Page 56 of Highland Spirit

“Start at the beginnin’,” said Ethan, holding Isobel to his chest and gently rubbing her back to calm her. “Tell me why ye left me at the altar. And then tell me why ye couldna take the time to find me and tell me I had a daughter.”

Isobel laid her head against Ethan’s chest, still holding tightly to the doll he’d made her, feeling very content in his arms.

“I – I had every intention of marryin’ ye,” Alana told him. “But I found out right before the weddin’ from my faither’s friend, Albert, that there was trouble. He told me my mathair had been abducted and that my faither needed me.” She turned and held a hand out to include her siblings. “He needed all of us. He was in trouble and we had to leave Scotland right away. His life depended on it.”

“Oh, we ken what kind of trouble yer faither caused with his thievin’ ways,” retorted Ethan.

“No’ just with us. He caused a lot of trouble and I hear his own clan willna even welcome him back,” added Caleb.

“Dinna talk about me as if I’m no’ in the room,” growled Gil. “And dinna blame my children for any of this. It is my fault that their mathair is dead and that Diarmad keeps us as prisoners and fearin’ for our lives.”

“Prisoners?” Ethan’s body stiffened. He didn’t like the sound of this at all. “So ye’re tellin’ me that Diarmad is real?” asked Ethan, surprised since he thought Alana had fabricated that story, too.

“Of course he is!” snapped Gil. “Who do ye think got my daughter pregnant?” Ethan’s heart jumped, thinking he was talking about Alana, until the man nodded to Kirstine who groaned and looked like she was in pain.

“Och, I’m sorry,” said Ethan, feeling bad for Kirstine but relieved that he didn’t mean Alana. “So why is Diarmad holdin’ ye as prisoners? Especially after all this time?”

“He’s after the treasure,” said Gil. “And he willna give up or set us free until he finds it. Meanwhile, he runs a smugglin’ ring from the cove and forces us to be a part of it.”

“A smugglin’ ring?” asked Caleb.

“He’s after treasure?” asked Ethan. “Alana, does this key have somethin’ to do with this?” He pulled out the key and held it up. “Because I’m guessin’ it isna the key to yer faither’s shackle or ye would have used it by now.”

“Aye,” Alana answered with a sigh. “My mathair and uncle died to protect some hidden treasure, but I swear I dinna ken much about it, or where it is.”

“It’s right here in the castle, I tell ye,” said her father. “It’s here and we need to find it before Diarmad does.”

“Alana, why didna ye tell me all this right away? If so, I would have handled it with the rest of the MacKeefes.”

“That’s exactly why,” she told him, holding out her hands and shaking her head. “I dinna want ye or any of the MacKeefes involved. No one else will die over this.”

Feeling agitated, angry, and ready to fight, Ethan put his daughter down on the chair and stood up with his hands balling up into fists. “I’ll kill the men responsible for makin’ ye live like this! I will kill every one of them to make them pay for what they’ve put ye through. And I’ll start with yer faither.” He took a step toward the bed with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Ethan, stop it!” cried Alana, grabbing him by the arm. “It was my choice to go with my faither. No one made me leave ye. Kill me if ye need to kill someone, because I am just as guilty as him.”

Ethan paced the floor now, running a hand through his dark hair in thought. “What am I supposed to do with this information, Alana?” He stopped and looked at her and glared. “Ye purposely put yerself in danger, no’ to mention ye’ve endangered my daughter, too. How could ye do such a thing? And how can I no’ turn ye all in for what ye’ve been doin’ here in secret? It’s no’ right.”

“Isobel wasna even born when this all happened,” spat Alana. “So I didna purposely put her in danger. I did what I had to do, Ethan. My faither’s life was at stake. Wouldna ye have done the same thing?”

“Aye, calm down, Ethan,” said Caleb jumping to his feet. Trapper got up and stood next to Ethan. “All that matters now is that we help Alana and her family.”

“Well, if we’re goin’ to do somethin’, we’d better hurry,” said Kirstine, looking miserable, laying both hands on her belly now. “My husband will be returnin’ any day now. And when he does, if he finds Ethan and Caleb here, he will kill them.”

“Ethan, mayhap ye and Caleb should leave,” said Alana. “Take Isobel with ye.”

“And leave ye here?” Ethan let out a breath. “No’ on yer life. Ye are my wife now and the last thing I would ever do is leave ye in the clutches of someone like Diarmad.”

“Well, what are we goin’ to do?” asked Caleb.

“Ye take the lassies and Finn back to the MacKeefe camp where they’ll be safe,” instructed Ethan. “When ye return, bring Logan and Hawke and anyone else who has forgiven Alana’s faither enough to want to help.”

“Ye’re plannin’ on goin’ up against Diarmad and his men?” asked Gil.

“That’s exactly what I plan to do. We’ll capture them and also the smugglers and turn them in to the king.”

“I’ll help ye,” said Gil, sitting up and rattling the chain on his shackles. “Help me out of this and I’ll fight at yer side.”

“Nay, I canna do that,” said Ethan.