Hiding Katherine

on the ground near a tree stump.
The men stood in shock at the golden hair princess.
Mr. McKenzie found his words as he went to assist her followed by half of the men from the group. “Lassie, are you all right? That bee is long gone now.” He held out his hand to help pull her up. Deanna’s eye’s widened as she stared at her sister.
Taking in their shocked expressions, she realized she wasn’t wearing her veil. Pushing her hair back away from her face, she noticed that the pins had come out and mounds of golden curly hair cascaded down her back revealing her unique beauty. Her flawless skin, heart-shaped face, and green gold eyes captivated every man there.
Trying to compose herself, she accepted Mr. McKenzie’s hand and allowed him to pull her up off the ground. A few of the warriors came up beside her. One of the biggest men they called Rogoff took her hand. “What do we have here? A hidden gem?” He kissed her hand and roughly pulled her beside him. “You will eat with me tonight.”
Deanna approached her sister. “Forgive us, my lord. My sister is without shoes and we are exhausted. She is a bit under the weather and we had planned to retire early.”
He raised his brow eyeing Katherine up and down. “Nonsense, the lass just made this trip worth it.” He squeezed her arm and began to drag her toward the fire pit.
Chad, one of the other warriors, took Katherine’s other arm. “Who says you get her? I outrank you.”
A few other warriors grunted, “Chad is right. We all get a shot at her.”
Deanna’s face turned red, “This is absurd. My sister is a maiden and not a pawn in your games.” She looked at Mr. McKenzie pleading for help.
He stepped up beside his men. “Mrs. Williams is right. We have orders from our laird and will not falter. You act as though you have never seen a woman before.”
Chad cracked a smile. “I never saw one like that.”
Deanna took Katherine’s arm and escorted her back into the tent. The men groaned with complaints but did not stop her. The women forfeited dinner and did not come out until morning. Katherine wore her veil again but could not block the stares she was receiving from the men.
Carefully avoiding their gazes, she kept her head down and was cautious not to engage in conversation. She was warned as a child that men had a tough time controlling their urges toward women and it was up to her not to encourage them.
The journey was rough, but they made it to the keep by the evening. The women were starving choosing not to eat lunch with the men and snacking on a few berries their maid had found. Upon arrival, they were met by the laird and a few warriors. His face was somber as the guards welcomed the riding party back. Before uttering a word, he sized them up. Katherine felt exposed with his intense stare, and the small hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Something felt wrong.
Finally, after a few moments of silence, he nodded his scarred face at both girls. There was no mistake that he had seen his share of battles. His red hair looked dirty and his beard was trimmed close to his face. His dark eyes held annoyance as he looked at them. “Your grandmother is in grave condition. But you made it in time. I am the Laird of Clan McEntee. Your grandmother sleeps inside and is with the healer.” The sound of his guttural English was deep, and Katherine had a tough time understanding him.
Deanna was the first to dismount with the help from one of the guards of the castle. “My lord, we are grateful for your escort. I am Mrs. Williams, and this is my sister Miss Tolland.”
Some of the men jumped quickly off their horses trying to get to Katherine’s horse first to help her dismount. She was taken back by their attention as she accepted their help dismounting from her horse. Her sister took her arm pulling her away from the men. A few words in Gaelic were exchanged between the laird and Mr. McKenzie before the women were escorted inside the gates.
The laird called one of the guards over. “Escort the women to Margaret.” The guard nodded, and the women followed. Katherine kept ahold of Deanna’s arm and adjusted her veil. She glanced back surprised to see the laird following. Pulling a little closer to Deanna, she ignored the antsy feeling invading her thoughts.
The bailey was full of activity. Katherine was surprised at how big it was. Many carts of vegetables and caged chickens took up space near the stables. Numerous children ran about with people milling around the grounds. A few watched the women suspiciously, whispering as they were escorted into the keep and up the stairs to their grandmother’s room.
The room was dark with only a few candles lit. Katherine could hear the healer whispering to the woman on the bed. She moved a bit closer and saw her frail grandmother lying motionless. Tears welled up in her eyes at seeing her look so ill and helpless. The healer took a step back as Deanna approached the bed first. Katherine stood behind her as her grandmother’s eyes weakly opened.
The old woman’s voice cracked. “Do my eyes deceive me or is it really you Deanna? Is that Katherine behind you? Tell her to remove her veil. I wish to lay my eyes upon you both.”
Deanna’s voice was shaky. “It is Deanna, Grandmother. And Katherine too.”
A sob came out of her grandmother. “God has answered my prayers. You have made me happy and I am finally at peace.”
The laird walked into the room watching the old woman. He did not smile or offer any greeting. His stare landed on Deanna as he stood in front of the bed. His hard expression seemed to go right through her.
He broke his