Page 52 of The Best of Madeline Grant

Highland Swords

1304

The Scot’s Spy

Els and Joya

Epilogue

Maddie gives Alex instructions about their grandbairns.

Dinner ended and his grandfather stood from the table and said to John, “Are you ready, laddie?”

John laughed and jumped off the bench, his face staring up at his great-grandfather with absolute delight. “Ready,Seanair.”

Grandsire stopped next to Emmalin and asked, “May I hold Ailith for a bit?”

“Of course,” she said, handing over the smiling cherub.

The big man picked up the wee lass and said to John, “Over by the hearth. There’s a package tied with ribbons by the chair. Open it for me, please.”

Alasdair, Els, Joya, and Emmalin walked over to stand behind the man, watching John open the package. He untied it and unfolded the fabric wrapping as carefully as a wee laddie could. Reaching in, he pulled out a twined set of parchment paper painted in various colors, a vibrant scene of a castle on the front.

John looked up at hisseanairwith wide eyes. “What is it?”

Grandsire said, “’Tis a book. And you need to learn about storybooks.”

Alasdair and Els both gaped wistfully and said in unison, “Grandmama’s storybooks.”

Joya and Emmalin both broke into peals of laughter, watching the big warriors simpering over their beloved grandmother’s storybooks.

Alexander Grant turned to his grandsons and winked at them. “I have instructions from a sweet woman above.”

Then he turned to John, positioned the two siblings on his lap, and began the story of the beginning of Christmas at Clan Grant, the two bairns spellbound.

The Scot’s Pursuit

Alick and Branwen

Chapter Six

Alasdair and Els were always bigger than Alick growing up. Alick did his best to keep up. These are some of Alick’s memories of his sweet grandmama at a busy Ramsay festival.

Alick was the shortest at the time, and it made him the slowest. He chased after them, across the nearby meadow toward the archery field, but they were nowhere to be seen. Dyna came up behind him and said, “You’ll not catch them. You may as well stay with us and watch the horses.”

He waved Dyna off, dismissing her.

“Dyna,” Aunt Sela called out, never far from her. “Alick wants to play with the lads. Leave him be.”

Dyna left, and he hung back to watch her go, just to make sure she made it back to her mother. His mother had always told him he was overprotective of his cousins, especially Dyna. But she was always nearby when he needed help, and he tried to do the same for her.

When he turned back in search for Alasdair and Els, they’d both disappeared. He ran after them until he was out of breath and his legs were tired, but he still could not find them. He tried three different spots without any luck.

Why wouldn’t they wait for him? He was so upset, he called out, hoping they could hear his voice. “Els! Dair! You never wait for me.”

He finally gave up, moving back to the obstacle field, his head hanging, thinking maybe he’d sit on his mother’s lap since his cousins weren’t around to tease him. Aye, he was a big ladnow, but he still loved his mother. “Mama,” he called out as he approached the field. “Mama?”

She wasn’t there.