Marti Talbotts Highlander Series 1 - Anna Rachel u Charlet

“Do you believe ou r wives would really leave us?”
    “I do. When I first married Anna, I told her it would please me when she makes this her home. She could rearrange the furnishings, order different food or even throw everything out the window. She changed nothing. At first, I thought it was out of respect for my sister, Katie, who ran the household after our parents died. But after Katie married Thomas and went to the Cameron hold, Anna still changed nothing. It is just the same as it was thirteen years ago. My wife has not yet made this her true home.”
    Justin took a sip of wine. “I am not sure I could let them go this time.”
    “Nay, Rachel is right. We cannot keep them from leaving. All we can do is cherish every moment they stay.”
    “Catherin sometimes describes her despair as a burning in her heart the same as Rachel did just now. Perhaps she is right, Rachel is remembering.”
    “Rachel is filled with anger. I once had to take a wooden sword out of her hand before she killed one of the boys. And just now, I saw that same rage in her eyes. Perhaps remembering is what she needs.”
    “What if Rachel does not come back?”
    Kevin sat down and laced his fingers behind his neck. “If she does not come back, I do not know what our wives will do. I promised no one would hurt the three of them again and I pray I did not just break that promise.”
    “So do I.”

    Rachel was sitting on her bed again waiting for dark. It would be a while and she was thinking about taking a nap , when she heard Connor’s voice. She got up, crept to the window and peeked out. Charlet was sitting on the ground holding her left foot. Rachel smiled and strained to listen.
    “I fell,” Charlet said in a pitiful voice. When Connor knelt down to examine her ankle, Charlet grabbed a lock of hair and waved it under his nose.
    Rachel nearly laughed out loud.
    Connor brushed Charlet’s hand away and felt the bones in her ankle, but nothing felt broken or swollen. He suspected it was a trick and decided to teach her a lesson. “This is very serious. I doubt you will be able to walk for a week, maybe two.”
    Charlet was shocked. Not walking meant she wouldn’t see Connor for a very long time. “‘Tis not that bad.”

“Nay?”
    She pouted for a moment. “May I ask you a question?”
    “Aye.”
    “Will you marry me?”
    Connor glanced at the window, saw the curtain move a little and knew Rachel was listening. He sat down and crossed his legs. “You will be very becoming when you are older.”
    Without thinking, Charlet sat up and curled both her feet under her. “Do you think so?”
    “I do. Of course, by then I will be a very old man.”
    “How old?”
    “I could well be close to thirty.”
    “That is old.”
    Rachel narrowed her eyes. He told her he was twenty, he was tricking Charlet and she should march right out there and tell her the truth. Rachel suddenly realized she had moved the curtain and looked to see if he noticed. He didn’t.
    “Do you love another?” Charlet was asking.
    Connor had trouble hiding his smile, “I did until today.”
    “Was it Rachel?”
    “Aye, but Rachel never smells like flowers. I believe now I will have to find a bride who does.”
    Rachel rolled her eyes. It would be a cold day in hell before she rubbed flower petals in her hair. In fact, she thought she might try something a lot less pleasant the next time she needed to avoid Connor in the forest. She moved away from the window and sat back down on her bed. Flowers indeed. Then a thought occurred to her and she smiled. Perhaps she would suggest all the young women rub flower petals in their hair -- all except her.

    After all the fires were put out and it was dark near the secret door, Rachel went out. Anna and Catherin set aside their need to go out and walked to the Keep to pray for her safety instead. Kevin began to walk the paths for some much needed exercise , while Justin sat down at the table in his darkened cottage , and Connor took up a position on the inside of the wall to wait. It would be another very long night.

    CHAPTER V

    Laird Thomas Cameron wasn’t sure what they would do when he came through the secret passage. The last thing he wanted was to frighten Catherin, but he needed to know how to help the MacGreagors, and the only way to know was to get inside. After he climbed out of the moat, he discovered finding the two smooth stones was not as easy as he thought. It took nearly fifteen minutes to find