Chapter 11

T he icy cold water of the burn shocked Robert into a semblance of calmness. Damn it all to hell . Things were worse than they seemed.

Jessie's admission about her betrothal to Simon hurt as acutely as any bayonet slice, but there was no time to dwell on his feelings right now. There was no doubt in Robert's mind—his half-brother would be looking for this woman. The question was, how much time did he have before Simon ventured out on his search with or without the Black Watch or even the dragoons?

Either way, Jessie would be coming with him, wherever he moved onto next. Robert couldn't afford to leave her behind. She would surely divulge his presence in the area, now she had recognized him. For now, his only advantage was that no one except Jessie knew of his return to Scotland.

Robert stood and threw on his shirt. He judged that they may still have a wee bit of time between now and when any search for Jessie was conducted up here. It was early and it would take some time for any sizable search party to negotiate the steep terrain and narrow mountain pass that was the only way into this isolated glen. In fact, Tobias was scouting the area right now for any signs of activity.

The time to question Jessie Munroe further had undoubtedly arrived. Robert needed to know exactly who she was and why she'd been up here alone in the first place. If she was betrothed to Simon, why hadn't she mentioned it yesterday when she'd claimed an acquaintance with his father and stepmother? Something about the lass's story didn't make sense.

Yes, it was definitely time for Miss Munroe to stop playing games and reveal the truth.

The sound of approaching hooves roused Jessie from where she sat on the floor. Even though her knees still shook and her ankle was stiff, she managed to stand. Through the open door she could see Tobias astride his horse, talking with Robert. Tobias glanced toward her as the two men spoke, then just as quickly, averted his gaze. The servant nodded at something Robert said before dismounting and leading his horse away.

Jessie thought she would be sick waiting to see what would happen next.

Robert also disappeared from her direct line of sight. As Jessie hobbled toward the door, Tobias appeared on the threshold. Gone was his affable expression of the evening before. He gave her a token nod by way of greeting before walking to the dining table where he carefully placed a small parcel of foraged food—several duck eggs and a small quantity of late season blaeberries. He obviously hadn't been to Lochrose Castle yet.

Jessie had no idea what to do, so she sat at the table and watched Tobias crack the eggs into a skillet over the fire. As the eggs began to crackle and spit, Robert returned, shrugging into his brown coat. He'd also tied a simple linen cravat around his throat. As she surreptitiously studied his face and his aristocratic bearing, there was no doubt in her mind he was Robert Grant, the attainted Viscount Lochrose and Master of Strathburn.

A Jacobite with a price on his head.

Robert turned his gaze on her. "I suggest you finish getting dressed and collect your things," he said curtly. "We'll be leaving soon."

We? Was that all three of them? Was she now Robert's prisoner? And where were they going? Jessie simply nodded in response. She wanted to ask the questions hovering on the tip of her tongue, but something in Robert's expression stopped her. His eyes were as cold and dark as the sky at midnight. It was a stranger's gaze, and it surprised Jessie how much the change in the man's demeanor stung. But what else had she expected after uttering such a lie about her relationship with Simon?

Silly, silly girl.

Without a word, Jessie returned to the bedchamber. Regardless of whether she went with Robert Grant or tried to escape, she would need her belongings.

She stuffed her still damp shift and stockings from yesterday into her satchel, then fed her ruined gown to the fire. There wasn't much point in taking it with her, and she didn't want to leave evidence of her stay behind.

She would not cry. She refused to. The tears that blurred her vision, Jessie assured herself, were simply triggered by the sharp pain in her arm as she carelessly threw her scarlet cloak around her shoulders. Then there was the agony of thrusting her sprained ankle into her boot. Her tears were absolutely not provoked by anguish or fear about what was going to happen next.

Of course, what she needed to happen next was to get to Edinburgh.

On returning to the main room, Jessie discovered that both Robert and Tobias had gone outside. Indistinct snatches of their murmured conversation drifted through the open doorway. A plate of food had been left for her—a fried egg, an oatcake, and a handful of berries. Although her appetite had all but gone, she forced herself to eat. Who knew when her next meal would be?

As she picked at the last few berries on her plate, she observed that the fire had been put out. Damp ash and a few wisps of smoke were all that remained. She shivered, but it wasn't only the chill of early morning that was responsible for the feeling of cold and miserable dismay seeping into her bones.

