Page 55 of Highland Guard

Harcourt nodded. “I want to romance my woman tonight, to give her some pretty words, feed her some fine foods, drink a toast to her beauty, and give her a few sweet memories to cling to during the coming trouble.”

“I didnae hear anything about making a few promises in that listing,” said Callum as he joined them at the table.

Irritated that he had not heard the man approach, Harcourt took a moment to think on how to respond. “Ah, weel, I am nay sure I can give her any. Nay sure I should, in truth,” he said.

“Because she must abide here and ye must return to Gormfeurach?”

“Aye. I have looked at that problem from every side and see no answers. When this fight is over I must ride away from her and Benet again. At least this time I will pause to say a proper fare-thee-weel,” he muttered and took a drink of his ale.

“There is a solution. Ye stay here with her and the boy. Aye, ye willnae be able to openly claim him as your son, but that doesnae mean ye cannae still be a father to him.”

Harcourt ached to do just that. He wanted to spend his nights wrapped in Annys’s arms, perhaps make another child or two, and his days teaching Benet how to be a good man and laird. The desire to have that was growing so strong he was often trying to think of ways to get the land he craved yet not have to go back to Gormfeurach. He did not think Annys would want a husband who lived by selling his sword, however.

“If I walked away from Gormfeurach and that land that awaits me, I would be coming to her with nothing,” he said and held up his hand when Callum started to speak. “What I do ken right now is that I must cease thinking on it all. There will be an army at the gates soon and war requires a man’s full attention.”

“Verra true.”

“And the first thing we need to do now is to start bringing the people in, securing a hiding place for as much of the livestock as is possible, and do a careful tally of what we have for drink and food.”

“I will gather up a few men and see to that,” Callum said as he stood up.

Nathan also stood up after gulping down the last of his ale. “I will join you. First we best tell Dunnie to send whate’er wagons and carts he can to the village and ready a place to put whate’er stock gets brought inside the walls.” He looked at Harcourt. “Mayhap ye can get Annys to bring as many of those benches she has under near every window in the keep down here. More places to sit are always best. Mayhap the young ones could begin filling up buckets or whate’er else will hold water and set them close to anything that can burn. We will be soaking down that sort of thing but it can help to have more close at hand to keep it all wet.” Nathan suddenly noticed that Callum and Harcourt were staring at him. “Why are ye looking at me like that? Have I grown a fat, hairy wart on my face?”

Harcourt laughed and shook his head. “Nay. It was the e’er-growing, extremely clever list of preparations ye were giving us. It was a wee bit of a surprise.”

“Dinnae forget, my da once had near every clan for a hundred miles round thirsty for his head on a pike. In the years when it was verra bad, we could find ourselves fighting off attackers near to once a month.” He shrugged. “I would see what went wrong and think of ways to mend that weakness, or sort out that confusion that took time and attention away from the fight and staying alive. Ewan once told me I could ready them to live under a siege lasting several years without them suffering any real hardship if I set my mind to it.”

“I think he may be right in that.”

“Warn your lady that the people will be coming in fast once they get the word. She needs to make it clear where they cannae go while inside the keep,” he added as he followed Callum out the door.

Harcourt was still shaking his head as he stood up to go find Annys. If he had had to choose one man to plan out how to survive a siege, it would not have been Nathan, but Ewan was right. Nathan was a planner. Even as he and Callum had walked away, Nathan had been working aloud on that long list of what he felt needed to be done, right down to having everyone in the village clearly mark what belonged to them before bringing it inside the walls as it would save arguments when the battle ended and they could all begin to collect their belongings and go home.

He left the great hall just as Annys stepped inside from the bailey. The dazed look in her eyes told him she had already met Nathan and had probably been given a long list of things to do. Harcourt walked up to her and opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by her raised hand. He watched her lips move as she repeated something several times, even though he could not discern what. Then, abruptly, her eyes cleared and she smiled.

“Sorry, but I needed to set firmly in my mind all Nathan told me and that required me to repeat it to myself several times. I am certain it is fixed firm in my head now. I believe it is going to be verra, verra busy here for a while.”

“Nathan did surprise us. The mon has some verra sound ideas and thinks on things I would ne’er have considered need doing or fixing. He might find himself called on from time to time now that his secret is out. ’Tis a most valuable skill he has there.”

“Verra valuable. S’truth, having him give me specific things to do, things I can see will be most helpful, e’en safer for us all, makes me feel safer as weel.” The last words emerged in a trembling voice that belied her claim and Annys took a deep, steadying breath. “I am afraid and I am also deeply, blindingly furious.”

She sighed with relief when he pulled her into his arms for she needed it. Annys refused to think that need revealed a weakness. She knew that if he was not back in her life, she would have been wanting a comforting embrace from Joan, or David if he was still alive. Whether she believed it or not, she just wanted someone to hold her, pat her back, and tell her everything would be well. When Harcourt did just that, she had to smile.

After staying in his arms long enough for his warmth to chase away the chill of fear, Annys stepped back and gave him a quick kiss. “Now I must see to my assigned duties. I may have to borrow a few men to help me move the benches and turn David’s bedchamber into a nursery.”

“A nursery?”

“Aye, and ’tis a wondrous idea. ’Tis the one place we will put all the wee ones with a few women or girls to tend them. Not only will they be safer, and easier to collect if we must flee the keep, but it frees their mothers to help if it is needed.” She started up the stairs, stopped, and turned to look back at him. “Oh, and Nathan says ye need to speak to Geordie and decide what to do with him.”

“I havenae the time for that.”

“I think ye may want to find it. Nathan says he is an archer.” She tossed him her keys.

Harcourt gaped, retaining just enough of his wits to catch her keys, and then staring at her as she disappeared up the stairs. Shaking free of his shock, he immediately headed down to the cell holding Geordie. The man leapt to his feet and came to the door of the cell as Harcourt approached.

“Something is happening, aye?” he asked, gripping the thick bars. “What is it? An attack?”

“We got word that Sir Adam has joined his men so we are preparing ourselves for the attack that is certain to follow soon.” Harcourt leaned against the bars and studied the man. “I am here to talk to you and decide if I can trust ye enough to let ye join our side.”