She couldn’t seem to control the shaking in her arms and legs as she entered the main hall of the keep. Everything looked different to Ella now that it was filled with people moving around, chatting, and carrying trays of food and drink all about. In the span of an afternoon she had run a gambit of emotions and was exhausted. When she had woken up that morning all she’d wanted was a clear path to stay with Lucas. Now that she had been given that in the way of a marriage proposal she was conflicted.

Her heart screamed to say yes to his proposal. Lucas was affectionate and giving. Especially with his lovemaking. Ella fighting to keep her blush at bay thinking about his hands and mouth on her body. But while he spoke of possession and protection, there was no talk of love. He hadn’t told her he loved her. She knew she should be glad he wanted to marry her, but without his confession of love it felt empty.

Looking around the room she spotted Milly and Kelly sitting at the main table toward the back of the hall. In just a few short days, she had come to think of Kelly as a friend, and even though she had just met Milly that morning, she already adored the girl. At least she could share a meal with two lovely women while she wrestled with her turmoil. As she drew closer Lucas came into view, he was speaking with animation to a beautiful woman Ella had not seen before. Her long auburn hair hung in tight ringlets that fell down her back, with slight streaks of grey at the temples. Her movements were graceful and sure, Ella couldn’t bring herself to look away. Rather than a pang of jealousy or anger, Ella was surprised to find she was enchanted. The woman looked up and Ella saw the familiar emerald green eyes shared by Lucas and Milly. Yet where the siblings both held ease and humor in theirs, this woman’s gaze was weighed down by a deep sadness. This must be the current, Lady MacGille, Ella thought. It could be no other than Lucas’s mother.

“Ella!” Milly shouted across the room. She couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s eager greeting. “Come please, meet Mother!”

Lucas turned and flashed Ella a brilliant smile, holding his hand out for Ella to take. She took it willingly, but she felt her cheeks burn as clan members undoubtedly watched. She could hear their whispers. Another thought occurred to her, if she said yes to being Lucas’s wife and eventual Lady of the Keep, she would have to learn to ignore whispers and gossip. She smiled back at Lucas, head high.

“Ella Pearson, please meet our ma, Lady Catharine Agnes MacGille,” he said proudly. Ella gave the woman a deep curtsy.

“It is a pleasure to meet you ma’am. Lucas has spoken very fondly of you.”

Lady MacGille came forward and smiled warmly at her. Surprising not only Ella, but Lucas and Milly by taking Ella into a tight embrace.

“Thank ye, lass. Were it not for you, I’d not hae my boy home and safe. Ye not only saved his life, ye saved mine and gave our clan a leader. I’m forever in ye debt,” she said. Tears welled in Ella’s eyes as she hugged the woman back. This was the first outward sign of affection that didn’t come from Lucas since she had left Amelia. Lady MacGille had no way of knowing how much Ella missed her own mother, but after her trying day, the woman’s embrace was exactly what she needed. She couldn’t help but wonder what Amelia was doing at that moment. Family had always been the core of her life, and she hadn’t realized how much she missed it until Lucas’s mother showed her this kindness.

“I would do it all again, if given a chance.” Ella looked into the woman’s eyes and saw only appreciation. Lucas grabbed her hand from behind and led her to the seat between himself and Milly, who leaned over and whispered, “I’ve never seen Ma embrace anyone who wasnae family before.”

Ella felt a small measure of pride. Her brief moment of happiness however was short lived. Her eye was drawn across the room where she saw Edina staring daggers at her. Ella felt a chill race down her spine. She would have to speak with the girl.

Food began to be passed around the room and Ella had never seen such a feast. She must have counted five different roasted meats, and more roasted vegetables than she had even known existed. All from the vast garden Kelly and Milly had shown her that morning.

“Is it always this plentiful?” she asked, leaning in to address Milly and Kelly, both women laughing at her astonishment.

“Nay, only on special occasions. The last two nights since Lucas hae returned, Mrs. Thomas and the kitchen staff wanted to make the meals memorable,” Kelly said.

“Partly, I think, hoping Ma would come down, which she has,” Milly added, smiling in her mother’s direction. “Mrs. Thomas and Ma have been friends for many years, but as of late she hasn’t seen her or spoken to anyone, rarely even me.”

“I can’t imagine what it must be like for her, to lose her husband, and then think her sons also dead.” Ella wondered if she too would one day need to retreat from the clan if anything were to happen to Lucas. Or if she were to have sons, how hard would it be to send them off to battle?

