Ransom (Highlands' Lairds #2)

Michael spotted his brother and went running down the stairs. "Ramsey, Alec's gone."

"What do you mean, he's gone?"

"He's not in his bed."

Iain came bounding down the stairs then. He went into the great hall and pulled the tapestries back from the two windows near the entrance. Light flooded the room.

"He's around here somewhere," Iain said, trying not to become alarmed.

"The guards would have seen him if he'd ventured outside."

Ramsey said. "Where the hell is he?"

Ramsey was obviously concerned, but Brodick, on the other hand, wasn't the least fazed.

"He's with Gillian."

Both Ramsey and Iain looked at their friend. "Why would he be with Gillian?" Iain asked as he rushed back up the stairs.

"He feels safe with her."

Iain whirled around. "And he doesn't feel safe with his mother and his father?"

Brodick started up the stairs. "Of course he does, but he knows she'll let him in her bed. He's sleeping with her, and you aren't going in her room unless I'm with you."

"For the love of…" Iain didn't finish his thought. He strode down the hallway, and without bothering to knock, opened Gillian's door. The room was dark, Brodick brushed past him and went to the window. He lifted the tapestry, tied it with the cord hooked to the wall, and then turned around.

Alec was in her bed all right, just as Brodick had predicted. He was cuddled up against her, his head resting on her shoulder. Gillian was sleeping on her back with her right arm wrapped around the little boy as though she were trying to protect him, even in sleep. Her other arm was stretched across the bed, palm up, and in the light, the scars and raw abrasions were startling to see.

Ramsey stood in the doorway, and though usually diplomatic, he reverted to the days when Brodick's manners had rubbed off on him. "What the hell happened to her arm? It's a mess."

Fortunately, he'd whispered the comment and hadn't disturbed Gillian or Alec.

Brodick pulled the tapestry back in place so that the sun wouldn't bother them, and nudged Iain to leave.

Iain didn't budge. "One angel protects another," he whispered. He turned then and went into the hallway. "We will do what she asks," he told Ramsey.

"We wait to retaliate?" Ramsey asked, already frowning over that possibility.

"Yes, we wait."

Brodick was still in the bedchamber. He'd spotted his plaid on the chair, picked it up, and covered Gillian and Alec with the Buchanan colors. He looked at her once again as he was pulling the door closed and felt a strange contentment wash over him. It suddenly dawned on him that he was never going to let her go.

Like it or not, she was going to belong to him.

Gillian awakened an hour after dawn and felt thoroughly rested. She washed and dressed with care in her own clothes. The servants must have washed her gowns last night and then hung them in front of the fire, for they were dry and spotless.

The tunic she wore over her pale yellow gown was a deep, emerald green that her uncle had often told her enhanced the color of her eyes. After securing the braided cord around her waist so that it would droop just so on the tilt of her hips, she brushed her hair, pinched her cheeks for color, and went downstairs.

She ate breakfast with Judith and the boys. Graham begged his mother to let him take Michael and Alec to the field to watch the soldiers training, and after she gave her permission, they grabbed the wooden swords they would spar with and went running out the door.

"Now we can talk," Judith said. "Did you sleep well? You're up early. I was sure you'd stay in bed until noon at the very least. You have to be exhausted."

"I did sleep well," she replied. "And I wanted to get up early. I must leave today."

"Leave us so soon?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Where are you going?"

"Home with Ramsey."

Judith's eyes widened. "Does Brodick know?"

"Not yet. Do you know where he is?"

"He's down at the stables with Iain and Ramsey. Would you mind if I tagged along? I really would like to see Brodick's reaction to hearing you want to leave with Ramsey."

"Why would he object? He knows I have to search for my sister, and he also knows she's a MacPherson, so he surely understands I have to go to the Sinclair holding to look for her."

"With Ramsey."

"Why do you look so incredulous? Do you know Winslow acted the very same way last night when I mentioned I'd be going home with Ramsey today. He also asked me if Brodick knew about my plans. It was most peculiar."

"I can see I'm going to have to explain."

