Free A Highlander’s Homecoming by Melissa Mayhue

something she’d never experienced before. Something that both frightened and fascinated her.
    It was as if he were the human embodiment of a force of nature.
    “Under the authority vested in me by the late Thomas MacGahan, I, Robert MacQuarrie, hereby proclaim my rights as Guardian to Isabella MacGahan. From this moment forward, she is officially under my protection and no other’s. If you want something of her, you must go through me.”
    Robert noted with satisfaction that his speech was met by total silence. He’d take that as a good sign. He’d spent the better part of his ride to the MacGahan castle workingout just the proper words to use if he found he needed to remove the young woman from her home. Granted, the words themselves were drawn from his memories of the hundreds of movies he’d watched over the last decade, but they seemed to have worked well enough.
    One look at the mess that was Isabella and he had no doubts as to whether or not she needed to leave here. This was certainly no place for her to continue to live. No, she’d be much better off at MacQuarrie Keep.
    What his mother would say when he brought
this
one home was more than he could imagine. For a fact, Margery would have her hands full turning this female into a lady, but if it could be done, his mother was indeed the one to do it.
    “You?” the MacDowylt sputtered. “Dinna you think her grandsire will have something to say about that? She is the laird’s only living heir.”
    Robert didn’t wait to see if the man in question spoke up. What the old laird might have to say on the subject was of no interest to him.
    “The MacGahan has had the past twenty years to prove his ability to watch over Isabella’s welfare. As you can plainly see”—Robert cast an impersonal look her direction before facing MacDowylt again—“he’s failed in that task as Thomas feared he would. It’s in my hands now, and I reject yer offer of marriage on my ward’s behalf.”
    “Thomas said that, did he?” The laird spoke up at last. “When he charged you with her care? What else did he say?”
    Robert held his words for a moment, considering what would be in the old man’s mind. Perhaps thetruth would convince him and prevent any outbursts of
violence.
    “Yer son feared what you might do when you learned of his death. He told me you were not an evil man but that his daughter was ‘different,’ as her mother had been.”
    The MacGahan flinched as if he’d been struck. “Thomas told you of Elesyria?” He shook his head as if he could hardly believe what he heard. “That being the case, I canna doubt yer word, MacQuarrie. I relinquish authority over Isabella to you as my son requested.”
    “You’ve no a right to do this! You canna break yer word again.” MacDowylt yelled toward the dais, his eyes flashing with his anger as he turned back to Robert. “You want the lands for yerself, I’d say, but it’ll do you no good. They’re owed my people in good faith. I’ll have them if I have to lay waste to every living soul for miles.”
    Robert shrugged, keeping a tight hold on his response. What he’d like to do was show this blethering young idiot what happens to bullies who go through life spewing threats, but this was neither the time nor the place for such actions. Swords were being drawn around the hall even now and he had Isabella’s safety to consider.
    “And a fine lot of good that will do you, aye? With no one left to work the lands or tend the animals, you’ll be no better off than you are now.”
    MacDowylt’s face and neck had discolored to a dark splotchy red by the time he spoke again. “You’ll no get away with this, MacQuarrie. Nor you, MacGahan. I’ll be back, and then we’ll see who has the upper hand.”With one last angry look around the hall, the young man turned and stormed from the room, his warriors following closely behind.
    “If you’d but name me tanist, this would no be a problem any longer.”
    Robert looked