The Reluctant Highland Groom (5 page)

“
The Gunns killed yer brother, Cara McHugh,” he said, leaning close to her. “Don’t ye ever, ever forget that. If revenge is what will break this fever for ye, then I promise ye will have yer revenge. I will see to it myself. But don’t give up on me, lass. I saw the fight in ye, and yer people need to see ye fight for them, not give up and die. Doona abandon them now.”

Cara closed her eyes. “He ate the apples,” she said. “He ate them, and I didn’t know it.”

Alec had no bloody clue what she was on about, but felt he ought to nod. “So he did.”

“
He was a good man, my brother...and I...if I hadn’t...”

“
Stop, Cara.” She didn’t open her eyes, but he sensed she was listening. “If ye must place blame, consider my part in it. I could have insisted ye wed me, at least demanded we speak of it, rather than just let ye go. I see now I should have...”

Cara opened one eye and smiled faintly at him.

“
Live, and find yer vengeance,” he said. “For me, if not for Connor. He would not like to see ye this way, and ye know it.”

“
I do know it,” she said softly. “I just...he’s
gone
...and he was so angry at me.”

“
Listen to me, lass. I know a bit of brothers, and I know he’d not hold this against ye. He knew who ye were, as I know who my brothers are. A spat between us would never make me love them any less, and I know Connor felt the same way for you.”

He smoothed back her hair, still dismayed by her heated skin. “Rest now, lass. Rest now and sleep, and live to irk me another day.”

Before she fell back asleep, she wrapped a small hand around Alec’s wrist and held tight. Damn, but the lass was beautiful when she slept. The worry temporarily gone from her face, the ease of her breath. Alec resolved in that second to do everything he could to return Cara McHugh to the spirited, strong woman she was before the Gunns’ betrayal.

***

A sennight later, Sabrina suggested Cara was well enough to take short walks around the keep, and Alec was the first to volunteer.

He could see she loathed having to lean on him, so he permitted her to walk unaided, reaching out a hand only when she had to stop to gather her strength. Cara seemed to appreciate that, sending him a wary smile every so often.

She paused in a particular hallway, but instead chose to lean against the wall, not him. Once Alec assured himself that she was standing upright under her own power, he leaned on the wall opposite her.

She smiled at him. “Do you recall the carnival that came through your family’s lands?”

“
The gypsies? Aye, that I do. Da granted them safe passage and let them rest in the forest every few years.”

“
My parents brought us once, years ago. I don’t think you were about…off rescuing Logan from river thugs, or something like that.”

Alec grinned at the memory. “Poor lad was never quite the same.”

“
I have good memories of that carnival. Mother took me to the fortune teller, and there was a man with a pet monkey, and people from far-off lands…” Cara leaned her head back against the wall. “I told myself one day I’d visit those places.”

Alec held his tongue. He was relatively sure the places in question were from the old gypsy’s imagination, not any map he’d ever seen.

But Cara went on: “When I grew old enough to learn about maps and read, I realized he must have told those stories to a thousand people who would never travel, who would never know he spun them from pure fantasy. But I always hoped at least some of them existed, or once had. That they weren’t entirely untruths.”

“
Why?” he asked, puzzled. “If they entertained you, they did their duty, did they not?”

“
Aye…but it would have meant more, I think, if I could have seen those places one day. I always wanted to travel.” She shrugged, then winced, as if the gesture hurt. “Forgive me, Alec, I fear the fever is still talking.”

“
There is nothing to forgive.”

“
I suppose I won’t be traveling overly much now, will I? I must return home to my lands, tend to those who need tending…” she swallowed hard, and Connor watched the movement of her throat. “I am the McHugh now.”

For all his growing fondness for Cara, Alec could not help but scoff inwardly at that proclamation. “Nonsense, lass,” he said. “A lass cannot be the leader of a clan.”

“
And why not?”

“
Because it’s not done that way.”

“
But why not?” she pressed. “I admit, I’m not as well-learned in the ways of leading people as Connor was, but he learned, and so can I. Why can I not lead them as he did?”

She’d been so reasonable only moments earlier as they reminisced about the carnival. Why, now, was she veering into the ridiculous?”

“
Cara,” he said patiently, “even if ye
could
…even if yer inner circle agreed to follow the orders of a woman—unlikely, I might add—yer enemies will not, nor will many of those you now call friends.”

She stared at him, one eyebrow lifted in what he now recognized as a challenge to go on.

“
Ye think them all quite friendly and kind to ye now, but what will they do when they see ye without protection? They will turn on ye, sure as the sun will rise, and ye will have no one to defend ye.”

“
I don’t think that’s true. There are trusted men—”

“
Aye.
Men.
And men are men. Some of them will give ye a chance, aye, some of them will even follow ye into oblivion. But most will not. I tell ye, Cara, ye cannot be the McHugh.”

She straightened up, placing her hand along the wall. “Let us continue, then.”

They proceeded at a slow, almost painful pace. Alec longed to scoop her up and drag her outside into the sunshine, where she could breathe in the cool, crisp air and hear birds chirping, but Sabrina had cautioned that she was far too weak for such an outing.

