A Feisty Lass

Chapter 9: Dougal's Denouncement

Chapter 9: Dougal's Denouncement

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The five men that made up the watch, stopped by, took a look around, drank a few tumblers of whisky, and weaved their tales. I didn't understand any of the spoken word, since they all blathered away in Gaelic. What I did understand needed no translation. A few of the men shot lustful gazes at me, but our warchieftain, wielding his authority, kept the wolves at bay.

They stayed a couple of hours, and I was ready to breathe again when the last horse's rump faded from sight.

I was on pins and needles until the sun went down, and heard the hooves of Jamie's horse clopping as it neared the cottage. My heart accelerated, and I ran outside to greet him. He leapt from the animal, and I was in his embrace, finally able to relax.

After covering his face in kisses, I said, "God, I'm so glad you're here. My stomach's been tied in knots. Are you all right?"

"Right as rain. Ye dinna havta worrit about yer Jamie. The watch willna ever be clever enough to outsmart this highlander."

That comment made my heart sink. Dougal's words reverberated in my head. Jamie was clever, and seemed to have luck at his side, but could his luck endure? The thought of him being captured again filled me with dread.  It was one thing to evade his enemies on his own, but he now had me, his wife, to consider as well. My tagging along would slow him down immensely. I wished at that moment that we could just run off together, and sail across the ocean to America—seasickness notwithstanding—where no one knew him, and would leave us to live out our lives in peace.

Frowning at me, he said, "Ye're shiverin', Sassenach. Ye need to warm yerself by the hearth." He pushed me away gently. "Go on inside, now. I'll be in shortly."

I shook my head. "No ... I want to stay here with you."

"What's come over ye? I'm just gonna see to stablin' my horse."

"I'll go with you," I replied.

Jamie, still looking concerned, loosened his plaid, and removed it from his shoulder. Draping it around me, he led the animal by the reins. We entered the stable, and I sat on the straw-strewn ground, observing him as he watered and fed Trom-laighe. He began brushing its flanks, then turned to me. "What is it that's botherin' ye, Claire? The lads havena been disrespectful toward ye, have they?" He stiffened suddenly. "If any o' them laid a hand on ye ..."

"It's nothing. I just missed you. I worry about you. Isn't there any way you can find this Horrocks person so the watch will stop their bloody hounding?"

He put down the handful of straw he was using to curry the beast, and hunkered down beside me. "Aye, we tried once, and the man wasna there where he should've been. We'll try again verra soon, I promise ye."

A chuckle escaped his throat, and he waved his hand nonchalantly. His eyes got big and round, his head nodding animatedly, and his voice theatric. "It seems as Horrocks is on the run as much as I am. He'll lead us on a merry chase, I'm afeared."

Shaking my head, I sighed. "I'm just so tired of waiting around for you every time these hooligans show their faces. My head fills with scenes of you, captured, lying in your own blood, in pain or worse."

Jamie moved closer, and stroking my cheek, said, "I'll find Horrocks and put this all at an end. I swear to ye on my mother's grave."

I gazed up into his infinitely blue eyes, so clear with sincerity, and felt the unraveling of my soul. Jamie ... I wanted to fall down and weep, I loved him so.