The Wild Rose of Kilgannon by Kathleen Givens

a bit, looking up at the crest. I guess he was judging when the guards wouldna be looking." He wiped his palms on his thighs. "And then he gathered up all the other horses, real loose, and he rode right to the top of the hill above the camp, right through their guards. I thought he'd go down there after Malcolm, but instead he rode above the hut, waiting there in full view so that they all saw him. I thought he'd gone mad. He was deliberately drawing their attention. And then, when they were all shouting and running for their horses, when Robert Campbell came out of the hut, Alex rode right down into the camp, right through the middle and he let the other horses go, so that they muddled everyone up. Then he spun around and jumped over a campfire and rode up the other side. He stopped at the top and waited for them to start after him."
    I pictured it, Alex leaning low over the horse, his hair flying, his plaid a crimson slash against the horse's side. He'd known they'd follow him and he'd planned to lead them away from his men. Alex, I thought, my love.
    "Did they follow him?" Angus asked.
    "Aye. When they came to the top of the hill he was already in the trees, going toward Brenmargon Pass, with them like madmen after him. I rode to meet him at the other side of the trees and he saw me then." His mouth twisted. "He wasna pleased. He shouted at me to go. He was like a madman, too, and we rode toward the pass with him shouting at me. It's verra flat from the trees to the pass, all open moor and we kent they'd see us the minute they broke from the trees, and they did. We could hear them screaming. That's when we got through the beginning of the pass. There's a spot there that's wide and flat, with the rocks high all around, and the path is only wide enough for two horses. Alex told me to go ahead. He must have shouted it twenty times. He was spinning his horse around and looking behind us, telling me to go."
    " Did you? “I asked .
    He shook his head. "No' at first. Alex said he was a dead man already and that I had to go. He said my father would never forgive him if I were killed." We both glanced at Angus, who watched his son impassively. I said I couldna leave him alone, but he smacked my horse's rump with the flat of his claymore and she jumped out of her skin and ran into the narrow part. By the time I had her under control again he was turning back into the first of the pass to meet them."
    "To meet them?" I whispered.
    "Aye." His worried gaze met mine and he nodded. "Aye. He went back. And that's when they got him."
    I gasped. "What do you mean 'got him? What did you see?"
    "I was through that bit of the pass, so I went back over the rocks above to see what happened." He stared into the distance. "Alex was on the ground in the middle of a bunch of them, with Robert Campbell standing over him and shouting at the others. They were like a pack of wolves and Robert was holding them off."
    "But Alex was alive?"
    Matthew met my eyes. "I dinna ken, Mary. I couldna tell. Alex was on his back and there was so much blood I couldna be sure. Some was from the other man on the ground. He was dead for certain. But then Robert knelt down next to Alex and talked and patted his shoulder. I dinna think Robert would talk to him if he werena still alive. Then the others hauled Alex onto a horse and they were no gentle about it. He was either dead or unconscious then. There was blood dripping on the ground from him."
    "And then what?"
    "They took him back to their camp. They never even came looking for me. I followed them but I never saw Alex again once they carried him into the crofter's hut. And I never saw Malcolm."
    "He was not with Robert?"
    Matthew shook his head. "I only saw him the once, that morning with Alex and Da. He dinna show himself after that. I dinna even ken if he was still in their camp. I waited and watched them for days until they started to move west. I was afraid to leave for fear they'd go east and I'd not ken, but I