Highland Courage Read online

  Champagne Books Presents

  Highland Courage

  By

  Ceci Giltenan

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Champagne Books

  www.champagnebooks.com

  Copyright 2014 by Ceci Giltanen

  ISBN 978-1-77155-031-4

  March 2014

  Cover Art by Amanda Kelsey

  Produced in Canada

  Champagne Book Group

  19-3 Avenue SE

  High River, AB T1V 1G3

  Canada

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Champagnebooks.com (or a retailer of your choice) and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Smashwords Edition

  Other Books By Ceci Giltanen

  Highland Solution

  Dedication

  To my husband and children, who make my life whole--You mean the world to me.

  To my beta readers, Ann, Rhonda, Barb and Suzan-- a heart-felt thank you for your time and wonderful suggestions. Highland Courage is better because of you.

  To my editor Diane Breton—your guidance and considerable skill helped me take nice stories and turn them into great reads. Thank you doesn’t quite say it, but they are the only words I have.

  Pronunciation Guide

  Brigid Brig ID

  Cael KAH el

  Carraigile Kah rah GEEL

  Cathal KAH hul

  Cnocreidh Kuhrock RAY

  Currancreag KOO ran kreeg

  Duncurra Doon KOO rah

  Mairead mah RAID

  Miach MEE ock

  Neacel NEE uh kul

  Tadhg TIEg

  Seoras SHEOR us

  Sine SHEE na

  Wynne WIN

  Glossary

  Bairn (BAIRn) A baby

  Brèid (BREEdt) Also called a kertch, this is a square of pure white linen that is folded in half and worn by married women to cover their hair. It is a symbol of the Holy Trinity, under whose guidance the married woman walks.

  Cods Testicles

  Gob Mouth

  Léine (LAY in ah) A full tunic-like garment. A woman’s léine is a full-length dress with full sleeves that is worn belted at the waist. A man’s léine would only come to his knees, similar to a long shirt. Both men and women generally wore a plaid over this garment.

  Wheesht Hush, shhh

  “Courage does not always roar, sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”

  ~Mary Ann Radmacher

  One

  Carraigile, The Western Highlands, Mid-September 1360

  Her father looked bewildered. “Mairead, don’t ye want to be married? Look at how happy your sisters are. Ye love your nieces and nephews. Don’t ye want to be a mother?”

  Cathal MacKenzie had tried for years to make a match his youngest daughter would accept. Now she suspected his patience was at an end, and he would no longer wait for her approval. Her father had arranged strategically sound marriages for his six oldest children, and they all seemed to be very happy. “Da, I do love the children, but with eight living here and three more when Annag and Hogan visit, why does anything need to change? I’m happy with things the way they are.”

  Her mother, Brigid, tried reasoning with her. “Mairead, my sweet lass, things can’t stay as they are forever. I know ye don’t want to live the religious life. Ye would miss your family too much, and I couldn’t bear to think of ye locked up in a cloister. Please, dear one, it is time ye were married.”

  “Why, Mama? Why can’t I just stay here?”

  Mairead desperately wanted to avoid the discussion of marriage, but the look of pity in her mother’s eyes spoke volumes. Mairead fought to hold back her tears. She hadn’t cried in seven years, and she wouldn’t start now. Mairead pleaded silently for her mother to intervene, to tell her she never had to marry or leave home if she chose not to.

  Perhaps sensing his wife’s resolve waver, her father answered, “I’m sorry, Mairead, but that is not an option. Ye are well past the age when most lasses marry.” Mairead started to argue, but her father put up his hand to stop her. “Nay, lass. No more. We will arrange a betrothal for ye when we attend the Michaelmas Festival at the end of this month.”

  “Nay, Da, please...” Terrified, her voice broke, and she couldn’t say more.

  Her father’s countenance softened. “Come with us, sweetling. Ye haven’t been for years, and ye used to love it so. We will find ye a new instrument to conquer and ye can meet the young men we are considering. We’ll take your wishes into account if we can, love.”

  “I don’t want to go, Da, and I don’t want to get married yet!” Again, she blinked rapidly to keep the tears from slipping freely down her cheeks.

  “What are ye afraid of?” demanded her father.

  “I’m not—afraid,” she snapped, her voice catching with a sob.

  Now her father’s eyes mirrored the pity she had seen in her mother’s. “The choice to go to the festival or not is yours, Mairead, but we will arrange a betrothal for ye and ye will be married. Soon.”

  “Aye, Da,” she whispered and left her parents’ solar. Mairead wanted to retreat unseen to her chamber, but escaping unnoticed was nearly impossible at Carraigile. All of her siblings and their families lived in the MacKenzie stronghold except her sister Annag, who was married to the laird of Clan MacBain and her little brother Flan, who had just begun his training as squire for Laird Matheson. After leaving the solar, in order to reach the stairs leading to her chamber, she had to cross the great hall, and her siblings managed to corner her there.

