“But I am neither,” she murmured.
“I know that. And they realize it now, too.In addition, you are wearing a Macpherson tartan to boot. A bonnysight to their tired eyes, I’m thinking.”
“Perhaps I should not…” Tess felt her cheekscatch fire. She tried to pull away. “Maybe I…”
Instead of letting her go, Colin pushed hergently toward the dais. Looking ahead, Tess realized that the lairdand lady and their two elder sons were all standing now andwaiting.
The Macpherson chieftain came around thetable to greet them. “Finally I have the honor of introducing ourown faerie to a grateful clan.”
Tess dropped a low curtsy before the laird.“The honor is mine, m’lord.”
Alec Macpherson took her hand, and his blueeyes were approving when he raised Tess up. He turned her to thesilent crowd gathered in the Great Hall.
“’Tis my honor…my privilege…to give you theangel to whom we are all indebted for saving young Colin’s life.With great pleasure, I introduce to you, my good clan folk, TheresaCatherine Lindsay, the only daughter of my friend, the late SirStephen Lindsay.”
As the laird paused, the room suddenlyerupted with cheers. Tess was embarrassed by all the credit she wasreceiving with no cause. Before she could gather herself together,though, the laird opened his arms and she moved unthinkingly intohis embrace. His powerful bear-like arms wrapped around her. In amoment, he released her from the hug but still held her by theshoulders.
“Your father would be very proud to see youtonight, Tess.” He placed a kiss on her brow, and Tess fought theemotions welling up inside of her. There was so much she needed toknow about her father, about what had happened to him, about thesecrets of Ravenie Castle. When the laird let go of her, she turnedand found herself enveloped in Lady Fiona’s arms.
“You look exceptionally beautiful. And youact as nobly as a queen,” she whispered in Tess’s ear. “No morefretting, child. You are ready for your lady mother…whenever ‘tisyou meet again.”
The recollection of their kiss wouldn’t leave Tess’smind. Hours later, she could still feel the tingling sensations onher lips and the pounding of her heart. At the same time, she wasangry at herself for this weakness. Colin had told her in so manywords that kissing her had been a mistake, that it wouldn’t happenagain. So then why was it she couldn’t put it behind her?
Perhaps it would be better if she were to go, shethought, trying to convince herself. Perhaps, with some distancebetween them, they could both get on with what they had to do.
Tess tossed and turned in the deep feather bed forwhat seemed like hours. No matter that she was tired, sleep seemeddestined to elude her. She finally gave up the struggle and sat up.A full moon had spread its light across the chamber floor like acarpet of blue silk.
Rising, she followed the lunar glow to the windowand sat on the window seat. The valley and the endless hills beyondthe panes of glass looked so strange and beautiful in themoonlight. As she looked out at the scene, she touched her lips andwondered where Colin was at this moment.
Forcing her thoughts away from him, Tess looked downat the curtain wall that surrounded the castle, and she tried toremember what it was like at Ravenie Castle. She had a vaguerecollection of a wee lass spending many nights just like this, ablanket around her to keep out the cold as she looked out at theworld from her own quiet perch. There were prayers then for battlesto be won and for warriors to come home through those hills to thesouth. The child would even doze occasionally, waking up with astart when her small chin would drop to her chest.
And then there was that night when violence hadbattered at the walls of Ravenie Castle. That night of tragedy whenher life had changed forever. Tess’s past—all the lost memory ofher childhood—remained bound to that one night. All the secrets ofwhat took place there still remained trapped within the walls ofthat castle. And there was mystery about it all that she sensedothers knew of but would not voice. She had felt it in Colin’shesitation. She had heard it in Lady Fiona’s tone tonight. She hadcertainly sensed it in the Macpherson laird’s protectiveembrace.
The tragedy of what occurred had forced her toforget so much. But for Tess to remember again and move on with herlife, she knew she needed to go back. She had to go to the placeshe’d once called home. She needed to see it through the eyes ofthe person that she had now become. She had no choice but to go andface the nightmare that has been haunting her.
And she needed to do all of this before she saw hermother again. Whatever was left of Ravenie, Tess knew that thesecret to her life lay buried there.
“But you only arrived hereyesterday.”
Tess looked into the water running clear beneath thearches of the stone bridge. The neat little village on the bank ofthe Spey had been bustling with activity. Three healthy lookinglittle boys were wading at the edge of the cold water with fishinglines in their hands.
“It cannot wait, Colin. I have alreadyspoken with your parents about it. ‘Tis all planned. It only makessense to go now—the day after tomorrow. If I don’t do it now, Imight not have a chance again for a long, long time.”
“But ‘tis at least six hours on horseback each way,”he protested. Reaching the end of the bridge, they started up thesteep hill toward the castle. “Longer, even, if the rivers arerunning high.”
“The ride presents no difficulty. ’Tis shorter thanthe ride here.” Tess asserted. “Besides, your father said that manytimes messengers went back and forth between the two castles in asingle day. The laird has even arranged for a group of Macphersonwarriors to escort me. I shall have no problem in making thetrip.”
She saw the disappointment in his face. She had notasked him to go. After last night, she did not want to pressure himinto spending time with her—or feeling responsible for her. But nowshe wondered if he was thinking she wanted to run away—to get awayfrom him.
“You are not truly upset that I wish to seeRavenie again, are you?”
“’Tis a matter of timing, Tess.”
“Is it?”
“Aye. You only arrived and there is so muchhere that I want to show you. I guess I was hoping we could get toknow each other without the pressures of necessities…and…”
She looped her arm through his. “I am only going forone day, Colin. And you told me yourself that I need to make peacewith the past. In talking to your father and your mother, I learneda great deal about my family. Things I never knew. Things such ashow much my own father loved me, and how his service to the kingkept him away so much. Lord Alec told me, too, of the arrangementthat led to my father’s marriage to my mother. He told me again howunhappy they both were.”
