Page 46 of To Charm a Highlander

“Since he falsely accused ye of causing yer da’s death and then banned ye from yer clan, I would say that friendship had, indeed, ended.”

About two hours later, Callum took in his surroundings and came to a halt.“’Tis only about a mile from here.”

They rode carefully and quietly until they spotted the cottage.It sat in the midst of a cove of trees.Smoke from a peat fire rose from the chimney.A verra large garden in front of the house held herbs and flowers.Along the side a tidy garden of vegetables grew.

Haydon waved his arms for the men to spread out as he and Callum walked to the front of the cottage, their hands resting on their swords.

Before Callum could knock, the door opened.Many years older, but he still recognized the woman who they had met while playing in the woods that day.

“Ach, Callum Gunn,” she said in a soft melodious voice, opening the door wider.“’Ye finally came to hear what I had to say.”

They both had to duck their heads to enter the cottage.‘Twas a small space, clean and cozy.A fire burned in the small fireplace, a few chairs, an old, worn table, and a cot in the corner were the only furniture pieces.

“And ye, of course, are Laird Haydon Sutherland,” she said as she waved them to the two chairs.“Have a seat, and I will pour us some ale.”She stopped and turned, a sly smile on her face.“Unless ye prefer a bit of whisky.The castle sends me some once in a while.”

“Nay, no ale or whisky,” Haydon said.“Are ye the one who sent the note to Callum?”

She looked at Callum with a warm smile.“Ye turned into a fine mon.I kenned it when I saw ye and Fraser all those years ago.I dinna send the note, but asked the lad who brings me things from the castle to write it and bring it to ye.‘Tis getting close to the end of my time here and I wanted to make sure ye kenned what ye needed before I die.”

“Are ye ill, then?”Callum asked.

“Nay.But at my age ye ne’er ken for sure if ye will wake up once ye close yer eyes.”She cackled like Callum remembered when he was a boy.‘Twas why he and Fraser teased each other about her being a witch.

Callum leaned forward in the chair, his fingers linked between his knees.“What did ye want to see me about, Marta?”

“’Tis a secret I’ve held for years, but as I said, with the years passing, I had to let ye ken.Then when I heard what yer brother did by banning ye from the clan, I had to find a way to ease my soul before I took my final journey.”

Callum walked over to the woman where she sat on the cot.He knelt before her and took her hands in his.“What is the secret, Marta Gunn?”

She stared at him for a full minute.“The wrong mon sits in the laird’s chair at Gunn Castle.”