Page 27 of Highlander’s Hope

The guy did as he was told. When he lay on the ground, Marjorie’s and Konnor’s gazes met. He now noticed she was in a nightgown. The shape of her body was visible under the thin white material in the moonlight.

She rushed to the boy, who was now standing. With the sword trembling in her hands, she cut the ties on his wrists and then scooped him in a hug.

“Oh, Colin, my lad,” she said, her voice a shaky whisper. The boy buried his face at her chest.

“I’m all right, Mother,” he said.

Mother…

Konnor still stood still and speechless, eying the boy. Konnor had seen him in the castle with his wooden sword here and there, chatting with the warriors and the servants, playing with a dog, standing on the walls watching the fields around the castle. He’d even seen him talk to Marjorie. But he hadn’t realized he was her son. He’d thought he was…just a boy.

But now he could see the similarities. Their faces were the same shape, and they had the same unruly, dark-brown hair. He was skinny but had strong shoulders and arms. His chin protruded stubbornly as he stared at Konnor with careful apprehension.

Konnor blinked, coming back to his senses. Marjorie had been abused. And Marjorie had a son.

“Thank ye, Konnor,” she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. “I thought I’d woken up to a nightmare. If it wasna for ye…”

The sound of footsteps thundered up the stairs and across the landing, and Malcolm and five more men barged in, swords at the ready.

“Mistress, Colin, are ye all right?” Malcolm shouted, looking around the room.

“Aye,” Marjorie said.

“Who are they?” Malcolm said.

“I woke up to shouts and banging from Colin’s room. They came for him, and Konnor saved him.”

Malcolm took three giant steps towards the third man and sank to his knees. He took out a dagger and pressed it against the guy’s ear.

“Who are ye?” he said.

“I think ye well ken who we are,” the man answered and spat at Malcolm’s shoe.

“MacDougalls, of course,” Marjorie said, her voice shaking. “Who else?”

Malcolm stood and kicked the man in the stomach.

“Came to take our mistress’s son? Well, that isna bloody happening, is it?” he growled. “Take them away.” He turned to Marjorie. “Dinna fash yerself, lass, I will question them. We need to ken how they got in. We will look around the castle for more men.”

Marjorie looked at Colin. “Go to bed, sweet. I’ll stay until we ken there isna anyone else here.”

“I can stay with you,” Konnor said. “Just until we know it’s safe.”

Marjorie glanced at him, looking lost and shaken, and nodded. Colin got in his bed, and she covered him with a blanket. As Cambel men carried and dragged the MacDougalls out, Marjorie sat by Colin’s side on the bed and kept stroking him. Konnor stood by the door and watched her and her son, something turning in his chest over and over. Something he didn’t want to think about.

After a while, the boy closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Malcolm stuck his head into the room. “’Tis all clear, mistress. There’s no one else here. Go to sleep.”

She stood up and kissed Colin on the head.

“Will you put a man to guard him, Malcolm? I’ll sleep better.”

“Aye. Of course, mistress. I’ll guard him myself.”

“Thank ye.”

Marjorie and Konnor went down the stairs to the landing. She stopped before her door, hugged herself, and began to shake.