But when he saw Clyde standing there, skin as pale as milk and a look of fear in his eyes, his fury evaporated.
“What is it, lad?”
“The sentries didnae see them until they were almost at the gates,” Clyde blurted. “They’d drunk too much at the feast and some of them fell asleep.”
Reid’s stomach flipped over. “Didnae see who? Enemies?”
Had a Muir army snuck up on them while they were all enjoying the feast? What a fool he was to let down his guard.Idiot, idiot, idiot,he chided himself.
But Clyde was shaking his head. “It’s Laird Campbell,” the lad replied, looking as terrified as if ithadbeen a Muir army. “He’s just arrived with his men. And he wants to see ye.”
It’s Laird Campbell.In his mind’s eye, Reid saw the life he’d imagined with Abigail going up in flames. Laird Campbell’s arrival could only mean he’d finally finished gathering his army and he was ready to march against the Muirs. That meant that Reid would soon be going into battle—a battle he might not return from.
How could he ask Abigail to bind herself to that? It had been a pleasant fiction all these weeks, seeing himself as the lord of this castle, and her his lady, but that’s all it was: a fiction. He felt his earlier happiness turn to ashes.
But he only nodded decisively, letting none of his distress show. “Very good. Have Laird Campbell escorted to my study. I’ll meet him there shortly.”
Clyde wrung his hands. “Begging yer pardon, my lord, but he wants to see ye in the great hall.”
Oh, wonderful. How would that look with half his men passed out in there?
“Fine,” he snapped. “I’ll be right down.”
After Clyde left Reid turned to Abigail. “I must see to this.”
“I know and I’m coming with you. I’m not going to hide away when the big bad wolf comes knocking. It’s time I met this lord of yours.”
Reid opened his mouth to refuse. He wanted to keep Abigail as far away from Laird Campbell as possible but he knew it would be futile. As soon as Campbell learned of her existence, he’d insist on meeting her, anyway.
“All right,” he said gruffly.
They left the room together, walking side by side down the corridor. His stomach churned. If only Campbell had arrived ten minutes later! If only Campbell hadn’t arrived at all. If only he, Reid, had never got involved with that bastard in the first place. If only, if only, if only.
Useless thoughts. Things were how they were and Reid had to find a way to make the best of it. If Campbell had come here to launch his attack on Muir lands, then he would make damn sure that Abigail remained here where she was safe, guarded by as many men as Reid could spare.
“Dinna let him intimidate ye,” he instructed her. “Laird Edwin Campbell is used to getting what he wants and used to people being afraid of him.”
“Is he now? Well, we’ll see about that.”
In that moment, he was so proud of her. This strong, beautiful, brave woman wasn’t afraid of anything. His mind flashed back to the first time they’d met. Even surrounded by soldiers, running through a smoke-filled castle, she’d shown a bravery he’d never expected. Since then she’d tamed a bunch of thugs and mercenaries and now had them eating out of her hand.
And she’d also tamed one angry, bitter man and reminded him that there were things worth living for.
Reid paused at the door to the great hall, nodded to Abigail, then heaved the doors open.
The first thing he noticed was that the remains of the feast had been hastily cleared away and that everyone that had been asleep at the tables, weren’t. In fact, his men were lined up around the perimeter of the room, backs rigid, doing their best to look like soldiers. The second thing he noticed was that most of the room was taken up by men Reid didn’t know. They wore expensive burgundy trews and shirts, with the Campbell plaid draped over the top, each plaid held closed at the shoulder with a silver brooch in a style Reid hadn’t seen before. Their clothes were travel-stained, attesting to their long and hurried ride, but they still looked alert.
Reid’s eyes were drawn to the figure seated in the chair at the high table—a seat he’d occupied only a short time ago with Abigail at his side. Laird Edwin Campbell did not rise as Reid and Abigail entered the room but his dark-eyed gaze flicked to them.
“Ah, there ye are,” he said in his deep, rumbling voice. “I was wondering when ye would deign to join us.”
Reid walked towards the high table. Laird Campbell was a large, imposing man with a bald head, black beard, and earrings in both ears. There were rumors that he’d been a smuggler and a privateer in his younger days and Reid could well believe it. There were also rumors that he’d only come to the lairdship because he’d killed both his father and elder brother, but Reid didn’t want to dwell on that.
He gave a small bow, not a fraction lower than it needed to be. “Greetings, uncle,” he began. “We weren’t expecting ye. If ye had sent word of yer arrival, we could have arranged a proper reception—”
“We?” Laird Campbell interrupted.
Reid blinked at him. “I’m sorry?”