A grim-faced Robert suddenly appeared in the doorway with a bucket and without even a glance at her, strode past before disappearing into the main bedchamber. Water splashed and then there was a faint sizzle as the last of the coals and embers were extinguished. They must be leaving immediately. While Jessie didn't seem to be in any immediate danger, God only knew what Robert was planning.

Perhaps she should sneak out the door and try to take one of the horses while the men were distracted. She could?—

At that moment, Robert returned .

Damn and double damn.

He leaned against the table next to her, arms folded across his chest. His expression was inscrutable, and Jessie's heart sank as heavily as a stone. She was a fool indeed to think she had any chance of stealing away.

"Now, Miss Munroe, the time has come for plain speaking," he said, his voice edged with steel. "I need to know exactly what I'm dealing with here. I suspect my brother will be out looking for you this morning. Wouldn't you agree?"

Jessie licked her lips, her throat dry. Miss Munroe , was it? Robert was clearly angry and distancing himself from her. If she couldn't escape, she needed to retract her lie, no matter the cost. Convince him that she wouldn't betray him. That she was no threat to him. "Perhaps he will… I do no' ken for certain," she said, unable to hide the tremor in her voice. "Ye see, I need to explain…about yesterday and what ye saw at the loch?—"

"I know what I saw."

"But it's no'—"

Robert cut her off with an impatient huff. "How long have you and Simon been betrothed?"

He won't believe me, not now. The painful realization sliced into Jessie as sharply as the blade of Robert's dirk. She swallowed past the tight ache in her throat and resumed her charade. She hated lying, but refuting her claim that she was engaged seemed all but useless. It was too late. "No' long," she whispered.

"You are not from the area. Where are your kin?"

Jessie drew a breath. At least she didn't have to lie about her family. "My father is Alasdair Munroe, younger brother of the former Laird of Dunraven in Cromartyshire, Dugald Munroe. He's all the immediate family I have."

"And where is your father?" demanded Robert, his gaze hard. "I assume he will be out looking for you too."

Jessie shook her head. "N-No, he won't be. He doesna even know that I left Lochrose. He's touring all the villages on the Strathburn estate, collecting rents, and then he intends to visit Inverness. He'll be gone for a week, at the verra least. Most likely two."

Robert raised an eyebrow in query.

Jessie continued, her eyes locked with his. "He's recently taken up the position as factor for yer father. My Uncle Dugald…he incurred considerable debts and his estate became forfeit to the bank. Despite the family's loss, our solicitor, who's also Lord Strathburn's, recommended my father for the position at Lochrose. Ye see, the loss of the Munroe fortune wasna attributable to my father, but to my uncle because he refused to give up his profligate ways. My da is a canny manager and as yer father needed assistance with managing his estate's affairs"—she shrugged a shoulder—"it seemed like a match that was meant to be."

It was a relief to share something with Robert that was true.

Jessie just prayed he would believe her.

Robert studied Jessie's face. His gut instincts told him that she was telling the truth about where she hailed from and how she came to be at Lochrose. Her voice was stronger, the glint in her eyes sharper, when she spoke of her family. It certainly fitted with his theory that she was gently reared, not a servant. He was sure there was more to her family's story, but now was not the time to pursue that particular topic further.

What did surprise him though—in light of what he'd just learned—was that Jessie and his brother were actually betrothed. While it would not be out of character for Simon to dally with someone like Jessie, it was not the sort of match he would have expected Simon to make, nor one his stepmother would condone for that matter. As for their father, Robert frankly didn't know what he would make of such a union.

Indeed, given the avaricious nature of both Simon and his mother, surely an aristocratic young woman, or at the very least a wealthy merchant's daughter, would be the only sort of bride they would consider "suitable" for the son of an earl. It certainly wouldn't be the niece of an impoverished laird, no matter how well bred or comely the lass.

Unless…unless of course the lass had to get married for some reason. Robert wouldn't put it past Simon to have compromised Miss Jessie Munroe. Or was it the other way round?

Robert frowned. It wasn't unheard of for a woman to snare herself a wealthy, titled husband by such means. In any event, he knew his father would insist Simon do what was right and honorable and marry the lass.

The cynical part of Robert couldn't help but wonder how important it was to Jessie that her husband-to-be was the Earl of Strathburn's heir. Was she eagerly anticipating becoming the next countess? No doubt Jessie's father was well pleased at the match, given the man and his brother had recently lost everything. Perhaps the girl had thrown herself at Simon, with her father's blessing. Perhaps that was why they had come to Lochrose in the first place.

