The Highlander Takes a Bride Read Online Free PDF Page A

single bed and the hard wooden chair that sat in the corner. There was no fireplace at all which would make it a damned cold room in winter.
    If she were to guess, Allen’s mother had selected this room for Fenella and it appeared her cousin had not argued the point. But then Saidh supposed her cousin’s position here was now probably rather precarious. She was no longer the Laird’s wife, and had produced no heir to earn her any position in the household. Lady MacDonnell obviously had more power than her.
    “Saidh?”
    That bewildered, almost hopeful whisper drew her gaze to the woman on the bed and Saidh’s eyebrows rose. This was not the sweet, round and rosy-faced Fenella she recalled from five years earlier. It was not even the pale, round Fenella from the morning after her wedding. This woman was thin to the point of emaciated, her face wan, and eyes red with recent and repeated tears.
    “Oh, Saidh!” Fenella lunged off the bed and threw her arms around her in a hard, hungry hug of desperation. “Oh, thank God. A friendly face. I have missed ye so. What am I to do? Me husband is dead. I loved Allen so. I thought surely this time I would be allowed to live happily with him. How could he go and die on me like that? I am being punished, am I no’? God is punishing me fer Kennedy. I—”
    Saidh silenced her cousin by covering her mouth. Her gaze moved warily to the door as she replayed Fenella’s words in her mind and wondered how much she’d given away . . . and who might have heard.
    Easing Fenella away, Saidh raised a finger to her lips and slipped quickly back to the door to ease it open. When a quick glance in both directions along the hall showed it to be empty, she let her breath out on a little hiss of relief and eased the door closed again.

 
    Chapter 2
    “B loody hell,” Greer muttered as he rode through the castle gates and saw the horses and men filling his bailey. There were a good thirty or forty soldiers that he could see, and English soldiers at that. It looked like a bloody invasion party, he thought, and then recognized the banner they rode under and grimaced with disgust. Montrose Danvries had returned, he realized. No doubt the man was on his return journey from collecting his sister. He probably hoped to spend another night at MacDonnell, eating his food and sleeping in one of the guest rooms. Greer just hoped it would only be one night this time. He didn’t like the man.
    Bringing his horse to a halt just inside the gates, he caught his arm around Milly’s waist and lifted her off his mount, leaning to the side to set her down.
    “Enter around the back o’ the castle,” he instructed. “I would ha’e a word with these men and I think it best they not see ye.”
    Milly nodded quickly and moved along the castle wall toward the cover of the stables. Greer waited until he saw her disappear behind the building unmolested, then straightened and urged his mount forward. He had nearly reached the back of the widespread group of men and horses when he spotted Alpin and the stable master at the front of the group, talking with one of the Englishmen. There was no sign of his first, Bowie, though.
    “Alpin,” he barked.
    The squire glanced around, then beamed with relief and rushed to his side as he dismounted.
    “What the devil are all these Englishmen doing cluttering me bailey? And where is Bowie?”
    “Bowie is inside with yer aunt and Lord Danvries, and these are Lord Danvries’ men, me laird,” Alpin said, and then allowing some exasperation to show through, added, “I did try to tell ye that we had company approaching the castle. The men on the wall saw them some distance off and when they heard Lady Fenella had sent me to look fer ye, told me to tell ye about them as well . . . but ye would no’ let me.”
    Greer considered reminding the lad, yet again, on how he was to speak to his betters, but then decided he couldn’t be bothered just then. There were other issues of