Free Highland Lover by Hannah Howell Page A

betrothed.”
    At least not yet, she added silently. Her father had been ready to find a husband for her and she had been ready for him to do so. Alana suspected her father was not acting on that plan at the moment,
    but she was not sure how much he had accomplished before she left Donncoill. She felt certain any
    choice he did make would still require her approval before any firm betrothal agreement was made,
    however. Since she had not given her consent to anyone, she decided that little complication did not
    need to be mentioned. If nothing else, she did not want Gregor to know that her father had to find a
    husband for her because no other man had asked for her hand. It might be the way of things for
    others, but Murray women were allowed to choose their mates and she found it lowering that she
    had never even had a choice offered to her.
    “It was hard for me when Keira married and went to Ardgleann,” she said, and found she still felt
    the pinch of that loss. “It was hard for her, too, but as most women do, she wanted her own home
    and children. Donald MacKail seemed to be a good mon. Yet, what few letters she wrote didnae
    carry any real hint of happiness. Something wasnae right. I was certain of it. I finally requested that I be allowed to come to her, for just a wee visit, to see how matters stood with mine own eyes. I am
    nay sure if she e’en received that letter, for soon after we were hearing of some mon named Rauf
    Mowbray taking Ardgleann, that Donald was dead, probably murdered, and that Keira had gone
    missing. We assumed she had fled from Ardgleann and was returning to us. As I told ye, soon even
    more rumors drifted our way, darker ones about what a beast Mowbray was and that Keira had been
    badly hurt.”
    “And then it was decided that your brothers would hunt for her? Did no one suggest taking an army
    to Ardgleann?”
    “Aye, of course they did, but it was decided that it would be best to wait until we kenned what poor
    Keira’s fate was. From what little we could learn of Mowbray, challenging him could get Keira
    killed if she was still within his grasp. Plans were being made for battle when I left, but naught
    would be done until we kenned what had befallen Keira.”
    Gregor shook his head. “Difficult, especially if she is hiding from Mowbray. And aye, I have heard
    some verra dark things said of the mon. Your people are probably right to think he would just kill
    her if he was confronted and threatened. If e’en half of what is said about the mon is true, he is the verra worst of outlaws. His men are as weel.” He put an arm around her shoulders when she
    shivered. “A mon declared an outlaw by the crown walks with death at his shoulder. He kens any
    mon can kill him with impunity and so cares little what crimes he commits. The fact that Mowbray
    still lives implies that he isnae an easy mon to corner or defeat.”
    “And now he has a keep to shelter in.”
    “Aye. Your kinsmen are wise to wait until they ken more about your sister, about Ardgleann, and
    about Mowbray.”
    “I ken it, but it doesnae make it any easier to bear.”
    When she struggled to hide a wide yawn behind her hand, he smiled faintly and got off the bed. It
    was wise to put some distance between them anyway. When he had not been certain of her age, his
    lustful feelings had been easy enough to curtail, if only because it had horrified him that he might
    be feeling that way toward a child. Now that he had seen the beauty beneath her clothes, a need to
    make love to her seemed to have become a permanent part of him. Even when she had been
    feverish, it had been nearly impossible to ignore the allure of that lithe, soft body he bathed with
    cool water. He had to sternly remind himself now that she was only newly recovered, that she was
    still weak, and that the very last thing she needed was some lusty fool mauling her.
    “Rest, lass,” he said as he gently urged her to lie down. “’Tis best and will help ye