Ailsa could hardly believe she was on Lucas’s lap with his strong arms around her, on her way home to Brathanead. He wanted to marry her and she wanted nothing more. He had defied his brother and was truly rescuing her. For the first hour of their journey, she floated on that happy thought.

Then it began to sink in.

She was in Lucas’s arms—Lucas Grant’s arms—on her way home to Brathanead. She had been held hostage at Castle Grant for the last twelve days and Laird Grant had sent Fingal a ransom request. When she rode up to the gates with him, she was certain that Lucas would be tossed into their dungeon before she could stop anything. The fact that she loved him and wanted to marry him might not make any difference.

“Lucas, I love ye with all my heart, ye know that.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I do.”

“And I am thrilled to be going home.”

“I know that too. However, it sounds like a ‘but’ is hovering at the end of that sentence.”

“But, I don’t know how my clan will react to ye. Fingal surely has the ransom request and has returned to Brathanead by now. Even though ye’re bringing me home, I can’t help but think he’ll be furious with the Grants. He might take ye as a hostage.”

“Aye, Ailsa, I’m aware of that too.”

“Then ye agree, ye shouldn’t take me all the way home.”

He snorted. “I most certainly do not agree.”

“Nay, listen to me. Ye could take me most of the way—to within easy walking distance of the village. Then ye can return home while I explain everything. I believe, after a few days, once he calms down, Fingal will be more inclined to listen to reason about a betrothal.”

“I will absolutely not leave ye alone miles away from Brathanead.”

“Nothing could happen to me once I’m that close.”

“Ye don’t know that. I’ll remind ye that ye had a similar thought in Edinburgh. Ye saw no danger there and look what happened.”

“I met ye and fell in love,” she said happily.

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head again. “Well that’s true, but it could have been significantly worse.”

“Ye worry too much.”

“And that’s a good thing because ye don’t worry enough. Nay, Ailsa, I will take ye to Brathanead Castle.”

“But—”

“No more ‘buts’. I understand the risk I’m taking. I will not leave ye unprotected to save my own skin. I’ll hear no more about it. Even if I’m thrown in the dungeon, I won’t perish there. It’s as ye say, after a few days Laird MacLennan may be willing to listen.”

“He might not be willing though.”

“I said no more ‘buts’.”

“I didn’t say ‘but’.”

He grinned. “It was there nonetheless.”

“Lucas, I ken the reason ye held me for ransom was because yer clan was in need of funds. That could be the only reason William wanted ye to marry Moira MacNaughton. What if William can’t pay yer ransom.”

“Oh, my sweet lass, after this, William wouldn’t pay a ransom for me if he were the richest man in Scotland.”

“Ye’re not serious.”

“I am. When he allowed me to escort ye out of yer chamber and granted ye greater freedoms, he warned me not to fall for ye. What he didn’t realize was that I already had. When he finds out what I’ve done tonight, he’ll be livid. He already believes I don’t respect him and that I defy him just to be irritating.”

“Do ye?”

Lucas sighed. “I certainly did when I was younger. Honestly, he was an arse. I’ve told ye that before. He’s never been fond of me. I’m not sure why he even wanted be to come home from training. Clearly he thinks I’m useless. Even so, I’ve tried to do what he asks. Sometimes he just asks the impossible. I would rather become a priest than marry Moira MacNaughton.”

Ailsa chuckled. “Somehow, I don’t think ye’d make a very good priest.”

He smiled. “Nay, I wouldn’t. But how can anyone presume to tell a person who they can and cannot fall in love with? It’s just as ridiculous, and in this case it was like shutting the stable door after all the horses were loose—it was already too late. I suppose I’m destined to be a disappointment to him.”

Lucas sounded so melancholy as he said that, Ailsa’s heart ached for him. “Maybe we shouldn’t have left. Maybe there is another way to do this without disappointing him.”

“Nay, my love, there isn’t. There were too many things against us. I’m certain William would never consider a betrothal between us if it were my idea. And if forced to pay a ransom for ye, Laird MacLennan won’t either. Ye think very highly of yer laird, and I believe he will try to see that ye’re happy. I feel certain that if we have any chance of being together the betrothal offer will have to come from him. If that happens William might concede.”

Ailsa pondered this silently for several long minutes. Fingal did love her and would want to see her happy. But what if he refused? And even if he agreed, what if Laird Grant refused? There were too many chances for this to fail.

“Lucas, what we’re doing is daft.”

“Wanting to be married and spend our lives together?”

“Don’t be an eejit. That isn’t the daft part. Both of us riding back to Brathanead is daft.”

“I’ve already told ye, I’m not leaving ye to find yer way home alone.”

