Page 25 of Highland Steel

“Are the cattle mean? Those long horns of theirs look a bit scary.”

“Nay, the cattle are some of the kindest creatures ye’ll ever meet.”

“The sheep are cute,” she said with a big smile.

“Dinna get too attached to them,” Logan told her.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“The livestock is raised to feed the clan. Without it, we’d never survive the harsh winters.”

“Oh, I see,” she said, feeling suddenly sad for animals, although she knew it was a way of life. They had livestock they ate back in England as well. But to her, the cows and sheep back home weren’t nearly as intriguing.

“The water looks so blue,” she said, looking out over the camp and down the hill to the horseshoe bay of water. “And there are islands too.”

“That’s right,” he told her. “Ethan found his wife on one of those isles. The bay opens up to Loch Linnhe that way,” he told her, pointing to the right. “And if ye go that way, it opens up to the sea.” He pointed to the left to show her.

“I can see why you say you like living here,” she told him. “I think I could get used to it, too.”

“They’re back! They’re back!” cried a little boy as soon as they were spotted. Suddenly, a whole crowd of children ran toward them, laughing and all talking at once.

“Who are all these children?” she asked as they stopped their horses.

“They are all part of the MacKeefe Clan,” he told her. “Those two are Hawke’s new family, Oliver and his sister, Sophie.” Logan nodded to two young children who ran over to greet Hawke. Another girl followed. “And that little girl is Ethan’s daughter that he recently found out was his. She’s four.”

“Isobel,” said Ethan, hopping off his horse and scooping up a little girl with a doll clutched to her chest. She laughed and reached up and kissed Ethan on his cheek.

“Da!” she said, her smile enough to melt Rhoswen’s heart.

Women and men ran out to greet them and before Rhoswen knew it, they were surrounded by a crowd.

“Come,” Logan told her, reaching up and helping her from her horse. “Ye have a lot of people here who will want to meet ye and yer siblin’s.”

“Hello,” said Rhoswen, looking around at all the smiling faces. Her brother and sister came over and stood at her side.

“They don’t seem to hate us even though we’re English,” said Newell.

“I told ye that ye’d be welcomed with open arms,” said Logan. “That’s the way of the MacKeefes.”

“Logan, it’s about time ye returned,” said a man who looked a lot like Logan, but he was quite a bit older than him.

“Da,” said Logan, clasping arms with the man, giving him a slap on the back.

“Who is this?” The older man stared at Rhoswen.

“This is Lady Rhoswen Asquith and her siblin’s Newell and Blaine,” Logan told him. Then he looked over to Rhoswen. “This is my faither, Aidan. He is one of the Madmen MacKeefe.”

“Pleased to meet you,” she said with a nod, not sure what to do. It wasn’t every day she met Highlanders, and certainly not one referred to as a madman.

“Mmph,” grunted Aidan. “They’re Sassenachs.”

“Aye, Da,” said Logan. “They were attacked on the road and their faither was killed. They had nowhere to go so I brought them here.”

Just when Aidan looked like he was going to object, two women came up behind them.

“Well, we’re happy to have you here,” said the older woman with the dark hair. She was dressed in plaid but spoke like an Englishwoman. “I am Wren, the chieftain’s wife,” she introduced herself.

“She’s also Hawke’s mathair,” Logan told her. “And this is Effie – my mathair.” Logan took the red-haired woman into his arms, giving her a big hug and kissing her atop the head.