“But now Lucas is home,” Milly said. “And Gavin will be home soon as well, I feel it,” she added hopefully. Ella saw the optimism in the girl’s eyes and hoped she was right. She knew nothing would help heal the hole in Lucas’s heart made by his father’s death better than seeing his missing brother. She wondered how Amelia was, hoping she was safe. She would not be able to have the strength Milly showed if Amelia had been missing and presumed dead.

The meal continued long into the evening, and Ella found she was enjoying herself immensely. Most of the clansmen who came up to the table to congratulate Lucas treated her with kindness, despite her being English. She found the MacGille clan a friendly and welcoming bunch. Each man wanted to toast or share a drink with Lucas, and she was starting to find it difficult to keep up with the drink. Thankfully after her first dram of whisky, she had coughed so violently that Lucas took it away, saying it may be a drink for her to grow accustomed to slowly. She agreed. One taste of the harsh brown liquid was more than enough for her. She moved onto ale, which was smoother and honey in taste. Much more agreeable.

Magnus stood tall at the head table and banged a large, angry fist, hard onto the wood, getting the attention of everyone in the room. Ella looked up, nerves cooking in her stomach as she wondered what he had to say.

“Och, Listen up ye wee shites!” he shouted, as a hush fell on the room accentuated with a couple giggles from the children at his foul language. “I have somethin’ tae say! I want tae welcome home Lucas MacGille, he fought bravely at th’ battle of Killiecrankie, and then again at th’ battle of Dunkeld. We all thought he was lost tae us, but thanks to the wee English lass at his side, he has returned! His da in heaven is smilin’ down on our clan this day, and I’m happy tae tell ye, Lucas has accepted the council’s request that he take his birthright as Laird of Clan MacGille!”

The room exploded in shouts and cheers. Ella snuck a glance to Lucas who was smiling, but also seemed weary. He stood and waved his hands to the clan. They only cheered louder. Ella found it difficult not to beam back at the people in the hall. Watching their joy at Lucas being named their laird filled her heart. Less than a month ago she was unsure if he would last the night or succumb to his injuries, now he was not only healthy but established at his rightful place as the leader of his clan.

Even though she had not known Angus MacGille to compare, she couldn’t imagine a better leader than Lucas. She was proud of him. She only wished she was as sure of herself and her own feelings for Lucas, for the clan, and her abilities to be a good wife and partner to him. As if reading her thoughts, Lucas entwined his hand with hers and hugged her to him. She wanted to find comfort in his gesture. She looked up again to see Edina was watching her intently, her eyes dark and her hands at her sides curled into fists. Pulling away from Lucas’s arms she watched as Edina left the main hall in a huff and headed toward the kitchens. Something had to be done. It would do no good to have a member of the clan despise her so. She had done nothing to the girl, but she understood her jealousy. She needed to put the bad blood between herself and Edina to rest, looking around for someone to confide in.

Lucas had already slid away from her and was in a deep conversation with his mother, sister, and Magnus. He tossed his head back and laughter erupted out of him, he was enjoying his family and she didn’t want to disturb them.

“Kelly,” she said, leaning across the table to get her friend’s attention. “Edina is troubled, she has been giving me stares that rival the heat in Hades all night.”

“Aye, I would imagine so. She may be a twit, but she still has feelings,” Kelly said.

“I think I’m going to excuse myself to the kitchens. Maybe I can speak with her and put this silliness to rest. She is young, maybe I can put her at ease,” Ella said.

“I agree with ye. The keep is too small tae be any bad blood about. Would ye like me tae go with ye?” Kelly asked.

“No, thank you,” Ella said. “I think I should go alone. I don’t want Edina to think we are ganging up on her or attacking her.”

“Aye, just watch yerself, she can be a tricky lass,” Kelly warned.

“I will,” Ella said.

The kitchens were still, Ella could still smell the delicious smells of the evening’s meal, even though everything had been cleaned up.

“Edina?” she called, hoping the girl would make it easy for her to be found. But there was no response. “Edina? It’s Ella, I was hoping to speak with you?”

