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The closer he got to the Buchanan land, thebecame until he feared he would shake himself off his horse But God took e oak tree just below the Buchanan holding, he spotted a horse and rider co down the broken trail
Now he had a dilemma on his hands He didn’t know if the rider was friend or foe Should he try to hide? No, the rider had already spotted him Gelroy said a prayer and decided to hope for the best
Lo and behold, it was Baron Geoffrey riding toward hi, and as soon as the baron ithin shouting distance, Gelroy called out to him He reminded hio Without hter, Gelroy asked the baron if he had been with the Buchanans “It see from their land”
“I was,” Baron Geoffrey answered
“Do you know the Buchanans well?”
“We are distantly related, and though I had thought to pay edy occurred A warrior wasfor hi yesterday but were delayed by a terrible rainstorht before I had to wait for Laird Buchanan to return home”
“Could the warrior’s nah?” he asked mildly
“Aye So you have heard what happened”
“I’ve seen hiht to the abbey, the poor soul”
The baron was rendered speechless Gelroy took advantage of his condition
“You’ll be getting a high place in heaven, even though you’re English, if you’ll go back and tell Laird Buchanan this news so that he can tell Laird MacHugh”
While Baron Geoffrey was reeling froiven so casually, Father Gelroy turned around and nudged his mount into a trot down the mountain
“Wait,” the baron shouted “You cannot go without—Is Liam still alive?”
Gelroy slapped his horse’s hindquarters to get it to speed up Without glancing back, he called over his shoulder, “Oh God, I hope so”
THE LAIRDS WHO LIVED IN THE NORTHERN HIGHLANDS were a prickly group They were known to be unpredictable, unreasonable, and ungracious They were also known to be savages upon occasion Yet if Baron Geoffrey were to accuse any of the them
Aye, they were a peculiar lot, and no one, Geoffrey believed, was more peculiar or hardheaded than Laird Brodick Buchanan Brodick didn’t have any probleh they were related, he still disliked hilish Since Brodick’s wife also happened to be froland and was Geoffrey’s cousin, Brodick explained very bluntly that he couldn’t colish, just some
The rude laird also told Geoffrey that he didn’t want hi foot on his land, yet Geoffrey knew that if he honored the laird’s wishes and didn’t pay his respects when he was in the area—and every laird in the Highlands would know that he was—then Brodick would consider the slight a grave insult and would have no choice but to retaliate
The baron had only visited once before, just after Brodick an to check on Gillian’s well-being Morgan, Geoffrey’s father’s youngest brother, was a cranky, reclusive oldin the Highlands a the wild Buchanans To Geoffrey’s surprise, he found Gillian not only content but quite happy She could not have been racious to him, and her kindness more than made up for her husband’s hostility
Although he would never admit it to Brodick, Geoffrey was impressed with him and his wife They didn’t live in a fine castle but rather a ser than Geoffrey’s steward’s home It was apparent that neither Brodick nor Gillian cared about i outsiders but, rather, concentrated on more important issues Brodick’s sole duty was to protect his wife and his clan Gillian’s duty, at the moment anyas to protect her unborn child She wanted to attend Gabrielle’s wedding, of course, but fro to beco was out of the question
The priest who had intercepted Geoffrey and given hih he had a pack of wild dogs on his tail As soon as he had blurted out the news, he had turned and urged his allop and had disappeared into the trees
Geoffrey headed back to the Buchanan holding, but Brodick wasn’t happy to see hiain so soon He certainly wasn’t in the mood to put up with another social call
The laird was an intiht as he stormed toward Geoffrey Tall and muscular, he was fair-haired and battle-scarred, and he wore a scowl as black as night His first in command, a fierce warrior named Dylan, followed in his laird’s wake Then two more warriors joined the procession
Geoffrey rested his hands on the pommel of his saddle and waited for Brodick to reach hi wasn’t pleasant, but then Geoffrey didn’t expect it to be
“I thought I was rid of you, Baron”
Geoffrey ignored the insult “Liah is at Arbane Abbey”
His announcement took the scowl off Brodick’s face “Is he alive?”
The baron quickly recounted what the priest had told him, and when he was finished, Brodick asked, “What in thunder does ‘I hope so’ mean? Liam’s either alive or he isn’t”
“He must have meant that Liaested “You’ll tell Laird MacHugh?”
“I will”
Brodick turned around and walked away fro orders to his h to the abbey There was no doubt in histo find out who had done this to his brother If God was ot there
WHILE GELROY HAD BEEN WORKING UP THE COURAGE to make the trip to infor her days with social obligations and preparations for the wedding In the late of night she would leave her chauards stood watch at his door Father Franklin explained to his patient when he finally opened his eyes that, even though the abbey was a sanctuary and was therefore considered holy ground by all good, God-fearingto take any chances that a heathen ht sneak in and do Liam further injury He told Lia with a contingent of guards, and he had asked for their help In his weakened condition, Lia over him, but he didn’t speak to thee that Liam had never heard and couldn’t understand
ONCE LIAM WAS CONSCIOUS, Father Gelroy announced that he would be leaving to deliver his htfall When he knocked on Gabrielle’s door, she was happy to see him, but she was surprised that he had returned from his important errand so quickly She made him comfortable in a chair on the balcony, offered him refreshment, and then took her seat across from him
“You are well, Father?” she asked
“I am,” he replied “And you, milady?”
“I am most well,” she replied, “but I am quite curious May I ask, hoere you able to complete your errand in such a short time?”
“I rode hard and fast,” he boasted
A servant stood in the doorith a tray Gabrielle oblet of cool water to the priest Father Gelroy thanked her with a smile and a nod and then took a hefty drink
“Was Laird MacHugh overjoyed with the news about his brother? Was he relieved?”
“I iine he was overjoyed and relieved,” he answered “You see, I didn’t go to the MacHugh holdi
ng I thought it would be o to the Buchanan holding and give Laird Buchanan the news so that he could have the honor of telling Laird MacHugh The Buchanans are allies of the MacHughs, and their holding is much closer to the abbey”
“I see” Gabrielle folded her hands in her lap and asked, “And was Laird Buchanan overjoyed and relieved with the news?”
“I iine he was,” he said a bit sheepishly
“You don’t know?” she asked, thoroughly confused
He cleared his throat “As it turned out, I didn’t need to go all the way to the Buchanan holding Your father was just leaving their land by the only safe route, and I was able to intercept the baron and give him the joyful news I’m certain he was happy to tell Laird Buchanan”
It seemed to Gabrielle that the priest had made a sih was ood news to relay to the laird Why would he worry that the man would do him harm?
“Yes, I’m certain he was,” she said
“Your father should be here soon now,” he remarked
“I’ll be happy to see hi with me in the countryside I don’t wish to complain, but I would love to leave the abbey for a little while”
“The countryside is crowded these days,” he said “There are envoys fro Several barons froland have set up ca all the co as our church Your wedding to Laird Monroe prorand occasion”
“I’ distance for the ceremony,” she said
“This is an important event for many people,” he explained