  Both Cathal and Brigid had lost their first spouses, and each had brought children to their marriage. Mairead was their first child together. She had been the baby of the family for years, until Flan was born, and in a way was the person who had firmly united both sets of children. They could all claim her as a sister. She grew up loved and adored by her siblings, but they could also overwhelm her.

  “Mairead, go with us,” Rowan said. “We are all going. It’ll be fun.”

  “Ye aren’t all going,” countered Mairead. “Cullen and Marjean aren’t going.”

  “That’s because of our new baby,” answered Cullen, “but everyone else is.”

  Mairead crossed her arms and did her best to look defiant. “Lily and Rose aren’t going.” She looked pointedly at their twin sisters, Lilias and Rhoswen.

  “I want to,” said Rhoswen, “but it is awfully hard to travel that far with a baby.” Her youngest was only a year-old and quite a handful.

  “I’m only staying to keep Rose company, both of our husbands are going,” said Lilias. Cullen rolled his eyes. Lily had given her an opening and Mairead seized it. “Then I will stay and keep ye both company.”

  Peadar’s wife, Rhona, jumped to the rescue, “But then who will keep me company? I’ll be the only woman going if ye stay here.”

  “That’s not true. Naveen is going.”

  Gannon’s wife, Naveen, shook her head, “I am on
ly going as far as my parents’ holding.”

  “Well, Mother is going, and your mother will be joining ye as well, Rhona,” countered Mairead.

  Rhona pouted prettily. “That’s not the same as a sister.”

  Mairead simply arched an eyebrow at her. Rhona had to know how weak that argument was; at least a score of other Chisholm clanswomen were going.

  Mairead loved her family, but now they smothered her. She slowly edged away from them saying, “Really. I'm sure it will be fun, but I want to stay here.”

  Gannon tried. “Laird Matheson is going, so Flan will be there, too. Ye were just saying how much ye miss him.”

  “Nay, Gannon. I can’t go.” She edged past him and rushed from the hall.

  Peadar said, “Well that went well,” just before she left.

  By the time she reached her chamber, her emotions were a jumble, and once again, she had to fight back the tears. This was awful. Clearly, her family didn’t understand why this scared her so much. They couldn’t possibly understand it. She had never given them the opportunity to understand because she had never been able to tell them why. Perhaps she should have, but she hadn’t found the courage to tell them before and she wasn’t about to tell them tonight. She had to take hold of herself and find the strength to face this.

  She sat by the hearth in her chamber with her head in her hands when a knock sounded at the door. Completely exasperated with her siblings, she yelled through the door, “Go away.”

  Her brother Quinn ignored her and entered her bedchamber. “I can’t, Mairead. We need to talk about this.”

  “Quinn, I know ye all mean well, but please leave me alone. I don’t want to go to the fair.”

  “I know ye don’t want to go.” He leaned his back against the door, but his casual stance belied the serious expression on his face. “I want to know why.”

  “I just don’t. Why can’t ye all accept that?”

  He ignored her question. “Mairead, I’ve never talked with ye about it and maybe I should have, but I know something happened the last time ye went.”

  She waved her hands in irritation. “Everyone knows something happened, Quinn. To quote Peadar, I was colossally stupid and wandered off with Flan.”

  “Yes, everyone knows that. What I want to know is what happened when ye wandered off?”

  “Ye know that already too. I lost Flan, then I found him, and that priest walked us back to camp.”

  “Mairead, ye’re lying to me. I knew it then, and I know it now.”

  Mairead couldn’t meet his gaze. “Go away, Quinn.”

  “Ye changed seven years ago. Tell me what happened.” The urgent note in his voice was unmistakable as he crossed the room and crouched in front of her.

  “I don’t know what ye are talking about. I didn’t change.” She slammed her fists against the arm of her chair in frustration.

  “Ye did. I’m sure there are cloistered nuns who are more outgoing than ye are, Mairead.”

  “And ye know a lot of cloistered nuns?”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “Nay, but it’s all nonsense anyway. I have always been…timid. MacKenzie’s Mouse, remember? I just like being at home.”

  She hated the nickname “MacKenzie’s Mouse” and no one within the family used it. However, many people outside the family and clan did, although it was her appearance and not her temperament that initially gave rise to the name. Da’s children by his first wife were tall and blonde with crystal blue eyes. Although her mother was petite, all Mama’s children from her first marriage were also tall—frankly, Peadar and Rowan were huge—and they all had Mother’s dark hair and dark brown eyes. Remarkably attractive, all eight of her older siblings turned heads. Even at four and ten, Flan was a head taller than most lads his age and already showed signs of having the dark good looks of Mama’s family but with Da’s bright blue eyes. More like her mother, Mairead was smaller than her siblings, with light brown hair and pale grey eyes. She felt mousey in comparison. However, Quinn was right. She would never admit it to him, but something had changed seven years ago.

  Quinn looked directly into her eyes. “Mairead, I know ye better than anyone. I know something bad happened to ye then, and ye have been hiding ever since. Da is getting ready to marry ye off, and I am worried for ye. For the love of God, lass, tell me what happened. No one can help ye if ye keep this locked away.”