Still no response came. She saw how childish she had been earlier in the day when Lucas had come to her door and she had declined to respond. Not unlike herself, Edina had a broken heart. Ella couldn’t blame her for her behavior. Lucas was an easy man to love. If she had to be forced to endure a meal with another woman seated to his right, and watch his affections, she would be easily as upset as Edina. She easily understood what the other girl was feeling. Ella was taken aback; did she just admit to herself she was in love with Lucas? If she refused his proposal could she bear to watch him with another? Did it matter that he didn’t speak to her of love? Maybe, if she accepted his offer, Lucas could learn to love her, and they would have a good life. She had a brief flash of the dream she’d had before escaping Richard and Evans and arriving at the barn. It was the one with the green-eyed, fire haired highlander, warmth began to spread through her. She hadn’t thought about the dream in a long time. She hadn’t needed to, when the flesh and blood version of the virile highlander was with her in person, and so much more real. Would she dream of him again if she refused his proposal?

She walked through the abandoned kitchen, perhaps the girl had not come this way after all. Then she heard delicate sobbing coming from behind a door that led to a storage of some kind.

“Edina, please come out,” Ella pleaded as she knocked gently on the door.

“Leave me be witch,” Edina snapped. Well that was a tad harsh, Ella thought.

“I will not.”

“Och, woman will ye nae just go!”

Ella moved to open the door, but before she did, Edina jumped out of the room. Everything moved quickly, but Ella saw the girl had a knife in her hand. It was similar in size to the dirk Fergus had given her to defend herself against the English soldiers. Ella had to act quickly. She ducked out of Edina’s reach.

“Are you mad!? You could’ve killed me.”

Edina still red in the face from her sobs, lunged at Ella again.

“ ‘Twas the purpose. I’ll see ye dead afore I’ll see ye take advantage of me laird!”

“Edina, please, listen to reason. I know you are angry and hurt. That was never my intention.”

“Doesnae matter, ye should’ve never came here. Turnin’ his head. He would’ve come back an’ married me!”

There would be no way to reason with her. She ran at Ella again. This time Ella grabbed her arm that held the knife and twisted it around Edina’s backside, forcing her to drop the weapon. She fought to catch her breath as the knife clanged loudly against the stone floor.

“You don’t know what I’m capable of Edina. I want to help you, be your friend, even. But you are making it very difficult.” Edina began to cry again and stopped fighting. Ella twisted the arm back around to the girl’s front and both collapsed onto the ground. Ella holding Edina tightly to her chest and rocking her back and forth. Her heartbeats coming fast as she tried to will the girl to stop sobbing.

“Shh, Shh now.”

“I just dinnae understand…yer English…”

Of course she didn’t understand. Out of nowhere Ella showed up, a stranger in her country and in her family home. Ella was the interloper, and holding Edina in her grief helped her to realize it would be hard work to get some in the clan to trust her.

Ella, too lost in her thoughts, didn’t see Edina had grabbed the knife from the floor until it was too late. Edina held the knife high and brought it down hard on Ella’s shoulder. She let out a scream of pain, and Edina used the moment of distraction to kick Ella onto her back.

Edina was now sitting on top of Ella, who fought desperately to find her strength. Kelly had been right, Edina was a tricky one. But Ella was as well, and she had been through too much to let this twit end her now.

“Yer so sweet, and so kind,” Edina smirked. “Dinnae think it would be that easy tae trick ye, but ye are bit soft. I almost hate tae have tae run ye through.”

“Then… don’t…” Her breathing was quick and tight. She couldn’t believe once again she found herself in a fight to the death, only this time it was she who was flat on her back.

“Och, dinnae fash yerself, lass. It’ll be quick.”

Ella kicked her hard with her one loose leg. Edina let out a yelp, but it wasn’t enough to get her to release her hold.

“Good try,” she said, holding the knife high. Ella looked from left to right frantically to find anything that would help her in the fight. Wishing she had taken Kelly up on her offer.

“Wait!” Ella yelled. “At least tell me what you’ll tell Lucas. Don’t I at least deserve to know that much?”

“Lass, I willnae tell him anything. I’ll drag yer body out under the darkness and drop ye in the loch. He will think ye ran back to yer Sassenach commander. He will realize he should’ve never wasted his breath on ye. He kens he should marry a highlander’s daughter, ye just a dally anyhow. I’ll be here tae pick up the pieces yer betrayal leaves behind.”

She was completely delusional. Ella’s shoulder throbbed. The hot sticky mess of blood was congealing onto the dress she wore. How can I get out of this? Ella thought.

She did the only thing that readily came to mind. Taking a large, deep breath, Ella let out a blood curdling scream.