Beneath a Highland Moon (The Highland Moon Series 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

passed since her confinement, and she'd spent much of that time pacing the floor and thinking. She knew with a certainty that if anyone could take back Lochstorm from Gordon MacRae, Kade could. The other Highland clans were well aware of the strength of Ravenskull and its young laird. With its many loyal and well-trained warriors, no one dared oppose the MacLachlans. She just had to think of a way to convince him to help her. It'd been a long time since she'd thought so much about Kade—only because she'd not allowed herself to. At one time, he'd been the utmost person on her mind. She smiled to herself, remembering the first time they'd met.
    At the age of fourte en, Jillian had accompanied her father to Edinburgh Castle. He'd gone there to hold court with King James—as was customary in those days. Laird MacLachlan happened to be there, along with his son, Kade, who was three years older than Jillian. Her father had introduced the two of them, and Jillian had been quite taken with the tall, handsome lad with the black hair and dark eyes surrounded by long lashes such as she'd never seen. He'd smiled down at her and Jillian had been certain everyone far and near had heard her heart pounding against her chest.
    Her bedchamber door slammed against the wall. Startled, Jillian gasped. One of Gordon's men blocked the doorway. "Have you no manners at all?" she said "'Tis customary to knock before entering a lady's bedchamber. You'd best remember that."
    Roderick stepped a round the guard and limped into the room.
    " Roderick," she exclaimed with both relief and surprise. When Fergus had dragged her away from the great hall, with Roderick still lying on the floor, Jillian hadn't known just how badly injured he truly was. She'd been afraid she might never see him again.
    " MacRae gave him permission to see you," said the guard. "Make it quick," he barked at Roderick before closing the door and returning to his post.
    " I've been very afraid you might be dead by now," she said, making a quick visual examination of his injuries. Black and blue bruises almost entirely covered his face, but thankfully the cut on his head had stopped bleeding. "When I think of all the pain you endured at the hands of those barbarians, I want to weep. The injury that concerns me most is the one on your head. Have Mairi make you a poultice. I don't wish to see you get an infection and die."
    " Much thanks for your concern, Lady Jillian. But you must remember that this face of mine didn't get all of these scars by staying away from the front lines. I've been in more than my share of battles, but I promise to see the healer as soon as I'm able to do so," he said, motioning for her to follow him to the outer wall. There he whispered, "I've put much thought into this, Jillian, and as much as I dislike saying it, I believe someone at Lochstorm has been feeding information to MacRae for some time."
    She nodded. "Aye, I wondered as much for several reasons. Gordon seemed to ken with certainty that Ian hadn't left Lochstorm. And only someone with knowledge of the guard rotation would've been able to catch them unaware. I hope we're wrong, for I don't wish to believe that anyone that I ken would do such a thing to their own people."
    " Aye, m'lady, but the enticements of wealth and position have turned many a previously loyal man's head. The question is, now that they're here, what's to be done to get rid of them?"
    Jillian sighed loudly. "Well, one thing's for certain. We're in no shape to do it alone. The entire garrison of Lochstorm is in the dungeon. Gordon assured me that no one was killed, but I don't for a minute believe him. And I feel certain the villagers are so frightened they'll come nowhere near the castle. Why did Gordon allow you to see me after ordering you taken to the dungeon?"
    His face split into a wide grin, his swollen lip causing him to sudde nly wince. "MacRae, in fact, sent me here to convince you 'twould be in your best interest to go