Page 20 of Defy the Highlander

The old nurse had blood in her eye as she looked at Lilia. “Ye shameful hussy,” she said, pointing accusingly at Brody. “I came tae tell ye that Lady Currie no longer wants her horse, but I find ye cavorting with… with a man. Lady Currie shall hear of this!”

Lilia moved towards the woman, trying to keep her attention off Brody, who was now on his feet and watching the situation with a good deal of concern.

“Hear of what?” Lilia said, trying very hard to keep her temper in check. “We’ve done nothing. We were talking.”

But Colly would have none of it. “Ye’re a sinner, ’tis what ye are,” she said. “Ye disgraceful little wench. Come with me right now and confess yer actions tae Lady Currie!”

Lilia stood her ground. “But I’ve done nothing,” she said firmly. “I came tae the stable tae tell Angus tae have Lady Currie’s horse prepared.”

Colly’s attention turned to Brody and she looked him up and down as one did when sizing up a prized stallion. “Ye came here tae sin,” she hissed. “Ye’re a filthy cat, come tae mate with more filth. Ye come tae the stable too much as it is and now I know why. Come with me now!”

“I willna,” Lilia said. “Tell Lady Currie what ye must, but it would only be yer own lies. All ye do is lie and beat m’lady’s servants and then ye lie tae Lady Currie’s face about it. We all know it.”

Colly lunged at her, grabbing her by the shoulder and tearing her garment at the seam. Lilia, defending herself, shoved at the old woman, who stumbled back but charged again.

This time, however, Brody was there.

He stood between Lilia and the large old woman, who plowed into him. He didn’t do anything more than put up a hand to prevent her from grabbing at him, but with her momentum and unsteady balance, she ended up falling back onto her buttocks.

She howled.

“A brute!” she screamed. “He is going tae kill me! Help me!”

She began screaming and Lilia looked at Brody in a panic. “Go,” she hissed, pushing him away. “Ye must go!”

Brody was moving, looking at her in confusion. “Why? I’ve done nothing.”

Lilia was pushing him away from Colly, who continued to scream. “Ye dunna understand,” she said anxiously. “The woman is determined tae hurt everyone. She willna rest until she has ye punished. Brody… ye must leave Hawkhill. Get out of here or she’ll make ye wish ye had. She’s evil, that one. Please – go!”

Brody realized she meant he had to leave Hawkhill altogether. “But I canna leave ye,” he said. “If she’s out tae punish me, she’s out tae punish ye. I willna leave ye.”

Lilia looked at Colly, who was now rolling onto her knees, crying loudly, as people began to take note. Angus had come out of the stable and servants in the kitchen yard were beginning to come through the gate that separated the kitchens from the stables. Lilia grabbed Brody by the arms and turned him towards the postern gate.

“Ye must go,” she said. “Please, before Laird Currie’s guards come. Run back tae where ye came from. I’ll find ye there when the situation calms down. But for now, ye must go!”

“Come with me,” he begged, even as they both moved towards the gate. “Please, Lilia… come.”

Her eyes were filling with tears as she rapidly blinked them away. “I canna,” she said hoarsely. “My father… I canna do that tae him. If I run, Laird Currie will punish him for it. As much as I want tae go with ye, I canna do it.”

“But…!”

“Please, Brody, go! I will find ye when this dies down, I swear it.”

He could see the anguish in her eyes and it tore at him, but more people were now coming to Colly’s aid as she wept and pointed at Brody. He knew it was time to leave but the sorrow he felt, and the disappointment, was immeasurable. Just when his life seemed to be going well, just when he found a woman he couldn’t stop thinking about… now this.

He was coming to think that nothing in his life was ever meant to go his way.

“Very well,” he said. “I’ll go. But find me in the alley tomorrow, the alley where we met. Swear tae me ye’ll come.”

“I’ll try. But if not tomorrow, as soon as I can.”

That wasn’t good enough for him. “Soon,” he insisted. “If ye dunna come tae me soon, I will come for ye. Do ye hear me? I will return for ye, Lilia.”

She simply nodded, the tears spilling over that she quickly wiped away. Brody’s last look at her as he bolted through the postern gate was of her miserable, sad expression. Even as he raced back to Edinburgh as fast as his feet would take him, all he could see were the tears in her eyes.

All he could feel was the hole in his heart.

I will return for ye.