Page 30 of Taming the Highland Beauty

She turned her attention back to the forest as they delivered Declan and his daughter to their cottage before moving on. They rode hard and fast until the gates of Dunvegan Castle came into view. The portcullis rose, giving them access to the front courtyard before it closed behind them once more.

They dismounted and while Callum secured the horse, Gille tried to remain upright. She hadn’t realised how much her battle against Oberon in the forest had drained her energy. But now that the threat had passed, her legs trembled beneath her. She moved back towards the castle wall, leaning against the sturdy walls for support.

The evening torches had been lit, casting a pale-yellow glow across a courtyard that teemed with activity as the men dismounted. Others waited to take the reins, leading the horses to the stables. Alastair, Orrick, and other men spilled from the castle to greet those who had returned.

As Gille watched the exchange of happy greetings, someone brushed past her, touching her shoulder for a moment. A strange sense of warmth spread through her, and a surge of strength returned to her body.

Gille looked around, her eyes scanning the courtyard, not seeing anything unusual. Yet, a strange presence lingered in the air. She had not felt anything like that since leaving Fairyland. After several minutes of searching, Gille finally shook her head, dismissing the sensation as a trick of her exhausted mind, even though she did not feel quite so tired anymore, for which she was grateful.

Callum approached with Alastair and Orrick, cutting off further thought. “We are so pleased you have returned safely, and with the object of your search,” Alastair said. “Let us go inside. Gwendolyn awaits. She is eager to make certain you are unharmed. She has laid out a meal for you.”

The hour was late, well past suppertime, but at the mention of food Gille’s stomach grumbled loudly. “Thank you. Were we truly gone for two days?”

Alastair nodded. “What happened to you both out there?”

Callum’s dark gaze met hers. “Oberon. But we were successful in retrieving the pelt.” He lifted the parcel for his brother to see.

“Well done,” Alastair said, then sobered. “Somehow, I knew we were not quite done with that fairy.” He waved them forward into the castle. “We can discuss this more once you have eaten.”

Together they moved up the stairs, and into the great hall where a cheery fire crackled in the hearth. The table on the dais and another below had already been set with bread, fruit, cheese, and tankards of malty-smelling ale. At the sight of them, serving maids carried platters of savoury-smelling meats to the tables.

Callum held out a chair for her at the table on the dais. When she was seated, he settled beside her, and she placed the leather-wrapped parcel between the two of them. Alastair and Orrick joined them, as did Gwendolyn. At the lower table the men who had been a part of the search party sat, awaiting the meal.

“It is pleased I am to see you, Gille,” Gwendolyn said. “I was worried when you did not return as planned, but Alastair tells me the extra days were worthwhile. That you were successful.”

Gille nodded just as the food was served. She ate sparingly despite her hunger. All around her were the sounds of people celebrating their success. The noise eddied and swirled past her, leaving her filled with restless energy instead of peace. They still had so much to accomplish, and only two more days to do it in.

She was spared from further contemplation as another presence appeared in the chamber. A white mist rolled from the doorway to the dais before solidifying into the more substantial form of Lady Janet. She appeared unchanged from when they had left two days prior. Clearly, the restoration of some of her memories had helped keep the ghost from vanishing into the spirit realm for now.

You found Lottie’s sealskin. Pleasure warmed Lady Janet’s grey eyes. My memories helped?

“Aye,” Callum said.

We must give the sealskin back to her immediately.

Callum frowned. “We may need to use it as leverage—”

A shuffle sounded at the doorway as Lottie appeared, the colour in her cheeks bright in her otherwise pale face. Hastening into the chamber, Lottie stopped beside the ghost; her gaze fixed on the leather-bound package on the table. “My pelt.”

“Aye,” Gille said, pushing the parcel closer to her.

“I can return to my true form, tonight. I can see my family again,” she said in a voice so hushed the words were nothing more than a whisper. Yet the flare of her eyes revealed her fear and excitement. She came forward to accept the package, but Callum placed his hand over the leather, stalling her.

“We need something from you in exchange for your pelt,” Callum said in a brusque tone that startled Lottie. She jerked her hand back.

“Nay,” Gille objected, as her stomach knotted. “We cannot make such demands. If she helps us, it must be of her own free will.”

I agree, my son. Lottie has already sacrificed much to be with us over these past many years.

Callum removed his hand. “As you wish.” His displeasure was obvious in the clipped tone of his voice.

Lottie touched the package tentatively, sliding the leather aside to reveal her pelt. Tears welled in her eyes. “It is exactly as I remember it.” Her fingers reached out to graze the soft grey pelt with a silvery sheen. “Thank you,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I . . . I do not know how to thank you.”

Gille smiled. “I am happy you will be able to return to your family after you have helped the MacLeods so much over the years.”

“Aye, Lottie,” Gwendolyn said, “thank you.” Others murmured agreement with her sentiment.

Lottie nodded, her gaze fixed on the pelt. “I . . . I must go,” she said, her voice trembling. “I must return to the loch.”