Page 56 of The Best of Madeline Grant

“You must determine that. I cannot do it for you, but I trust your judgment.” Her expression turned solemn. “The sword will be needed soon. A big battle is coming, Alex. If all goes well, King Robert will finally send the English back home. You’ll finally understand our grandbairns’ power.”

She moved back until their gazes locked. “But you’re needed for something far more important to me. Please be patient, husband.”

“Anything for you. What has you worried this time?”

“There are two more problems. One is that an evil force plans to overtake Grant Castle, and the other problem is much, much worse.”

“What could be worse in your eyes?” he asked, cupping her cheek and rubbing the pad of his thumb lightly across her soft skin.

She leaned into his touch and sighed. “Soon, Alex.”

“But our descendants are completely capable of protecting our castle, of attacking any force that tries to overtake our castle. You know that.”

“I believe you are correct. You’ve done a fine job training our clan.”

“We, Maddie. We trained our clan, our bairns, our grandbairns. We did it together.”

“Aye, but this new threat is too awful for me to take a chance.”

“What could possibly be worse than the last battle for the Scottish Crown or someone trying to overtake our castle?”

He watched as tears flooded her eyes and spilled down her cheeks, something he hadn’t seen in a long, long time. “What is it, Maddie?” He kissed one of her tears away. “I’ll do it, whatever ’tis. Just stop crying.”

“The Ramsays and Grants will attack each other.”

He froze, simply because he hadn’t expected that answer at all. She was right that it was the worst outcome he could imagine. Their descendants dead at the hands of Clan Ramsay? His descendants killing the sons and daughters of his friends? His head hurt from the implications. Stopping his soft ministrations to his wife’s smooth skin, he cursed. “I didn’t think there was anything that could make me wish to stay, but you’ve done it.”

“You must stop it from happening, Alex.”

She stepped away, moving backward, parts of her image flickering into nothingness as she moved.

He couldn’t argue this time.

He had to stay.

“Soon, Alex,” were her last words.

Chapter Ten

Maddie visits Alex again in his sleep.

Alex Grant was an old man. Beyond old. He knew his time was coming, but he didn’t fear death. Perhaps because he believed all of the dreams he shared with his dear wife were true. Some believed they were just creations of his mind, but he knew them for what they were—visions from heaven.

His dear Maddie was in heaven, but she came back to give him important advice when necessary. Whatever others chose to believe, no one could deny that whatever Madeline Grant told him came to fruition.

Alex moved around his chamber slowly as he prepared for bed, appreciative of all the tools his sons and daughters had crafted to make his life easier. At last, he climbed into bed and lay back, resting his head on the pillow and staring up at the beams overhead. He hadn’t seen Maddie in a while, so he wondered if she would visit him this night. Things in Scotland were heating up as they prepared for the onslaught of the English and King Edward II.

Suddenly, as if his mind really had conjured her—a talent he wished he had—there she was, standing in front of him in a white, translucent gown. She looked exactly as she had the day they married. “Was that not the gown you wore the night of our wedding?” He arched his brows at her, surprised to see her teasing him with such skin, her voluptuous curves glorious beneath the fabric.

Maddie glanced at her gown and waved a hand at him. “Oh, Alex, whatever I wear is a product of your memory. This musthave been a favorite of yours, but you know it has naught to do with this visit.”

“Aye. I always did love you in that night rail.” He smirked. “Go on. I know that look. Who’s at risk this time? I’m certain someone is in grave danger, so I’ll wait for you to tell me who the troublemaker is this time.”

Maddie sighed and leaned toward him, taking his hand. “I’m not sure. You must keep an eye on Chrissa. Something is going on, and I know not what. She looks so much like you and her mother. Do you not think so? And she’s headstrong like Kyla. They have your blood in them, for certes.”

“And yours,” he reminded her. “The English are after her, or is it the other force? The one that wants to take over our castle.”

She lifted a hand to her lips, thinking. “Would that I knew. There is evil lurking, that much I can see clearly. I’ve heard it will rival the evil we faced many, many years ago. It pleases me that Logan is coming. Perhaps he’ll help you figure out who seeks to cause trouble between our clans.”