“In here!” Josephine whispered frantically as she pulled away the tapestry that concealed a small door. Covered in sweat, with her heart pounding against her breast, she prayed the bar on her door would hold long enough to give her time to hide Laurin. She yanked the small door open and told her friend, “Do no’ come out until I call fer ye!”

Laurin did not have to be told twice. She gave a quick nod before crawling inside. The poor girl was terrified, as well she should be. Had Josephine not intervened, who knew what Helmert and his friends would have done to her this time. Probably nothing more than what they had done in the past. Still, Josephine refused to stand by and allow the men to rape Laurin again.

Josephine watched over her shoulder as Laurin made her way inside the secret hiding spot. She could hear the three men shouting as they made their way down the hall outside her bedchamber. Once Laurin was settled inside, Josephine closed the door and let the tapestry fall back into place.

Blood rushed in her ears as she moved toward the window. Helmert and his friends were outside her door now, pounding it with their fists, demanding entry. They banged against it with enough force that the heavy wooden bar began to rattle.

“We ken ye’re in there, Josephine!” Helmert called out. “Give us Laurin and we’ll let ye live!”

Bah! Over my dead body! She thought to herself as she wiped the blood from her broken lip onto her sleeve.

She gave a quick glance over her shoulder before opening the shutters. Just once, she wished she could go an entire week without having to hide herself or Laurin from her brother and his mad friends. Lifting her skirts, she rested her bottom on the sill and spun around. She quickly scanned the ground below for any signs of trouble before she wriggled to her stomach and began her climb down the trellis. She’d done this so many times, she reckoned she could do it in her sleep.

Once her feet hit the soft earth, she lifted her skirts and took off running. She hoped to make it to the stables before Helmert realized she’d snuck out her window again. For someone who liked to brag frequently about his cunning and intellect, Helmert was as dumb as a basket of rocks. One would think he would have figured out by now that she had more than one way out of her room and more than one hiding spot.

She ran as fast as her legs would carry her.

The MacAulay men and the Frenchman had just come through the arched gate of the MacAdams keep when they heard the shouting. Graeme could only assume it was Helmert. Then he heard other male voices that made the hair on his neck stand up.

Quickly, they aimed their steeds toward the shouting. Just as they rounded the corner, a feminine figure wearing a blue dress made her way down the trellis attached to the side of the keep.

Josephine.

Though he could not see her face, Graeme knew it was she. She lifted her skirts and took off running. A shout from the other side of the keep drew their attention away. ’Twas Helmert MacAdams tearing around the corner. A leather strop was folded in one hand, his dingy tunic open to the waist, and a look of murder etched onto his face.

This was no simple spat between brother and sister. Graeme’s gut tightened with that realization and anger began to boil. That anger increased tenfold when he saw two more men round the same corner, urging Helmert on. “Beat her ’til she canna walk,” the short man with dark hair called out to his companion’s back.

“But no’ so hard that she canna spread her legs fer me!” the other man called out.

Fury ignited in the pit of Graeme’s stomach. He kicked the flanks of his horse and thundered across the yard to the stables.

Josephine ran across the courtyard as fast as her feet would take her. With blood rushing in her ears and her heart banging against her chest, she could barely hear the men shouting after her. All she could think of was getting away from her brother and his friends. She needed a safe place to hide and she needed it quickly.

The granary was to her right, the stables to her left. She knew from past experience that there was nowhere to hide in the granary. The best route to safety was the stables.

The men continued to shout, but they sounded muffled and far away. Hopefully, Helmert and his arrogant and foolish friends would give up their hunt, go back to the gathering room, and drink until they passed out. Until then, she would hide in the stables.

Were she not running for her life, she would have made an attempt to avoid the puddles that littered the cobblestone yard. By the time she made it to the stables, her shoes were soaked through as well as the hems of her dress and chemise. She raced inside and headed for the stall farthest to her left. She practically dove into the straw headfirst, scrambling to cover herself, burrowing into the pile like a field mouse.

Crying was impossible at the moment, for she could barely catch her breath. She had to concentrate on getting her breathing under control so her gasps for air would not give her away. She shook from head to toe, from fear and dread as much as from the cold damp seeping into her bones through her wet shoes and clothes.

Oh, how she wished her mamma was still alive! Her mother would have put a stop to Helmert’s cruel and borderline evil ways. Her mother would not have allowed him to beat and torment her, or her poor friend, Laurin. When her thoughts turned to Laurin, Josephine sent a silent prayer up to God that she could remain safely hidden until the danger passed.

She took in slow, deep breaths and tried to will her body to stop its incessant trembling. Cursing inwardly, she slowly lifted her hands and clamped them together. When would this insanity be over?