“Ye’ve made that perfectly clear, my love. So if we want to be married, we should just do it. We can handfast right now. And then we could go…somewhere else.”

He laughed. “That’s a good plan, Ailsa. All except that wee bit at the end. We don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Ye said yer mother was a Macrae didn’t ye? Coira Macrae? She was the current Laird Macrae’s sister?”

“Aye, she was.”

“Well, Laird Malcolm MacLennan was married to Nuala Macrae another sister of Laird Macrae. The Macraes might shelter us until tempers cool.”

“I doubt it, Ailsa.”

“Yer own uncle wouldn’t take ye in?”

“It’s not that. I fear my uncle wouldn’t take ye in. It is widely known that Malcolm was not faithful to his wife. That, with the other terrible things he did, have soured the Macrae against him and his family.”

“But the Macraes are still our allies.”

“Only because the king appointed Fingal as yer laird and I don’t think he’d risk angering Fingal by taking us in.”

“There must be someplace we could go. Didn’t ye train with Laird MacPherson? Would he welcome ye?”

“He might. In fact, he probably would. But we’d have to traverse Grant territory to get there and the chances of being discovered are too great.”

Ailsa sighed. “So there’s really no other way?”

“None that I’ve been able to see. Besides, running away from our families isn’t the answer. Ye love yer sisters, it would break yer heart to leave them. Nay, I love and respect ye too much to do that to ye. We will do whatever it takes to convince yer laird that a betrothal is not only what we want, but it serves the interests of both clans.”

She nodded resolutely. “Well then, I guess I’ll have to accept that this is the best course and have faith we’ll get through it.”

“I love ye, Ailsa MacLennan.”

~ * ~

Fingal MacLennan had never pushed so hard to reach Brathanead. He and his men were on the road each morning at first light, stopping as briefly as possible during the day to give the horses needed rest, and riding until it was too dark to keep going each night. They had only been hours away when night fell the previous evening.

He had taken care of his horse and had been standing, scowling at the campfire, when one of his guardsman, Bran MacBain, came to stand beside him.

“Laird, we’re almost home now. If we leave at dawn, we’ll reach Brathanead by midday.”

Fingal nodded. “I just wish we could keep going now. The sky is clear, when the moon rises, it will be bright and we’re in familiar territory.”

“The horses will drop if they aren’t given a few hours’ rest.”

“I know. We don’t have a choice, it’s just frustrating to be so close and still so far away. Bran, I feel so helpless. They’ve had her so long now.”

“Aye, Laird, I feel the same way. Ailsa’s a sweet lassie. I keep thinking what I’d do if something like this had happened to one of my daughters.”

Fingal gave a mirthless laugh. “I’d have had to pull ye off yer mount’s back and tie ye to a tree tonight.”

“Aye, ye probably would have.” Bran looked up at the sky. “’Tis a fine, bright night.”

“And ye’re the one who just reminded me that the horses need rest.”

“They do. But I’m thinking…since we’ve only about five hours of riding remaining to get to Brathanead, where they’ll have plenty of oats to eat and time to rest, maybe we don’t have to wait until morning to leave. It might be enough to rest now for five or six hours. Then if we mount up when the moon is high we can be home a few hours after the sun rises.”

And that’s exactly what they had done. The sun was well up now and they could see Brathanead in the distance. Home and Gillian awaited.

~ * ~

Lucas rode through the night with his beloved Ailsa in his arms.

The sun was well up when he stopped just outside Brathanead village. She had fallen asleep and he wanted to hold her for a bit longer. He knew once they entered Brathanead, he would lose her for a while, if not forever. In spite of what he’d told her, he was not convinced that this was going to end well for him. But he had brought her home and that’s what mattered.

Finally he leaned down and kissed her. “Ailsa, my love, wake up now. Ye’re home.”

Ailsa’s eyes fluttered open. “I’m home? I can scarcely believe it.”

“Are ye happy?”

“I’d be happier if I knew ye were safe.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will work out eventually.”

She smiled and nodded. “I am too.”

As they rode through the western side of the village and up to the keep, the villagers called surprised greetings to her.

As they reached the castle gates, as Lucas expected, MacLennan guardsmen surrounded them. He didn’t expect there to be so many of them in the bailey at this time of the morning.

Then through the confusion of men and horses, a voice rang out. “Get her off his lap and seize him. That’s Lucas Grant.”

Lucas recognized the man as Bran MacBain. He’d faced off against Bran in sword challenge at a May Fair a number of years ago.

The next thing he knew, Ailsa was being pulled from his lap.

“Nay, Quinn, let me go!” she screamed, fighting against the man who had taken her.

Lucas remembered that Quinn was married to Ailsa’s sister, Fallon. Surely the man wouldn’t hurt her, but fighting as she was, she might be injured. “Ailsa, it’s all right, love.”

