The Great Scottish Devil Read Free Page A

intimidated by him, she was not. What he said might be true, but she wasn’t ready to leave her father’s side just yet. And when she did leave here, she would be traveling on with their normal route. Their—her—wagon with all its tinker’s wares would be expected at the villages they visited this time of year.
    “Urquhart is by Loch Ness, isn’t it? That is not the direction I am headed.”
    If the man puffed up any more in his frustration, she feared he’d explode. “Ye. Are. Coming. With. Us.”
    She stood toe-to-toe with him and inhaled his scent, which sent shivers of awareness through her, and ignored all but her irritation. “No. I. Am. Not.”
    It surprised her how silent so many men could be, but they appeared to be avidly listening to this strained conversation. She sensed their amazement that she dared to stand up to their determined leader. And from the corner of her eye, she noted Tavis practically gaping in shock. But she had to take a stand, had to learn to deal with problems she would face from here on out. Brodie Durward was merely the first one of many, she imagined.
    Douglas walked over to them, oddly studying them both. “The day is passing quickly, my lord. Mayhap we could camp here tonight.” He looked calmly at Brodie. “Mayhap ye can talk this matter out while the men rest. We’ve been traveling hard now fer days.”
    At first she didn’t think Brodie would give in, she didn’t think he backed easily down from anything. But he gave a curt nod. “We leave on the morrow. Make camp.”
    “I—” She started to protest, again, that she wouldn’t be going with them, but Brodie turned and walked away to give the order to his men.
    “He’s a good mon, lass. Suffers much pain at the moment, though ‘tis on the inside.” He watched the slightly younger man striding away. “He’s no’ a patient mon, but he’d give his life fer any of his men and they all know it.”
    “Pain? On the inside?” Annabel asked, irritated with Brodie but unusually drawn to him. She didn’t like the idea of him suffering. She didn’t like for anyone to suffer. But the thought of him doing so worried her and pulled on her heartstrings.
    Douglas furrowed his brow in thought, but finally made a decision. “Our laird lost his memories fighting in the Crusades. Came back to us hurt bad, though his physical wounds have healed. But he doesna remember us.” His voice became even sadder, quieter. “No’ even me and I grew up with Brodie, his brother and his sister.”
    “It must be very hard on him. His family as well.” She couldn’t imagine dealing with such an awful thing. And now she’d added to his burdens, even if he shouldn’t be worried about her.
    “’Tis harder than any of us can understand, I fear. Fergus, his older brother, died in the battles in Tunis. As did their father.” He glanced back toward the mountains they’d crossed over. “We ride back now from Middleham, from going to see his sister Maggie. The lass is heartbroken that she couldna help him. He doesna remember her, either.”
    Annabel’s thoughts turned to her supply of medicinals. Did she have anything that might help him? She didn’t speak, just wandered toward the wagon.
     
    * * *
     
    The men were breaking camp, preparing to leave for Urquhart. Brodie returned from doing his private business in the small stand of trees. In truth, he wasn’t anxious to go home. Home . He still had no real recollections of the vast castle and its grounds, nor of the people there. He knew his continued loss of memory concerned them, especially Douglas. Yet he worried the memories were gone forever. He wasn’t sure how to begin a completely new life.
    His glance moved to the tinker’s wagon. Annabel Henderson would be beginning a new life, too. He didn’t think he was a man who had much of a soft side, but the tiny lass had gotten to him. She’d admitted to being all by herself in the world now. He felt her pain, her grief, her