Marti Talbotts Highlander Series 1 - Anna Rachel u Charlet

Nevertheless, he was more than happy to sit down. “I changed the guard.”
    “Change them every hour until dark,” said Kevin.
    When Rachel left for a few minutes, Justin turned to Connor. “My wife wants to know if something frightened Rachel yesterday.”
    Connor thought about it for a moment. “She did not seem frightened. She let me get close to her for the first time.”
    Kevin looked amazed. “She let you get close to her? Have you looked for injuries?” Justin chuckled and Connor rolled his eyes just before Rachel walked back in.
    Another hour passed. The afternoon shadows were steadily growing longer and would soon cover the woman outside. Finally, she stood up and turned toward the trees. She said something and the two missing MacGreagor boys ran out of the forest to her.
    When the boys appeared, Kevin closed his eyes. Tired of standing, he finally took a seat next to Connor and left Justin and Rachel at the window. “First the Fergusons kill a man, a lass and a child. Then they return the missing boys. Why?”
    “It is a trick still,” Connor mumbled.
    Justin wrinkled his brow. “Perhaps , something has gone wrong and they are not yet ready to fight us.”
    “We cannot just leave the boys outside the wall. They must be terrified,” Rachel said.
    Finally, the Ferguson woman cupped her hands and shouted in Gaelic, “The Fergusons did not do this. We found the boys hiding in the woods.”
    Kevin and Connor walked to the window while Justin thoughtfully rubbed the side of his face. “Our lads saw no Fergusons when they searched the woods. The boys would have come to us when we called out if they could.”
    Rachel turned to Kevin , but kept one eye on Connor. “Kevin, let me go get them.” She expected Connor to say no again, but this time he kept quiet.
    Kevin frowned. “There are at least fifteen Fergusons in the woods, what could you do?”
    “The children know English. I will tell them to run to me in the forest, and then I will hide them until it is safe to bring them inside.”
    “It might work,” Justin admitted.
    Connor added, “She knows all the hiding places.”
    Rachel was puzzled. Of course, she knew all the hiding places and so did he -- he’d followed her often enough and now, he sounded as though he was on her side. She swore she would never understand the way his mind worked.
    “Rachel is not the only one who speaks English,” Kevin said to Justin.
    “Aye, but she is the only one who knows the secret.”
    Kevin wasn ’ t convinced. “One of us could go.”
    Justin shook his head, “The Fergusons would love getting their hands on you, and my English is not that good. Besides , we are far too large and with two children, we cannot easily hide.”
    Rachel’s neck was starting to hurt from repeatedly looking up at one tall man and then the other.
    “There could be two hundred lads waiting in the forest,” said Kevin.
    She realized that was true. “I will go all the way to the loch and come up behind them. If there are too many I will come back without the boys, I promise.”
    Kevin studied Rachel’s eyes and finally nodded. “Not until it is dark enough.”
    When she was gone, Kevin looked out the window again and put a hand on Justin’s shoulder. “Tell our wives what is happening. If they object, there is still time to stop her.” He watched Justin leave and again turned his attention back to the woman and boys outside the wall.
    Connor was certain Rachel’s mother and sister would refuse their permission this time. Rachel’s plan was sound, but Kevin was right -- there could be two hundred Fergusons hiding in the woods. Convinced it would not happen, he relaxed and waited until Justin came back.
    “Anna said they would never keep Rachel from going out,” Justin said.
    Kevin seemed to, but Connor didn’t understand at all. They were willing to let her go, knowing she would be in even more danger than the night before? Why? He knew of no other mother who would allow it. He wondered too, if Kevin would even ask any other mother. No, Kevin would simply order it done.

    Rachel suspected Kevin would ask permission and was listening from her hiding place under the stairs. She heard the consent, walked out the door and quietly closed it behind her. She continued down the steps, across the courtyard, up the path an d disappeared into her cottage.
    Then she walked to the small window, pulled the curtain back, folded her arms and leaned against the wall. It