"Yes, please," Gillian said.

"Ramsey and Iain and Brodick are like brothers," she began. "And they are extremely loyal to one another. But surely you've noticed in the time you've been with Brodick that he's a very possessive man. All the Buchanans are," she added with a nod.

"What are you trying to tell me?"

Judith sighed. "When Iain and I were newly married, my husband didn't like it when Ramsey was near me."

"Why? Didn't he trust him?"

"Oh, yes, he trusted him all right, and so does Brodick, but women, you see, tend to lose their heads over Ramsey. You've got to admit he's a handsome devil."

"Yes, but so are Iain and Brodick."

"Iain was a bit… insecure… but after a while, he calmed down because he knew my heart belonged to him. Brodick doesn't know, you see, and he's therefore going to be difficult about you leaving with Ramsey."

"He won't be difficult," Gillian assured her.

Judith laughed. "You think you know him so well, then?"

"Yes, I do," she said.

"There's also a little rivalry between Ramsey and Brodick. It should have caused a rift, but it didn't. As I told you last night, about eight years ago, the two of them went to England to find brides. What I didn't tell you is that Brodick found a woman he thought might do."

"What happened?" she asked when her friend hesitated and began to blush.

"This woman gave herself to Brodick."

"They were betrothed?"

Judith shook her head. "No, but she gave herself to him. Do you understand?"

"Do you mean she took him to her bed?"

Their voices had dropped to whispers and they were both blushing now.

"Knowing Brodick as I do, I'd say he took her to his bed, but she had to have agreed or he wouldn't have touched her."

"And he told you this?"

Gillian looked flabbergasted. Judith laughed as she answered, "Good Lord, no, he didn't tell me. Iain did, but it took a good six months of nagging to get my husband to finally confide in me. You mustn't ever let the men know I've told you this story. Promise me."

"I promise," Gillian hastily agreed so she could hear the rest of the tale. "What happened to the woman? Brodick is a very honorable man and he wouldn't take an innocent—"

"But she wasn't innocent," Judith whispered. "She had been with other men."

"Oh, dear," Gillian whispered, thinking that it was a pity the woman was English.

"One of the men happened to be Ramsey."

"No."

"Hush," Judith whispered. "I don't want the servants to overhear."

"Both of them took her to their beds?"

"Yes, but neither knew for a time that she was playing one against the other."

Gillian's mouth dropped open. "No wonder Brodick dislikes the English so. What happened when they figured it all out?"

"Neither one of them wanted her, of course. They came home and vowed they would marry one of their own or not marry at all."

"Did Brodick love her?"

"I doubt that he did," she replied. "If he'd loved her, he would have been furious with Ramsey, but as it was, he was barely bothered."

"What about Ramsey?"

"He took it all in stride. Women throw themselves at him," she added. "And that's why Brodick will be difficult about your leaving with him."

"You told me he trusts Ramsey."

"It's you he'll be concerned about," Judith told her bluntly. "As I said before, women tend to lose their heads over Ramsey."

"And he'll be concerned that I… oh, for heaven's sake," Gillian cried out, and then laughed. "You're wrong, Judith. Brodick won't care one way or another."

Judith stood up. "Shall we go find out?"

The two women walked side by side down the hill. The lairds were easy to spot, for they stood together beyond the stables, like towering trees in the center of a field, as they observed the soldiers sparring with their swords.

All three turned as the two ladies came toward them. Gillian noticed that Iain couldn't seem to take his eyes off his wife. Love obviously hadn't lessened in the years they had lived as man and wife. "Gillian has something to tell you," Judith announced.

"Laird," she began.

"Iain," he corrected.

With a quick nod, she began again. "Iain, I would first thank you for your kindness and your hospitality."

"It is I who should be thanking you, Gillian, for bringing my son home to me."

"She wants to go home with Ramsey, and I think she should," Judith announced emphatically so that her husband would know she supported Gillian's plan. "She wants to leave today."

"Is that so?" Iain replied with a glance at Brodick.

