bairn.” The tears clouding her eyes made his heart ache, as her fingers tried to soothe tiny circles into his temple, feeling how tense he was. He tried to comfort her. Pulling her tighter, and mirroring her with his fingers sinking into the wispy hair at her temple. The silky feeling doing more to calm him that her he was sure. But that did not mean he would stop.

“I would never let that happen, Fyfa. Do you not know that by now? You and our bairn are my life. I will not allow anyone but God himself to take you from me. And I pray every minute for him to give you as long as possible on this earth.” The tears in her eyes finally spilled the edge, sliding silently down her cheek. He quickly wiped away the moisture with his thumb, only for another to takes its place moments later. Her nod her only way to answer as her lips trembled and her throat worked furiously. He knew she wanted to cling to him and sob, had seen this many times over the short time she had been pregnant so far. But also knew she needed to hear the rest before she allowed herself that loss of control.

“If he did not receive you in a timely manner, then war would be declared between the clans. A feud to go through the ages.” She trembled in his arms but she needed to know that he would never let her go with that vermin, no matter the consequences. “Both Cam and I agreed. We would never put the life of one of our clan in any danger, even if it meant a feud for all time.” He wanted her to know that she would be protected for she was part of the clan. For he knew if he focused upon her in general she would try to refute it. “Cam and the twins came up with the plan. They would distract with the pretence of trying to find another way out of the predicament, and I would take you away to safety. In doing so they would execute a part of the plan they would not let me in on. But said I would know about when the time was right, and we were safe to return.” He let out a sigh of frustration. “On that I am as much in the dark as you are.”

Fyfa almost smiled at how out of sorts Hamish was over not being in full knowledge of what his friends wanted to do. Without him, no less. He was to keep her safe, and for that she was grateful to them, at least with her she would not have to worry about him being away from her, wondering if he was dead or alive.

On a whim, she stood and held out her hand, practically jumping from her position on his lap. He looked perplexed and a little wounded, but she could tell he tried to hide the expression upon his face. She wiggled her fingers, heavy talk such as this was going to ruin the entire day if they let it. Nothing could be done about the situation at present, so they had to live. “Come, the clouds may be grey, the sea angry, and the air cold. But I think it rather wonderful for a walk along a beach, for the first time in my life, the shore and the edge of the world are before me, and I wish to spend such a moment suspended in time. Not letting the worries of the world over take us.” She fluttered her fingers once more.

“Come, Hamish. We can be melancholy and dwell upon what we cannot change, or we can walk, on a windswept, chilly day, and create a perfect memory to tell to our children’s bairns.” She had not thought about what she wanted to say before the words spilled free. But she realised that is indeed what she wanted. Times to wipe away the anguish and fear that had been so much of her life, and replace them with tales that could transcend the ages.

Hamish watched as the wind whipped the loose tendrils of fire red hair around her angel like face. The grey clouds which framed her surrounded her in a pearlescent glow. He had never been more grateful to anyone in his life than he was to this woman’s grandmother. For without her pressing a promise from him, he may never have looked twice at the plight this woman was suffering, and then where would he be?

Well…he knew where he would be. A hollow shell, with a meaningless and empty life, missing a future that was there for the taking. All he had to do was reach out at take a hold of it. Grasp it and never let go. And so he did. He reached out and took a hold of the future he had been given, a future he would give everything for to keep.

Pulling himself up, he pulled Fyfa closer and they made their way along the beach till the cliff stood as a tall, solid barrier before them. The sand wet, with enough tension in it that they did not sink far into it, but made you feel that you were on solid ground, until you slipped a little, much to your companions amusement.

As the sky drizzled more, Hamish found a niche in the cliff to huddle against. Pressing Fyfa against the rough stone, keeping the water from her by the broad expanse of his back. He took a moment to fully take her in. Her pale skin, which seemed to glow in the low light, and the freckles that dotted her otherwise flawless skin. They were tiny imperfections that made her all the more irresistible. So much so it was not long before he leant down, and took the softest of lips with his own, and commanded she return the favour.

Much to his delight, she did.