  “Go away, Quinn,” she whispered.

  He sighed and shook his head in frustration. He rose and kissed the top of her head. “Ye can talk to me, Mairead. Ye can tell me when ye’re ready.” Then he turned and left her room.

  She would never be ready. She couldn’t tell him. She couldn’t tell anyone. She wanted to keep it locked away.

  Two

  The Michaelmas Cattle Fair held every year during the last week of September near Inverness signaled the official end of the harvest. Warriors competed in games and tournaments to demonstrate their strength, speed, agility, and fighting skills. Merchants set up stalls selling everything from fine fabric to weapons.

  Tadhg Matheson hadn’t attended the fair since his father died three years ago. His friends, Peadar and Quinn MacKenzie, and their little brother, Flan, now sat around the fire at his encampment talking. They laughed and discussed the day’s various tournaments. “Your brother Rowan held his own against Darcy Fraser today. Darcy is rather well known for his skill with a sword, not to mention the fact he has a few years on Rowan.”

  Peadar grinned with pride and nodded. “Aye, but Rowan is a remarkable swordsman. He has a natural ability. It is almost as if he can predict his opponent’s movements. On top of which, he trained with Alastair MacIan. That old man was a brilliant swordsman.”

  “Aye, he was at that. Ye remember how skilled his son Fingal was even as a lad, when he started training with Laird Chisholm?”

  Quinn laughed. “Oh, I remember. He knocked me on my arse too many times to let me easily forget.” Peadar laughed heartily. “I’m not sure what ye are laughing at. Ye’re only three years older than me, but he got the best of ye often enough, too.”

  Peadar laughed harder. “Aye, he did.”

  “Well, I was older than both of ye and it took him a few years to best me, but he did several times. Rowan is every bit as skilled as Fingal. He certainly took Darcy down a few pegs today.” Tadhg glanced at his squire who sat nearby, staring broodingly into the fire. “What say ye, Flan? Do ye think ye have the same natural ability as your brother?”

  Flan, clearly distracted, hadn’t been paying attention. On hearing his laird address him, he looked confused. “What natural ability is that, Laird?”

  Peadar nudged him in the shoulder. “Flan, lad, what’s the matter? I thought ye would be excited to be here since ye’re a squire now. Especially after today.”

  “It’s just the talk of the Frasers has me worried.”

  “Oh.” Quinn nodded, seeming to understand what his brother meant.

  Clearly, Quinn understood Flan’s cryptic comment, but Tadhg was at a loss. “Why do the Frasers worry ye, Flan?”

  The lad shook his head, as if in defeat. “It’s Mairead.”

  Peadar clearly read the utter confusion on Tadhg’s face and offered an explanation with a note of concern in his voice. “Our parents are discussing a betrothal for our sister, Mairead, while we are here. Da is interested in improving his ties with the Frasers. They are discussing it with Laird Fraser now.”

  “Ye disapprove?”

  “Not exactly. I understand Da’s reasons. It is time for Mairead to marry. It’s just she is less than thrilled by the prospect.”

  “Marriage in general or just to Darcy Fraser?”

  “Marriage,” Quinn answered. Peadar frowned and tried to clarify. “She is a bit shy and doesn’t want to leave home. I think Da is trying to arrange a betrothal with one of Lachlan’s nephews. He is hoping whoever she marries will be willing to live with our clan.”

  Flan perked up suddenly, looking
very excited. “Laird Matheson, ye could marry her. I’m sure ye would like her. She’s awfully small even to be as old as she is.”

  Peadar laughed. “Flan, she is only one and twenty.”

  “Well, one and twenty is a lot older than Annag, Rose, and Lily were when they married. She is also very pretty, Laird. Not exactly pretty like Rose and Lily, or even Annag, but she is pretty in a different way. And she is nice. Well, not always at first, as Peadar said. She is very shy, but once she knows someone, well, most everyone likes her.

  “Flan, ye have just painted an atrocious picture of our sister,” scolded Peadar.

  However, Tadhg just laughed. “I’m sure she’s lovely, but your Da is looking to improve his ties with the Frasers.”

  Quinn clearly took the suggestion seriously. “She is lovely. What’s more, she has the skills it takes to run a keep. She would be a good wife for ye, Tadhg. Perhaps more importantly, I think ye would be a good husband for her. Ye would treat her well.”

  “Quinn, I am the laird of my clan. I couldn’t live with the MacKenzies.”

  Peadar approved, as well. “Nay, but your land borders ours. Ye are less than a day’s ride away and Flan trains with ye, so she wouldn’t be without any family. Ye do need to marry.”

  “None of this changes the fact your Da wants to improve his ties with Fraser. Perhaps it would be best if she married one of the younger Frasers and stayed at home as she wishes.”

  Quinn weighed his words. “Perhaps. We just have never been allied with the Frasers, so we don’t really know them well.”