So they crept down the corridors with tiny steps, she quietly seething, he wondering if he should have said anything at all.

“
Cara,” he began, absurdly eager to repair their conversation, “it is not me. You’re a clever lass, and I think ye could learn as Connor did, as ye said…”

“
But you wouldn’t follow me, is that it?”

“
I don’t know,” he admitted. “I doona know what kind of leader ye’d make. Many a clever and intelligent man has proven a poor leader, just as utter fools become great ones—not that ye are a great fool, mind, only that it could happen.”

She walked another few steps, her back straight as a sword. “You don’t believe I could do it.”

“
What would ye do?” he asked. “How would ye protect yer folk? Rebuild their homes and see them fed? How would ye do it? Where would ye begin?”

She didn’t answer him.

“
Men are more moved to follow those with plans,” he said. “What would you do, as the McHugh?”

He’d intended it as a pacifying comment, but Cara seemed to think long and hard on it. “I will have to ruminate on that,” she said stiffly. “I must see the full records of what has happened to my lands and my people.”

Ugh.
This might help her, though; it would give her something to work toward, something to live for. And if she produced a good idea or two, well, the McHugh lands would benefit.

They came to a staircase, and Cara peered down it nervously. Much of her prior bravado seemed to flee, and she reached out, touching the the wall hesitantly. “Perhaps we ought to go back.”

“
The kitchens are right down this way,” Alec said. “Would ye care for a meal, Cara? I’m rather hungry.”

“
I’m tired of stew,” she said.

“
Then let’s get ye something more filling.” He stooped to pick her up, then realized she might take offense at such a gesture. “Will ye let me carry ye, or should we attempt the stairs?”

She only thought about it for about a half-second. “You may carry me,” she said. “I think it would take us far too long to walk it.”

He scooped her into his arms, surprised by how frail and delicate she still felt. Her slender arms wrapped around his neck, and he heard her sudden intake of breath when he secured his grip on her.

His heart was pounding.
Dear Lord, what’s she doing to me?

Precious cargo held tightly, Alec began his descent to the kitchens.

***

The next day, her cousin Fergus arrived without any form of protection.

Cara heard Ramsey bellowing at the boy for being so foolish, and was able to make her way out of her room before Sabrina and Alec swept in to stop her. “Easy, lass,” Alec cautioned, picking her up before she could take another step. “We’ll get ye to him.”

Fergus looked well enough, though he’d grown even more peaked than usual. His freckles stood out painfully against his pale skin, and his overbright eyes seemed too big for his face.

“
Fergus,” Cara said, waving a hand.

Fergus took in her position in Alec’s arms, his jaw tightening slightly. “What is this?”

“
The lady is still too weak for stairs,” Alec explained. “And she needed air. Here she is.”

Cara attempted to nod authoritatively. Fergus nodded back, though he didn’t look entirely happy about the situation.

“
Lad,” Ramsey said, his anger seemingly barely contained, “it’s bloody foolish to go traipsing about without protectors. After Cara, you are next in line…”

“
And next to be targeted. Aye, Laird Munro, I understand. But I needed to see my cousin for myself, and your missives have been…” he paused, glancing up. “…brief.”

Cara felt Alec stifle a chuckle.

“
Put me down,” she said. “I would embrace my cousin.”

Alec set her on her feet, and she managed to cross the distance to Fergus on her own. He hugged her carefully, his hands clammy and shaking. “My poor cousin,” he crooned. “We must get you home soon, so you may recover faster.”

“
She’s too weak to travel yet,” Alec said.

Fergus glanced at him. “What do the healers say?”

“
I don’t need a bloody healer to tell me she can’t travel, and I suspect ye doona, either,” Alec snapped.

Alec, what are you doing?
Cara felt Fergus tense, and awkwardly patted the nape of his neck. “Might we go inside?” she asked, eager to avoid fighting. “I am famished.”

Everyone seemed to think that was a fine idea, although she did not miss Fergus’ suspicious looks in Alec’s direction.

Of all my cousins to send, of course it would be Fergus.
True, he had the highest standing of any McHugh after her, but he’d also been groomed to believe he was third in line for…well, anything.

This had led to Fergus developing a rather high opinion of himself and his actions from the get-go. Cara knew quite well that she could be exceedingly unreasonable at times, even before Alec pointed it out, but Fergus rather surpassed her in that regard.

He would not do well with the Munroes.

They feasted on warm bread, lamb, and a touch of honeyed mead. Cara did not miss the concerned glances that Fergus sent her way; she had lost a great deal of weight during her illness, and it would be some time before she was strong enough to return home. Surely he must see that?

“
Fergus,” she said, “tell me of home.”

Fergus glanced at Ramsey, who nodded.

“
It isn’t good, Cara. Laird Munro has graciously agreed to send us food to help tide us over for the winter, but it will be a hard one nonetheless. The Gunns killed two healers and the midwife…I have sent out word for others, but we are without them for the time being.”

“
There must be other midwives,” Cara said. “I know there are. Mother had at least three listed on record…”

“
That is not all,” Fergus said. “Many have gone into hiding, fearing they are being targeted…”