The words were no sooner out of his mouth than someone grabbed him by the arm, dragging him off of Captain’s back.

Ailsa only redoubled her efforts, yelling, “Eadoin, nay, ye’ll hurt him.”

Ignoring her, the man shoved Lucas to the ground on his knees and removed the sword from his belt.

By this time, two women who Lucas assumed were her sisters came running towards Ailsa, embracing her. They were followed closely by two large, sleek-coated, sight hounds, one brindle and one black and white.

The taller woman said, “Oh, thank God. Are ye well? Were ye hurt? Where have ye been?”

The shorter woman had burst into tears and could only manage to repeat Ailsa’s name over and over.

But even in her sister’s embrace, Ailsa was still trying to get to him.

“Enough!” roared a man who Lucas knew could only be Fingal MacLennan. He strode towards them. “Ailsa, stop it this instant.”

“But, Fingal, ye don’t understand.”

“I understand perfectly well. This is Lucas Grant, the man who kidnapped ye and has held ye captive these last few weeks.”

“Nay, ye’re wrong, Fingal.”

“Are ye telling me ye haven’t been at Castle Grant all this time?”

“Aye, I have been there, but it’s not what ye think. He saved me.”

“Aye, from one group of men, only to hold ye hostage himself.”

“Fingal, what’s going on?” Asked the taller of Ailsa’s two sisters.

“While still in Edinburgh, I received a message from Laird Grant stating that they held Ailsa. Now his brother rides into my bailey with her on his lap. Eadoin, see our guest to the dungeon.”

Eadoin and another guardsman immediately pulled him to his feet. Lucas didn’t resist.

“Nay, Fingal, please don’t do that. Please.” She turned to her sister imploring, “Please, Gillie, don’t let him throw Lucas in the dungeon.” The black and white dog, he assumed it was Duff, whined.

“Ailsa, sweetling, ye’ve been through a terrible ordeal—”

“Nay, Gillie, ye don’t understand.” Ailsa broke free from her sisters and ran to Lucas, Duff following her. She wrapped her arms around his chest, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Nay, I won’t let them take ye.” She looked back over her shoulder at her stunned sisters.

The dog whined and pushed his nose against one of Lucas’s hands.

“Please, Gillian. He’s a good man. I love him. I want to marry him.”

The instant Ailsa professed her love, Gillian’s expression hardened. “Ailsa, stop this.”

Lucas dipped his head to kiss the top of hers. “Wheesht, lass, that’s enough.”

“Nay, I told ye not to bring me all the way. I told ye to leave me outside the village.”

He tried again. “And I told ye I would never risk yer safety to ensure my own. Sweetling, this is not the way to accomplish anything. It will all work out. I promise ye.”

“Don’t touch my good sister,” growled Fingal, pulling Ailsa away. “Gillian, see to her.”

Ailsa began to weep and it tore at Lucas’s heart. Her dog seemed to be as distressed as she was, pacing and whining.

Gillian put her arms around her sister. “Ye’re only making things worse, Ailsa,” said Gillian. “Wheesht now. Stop crying. Everything will be sorted out.”

The last thing Lucas heard as the two guardsmen led him away was Ailsa’s heart-wrenching sobs.

~ * ~

Seeing Lucas Grant ride into the bailey with Ailsa on his lap was perhaps the last thing Fingal expected when he arrived home. Seeing Ailsa screaming and crying that she loved Lucas had nearly left him dumbfounded. Now he had to put an end to the chaos swirling around him and get to the bottom of this whole mess.

After Lucas had been taken away, Fingal put an arm around Ailsa’s shoulder. “Ailsa, please listen to me.”

Ailsa turned her tear-streaked face to him. “Why? Ye won’t listen to me. Ye don’t understand anything that’s happened.”

“Ailsa,” admonished Fallon, “there is no excuse for ye to be so rude.”

Fingal tried again. “Ailsa, it is clear that more has gone on than I know. I will let ye tell me everything, but not right now. Go into the keep with yer sisters. Have a rest and a bath and once everything has calmed down, I promise I’ll listen to ye.”

She looked angrier than he ever remembered seeing her but she agreed and let Gillian and Fallon take her to the keep.

He leaned down to whisper in Gillian’s ear, “See that Ailsa is cared for, then return to the great hall and I’ll tell ye what I know.”

To the rest of his clansmen gathered in the bailey, he said, “I know ye all have a lot of questions, as do I. For those of ye who arrived with me, please see to yer mounts, and ye’re free to find yer beds for a much needed rest.” To his squire he said, “Tomas, see that my mount, yer own, and this beast of Grant’s are all tended. Then you may also find yer bed.”