Highlander Unmasked Read online

  Alex realized Dougal had just been given license to kill him. He wondered how long he would take to use it.

  “I’ve already begun going over the preliminaries,” Seton continued. “I’ve received final confirmation that the colonists will be ready to depart as scheduled. What have you learned of the resistance, MacDonald?”

  “We have nothing new to report,” Alex heard Dougal respond. “The chiefs have met to discuss the possibility of another attempt to colonize the Isle of Lewis, but there is no indication that they believe anything is imminent. Resistance, if any, is still much in the planning stages.”

  Alex knew he shouldn’t be surprised, but even faced with such indisputable evidence—hearing it straight from Dougal’s mouth—he still couldn’t believe the MacDonalds’ propensity for treachery. They had sworn allegiance to the other chiefs to help fight the king’s efforts to plunder the Isles, yet here they were—through Dougal—betraying them all.

  No doubt MacDonald expected to insinuate himself into the good graces of King James by feeding Seton information about the Highlanders’ planned attacks. Rory would be furious to learn of their latest treachery.

  But Lord Chancellor Seton’s next words pushed aside all thoughts of the MacDonalds. “I want to be informed as soon as you learn of the Highlanders’ plans. Any resistance to the Fife Adventurers’ colonization will be crushed. King James has been clear in his directives. Our men have been instructed to use whatever force they deem necessary to root out the barbarians on Lewis”—he paused—“including slaughter or mutilation to discourage further resistance. The same will go for their supporters.”

  Alex couldn’t believe his ears. Slaughter and mutilation? Seton’s words sent a chill of foreboding straight to his bones. At that moment, Alex realized the full extent of King James’s humiliation from the failed first attempt to colonize Lewis by the original Fife Adventurers. No doubt the mockery of his new English subjects had influenced this savagery. The English claimed that a king who could not contain a handful of barbarians was not fit to rule England. King James was taking no chances with this second attempt.

  By empowering the Lowland Fife Adventurers with the power to exterminate the inhabitants of Lewis, the king had just sanctioned the mass murder of his own people.

  Even the black-hearted Dougal sounded somewhat taken aback. “But, my lord, when the Highlanders realize what is happening, they will have no choice but to resist.”

  That’s what they are hoping, you traitorous fool. This was no friendly colonization, it was a bloody conquest and the desecration of a people. Their people.

  Seton’s snort of laughter curdled Alex’s blood. “Yes, they will, won’t they?” Alex could almost envision Seton’s smirk. “It will all be quite tragic.”

  Alex pressed his back up against the stone wall, trying to cool his rage. He took a deep breath. Resolve at last cleared the confusing cobwebs from his mind.

  He had to see his mission through. He had temporarily lost his focus, lost sight of all that he’d worked for. Nearly undone by one wee wood nymph. But now that he was faced with such stunning evidence of viciousness promulgated by his own king, his duty was clear. Desire must come second.

  There was really only one thing left to do. Fight.

  He would leave for the Isle of Lewis as soon as Rory arrived.

  And not look back at what might have been.

  Meg watched Alex leave the hall, feeling the familiar curdle of disappointment. He’d barely spoken to her. Each night she hoped it would be different, that tonight would be the night that he changed his mind. But tonight was no different from the rest.

  The past week had been the hardest of her life. Forced to maintain an air of conviviality when inside her heart was breaking. Every moment of that day in the forest was branded on her consciousness. He’d awakened her passion and her heart. She wanted him to kiss her again, to touch her, to make her his in truth. And she knew he remembered it, too.

  He held himself apart, but his eyes watched her every move with a possessive heat that sent a shiver of awareness down her spine. She sensed the anger and frustration building in him, but he made no move toward her. It didn’t make sense. He wanted her, but something was keeping him from acting on those feelings. If only he would trust her enough to tell her why.

  At the same time, she was almost scared to find out what it was. If what Thomas Mackinnon said was true, Alex had been fighting with the MacGregors. Alex was an outlaw—although she supposed it depended on one’s perspective. It troubled her, but Meg knew that if he’d become an outlaw, he’d done so for a higher purpose. But she still didn’t know what it meant as to his suitability as a husband and as a leader of her clan.

  Had she given her heart to the wrong man?

  Even worse, had she given her heart to a man who did not love her in return? Unrequited love, the fodder of poets and playwrights from time immemorial. And it had happened to her, to a woman who’d sworn never to fall prey to the dictates of her heart. Meg, the cold, hard pragmatist, had fallen in love.

  She’d never dreamed that her heart could be at risk, but it might not matter. She could not lose sight of her purpose in being here. She needed to find a husband, and time was running out. What was she going to do? She would never consider Dougal MacDonald’s proposal—not after what she’d learned of him. Could she accept Jamie knowing that she didn’t love him? That she loved another?

  If only she could discover what it was that was preventing Alex from stepping forward. Then he would be free to marry her.

  “Is everything all right, Meg?” Elizabeth asked. “You seem distracted.”

  Meg managed a feeble smile. “I’m fine, just a bit tired,” she said. My heart is breaking. “I think I’ll fetch us a couple of glasses of claret.”

  “I can go with you,” Jamie offered.

  But Meg had already moved away. “I’ll be right back.” She wanted a moment alone to clear her head. She knew her mother, Elizabeth, and Jamie were all concerned about her after what had happened.

  It was still hard to believe that someone, a trusted captain of her father’s guard no less, had been trying to kill her. Her mother had fainted upon finding out what her daughter had narrowly avoided and later sent a letter to Meg’s father with the news of Thomas Mackinnon’s treachery.

  Meg shuddered to think what would have happened without Alex there. Twice now, he’d ridden to her rescue. The attacks on her life had made Meg realize that no matter how hard she tried, there were some things she simply could not do. Defending herself against half a score of warriors bent on killing her was one. But she also realized how ill equipped she’d been to recognize the danger. With his experience, Alex had identified the possible threat well before Meg even realized there was one. An invaluable skill for a Highland chief—or rather a trusted adviser to a Highland chief.

  For a woman who’d been dependent upon herself for so long, it was startling to realize how much she liked the idea of Alex protecting her.

  Alex seemed to have an acute awareness of everything around him. The prototypical warrior. Self-contained. Self-possessed. He didn’t need anyone.

  She felt a lump in her chest. He didn’t need me.

  As much as she’d grown dependent on him, it had become patently obvious that the reverse was not true.

  She made her way toward the refreshment table but was forced to stop a few times along the way to exchange greetings. She’d finally reached her destination only to duck behind a column at the last minute to avoid Bianca Gordon. She was the last person Meg wanted to see right now.

  Bianca had made it well-known this last week that if Alex was looking for a wife, he need look no further than the Marquess of Huntly’s very willing daughter. Meg frowned, recalling that Alex had been playing cards with Huntly tonight. It seemed an odd pairing. And not the first time Meg had noticed Alex with some unusual companions. It was probably nothing. Alex would certainly never be interested in Bianca Gordon. Although excessivel