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The wind picked up, a brittle cold wind that felt as if it were slicing through her bones She felt Alec shiver and wrapped the plaid around him
The weight of the child against her left arm soon became unbearable, and she finally asked Brodick for help Alec was so exhausted he didn’t wake up as he was transferred onto his uncle’s lap The tenderness in Brodick’s eyes as he carefully placed the child’s head against his chest an and how he used to hold her on his lap while he told her bedtime stories, and she was suddenly so homesick and scared she wanted to weep
Brodick caught her watching hiet an ache in his ear if you don’t cover his head,” she blurted to cover her embarrassment
He pulled the plaid over Alec’s head but kept his attention centered on Gillian
“What has you so worried, lass?”
“Nothing,” she lied “I was thinking”
“Thinking about what?” he prodded
He’d ainst hers She pretended not to notice
“Answer me,” he demanded
She sighed “I was thinking that when you marry and have children, you will make a fine father”
“What makes you think I don’t already have children?”
Her eyes widened “But you’re not married”
He laughed “A man need not be married to father children”
“I realize that,” she replied, trying her best to sound worldly “I’norant”
“But you are completely innocent, aren’t you?”
“That, sir, is none of your affair”
Her cheeks had turned bright pink with eht, and a sure temptress
“Do you?” she whispered
“Do I what?”
“Have children”
“No”
“Then you were teasing me”
She seeave her a quick nod before he nudged his mount and took over the lead
A few round began to tremble Stephen, Aaron, Liam and Robert all moved forward to circle her
“Protect Alec and your laird,” she ordered
“Milady, we’re on Maitland land now There isn’t any danger,” Stephen explained
“Then why are the four of you pressing in on me?”
Robert grinned “We’re just letting the Maitlands know”
“Knohat, Robert?”
He wasn’t inclined to explain The Maitland soldiers crashed through the trees then and surrounded them The noise startled Gillian’s rabbed hold of the reins and forced the mare’s head down
They were encircled by warriors, and their closeness became oppressive They were at least forty in nurim
One soldier broke through the line and rode forward to speak to Brodick There was souely familiar about the man
She asked Liary with your laird?”
“No, milady,” he answered “His name is Winslow, and he always frowns”
“Winslow is Iain Maitland’s commander in arms,” Stephen told her “He’s also Brodick’s brother”
No wonder he seemed so familiar to her, for now she could see the rese eyes Winslow even frowned like Brodick, she thought, when the Maitland commander turned toward her, narrowed his eyes, and said so to his brother
Stephen deliberately nudged his mount closer to Gillian on one side and Liam squeezed closer on her other side
“Winsloants to knoho you are, milady,” Robert whispered from behind
She watched Brodick shrug as though she were so unimportant to him he couldn’t remember who she was
And that’s the way it should be, she thought to herself She wasn’t important to him; she was simply a means to an end For a short ti an innocent child back to his family But now they were on Maitland land, and soon their duty would be over Alec would be with his parents again, Brodick would no doubt go hoin her search for her sister Her ether was over, yet her heart ached with regret It was logical that Brodick would return to his duties as laird over the Buchanansand it was right Why, then, did she feel so alone? Gillian didn’t need him, or any other an was her family, and when her quest was over, if she succeeded, she would return to him
But she would never forget Brodickor the spontaneous kiss he’d given her that hadto her
Winslow caught her attention when he once again glanced her way and froith obvious displeasure She heard hiry because Brodick had brought an outsider to the Maitlands
Brodick’s response was severe, but he spoke so rapidly, Gillian couldn’t catch a single word Whatever he said seeh, because he backed down and reluctantly nodded Then Brodick lifted the blanket away from Alec’s face Winsloas so stunned he let out a shout Alec iht, s as the Maitland soldiers moved forward
All of thesuch a ruckus Gillian’s ears rang
Alec loved the attention He gleefully waved to his father’s soldiers, then turned in Brodick’s lap to look back at Gillian Alec’s joy onderful to see, and she knew that she would never forget this wonderfulthis child home
Gillian’s radiant expression took Brodick’s breath away, and when she looked at him and smiled, she made him feel invincible How could one woman have such an ih his world had been changed forever, and, honest to God, he didn’t know if he liked that one bit Gillian was a disruption—
“Iain’s on his way back fro into his brother’s thoughts
“You should prepare hi a son return from the dead”
Winslow laughed “A joyous shock,” he re
The Maitland soldiers tried to press in on Gillian, which the Buchanan soldiers took immediate exception to, and had Brodick not put an end to the budding hostility, Gillian was certain a real fight would have broken out Angry words and hard shoves were exchanged, but no real dae was done
Brodick led the procession up the last steep hill There were cottages of every shape and size nestled in the side of the htly colored doors As they rode past, men and women poured out of their hoh they itnessing a n of the cross and bowed their heads in prayer Others mopped at their eyes to stem their joyful tears
The Maitland horay stone structure was quite forbidding, as there was a wide black cloth draped over the double doors The ere also covered
Brodick dismounted with Alec in his arm, motioned to Robert to assist Gillian, and then put the boy down Running to Gillian, Alec latched onto her hand, and started pulling her to the steps
The crowd silently pressed forward Brodick clasped Gillian’s other hand, giving it a little squeeze when he noticed how unco at her He stopped at the entrance, reached up, and ripped the black cloth fro He pulled the door open and stepped back so Gillian could enter, but she shook her head and
“Alec’s ho should be private I’ll be happy to wait here
”
He grinned “I’ll be happier to have you inside,” he replied as he gently shoved her ahead of him She decided she would wait by the door until Alec had had a fewor pushing was going to change her mind
The stone entry was poorly lit with a single candle flickering light on a low chest next to the staircase leading to the second level On Gillian’s left were three steps leading down to the great hall A fire blazed on the hearth, and across the rectangular roo by the light of two candles Her head was bent to her task, and Gillian couldn’t see her face, but she was certain she atching Alec’s h surely she had heard the door open She see outside
Gillian heard Laird Maitland’s voice before she saw him
“Who in God’s na all that noise?” Iain demanded
The voice careat hall from the buttery, spotted Brodick, and de
Alec had started up the steps to his parents’ chamber, but when he heard his father’s voice, he turned around and ran back down He raced across the stone floor, jureat hall, and threw his arms wide
“MamaPapaI’m home”
CHAPTER TWELVE
The shock very nearly did his parents in For the first tih he’d just run headfirst into a stone wall, he staggered back shaking his head in disbelief His dark eyes misted “Alec?” he whispered hoarsely And then he roared, “Alec!”
Judith Maitland leapt to her feet and let out a joyful cry, her forgotten sewing basket spilling to the floor Her hand flew to her heart She took a shaky step toward her son and then fainted dead away Unfortunately, Brodick was too far from her to catch her before she hit the floor, and her husband was still too shaken to do more than watch her collapse
Alec almost knocked his father off his feet when he threw his Iain tried to shake hihty warrior dropped to his knees and, with head bowed and eyes closed, wrapped his son in his strong arms