Page 47 of To Claim His Highland Bride

Please, Cliodna, help Rowena survive. He sent his silent plea heavenward as they waited.

He’d asked that all the lanterns except one per boat be extinguished while all five of the boats left the cave and had positioned themselves across the area around it. He’d wanted to save the candlelight for when they needed it.

When the sound of something large breaking through the surface of the water came to him, Marcus called out, “Light the lanterns.”

One by one the lights on the boats overtook the stars overhead, turning back the night and casting a golden glow across the surface of the sea. “Rowena!” Marcus called out, searching for any indication that she had arrived safely.

Only the sound of the waves lapping against the rocky shoreline came to him, until on his left a seal barked once, then twice. “Row towards the seals,” Marcus ordered as he searched the water for Rowena. The dark leather of her clothing and dark hair made spotting her in the hazy light that much more difficult.

The splashing of water and the barking of the seals continued until Marcus finally saw not only the sea animals, but also a still form between them. They were nosing and bumping Rowena, her head bobbing mostly out of the water with the waves they created by playing with her form. As the boat drew near, Marcus reached over the side and, grasping Rowena by her arms, dragged her into the boat. He settled her body on the bottom of the boat. She did not respond. She did not move as she lay against the wood, pale and lifeless. “Nay!” His heart clogged his throat. “Please, don’t take her from me now.”

Time stopped as Marcus rolled her on her side and pounded, again and again, on her back. “Don’t . . . leave . . . me,” he cried as an emptiness crept inside his soul. “I love you.”

Marcus froze as he heard a slight intake of breath. The sound was faint, but it made his heart soar. He waited as Rowena coughed up water. When she was through, he pulled her into his arms and watched her eyes open. “You made it out.”

“Not alone.” Her voice was rough. “I never would have survived if the seals hadn’t helped me.”

Marcus pulled her tighter against his chest and looked out over the water as the lantern light dotted the landscape. It was a beautiful sight. Silently he thanked Cliodna for this miracle and he nodded his appreciation to the seals who disappeared a moment later.

“The treasure.” Rowena drew a ragged breath.

“Hush,” Marcus soothed. “None of us here care about the treasure any longer. Only that you made it out alive.”

The six crewmen in the boat nodded their agreement. “Those of us who came on this journey will all return home alive,” said Bryce. “Nothing means more than that.”

“Tell the others to head back to the ship,” Marcus ordered Bryce, returning his attention to the woman in his arms. She was safe. She was where she belonged. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in the scent of her that the salt water had not been able to wash away—that elusive, unforgettable scent of sunshine and heather.

She hugged him and for a moment they remained wrapped in each other as everything that had stood between them before faded away. They were both committed to making a future together. They would find some way to honour his lost men while remaining together.

*

Back on the ship, the crew greeted Marcus with cheers, and welcomed Rowena back with exclamations of relief. The cook had brought a barrel of ale up on deck for the men to drink as they celebrated their successful rescue. At the joy surrounding her, Rowena’s chest felt unaccountably tight. These men no longer saw her as a visitor but as one of the crew. And they did not blame her for their lost fortune.

“Come,” Marcus said holding out his hand to her. “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes.”

Instead of taking Marcus’s hand, she removed the leather pouch, containing the pearls from her tunic. “This is all that remains of the ten other treasure chests in the cave. It should be distributed to the crew just as the remainder of the treasure will be.”

He took the pouch. “Do you mean to say the rest of the treasure is gone?”

She nodded. “It vanished after I happened upon it the first time.”

After a collective gasp, the crewmen surrounding them started to talk amongst themselves.

“The treasure has vanished?” Rob Roy asked.

Mack’s eyes widened. “’Twas taken by the selkie fowk. I saw the beings in the water when we rescued the missus.”

“Selkies are nae real,” Gordon said with his hands on his hips. “None of the myths surrounding Uamh Oir were real. There was no dog, no entrance to Fairyland or Hell, and we all came out alive.”

“For that miracle we can be grateful,” Marcus replied, offering Rowena his hand once more. She accepted it and they headed for the captain’s quarters. Behind them the men continued to theorise about the treasure’s whereabouts. Rowena blocked out the sound. Her thoughts were no longer on the treasure, but on the man at her side.

Before she and Marcus reached the cabin, Bryce stopped them. “I want to let you both know that I no longer want to keep the gold we found in the cave all to myself. I want to share it amongst the crew. And—” he dropped his gaze to his feet “—I want to apologise to you, Rowena, for threatening to harm you. I now know how wrong that was.”

Bryce brought his gaze to Marcus. “Since I was a child I idolised you, Marcus. Remember how I used to follow you around, trying to imitate all that you did? You were so much better at everything than I was.” He sighed. “Instead of trying harder, jealousy took hold. Over the years, that resentment only intensified as the clan pushed me further away because of my lack of skill and commitment. I see now that instead of coveting the things you had, I should have continued to try to be more like you. I’ve caused you both great harm in the past year and I truly regret all that I’ve done.”

“You could be so much more than you are allowing yourself, Bryce. Surround yourself with good people, listen and learn from them and you’ll be a different man.” Marcus clapped his cousin on the shoulder.

Rowena released Marcus’s hand and stepped closer to Bryce. “I forgive you for everything. From the first moment we met, I could sense your desperation and your lack of purpose. I hope our adventure has helped you find a part of yourself that you might have never known existed.”