Free Shipwrecked by Jenna Stone Page B

Anna protested, wringing her hands together in her lap.
    “I’ve not spoken
of it since it happened, and now that I’ve started, it feels right tae let it
out,” Quinn confided, speaking softly.  “And ye seem tae be a good listener.”
    “Just know that
you can stop, I won’t press you further,” Anna insisted, feeling another pang
of guilt as Quinn continued with his story.
    “Before her Da
left, he asked me tae take care of her, and I asked for his blessing for our
marriage.  I should have marrit her right then, found a priest and…” his words
were wrought with emotion.
    “You couldn’t have
known, Quinn,” Anna whispered softly, knowing how miserable memories could be
when you wished that you had done something differently.
    “But I told him
that I would take care of her, and I failed,” Quinn said, tears now threatening
to flow from his eyes as he grieved Mairi’s loss again.  “Rowan wanted tae go along
with Da, he wanted tae fight with the Clansmen in the Rising, wanted tae help
defeat the English.  Da wouldna allow it, and forced Rowan tae stay behind so
that he could help me protect Mairi and raise Malcolm.  Da probably saved
Rowan’s life…he’s always been hot headed, probably would have gotten himself
killed tryin’ tae do something heroic in battle.”
    Anna began to
understand the challenges and struggles that the Murray’s had suffered in their
short lives.  Her heart went out to the brothers; losing both of their parents
must have been so hard.  Anna felt a pang of guilt as she realized that her
financial problems were not so bad.  Her problems paled in comparison to the
hardships that the Murray’s had endured.
    “Mairi left her
parent’s farm and moved in with us, she took up in Mam and Da’s bedroom.  We
had a couple of months of happiness, those were the best weeks of my life, havin’
here there by my side, working on the farm and having her tae come home tae at
night,” Quinn said, swallowing hard and trying to prevent further tears of
weakness from falling.  “I can remember so clearly how it felt tae kiss her,
tae touch her…”
    “I’m so sorry,
Quinn,” Anna said, unable to find any words that might be of comfort to him. 
“I’m sorry that I brought this up…you don’t need to tell me anymore, I can see
that it’s difficult…” she stammered.
    “I ken that I
don’t have tae tell ye this, I wouldna if I didna want tae,” Quinn said
frankly.  “It feels right tae let it out now, tae tell someone,” Quinn
whispered, clearing his throat.
    “Thank you for
trusting me,” Anna whispered.
    “Yer a good
listener,” Quinn confided before clearing his throat again and continuing.  “I
was out working in the field when the English showed up at our farm, Malcolm
came running from the house, eyes wild with fear and told me that they were
holding Mairi in the house.  I’ve never felt such fear, such rage in all of my
life,” his voice was thick, muscles stiff as he recounted his emotions.  “There
were just sae many of them, it was a whole company of English soldiers sent tae
clear out the Highlands, trying tae rid the land of any further uprising
against their King.  We had done nothing wrong,” Quinn said angrily, controlled
rage ringing heavy in his voice.
    “When I got tae
the house, they grabbed me, it took at least three of them tae restrain me from
getting tae her.  Rowan was knocked out on the floor by the hearth, I wasn’t
even sure if he was alive at that point.  He had fought mightily tae protect
her, but there were just tae damn many of them.  They beat him within an inch
of his life.”
    Anna swallowed
hard.  She was English.
    My people did
this to you, Quinn.
    Anna thought of
Rowan and the courage it must have taken to fight off the English soldiers,
knowing that he was so vastly outnumbered.  She could visualize Rowan, beaten
and bloodied on the floor.  How had his spirit remained unbroken after this?
    “He had loved