As she lay huddled under the straw, she began yet another fervent prayer that God would send Traigh MacAulay to her, and send him soon.

Oh merciful father, please help — her prayer was cut short by someone grabbing her ankle and pulling her out of the straw.

She opened her eyes and to her horror, ’twas Helmert standing over her.

“I told ye what would happen if ye interfered again!” he shouted.

Josephine kicked her loose foot out in a futile attempt to free herself from her brother’s strong grip on her ankle. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw him lift his arm over his head. He was holding his leather strop. When she saw the forward motion of his arm, she knew she was in for another beating. Clamping her eyes shut, she covered her face and rolled over to her stomach in order to avoid being hit in the face, and waited for the first strike.

It never came.

Graeme had arrived at the rear of the stables just as Helmert MacAdams was preparing to beat Josephine with the strop. Anger coursed through his veins as he reached out and grabbed Helmert’s wrist, halting his downward motion in midair.

Quite surprised, Helmert spun to see who had been impertinent enough to stop his assault on his sister. He dropped her leg in the process. “Who are ye?” he asked incredulously.

Graeme was seething with anger. “I be her betrothed.”

Josephine lay on the cold dirt, staring up in disbelief. Had she heard the man correctly? Was he truly Graeme MacAulay? She hadn’t seen him in more than four years. It had to be Graeme, for he looked very much like the other MacAulay men, with the same blonde hair and similar green eyes.

Holding her breath, she watched in stunned silence and waited. Graeme and Helmert glared angrily at one another. Helmert hated having his authority or actions questioned.

“Betrothed?” he asked as he wrenched his hand free of Graeme’s firm grip. “The bitch has no betrothed,” he ground out.

Inflamed with fury, Graeme grabbed Helmert by his tunic with both hands, flung the scrawny young man around and slammed him against the wall with enough force that it shook the items hanging on it to the ground.

“I’ll warn ye only once ne’er to speak about her in such an ugly manner,” Graeme fumed between gritted teeth.

Helmert was just as furious as his attacker. “Ye gave up bein’ her betrothed a year ago, when ye failed to come fer her.”

Graeme still had him in a firm grip, refusing to set him free. “I claim her now, ye bloody fool.”

Helmert did his best to look disinterested and unbothered by Graeme’s anger. “Ye have no right to her.”

Traigh and Albert had paused just a few steps away, swords drawn and at the ready. When Josephine saw them enter, she scurried backwards, uncertain if a melee was about to commence.

“Ye need to read the betrothal contract,” Traigh said as he glared at Helmert. “Graeme had up to one year after Joie turned eight and ten to come fer her.”

Helmert might have been an ignorant and cruel man, but he was not so stupid that he would make any attempt at a physical fight against any of the MacAulay brothers. Besides, he was too drunk, and sorely outnumbered.

“Verra well,” he said. “Take her. She be nothin’ but trouble anyway. Ye can have her. But I warn ye, she’ll drive ye mad inside a fortnight with all her self-righteousness! And I’ll nae take her back!”

Graeme was disgusted by this man’s attitude and air of self-importance. Long moments passed before he let Helmert loose and turned his attention to Josephine.

Kneeling beside her, he studied her face. A bruise lined her right jaw. Blood oozed from her broken lip and had left a trail to her chin. He could also see bruises on her neck, as if someone had tried to strangle her. If Traigh and Albert hadn’t been here with him now, he knew in his heart that he would have broken Helmert MacAdam’s scrawny neck.

Bright green eyes, damp with unshed tears, looked back at him. She was quite a beautiful young woman. No longer was she a gangly girl. She’d grown into a stunning young woman. Something very reminiscent of a flutter tickled at his stomach. He was uncertain just what to make of it, so he pushed it aside. “Are ye well, lass?”

Josephine had lost the ability to speak. Graeme was saving her once again from her brother. She was quite thankful at the moment, that she wasn’t hiding in the garderobe like the last time she had seen him.

He was just as kind as she remembered. Kneeling before her was a man full grown, not the young, slender lad she remembered. Nay, he was much taller now and his blonde hair was longer. Several days’ worth of whiskers lined his more-than-handsome face. ’Twas his eyes though, that brought back a flood of old memories: filled with so much compassion and kindness that she was left mute.

“Lass?” Graeme asked, suddenly looking quite worried. “Are ye well? Can ye stand?”

Josephine swallowed hard and gave a quick nod as her face grew warm with embarrassment. With a gentle hand on her elbow, Graeme helped her to her feet. “Ye need to pack yer things, lass. We will leave now.”