However, there was still one part of Jessie's story that Robert didn't quite understand. "Miss Munroe, why were you really up here yesterday?"

Jessie's head had been bowed all this time while he'd considered her story thus far. She surprised him when she took a deep breath and looked him directly in the eye. "I-I received word from my cousin in Edinburgh. She's married to a tea merchant and has three young children, with a bairn on the way. She's been unwell of late and asked me to stay with her to help with the babes but…but Simon…he was unhappy that I was leaving. In fact, he didna want me to go at all, but I have to. It's my duty. So I decided to travel to Grantown to catch the public coach to Edinburgh. It leaves at noon tomorrow. Unfortunately, I sprained my ankle and rested for a while, and then… Well, ye know the rest."

Robert frowned. Most of Jessie's explanation made sense. He could well imagine Simon being the possessive, jealous type. He would resent the fact that she was needed by someone else. But Robert still didn't understand why she'd chosen to travel to Grantown by such a circuitous route. "Wouldn't it have been easier to take the road from Lochrose to get to Grantown?"

"Simon was so verra angry when he…when he heard my plans," said Jessie quietly. Her brow pleated into a frown as she added, "I thought he might try to stop me, so Mrs.MacMillan—ye would remember her of course—suggested I travel this circuitous way and spend a few nights at the hunting lodge instead of at the Strathspey Arms where Simon would be sure to look for me. She didna think Simon would search up here straightaway, if at all."

Robert smiled inwardly. Mrs. MacMillan, always the mother hen . He was glad she was still there to look out for others, as she'd looked out for him. He would make sure Tobias had a careful word with her when he paid the castle a visit later today, to see if she could corroborate Jessie's version of events. Even though he'd been reluctant to seek assistance from others, Mrs. MacMillan might even help him reunite with his father.

Robert was rapidly realizing that as much as he wanted to gain entry to Lochrose all by himself—he most definitely did not want to place anyone at risk on his behalf—it was becoming an increasingly difficult prospect.

But right now, they must get moving. Despite what Mrs. MacMillan thought about the unlikelihood of Simon searching for Jessie up here, he knew his brother and how single-minded he could be. If Simon wanted the lass—and that was undoubtedly the case if the kiss Robert had witnessed was anything to go by—his brother would leave no stone unturned until he found her.

Robert caught Jessie's eye. "I don't agree with Mrs. McMillan. Simon may very well look for you up here, particularly now the weather has cleared up. We must leave immediately."

He straightened, preparing to check on the horses, but Jessie reached out and grasped his hand, staying him. Her slender, elegant fingers were pale against his tanned skin and yet again, the unwelcome sensation that this woman was not his burst through his chest, leaving a bittersweet ache in its wake.

"Will you help me make the Edinburgh coach?" asked Jessie, a pleading note in her voice. "I assure you, it isna my intention to expose you."

Robert studied the lass's expression as he considered her request. Her face was pale and her brow furrowed, but her eyes were as clear as the water in the burn outside.

It puzzled him that she was still intent on leaving Lochrose. That sharing her newly found knowledge of his existence with Simon was not uppermost in her mind. Perhaps she wasn't a grasping, social-climbing female who would see him as an obstacle to her ambition to become a countess. Perhaps—and the thought sat like a leaden weight in his stomach—she truly cared for his half-brother…

"I can't make any promises," Robert replied, foolishly relishing the feel of her fingers as they clasped his. "Surely you can understand that. I'm a wanted Jacobite. An enemy of the Crown. At the moment, it's vitally important I'm not apprehended. I don't wish to end up with my head on the chopping block or in the hangman's noose just yet. Reconciling with my father is the only way I'll ever have the chance of gaining a pardon. So you'll need to forgive me for not acceding to your wishes, given your allegiance is with Simon. I'm sure you well know that there is no love lost between my brother and me."

Jessie nodded, her expression grave. She released his hand. "I understand, Lord Lochrose."

It hurt that she'd decided to use his old title. But then, he'd also felt compelled to call her Miss Munroe, had he not? The budding camaraderie and teasing humor which had hovered between them at times was gone. An awkward silence extended and was not broken until the chink of bridles and the crunch of leaves heralded the arrival of Tobias with the horses.

