Read Online The Wild Rose of Kilgannon by Kathleen Givens - Free Book Online

about Alex dying, not anyone else, I realized with chagrin. "I will, Angus," I said. "But how will we know?"
    "We'll ken the moment they break cover," he said grimly. "Alex willna let them come upon us with drawn arms. If he's over a horse I want ye to leave at once. If he's astride we'll wait." He glanced at me sharply. "If I tell ye to go,
    lass, dinna argue, just go. If Alex is lost, the boys must have ye. I have asked Matthew to take ye through the tunnel. Promise me ye'll go."
    I met his look. "I promise. But Angus, if he is astride, I will stay."
    He nodded and I walked slowly down the terrace to the beginning of the meadow, stopping at the small knoll that faced the end of the loch. It was from here that the prizes were given each year at the Kilgannon Games, Alex laughing and joking as he distributed them. How long ago that seemed. The others had followed me, and Angus now stood just behind me. I could hear the sound of his sword being drawn as he hid his arm behind my skirts. Matthew was on my right, his sword in his hand. Gilbey, Thomas, wee Donald, and Dougall came to stand behind us. The men shifted on the walls and terraces, and some followed us, standing between us and the casrie. They would, I knew, jump in front of us at the first sign of trouble. I was the only woman visible. We waited.
    Overhead the blue sky was filled with high clouds, and an icy wind ruffled the surface of the loch, stirring it into a frothy ashen mixture before coming to me and swirling my skirts around my legs. The pine trees at the beginning of the path to the pass swayed slightly in the breeze, green against the blue mountains behind them, and on my right the air rusted through the pine needles with the swish of silk. I closed my eyes. When I open them, I told myself, Alex will stand before me, well and smiling, and I will tell him of the strange dream I had and he will laugh and hold me to him and tell me how silly lam. I opened my eyes and saw the empty glen before me.
    The first rider to emerge from the pines wore a red coat that was a streak of scarlet against the green. He positioned his horse to the side and waited. A moment later a second soldier moved to the other side of the opening. After a pause, first one and then two additional men appeared, each stopping at the side of the path. They watched us watch them and we all waited. Slowly, slowly, from the trees came a solitary rider. He rode between the two pairs of soldiers, not giving them a glance. His head was bare, his shirt white against the green wall of the trees. He was a blond man in a plaid, his hair shining in the sun, and my heart stopped. At this distance I could not be sure. His horse moved forward at a sedate walk, and with each step I was more certain. The set of his shoulders as he rode, the angle of his chin as he saw us, surely no other man on earth had that same manner. I was about to step forward when I felt Angus's hand on my arm.
    "Aye, it looks like him, lass, but many's a time I mistook Malcolm for Alex at a distance. Wait until he's closer. Ye would no' want to be running into Malcolm's arms just now, would ye?"
    "No." I patted his hand and Angus released me. I could not draw a full breath and was only dimly aware that other riders had emerged from the shadows. When I could see the blond man clearly I drew a shuddery breath. "It's him, Angus," I cried, careless of who heard. "It's Alex! Oh my dear God, thank you. He's alive!"
    My vision blurred as my tears came unbidden, and I held my hands tightly over my heart. As the riders grew closer I looked in vain for Malcolm, but Robert was behind Alex. The wind freshened, but I did not feel the cold. All I could see was my husband as he moved toward me at that horrible walk. With each step I saw more of the damage they had done to him. Blood stained his shirt and his hair, and his right cheek was a battered and bruised mass. He held himself stiffly, his eyes on us except when his gaze rose to sweep the men on