Now? Panic began to settle in. She was not prepared to leave so quickly.

“Traigh, Albert,” Graeme looked to his brothers. “Ye keep an eye on him,” he said with a motion toward Helmert. “I will be helpin’ Josephine gather her things.”

Hope began to rise inside her. Today, she mused. In less than an hour she and Laurin would finally be free of this place, of her brother and his two vicious friends. Excitement fluttered from her stomach to her fingers as she proudly walked past her brother.

Once outside, she recognized all but one of the men. Bruce and Albert had Helmert’s friends, Darvord and Clarence, pinned against a wagon, the tips of their swords only a hairsbreadth away from their necks. Josephine took a great measure of happiness from seeing the two fools look ready to piss themselves. There were other MacAulay men scattered about the yard with their weapons drawn as if they were prepared to do battle.

Hurriedly, Graeme escorted her back to the keep. “Where be yer chamber?” Graeme asked as they stepped into the dimly lit entry.

“Above stairs,” Josephine managed to stammer.

Graeme placed one hand on the small of her back while she led the way through the corridor and up the stairs. Her bedchamber was the third door on the right. Graeme’s hand never left her back and Josephine found it most comforting. For the first time in a very long time, she felt protected.

When they reached her room, panic swelled in her stomach. The door was splintered and broken, hanging precariously on its hinges. Quickly, Josephine raced inside to make certain they hadn’t found Laurin. Graeme was right behind her, though he waited in the doorway at a respectful distance.

Josephine went straightaway to the trunk, pulled it away from the wall and knelt down. She pulled the tapestry aside and opened the door. “Laurin,” she whispered softly as she held out her hand. She was much relieved when Laurin reached out for her. “All is well now.”

Reluctantly, Laurin took Josephine’s hand and crawled out of the secret hiding place. The blood on her lip was still damp and her left eye was red and almost swollen shut. Clarence had ripped open the bodice of her dress earlier; the bloody lip was a gift from Darvord. Josephine tried closing the dress as best she could to help cover Laurin’s exposed breasts.

Laurin’s eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open when she saw Graeme standing in the doorway. “Who be he?” she asked.

Josephine hurried to the bed, grabbed a shawl and wrapped it around her friend’s shoulders. “This is Graeme MacAulay. He is here to take us to his home.” ’Twas then that she noticed the other man from the courtyard. He was standing behind Graeme and off to one side. He had dark hair and even darker eyes. Not quite as tall as Graeme, but he had the same well-muscled form as her betrothed. A moment later, Albert stepped inside the room.

“Us?” Graeme said as he stared at the two women.

Josephine nodded and continued to smile at him. “Aye, us.”

“But lass, who be she?” Graeme asked, looking confused.

Josephine raised her chin ever so slightly. “This is my sister, Laurin.”

Graeme’s eyebrow arched in befuddlement. “I was no’ aware ye had a sister.”

“Laurin may not be my sister by blood, but she is my sister by my heart,” Josephine explained. “I will not leave her.”

Frowning, he said softly, “We cannae take her with us. We have no right to.”

There was no way on God’s earth that Josephine was going to leave this place without Laurin. They had been friends since the day Laurin arrived at the keep more than seven years ago. Together, they had survived the hell Helmert had put them through. Josephine would not abandon her. Not now, not ever.

Josephine lifted her chin and stared directly into Graeme’s eyes. “I will not leave without her.”

Graeme did feel some measure of pity for Josephine. He did not know all that had transpired in her life over the years, but if the events of the past few moments were any indication, her life had been quite difficult. The poor young woman was determined to take her friend with her. He could not rightly blame her. From the looks of the pitiful girl standing next to his betrothed, she hadn’t had an easy way of it either. Still, what legal grounds did he have to take the poor girl with him?

“I do no’ have any legal right to yer friend,” he began.

“My sister,” Josephine corrected. “You may not have a legal right, but do you not possess a moral one?”

The as yet unidentified man pushed his way through the small space between Graeme and Albert. In perfect French he suggested that they take Laurin along to act as Josephine’s lady’s maid.

Graeme’s gaze briefly shifted to Josephine and Laurin. They were clinging to one another, looking afraid yet determined.

“I beg yer pardon, lass. This is me verra good friend, Remi LaFavre. He is from Garçon’. That be in France, ye ken?”

Was he merely being kind and trying to patiently explain things or was he being a condescending ass? For now, she would have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Remi suggests that we ask to take Laurin as yer lady’s maid,” he explained. “Would ye like that, lass?”

