told him hoping he’d help her avoid being forced to marry the new laird Colin.
Yet, her future seemed even more dim without Angus. Without anyone. But she would face it. And find a way to have the kind of life she wanted.
The village stood empty when she returned. Where had everyone gone? She paused and finally heard voices coming from the trees on the other side. They sounded strained. Something was wrong. She couldn’t tell if they were angry or upset—or both. Before she could cross into the trees on the other side, Christina ran from the woods, tears streaming down her face.
“Shona! Och, ’tis terrible. Craig canna do a thing to save him.”
“What are ye talking about? Who is Craig?”
“Craig is the healer. He canna help Colin. The new laird. The wind broke a branch. A tree. I dinna ken. It fell on him. Crushed him. He’s dead!”
Dead? The new laird, dead? Suddenly Shona couldn’t catch her breath. Christina must be mistaken. Then the other women came pouring out of the woods, shocked and tearful expressions lending credence to her statement.
Did her uncle know? What would he do when he found out?
Shona looked about, the women’s upset adding to her own caused by Angus. And where was Angus?
“Dinna go in there!” her friend called to her as she took step after hesitant step toward the forest. “Another tree might fall!”
She ignored the warning and all the shocked faces she passed as she entered the woods, looking for the men—and the laird’s body.
One thing haunted her. If she could have prevented Colin’s death, would she have kept the branch from falling on him? Or would her uncle’s schemes have kept her from saving the man he planned to marry her to? Guilt filled her, even though she hadn’t been anywhere nearby. Knowing she could have prevented this tormented her.
When she arrived, several men turned from their circle around the body on the ground and regarded her. Between them, she could see a heavy tree trunk, easily as thick as her arm was long, and the bloodied lower part of a leg and a foot. No more. Either the rest of his body lay under a branch, or on the other side.
“Is he—”
“Aye, lass. Get ye back to the village,” the council elder said, casting a nervous glance upward. Wind lashed the branches above them. “We’ll take care of the laird’s body.”
Numbly, Shona nodded, turned away, and collided with Angus’s solid chest.
“What is this?” he demanded even as he gripped her arms and steadied her. His touch reassured her, but a chill coursed down Shona’s back at Angus’s demand—the same words Colin had used when her uncle had presented her to him. Then Angus set her aside with a softly-voiced command, “Aye, go on back, lass. We’ll talk later. I’m sorry.”
She stared at him in surprise at his gentleness, but his gaze was fixed on the men behind her—and the one under the tree. She felt battered by the conflicting impressions he gave her, but now was not the time to examine them. Shona backed off a few paces and paused to watch the circle open to admit Angus and reveal more of the laird’s ruined body. No one could doubt MacAnalen needed another new laird. She knew it was too soon, but she couldn’t help wondering if, after this, would Angus be chosen? Would he get the vindication he desired?
In a flash of clarity, Shona regretted telling Angus what Colin had promised to do. Would he adopt Colin’s plans to marry outside the clan? Would he make a match for her in another clan? Before they’d argued, she would have been devastated at the thought. Now? Now, she didn’t know how she felt, except relieved she no longer had marriage to Colin in her future.
“No’ even Healer Aileana could fix this,” Angus’s friend, Brodric, muttered. She couldn’t see Angus’s face, but the way he stiffened told her he didn’t appreciate Brodric’s comment.
She glanced up at the storm-tossed trees and decided to stay near so no further harm
Yet, her future seemed even more dim without Angus. Without anyone. But she would face it. And find a way to have the kind of life she wanted.
The village stood empty when she returned. Where had everyone gone? She paused and finally heard voices coming from the trees on the other side. They sounded strained. Something was wrong. She couldn’t tell if they were angry or upset—or both. Before she could cross into the trees on the other side, Christina ran from the woods, tears streaming down her face.
“Shona! Och, ’tis terrible. Craig canna do a thing to save him.”
“What are ye talking about? Who is Craig?”
“Craig is the healer. He canna help Colin. The new laird. The wind broke a branch. A tree. I dinna ken. It fell on him. Crushed him. He’s dead!”
Dead? The new laird, dead? Suddenly Shona couldn’t catch her breath. Christina must be mistaken. Then the other women came pouring out of the woods, shocked and tearful expressions lending credence to her statement.
Did her uncle know? What would he do when he found out?
Shona looked about, the women’s upset adding to her own caused by Angus. And where was Angus?
“Dinna go in there!” her friend called to her as she took step after hesitant step toward the forest. “Another tree might fall!”
She ignored the warning and all the shocked faces she passed as she entered the woods, looking for the men—and the laird’s body.
One thing haunted her. If she could have prevented Colin’s death, would she have kept the branch from falling on him? Or would her uncle’s schemes have kept her from saving the man he planned to marry her to? Guilt filled her, even though she hadn’t been anywhere nearby. Knowing she could have prevented this tormented her.
When she arrived, several men turned from their circle around the body on the ground and regarded her. Between them, she could see a heavy tree trunk, easily as thick as her arm was long, and the bloodied lower part of a leg and a foot. No more. Either the rest of his body lay under a branch, or on the other side.
“Is he—”
“Aye, lass. Get ye back to the village,” the council elder said, casting a nervous glance upward. Wind lashed the branches above them. “We’ll take care of the laird’s body.”
Numbly, Shona nodded, turned away, and collided with Angus’s solid chest.
“What is this?” he demanded even as he gripped her arms and steadied her. His touch reassured her, but a chill coursed down Shona’s back at Angus’s demand—the same words Colin had used when her uncle had presented her to him. Then Angus set her aside with a softly-voiced command, “Aye, go on back, lass. We’ll talk later. I’m sorry.”
She stared at him in surprise at his gentleness, but his gaze was fixed on the men behind her—and the one under the tree. She felt battered by the conflicting impressions he gave her, but now was not the time to examine them. Shona backed off a few paces and paused to watch the circle open to admit Angus and reveal more of the laird’s ruined body. No one could doubt MacAnalen needed another new laird. She knew it was too soon, but she couldn’t help wondering if, after this, would Angus be chosen? Would he get the vindication he desired?
In a flash of clarity, Shona regretted telling Angus what Colin had promised to do. Would he adopt Colin’s plans to marry outside the clan? Would he make a match for her in another clan? Before they’d argued, she would have been devastated at the thought. Now? Now, she didn’t know how she felt, except relieved she no longer had marriage to Colin in her future.
“No’ even Healer Aileana could fix this,” Angus’s friend, Brodric, muttered. She couldn’t see Angus’s face, but the way he stiffened told her he didn’t appreciate Brodric’s comment.
She glanced up at the storm-tossed trees and decided to stay near so no further harm
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