The Highlander's Lady Read Online Free PDF

Af ter spending hours fashioning a spear from a long , thick stick she found and using the dirk at her hip , she’d finally killed a squirrel . Not an easy task, especially since she felt so out of practice. As a young girl she’d often hunted with her father. But after mother had been abducted … She had not been allowed to do so again.
    The only supplies she’d been able to gather from inside the stables were a plaid blanket, water skin and , she was sorry for it, the rest of the horse master’s luncheon. She’d given all the food to Rose and her unborn ba irn , and waited over a day before hunting to feed herself, else she faint and not be able to protect her sister-by-marriage and her brother’s heir.
    Myra needed that bairn to be born. Needed it to be a boy. She couldn’t possibly take on the responsibilities of laird. Not now. Not when she felt so uncertain of herself. When she’d be made to marry all the sooner. Sh e’d murder t he Ross before she married him.
    And she might just murder him anyway for revenge.
    She supposed it was utterly selfish to imagine a bairn taking away her burden. Were there any elders left? Surely some of them had escaped who could decide clan matters and train the bairn until he was ready to do so himself.
    Myra frowned and stopped Coney a moment to assess her direction. What was she thinking? She wasn’t that horrid of a woman to expect an innocent child to take on the duties with only the elders. She would have to be involved somehow. As much as she didn’t want to. Byron was dead. ’Twas her duty. Enough of her time had been spent behind the walls watching By r on work on tasks, handle disputes. Myra could do it. And probably well. But she couldn’t think on that now.
    She had to head south-west to get to Eilean Donan. A castle she’d never been to but heard much of i ts beauty, mystique and defense. Situated in the middle of a loch she’d been told. Surrounded by mist nearly all day and protected by fairies.
    The Bruce was there. H arbored within the enemies own camp and he had no idea. She prayed she could make it in time before another tragedy struck. As it was, she would need reinforcements to come back to Foulis to reclaim her castle. After murdering everyone within, the Ross clan would surely claim the lands for themselves. And when they found Rose and Myra had disappeared, they would come looking.
    Rose was safe. Nestled within Dunrobin with one of the fiercest warriors Myra had ever heard of. Magnus Sutherland. Byron had trusted him and she would too.
    Myra , however, was not so safe.
    Alone in the forest, winter upon them with only a makeshift spear and dirk to protect herself.
    Zounds! An impossible task had been given to her.
    Keeping her groan of frustration within, Myra gritted her teeth and pushed her horse forward. She needed to make haste. It would take her nearly a week to reach Eilean Donan, and success was likely not on her side.
     

     
    Daniel glanced up as a haggard, overly pregnant woman was brought into Dunrobin’s great hall.
    Daniel sat with Magnus and Blane talking strategy. His cousin Ronan had alr eady joined Wallace and his men—where Daniel wished to be.
    “My God,” Magnus muttered under his breath as he stood to greet the woman.
    Her fiery hair stood on end and her gown was torn and dirty. Her face smeared with grime, tears streaking down her cheeks. The woman looked ready to collapse .
    “Are ye Laird Sutherland?” she asked Magnus, her weary eyes darting guardedly , her lower lip quivering.
    “Aye.”
    She glanced with unease at the rest of the men.
    “Ye are safe. What is your name?” Magnus said, walking toward her.
    “ Lady Rose of Foulis.”
    That got Daniel’s attention and he too stood . “I know Laird Munro .” Munro was an ally of his. A damned good card player too. And he had a beautiful, clever , fascinating, younger sister who…completely despised him.
    Rose burst into tears, her hands gripping her swollen belly