Josephine cast a glance at Albert. From the moment he had stepped foot inside Josephine’s bedchamber, he hadn’t taken his eyes off Laurin. Before she could get a word out, Graeme stepped forward. “Would ye like that, lass?” he asked yet again.

All she could think to do at the moment was give a nod of affirmation.

He looked rather pleased with himself. “Good!” he said as he clapped his hands together. “Ye need to pack yer things. I fear ye cannae take much, fer I was no’ prepared to be takin’ ye with me today. We will send fer the rest later.”

Albert stepped forward then. “Graeme may no’ have been prepared, but we were. We brought extra horses, one fer ye to ride and two to carry yer things.”

Graeme had an odd expression on his face, one that Josephine could not quite decipher.

“Thank ye kindly, Albert,” she said. “If ye’ll please leave us to change our clothes and pack?”

Graeme pursed his lips but acquiesced. “Aye, but please, do no’ tarry. We do no’ have much time to spare, ye ken?”

Once the men were out of the room, Josephine and Laurin went to the trunk at the foot of her bed.

“Do ye truly think Helmert will let me go?” Laurin asked, her voice a mixture of excitement and fear as they pulled all manner of garments from the trunk.

“Do not worry, Laurin. I promised you years ago that I would not leave this place without you,” she pulled a clean gown, chemise, and woolens from the trunk and handed them to her friend. “Hurry now, we do not have much time.”

Laurin stepped out of what was left of her dress and chemise and kicked them aside with her foot. As she dressed, she could not help but ask for reassurance from her best and only friend. “But, Joie! Ye cannae stay behind just fer me. Ye have a chance at a good life now.”

Josephine found the burgundy gown she’d been looking for and hurried to dress. Her mind was in a hundred different places at once. “I said not to worry, Laurin. We will leave this place today. Both of us, together, just as we’ve always planned. Even if that means I have to kill my brother with my own hands.”

Laurin wasn’t about to question her friend’s loyalty or promise. They’d lain awake many a night discussing the various ways in which Helmert and his friends might meet their untimely ends. After pulling on her woolens, she shoved her feet into boots and stood, scanning the bedchamber. “Though we had many wonderful times in this bedchamber, I do no’ think I’ll miss it.”

Josephine had to agree. “Neither will I,” she said as she pulled the clean dress over her head.

“Do ye think he be the one?” Laurin asked as she went to kneel beside the bed.

Josephine need not ask to what she was referring. The Gladius. “I am not yet certain, Laurin,” she admitted. “Only time will tell.” And until she was completely certain, she would have to keep the Gladius hidden, just as her mother had, and her mother before her.

Laurin carefully removed the Gladius from under the mattress and laid it on the bed. ’Twas wrapped in several old linen cloths.

Laurin looked down at the bundle on the bed. “How will we get the Gladius out of here?” she asked.

“I doubt they thought to bring a wagon,” she said. “And I have no trunk it will fit in. And I’m certain Helmert will want to inspect anything we try to remove from the keep.”

A bright smile lit Laurin’s face. “Well, almost anythin’,” she said with a mischievous smile.

It took only a moment for Josephine to catch on. “Sister of my heart,” Josephine said with a smile, “I am so happy you are my friend and not mine enemy.”

Graeme and Albert paced in the hallway. They kept far enough away that they could not inadvertently see the women, but close enough that they could hear them should they need assistance.

“I hope they do not take as long as most women,” Remi said as he leaned against the wall.

“Ye’ll soon learn they be no’ like most women,” Albert told him bluntly. Neither Graeme nor Remi asked for clarification.

“They have chosen a beautiful woman for your bride, Graeme,” Remi said as he crossed one ankle over the other. “And her friend? She is beautiful as well, non? Even with the blackened eye.”

Albert stopped pacing and glared down at Remi. “Do no’ be gettin’ any fanciful notions, French.”

Remi feigned a look of insult. “Moi?”

Albert ignored him to resume his pacing.

They were not forced to wait long. Soon, Josephine was standing in the doorway. “We are ready, m’laird,” she told him.

Graeme headed into the room. Remi was about to step inside when Albert pulled him back. “Ye can wait here, French.”

Remi smiled and stepped aside with a wide flourish of his hands.

On the bed were five bundles and a tapestry that had been carefully rolled up and leather straps tied tightly around each end. “Be this all, lass?” he asked Josephine as he picked up two of the packs and tossed one over each shoulder. Though he had said to pack lightly, he hadn’t thought she would take it quite so literally. Albert grabbed the other pack and stood beside Laurin.

“You said to pack lightly,” Josephine gently reminded him as she grabbed the tapestry and held it tightly to her chest.

