Highland Dove (New Year's) - Elizabeth Rose Page 0,2

The battle should be fast and easy. Our spy, Eideard, told us there are no’ more than a dozen Englishmen who have crossed the border. But they are tryin’ to start trouble and need to be stopped. My brathair, Angus, and I will take a dozen of our best men with us to do the job. We’ll be able to stop the Sassenachs in their tracks and return quickly. So, ye see, ye need no’ worry.”

Telling Mari not to worry was like telling a bird not to sing. She knew she worried about even the littlest things, but it was in her nature to do so. Ever since the day her mother died when she was just a girl, she’d learned to take nothing for granted. Her mother’s illness was supposedly nothing to worry about either, but it ended up taking her life in the end. Since that day, Mari always worried.

Duncan bent over and kissed her lightly on the nose. A tear formed in her eye. Then he placed his hands on her shoulders and his gaze became intent, his face solemn. “Mari, my love,” he said and cleared his throat before he continued. “Even though I have no concerns about my safety, sometimes things dinna always go as planned.”

Her body tensed. “What do ye mean by that?” If Duncan was saying this, there might be something he wasn’t telling her. This mission could be more dangerous than he was letting on.

“I mean, we dinna always like it, but sometimes there are surprises. Therefore, I feel I need to say somethin’ else to ye at this time.”

“What is it, Duncan?” She heard something in his voice and words that concerned her. Duncan was always a confidant man and usually optimistic. But could he possibly be worrying about this, too? Did he have doubts that something might keep them apart and that they wouldn’t really get married? She hoped not. This thought only added to her already growing concern.

“If for some reason I do get killed in battle . . .”

“Killed?” Her heart jumped into her throat. This is the last thing she wanted to think about right now. Why did he have to mention this? “Duncan, please, dinna go. Stay here with me instead,” she begged, knowing it would make no difference that she asked, but she had to try to persuade him.

He chuckled, waving a hand through the air, trying to make light of the situation. “I willna die, of course. I wasna sayin’ it to worry ye. I only wanted to mention this because I love ye so much.”

“I dinna understand.” Mari bit the inside of her cheek and waited for him to explain.

He let out a sigh before continuing. “What I’m tryin’ to say is that if for some reason I dinna return, then I want ye to marry another. I dinna want ye to be sad or lonely for the rest of yer life, because ye deserve so much better. I wouldna want the memory of me to stop ye from someday havin’ a husband and family.”

“Nay! Dinna talk this way, please.” Her eyes shot up to interlock with his. Fear coursed through her. This thought scared her more than anything, especially since he was the one bringing it up when he knew she had a tendency to stay awake nights thinking of what might happen. Mayhap this wasn’t such an easy mission after all. “I will never marry another man, Duncan. Ye are the only one for me.”

“Shhh,” he said, placing his finger against her lips, trying to calm her. “We dinna ken our destinies and neither should we pretend we do. Never say never.”

She covered his hand with hers, clinging to him, never wanting to let go. “I will never marry another man besides ye, Duncan MacLean, and I mean it.”

“Well then,” he said with a quick flash of a smile and a careless shrug of his shoulders. He was back to being carefree again. “I suppose if that’s the case then I’ll just have to make certain nothin’ happens to me and that I return.” He bent down and picked up a covered cage at his feet, holding it out to her.

“What is it?” she asked in confusion.

“It is a present for ye for after we’re married.”

“A weddin’ present? So soon?” she asked in bewilderment, feeling heat rise to her cheeks to receive a gift. She didn’t expect this.

“Aye, I couldna wait to show them to ye,” he explained. He yanked off