Jessie's gaze darted to the door. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe," said Robert heavily. "That's all you need to know."

He helped Jessie to her feet and escorted her outside, before boosting her up to ride pillion with him again. Joining her in the saddle, he pulled her close—selfish brute that he was. That's when he noticed that she was as tense as a bowstring and was, quite literally, quivering.

"Dinna fash yerself now, lassie," Robert murmured against her hair, feeling like the worst kind of heel. For some unfathomable reason, despite all that Jessie had revealed and the danger she posed, it was still important to him that she didn't fear him.

His comment seemed to work. She grasped his forearm and her body relaxed into him a little. Grinning like the idiot he undoubtedly was, Robert flicked the reins and then they were off—across the burn and through the trees, cantering toward the upland heath and craggy mountain glens where Simon wouldn't have a hope in Hades of finding them.

It was early afternoon when Simon and four men from the local regiment of the Black Watch cantered across the rough moorland toward his father's old hunting lodge. All morning he'd been searching with them. All fucking morning .

He'd scoured the village of Grantown and questioned the staff at the Strathspey Arms himself, but to no avail. He'd even ordered some of the local crofters' huts to be searched. Despite his threats of violence, despite the military presence he'd brought with him, everyone denied having seen Miss Jessie Munroe. Simon had been about to have the innkeeper from the hovel that passed for a coaching inn at Grantown flogged when MacTaggart, the Captain of the Watch, quietly suggested looking in and around the hunting lodge instead.

It had not occurred to Simon to search up here, and although he was kicking himself for stupidly overlooking this location, his anticipation sharpened as they drew closer to the small copse where the lodge was hidden.

God, how he hated this place. He'd only visited the hunting lodge a handful of times when he was a youth. His father and Robert had once taken him deer stalking and he'd loathed every moment of it, crawling around in the boggy undergrowth, swatting at midges, getting scraped and covered in mud. To make matters worse, he'd come down with a terrible ague which had left him bedridden for several weeks afterward.

When the small stone building came into view, it appeared completely deserted—the shutters were closed, no smoke spiraled from the chimney. But the girl was canny—too canny for Simon's liking. She could just be taking extra care.

As Captain MacTaggart ordered his men to search about the lodge and the woods, Simon dismounted and threw open the door. There was a faint, acrid smell in the air and MacTaggart, who'd followed him in, pointed out damp ashes and coals in both of the fireplaces. Someone had indeed been here recently.

But there was no sign of Jessie. Damn her to hell.

"Master," called one of the young Watchmen from the main bedchamber. Simon entered the room to find the man brandishing a long, brown velvet ribbon. "I found this under the bed and there are a few strands of red hair on the pillow."

Simon snatched at the ribbon and balled it up in his fist. The bitch had been here, there was no doubt about it. She'd traveled by foot, so even if she'd set out at first light, there was only so far she could go, especially in this upland terrain of moors, bogs, and mountains.

He smiled. It would not be long before he found her.

Simon's deliciously dark musings were interrupted by the excited call of another Black Watchman who'd been searching outside. He and MacTaggart rushed out to find a young corporal pointing at a space on the ground from which he'd cleared a pile of leaf litter. "Horse dung, Captain, and fresh too."

Fuck. Simon ground his teeth so hard his jaw cracked. Where the hell had the chit obtained a horse? From the Strathspey Arms, or one of the estate's tenants? God knows where she could be if that were the case.

Damn her.

"What now, sir?" asked MacTaggart.

Simon exploded. "How the bloody hell should I know? She could be anywhere by now!"

MacTaggart did not flinch at all. "Perhaps we could return to Grantown and question the stable hands at the inn a wee bit more. I can also send word to the regiments at Fort George and Braemar to keep an eye out on the roads to Inverness and to Edinburgh. If she has a horse, she may be headed for her cousin's house as her note suggested."

Simon flung out another violent string of curses. The urge to smash his fist into something was almost overwhelming.

How he hated feeling thwarted. Made a fool of. What the captain had suggested made perfect sense, but as black rage pumped through his veins, he needed a physical release. Simon briefly contemplated taking a swing at the captain's face, but the man looked as solid as the stone wall of the lodge behind him. Clenching his fists, Simon instead envisioned what he'd do to Jessie Munroe when he found her.

A slow smile crept across his face. This frustrating chase would all be worth it, when he claimed what was his due.