Graeme smiled down at her. “Aye, I did. I fear I be used to the manner in which me mum packs lightly. It usually involves two wagons and a pack of horses.”

Josephine smiled up at him but said nothing.

He found her smile mesmerizing, for it reached to her eyes, making them sparkle. She was a very beautiful woman. Still, beauty would only last a while. What truly mattered to him was her intellect, or the lack thereof.

“Verra well then,” he said with a nod. “Let us away this place at once.”

Traigh and the others were waiting in the courtyard with the horses. As predicted, Helmert was there, looking very much like a young man trying to look the part of laird and chief. He also looked mad enough to bite nails. Standing directly behind him were Darvord and Clarence, the only two men who were either dumb enough or mentally disturbed enough to call him friend. Josephine took note of Darvord’s black eye and Clarence’s fat lip. She believed they deserved far worse. If all went as planned, she’d be leaving this place in short order and she would never have to see them or Helmert ever again.

Graeme and Albert escorted Josephine and Laurin down the steps and to the horses. “Let us do the talkin’, lass,” Graeme whispered as he nudged her toward her horse. Traigh stood beside her, holding the reins, while they waited for Graeme and Remi to toss the bundles onto the extra mounts.

Albert led Laurin to his own horse and helped her up. Even from where Josephine stood, she could see Laurin tremble with worry.

When Helmert saw Laurin being set upon the mount, his snobbish sneer evaporated almost instantly. “What are ye doin’ with her?” he demanded, stepping forward.

Albert turned to face him. Josephine bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud at the two of them. Helmert, with his slender physique and fanciful yet dirty clothes, stood in stark comparison to the Highlander. Albert, a good head taller and built like a Roman statue with all his hard muscles, raised a brow and stared Helmert down. “She be goin’ with us.”

Helmert didn’t flinch. “I did no’ agree to that,” he said, his haughty sneer returning. “Take her down.”

Graeme came to stand next to his brother. “The lass will be goin’ as Josephine’s lady’s maid.”

Helmert slowly turned away from Albert to glare at Graeme. “If me sister wants a lady’s maid, she can take Mrs. Thomas.”

Josephine held her breath. Mrs. Thomas was as old as dirt and could barely see, let alone hear.

Neither Graeme nor Albert would back down. “Josephine wants Laurin as her lady’s maid,” Graeme said.

“I do no’ care what Josephine wants. None of ye has any right or claim to Laurin,” Helmert said as he cast a glance toward her. “She stays.”

“She goes,” Graeme said, as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at his future brother-in-law.

“I do no’ believe ye heard me correctly, MacAulay. I said ye’ve no right or claim to her. She stays.”

They were at an impasse and neither of them were going to give in.

“I claim her,” Albert said. “I will marry the lass.”

Josephine and Laurin gasped in wide-eyed astonishment. Josephine reached out and grabbed Laurin’s hand to keep her from either falling off her mount, or jumping down in order to run away.

Helmert threw his head back and laughed. Darvord and Clarence joined in.

From her vantage point, Josephine could see the murderous glare in Albert’s eyes. She could also see that he was quite serious.

After several long moments of guttural laughter, Helmert looked up at Albert. “Ye cannae be serious? Ye want to marry Laurin? She has no dowry or name to offer ye.”

“She does no’ need a dowry or a name,” Albert told him firmly. “I have a bride price.” He reached into his sporran and removed a leather bag filled with coins and tossed it to Helmert. “One hundred and eight merks,” he said before turning away to head toward the horses.

Not one MacAulay brother or man moved, for they were frozen in place by what they’d just seen. Tightfisted Albert, the man who rarely parted with his money, had just paid an unbelievable amount of coin for Laurin’s freedom. ’Twas a shocking moment no one would soon forget.

Helmert was also surprised, but for different reasons. He tested the weight of the pouch and looked up at Albert. “Be ye certain ye want her?”

Albert answered with a stone-cold glare.

“She be no’ pure, ye ken?” Helmert said. “She’s been used more times than a —”

Albert did not give him time to finish the taunt. He drew back and slammed a large fist into Helmert MacAdam’s nose. Helmert fell back and landed with a thud. Rivulets of blood ran from his nose and trailed down his cheek. Neither of his friends bothered to step forward to offer any assistance.

Albert stood over him. “I be no’ as kind as me brother. I do no’ give any man the opportunity to insult me betrothed.”

With that, Traigh practically threw Josephine onto her mount. A few rapid heartbeats later, they were all mounted and heading for the gate, with Graeme leading the way. Thankfully, the gate was open and they all but flew through it, kicking up large bits of earth and mud in the process.

Neither Josephine nor Laurin bothered to look back.