Page 89 of In the Highlander's Bed

“Now I’m leaving with him,” Constance said.

At last Charlotte spoke. “No. You mustn’t.”

“Charlotte—” Constance started to protest, but her sister cut her off.

“I can’t let you go with him,” Charlotte said. “He doesn’t have any idea what direction he is going to take. Or what he is going to do when he arrives there. It’s too risky. Too dangerous.”

“But she loves him,” Miranda said. She had been sitting in a comfortable chair but now stood. “I won’t stop her, Charlotte. And I will fight you on this issue.”

“You would let her do something so foolish?” Charlotte demanded.

In the golden light of the room’s many lamps, Miranda’s face softened. “Yes…because that is what should have been done when I first announced I loved Alex. Instead, because of his Shawnee heritage, Father did everything he could to keep us apart.” She rested her hand on her growing belly. “I won’t ever come between two people who love each other, over fear of the future.”

Charlotte began ticking off on her fingers allher concerns. “He doesn’t know where he is going. He has a price on his head…” And looking at Gordon, she asked him directly, “Do you have any means to even support a wife?”

“I have nothing save for the clothes on my back,” he said proudly. “And a good education in law.”

“He has nothing,” Charlotte affirmed, ignoring his education.

“He has me,” Constance said. “Andourbaby.”

If she’d landed a punch in Gordon’s face, she couldn’t have surprised him more. He picked her up. “Constance? Truly?”

She nodded. His laughter rang to the room’s high ceiling. She placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him. She had to. Seeing him this joyful over her news was a blessing. Her heart brimmed with love for him.

But then he sobered and set her down. “Your sister is right. You need to stay here. I’ll not have any danger come to you.”

He would have turned and walked out of the room save for her grabbing his arm at the elbow and turning him around. “You have no right to make that decision,” she told him. “This baby and I belong with you. And the baby will thrive. Look at my sisters and me. Our parentshad nothing but we survived and we are stronger for it.”

“You deserve better,” Gordon told her. “Let me go and make a home for us and then I’ll send for you.”

“Wherever you are is my home,” Constance answered, refusing to concede.

Gordon started to shake his head when help came from a surprising corner. “She’s right,” Charlotte said. The tension had eased from her face. In its place was sad resignation. “I misspoke myself. I worry for my sister…but Miranda is right. Constance doesn’t remember our mother. I do. She was always singing. She radiated happiness. And Father was a very different man back then. A kind one.”

She came over to Constance. “I want you safe. But I know I would follow Phillip anywhere. For a moment I forgot the example of our parents. I’ve been so focused on wanting the very best for you, I may have overstepped myself. I hope you forgive me,” she said. “I raised those objections—”

“Because you are my oldest sister,” Constance finished for her. She offered a hand to bring Miranda closer. Taking Charlotte’s hand, she said, “The three of us have always formed an unbreakable chain because of our love foreach other. It saved our lives that one night. And we’ve helped each other over the years, especially when Father would be so angry. I’m going with Gordon…but that doesn’t mean the bond between us can ever be broken. It’s just grown stronger because we’ve included more people to love.”

At her words, Miranda and Charlotte turned to their respective husbands, taking their hands. The chain grew as Justin and Francesca, Grace and Fiona, were included.

“I’m going to miss you,” Charlotte told Constance. It was a simple, heartfelt statement.

“And I you, but this is what I must do.”

Alex spoke. Addressing Gordon, he said, “Where do youwantto go? I have ships. I will have you out of London on the morning tide.”

Gordon looked at Constance a moment before saying, “I want to go to America. I want to see this valley of Constance’s. She tells me it is the land of milk and honey.”

“And Indians,” Charlotte added.

“But we will find peace there,” Gordon predicted. “And a future.”

With those words, he drew the Sword of the MacKenna from its scabbard. “Here,” he said to Justin. “Take it. Protect and keep it from ever being used again in war.”

Justin took the sword. “I shall see the matter done.” Picking up a letter opener on a the side desk, he began working at the rubies in the sword’s hilt. Prying one loose, he handed it to Gordon. “Take this. You’ve earned it. Let it be the beginning of your stake in America.”

“I won’t take it,” Gordon said. “Give this to my clansmen who now claim you as chieftain.”