Page 38 of Tess and the Highlander
The older brother smiled. “Actually, I’ve taken aliking to having Tess around. I was telling Alexander last nightthat, since her arrival, you’ve managed to somehow grow up. You arenot quite so annoying to have around.”
“You mean I haven’t bothered you two since cominghome about chasing every skirt from Elgin to Edinburgh.”
“Aye, and that’s a definite improvement.” Jamespointed a finger at Colin’s chest. “Keep it up, lad, and we mightactually let you live.”
CHAPTER 12
The sun was almost directly overhead. Ridingside by side at the head of the group of warriors, they crossedover a green ridge and started down into the valley that Tess wastold marked the beginning of Lindsay lands. Her anxiousness satlike a rock in the pit of her stomach. She glanced at Colin ridingcomfortably beside her. He had such confidence. She turned in hersaddle and saw James riding and talking amiably to one of the olderMacpherson warriors, halfway down the line of men. Everyone seemedso self-assured—everyone but her.
She turned to Colin. “Do you think the Lindsaysalready know that I am alive?”
“The way I understand it, they never gave uphope.”
The closer they came to Ravenie, the morenervous she was becoming. “But do you think that they’ve heard thatI am in the Highlands?”
“Despite the ruggedness of the land, newstravels fast here. I would guess that as soon as we anchored andcame ashore, someone was heading this way with every last bit ofinformation they could collect about you.”
They rode in silence for a few minutes.
“I don’t know any of them,” she finally whisperedworriedly. “I cannot recall any names or faces.
“That worries you?” he asked.
“Aye. It troubles me greatly.”
Colin nudged his horse closer to her side. His bootbrushed against her leg, and his warm hand reached over and tookher freezing one. “You are returning to them, Tess. This is morethan anyone has done for them in eleven years.”
Tess wished she could consider this a consolation,but she didn’t. As short a time as she had been at Benmore Castle,she had seen in Lord Alec and Lady Fiona what a leader should be totheir people. She did not remember her father to be able to guesswhat kind of laird he had been—or how well he had been respected byhis clan.
Her mother, however, had left and never gone back toRavenie. How could anyone care for their people by staying away forso many years?
The track they were following crossed another pathahead, and the two reined their horses to a halt. Colin let go ofher hand and turned to James as he approached.
“Turning to the right here will take us directly toRavenie Castle,” the older brother told Tess. “The path bendsaround that forest grove and climbs to higher ground behind it. Thepath we’re on goes straight over that brae through the farms and tothe old village and tower where the clan chief originallylived…before the king gave permission for Ravenie Castle to bebuilt. So if you’d like to go to the Castle…”
“I wish to go straight.”
“We shall go wherever you wish to go.” Colin repliedwith a nod, motioning the group to that direction.
She had lived a nearly solitary life for so manyyears on the Isle of May. Now she realized thatplacehad very little significance. It waspeoplethat mattered.
The trail they took wound up a rocky braetoward an azure sky. With each passing moment, Tess’s anticipationgrew. At the crest of the hill, she brought her horse to an abruptstop as she stared at the squalor that lay before her in thevalley.
There were old huts made of stone and timberand sod in various stages of disrepair beside a grove of talltrees. Even from here, she could tell from collapsed thatched roofsthat many were deserted. Though some fields had been planted, morelay fallow. She urged her horse down the slope behind Colin’ssteed. The land looked to be good for grazing, though there werefew sheep and even fewer of the red, shaggy cattle she seen so manyof around Benmore Castle. A wide stream snaked through thecountryside.
In a few moments, they’d drawn near thefirst of cottages nestled into the side of the brae.
“Where do you think these people have gone?”Tess asked, eyeing the burned hut. A flap of stiff, blackenedleather hung by a single strand in the doorway of the abandonedcottage.
“Crofters won’t stay where they areunprotected.” Colin waited as she rode closer to the buildings.“These folks might have moved down into the village.”
Protection. These people had noprotection.Tess felt the knot tighten in her stomach. She followed Colin as hecontinued on down the path. James pushed ahead of the others toride beside them.
“Beyond that glen just ahead, the village lies.Would you like me to send a couple of men before us?” he askedTess. “I shall go myself to tell the village folk that you arecoming.”
She shook her head adamantly. “I don’t want aprepared welcome.”
“I shouldn’t worry much about that.” Colin said.“But without giving them any warning, there is no telling howthey’ll…”