"Ramsey, did you plan to go home today?"

"I did," he answered, and she noticed he, too, looked at Brodick.

"I know how important it is for you to find the man who betrayed Ramsey."

Iain interrupted. "He betrayed all of us, lass."

"Yes." She hurriedly agreed so she could explain her position before she lost her nerve. Telling the giants what they were going to do took courage, especially when she was standing so close to them. She wanted to get the speech she'd rehearsed with Judith on the way down the hill said as quickly as possible.

"I have until the fall festival to accomplish what I came here to do, which means I don't have much time. I'm going to find my sister, God willing, and since she's one of the MacPhersons and the MacPhersons are now part of Ramsey's clan, I'm going home with him today to start searching. I expect all of you to cooperate."

After giving her speech, she folded her arms across her waist and tried to look confident.

"I see your mind's set," Iain said dryly. "We expected you would want to go to Ramsey's holding."

"You had me worried for nothing," she whispered to Judith.

"We'll see," Judith whispered back.

"Ramsey, what say you? Will you take Gillian home with you today?" Iain asked.

"We can leave immediately if that is Lady Gillian's wish."

"What about you, Brodick?" Judith asked. "What do you think of Gillian's plan to go home with Ramsey?"

Gillian didn't give him time to answer. "Brodick's going to come with me," she blurted out. "Is that right?" he asked quietly.

Her heart was suddenly pounding a furious beat and she could barely catch her breath. She realized then that she was in a panic, and it was all because she was terrified Brodick would leave her. Dear God, why and how had she allowed herself to become so attached to him in such a short time? She knew she shouldn't involve him in her problems, and yet the thought of watching him walk away from her knowing she would never see him again was simply unbearable.

"The Buchanans are feuding with the MacPhersons," Judith whispered softly. "I think perhaps you ask too much of Brodick."

"She has yet to ask me anything," Brodick said. "Judith, the Buchanans aren't feuding with the MacPhersons." Iain corrected his wife's misconception. "They just don't like them. They don't like anyone they perceive as a weakling."

"Not everyone can be as strong as you are, Brodick. You should defend the weak, not trample on them," Gillian said.

All three lairds grinned as they glanced at one another, and it dawned on her then that they were actually amused by her attitude. They obviously thought she was naive. "Is this not so?" she challenged.

"No, it isn't so," Brodick answered. "The weak don't survive in the Highlands."

Both Ramsey and Iain nodded their agreement. "The MacPhersons are leeches," Brodick said, addressing his remarks to Ramsey now. "They'll drain the strength out of all the Sinclairs, including you. They like being taken care of," he added. "And they sure as certain don't want to be strong. Once they've used up and destroyed you, they'll simply go to another compassionate laird and beg him to take them in."

"You make compassion sound like a sin," Gillian said.

"In this instance it is," he answered.

"Ramsey has only been laird for a short time, but he's already earned the reputation of a compassionate man," Iain remarked. "That's why the MacPhersons came to him."

"I, too, have little tolerance for a fit man who would deliberately embrace sloth and let others take care of him and his family. However, I think you're both mistaken about the MacPhersons. Their soldiers are poorly trained, and that is all there is to it. They aren't weak; they're inept."

The discussion continued, but a movement to the east caught Gillian's attention. There were four young ladies standing together near the tree line watching the lairds. All of them were busy primping. One redheaded woman kept pinching her cheeks, while the others groomed their hair and smoothed their skirts. All of them were giggling. Their carefree attitude made Gillian smile. She assumed the women wanted to look their best when they spoke to Laird Maitland, but were politely waiting until he was no longer engaged in conversation.

"That's exactly our concern, Ramsey," Iain said. "You'll train the MacPhersons, and then they'll turn on you."

"Fortunately, Iain and I won't let them destroy you," Brodick said. "If you won't watch your back, we will."

"I know what I'm doing," Ramsey announced authoritatively. "And you will both stay out of my affairs."

"Do you think it was a MacPherson that Gillian saw? Could one of them be your traitor?" Judith asked.