Chapter 7

Mal!

It was him. She just knew.

As Ainslee grappled in the back alley, she could not escape looking up into his eyes.

Large and green, they were just the ones she had left ten years ago. The intervening years had not changed them very much - maybe there were some more rings around them; a distinct wash of sun, and with it some lines. But in that darkened alley, she didn"t see them very much.

In the moonwashed half-light - for the sun was beginning to fade now - he was every inch the man he had been.

Maybe a few inches more!

The grip on her hands hurt. His strong hands, compressing her as she struggled to get free. Desperate, Ainslee pulled and kicked him, but his grasp did not give. Shocked, she gave him a slap - resounding and harsh, flat against his cheek.

This brought Mal up sharp. For a moment he flinched, and blinked a bit. But still, his grip did not wane. Instead, he drew his blade to her cheek.

"Think verra carefully lass, aboot what ye do to me!"

His green eyes flashed, pure venom, and for a moment, Ainslee was scared. What if she was wrong? What if this was not him?

But she knew in her heart it was. What worried her more was what had he become in the intervening years. The man who stood before her was hard, and taut. Apart from his shape, there was little of him that she knew.

Yes, his muscles were still in shape - pretty good shape actually - and his rugged frame rippled just as she remembered. But his face had become imbued with a hardness; maybe the wind, from the seas. He was still handsome, maybe more so, but there was something different about him.

Ainslee struggled for a speck of recognition in his green eyes, but saw none. Wriggling from his grip was not an option, now the blade was up tight against her cheek. Without moving, Ainslee watched him, plaintively.

"I dinnae care. I need to ken yer name. Ye want to ken who I am, well nae until ye admit who ye are. Yer Malcolm Duncan, the heir to the Duncan clan - an" I want to hear ye say it. So, go on! Tell me!"

Ainslee surprised herself with the volume of speech that came out of her mouth. It was like, once she started, she could not stop. It all spilled out, years of waiting. But if Malcolm was affected, he was not showing it.

Holding her wrists hard, he glared at her harshly. "Is the answer worth yer wee neck?" he said, still pointing the knife towards her.

Ainslee felt her heart charging. She was burning up. It was cold in the alley, with the icy, hard rain falling fast. But despite this, she felt hot and sweaty.

"Aye," said Ainslee, defensively. She shook her hooded cape, revealing a length of her tumbledown dark curls. "Aye, tis worth ma whole life to hear ye say it... !"

This seemed to throw Malcolm. He looked at her with perplexed eyes. Just for a minute, she thought he had seen her - recognized her for who she was. But it was hard to be sure.

Mal fell silent. He appeared to be thinking. Before he could get in, edgeways, Ainslee spoke up.

"Look into my eyes, aye, ye"ll ken me, look," she implored him, flashing with her brown eyes. Just then, a late ray of sun escaped from behind the cloud. Now he could look properly.

Ainslee stayed in place, freezing before Malcolm"s gaze. He stood there, still as granite. At last, he gave a little gasp. Ainslee could wait no more.

"Mal!" she cried, but faintly. Now, with her wavy hair around her face, she watched him.

If he did not see before, now he did.

Malcolm"s eyes opened some more.

Finally, she had him.

"A...Ainslee?"

* * *

It couldn"t be.

The colors paled from Malcolm"s face. Staring right at her, he disbelieved his own eyes.

In the bar, he had thought he was dreaming. But now, the shape of her in front of him, it seemed impossible to deny.

Weakening his grip, he let the lass go. Finally, she shook herself, removing her cloak, despite the rain. Without the heavy wrap of black, he could properly see her.

"Tis me, Mal, welcome home..."

Mal.

That was her name for him. Malcolm blinked.

Ainslee"s eyes sparkled with tears, but Malcolm was too bewildered to think of anything right then.

"It... cannae be," he repeated, limply. But staring at her, he knew it was.

Now his heart was pounding quickly. Malcolm"s palms sweat and he felt sick. There was no way he was ready for this.

"It"s me, Mal," said Ainslee, fixing him with her intense brown gaze. But it was not a friendly look. In fact, she was downright hostile.

The tears that were flowing down her cheeks stung him. Malcolm was not prepared for this. None of it. He was so taken by surprise, he was not even sure of what his feeling were.

"Ainslee?"

He had to touch her, putting his hands out, he reached over to her. She flinched. Stony faced, she almost slapped him again. She was so fierce that, reluctantly, Mal was forced to drop his hands.

"Ainslee? It cannae be ye?"

Ainslee did not soften. "It can an" it is. Have I ruined yer plan?"

Her brown eyes stared truculently, as if accusing him of something. Totally bewildered, looked around at her.

"Plan? What plan?" he almost spat. "I dinnae have nae plan!"

Ainslee looked as if she was having a hard time believing it. With a snort of derision, Ainslee laughed.

"Och, really. Well I ken that marrying me, an" returning to yer clan, as leader wasnae part o" it! So what was? Perhaps it was a wee bit too hard, so ye ran away? I suppose ye got another lassie tucked awa" somewhere, wherever ye are?"

Her temper flared, as her eyes spiraled upwards. But Malcolm could simply not fathom her words.

"A lassie... ye think I have a lassie?" Malcolm spluttered. Perhaps it was obvious. He should have realized that she would think he had a woman. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Flustered and unsure, Malcolm tried to diffuse her.

"Ainslee, lassie, I dinnae have...," he began, but suddenly choked up. Tears rushed to his head, desperately, he blinked them back.

In the last ten years, there had been many women, but none were special. Even thinking about it hurt. He had no one.

Ainslee looked at him with total disbelief. "Wheesht!" she hissed, squaring up to him.

For a minute, he thought she was going to hit him again, but then she stopped. Instead she glared in naked fury.

"Och, so ye left me high an" dry for naeone? Do ye really expect me to believe that - yer bum"s oot the windae!"

Venom flushed her cheeks. Malcolm thought he had never seen anyone so angry. Inside, his heart charged, he needed to persuade her, but how?

"Ainslee! I havenae wife or lassie! There"s naeone but ye!" he paused, then looked at her closely. It was darkening, but he could still make out her hands. They were bare.

At least she was not yet married, he thought. But there was something else/

"Ainslee, my ring...the one I gave ye...?"

The words died on his lips, the coldness in her eyes was all the reply he needed. Suddenly, Malcolm felt his heart bursting. If she would not believe him, what was the point? Defensively, he faced her.

But before he could speak, she butted in.

"Yer ring?" she sneered, derisively. "Do ye really expect me to be wearing it? After all this time? What is it good for? It wasnae even a betrothment!"

Malcolm tried to open his mouth, but she carried on.

"An" yer clan? What about them? Wheesht, ye just left them - wi"out a laird, an" to the mercy o" yer brother!"

Her eyes flashed, leaving Malcolm blindsided. "I didnae just leave them!" he yelled.

Sweaty, confused, he felt like he had been kicked. For a moment, Ainslee looked at him, with interest.

"I didnae leave anyone! I had nae choice! An" Ainslee... I didnae ken my father had died until just noo! I didnae ken... all o" this... all o" this is Bruce"s fault!"

Malcolm"s heart was thumping extra hard. In the last few hours he had discovered his father was dead, and his brother likely the cause. Now this.

There was not much more he could take.

But Ainslee was not having any of it. Eyes streaming with tears, she was too wrapped up in her own grief.

"Och, my heid"s mince... awa" an" bile yer heid!"

Eyes laced with pain, she turned and ran, leaving Malcolm alone in the alley.