Bram made no response and he wished he had an excuse not to go. But he could see from Nairna’s face that she wanted to.
“Come as soon as you’re able,” Alex offered and raised a hand in farewell, as he and Ross departed.
After they’d gone, Nairna reached for her mantle. “I should go and help with the preparations.”
“I don’t want a feast, Nairna.” He’d rather remain here, away from his kinsmen who would ask questions he didn’t want to answer.
“They’re your family,” she said. “You have to attend.”
He stared at her, shaking his head. “I came home without Callum. It’s nothing worth celebrating.” If they knew the terrible price he’d paid for his freedom, a feast would be the last thing on their mind.
“Go on without me,” he urged. “Help Laren if that’s your wish. I’ll continue to work on our house.”
“Your brother will expect you to be there,” she said, reaching up to touch his face. “Don’t disappoint him.”
Bram let his hands linger upon her, wishing Nairna weren’t so intent upon returning to the keep. But he let her go, knowing that a woman like his wife thrived around people and gatherings. She would want to be there, lending a hand with the food and the people.
He didn’t know if he could stand to see their pitying looks. Nor could he answer when they asked what he’d done to escape.
All around the fortress, torches flickered. Nairna stopped to wash her face and hands; to her surprise, she smelled fish and…was that roasted goose? Her stomach rumbled, and she wondered what preparations remained.
When she entered the Hall, Alex stood at the far end, speaking to his kinsmen. A woman hung back in the shadows, her long red hair gleaming in the firelight. Beautiful and serene, the woman remained in the background, shying away from the men who argued over the food and drink at the trestle tables below.
It had to be the Lady of Glen Arrin, Nairna guessed. As she walked forward, several of the men fought over the platters of food, even coming to blows. She winced when one man went sprawling on the floor after another punched him in the jaw.
But no one made a move to stop them. Nairna looked up at the dais, but the fighting seemed to have no effect upon the chief of Glen Arrin.
When she reached them, Alex rose in greeting. He glanced behind her, as if searching for Bram. He introduced her to the woman, saying, “Nairna, this is my wife Laren.”
Laren ventured a timid smile, and Nairna returned it. Alex’s wife might be her only female ally in this place and she was grateful to meet her at last. “Hello.” The young woman gave a nod and murmured her reply.
“Where is Bram?” Alex asked. “Didn’t he come with you?”
“He was finishing up some of the work on our house,” she explained. And though she knew Bram didn’t want a feast in his honor, she supposed he would come eventually. “He’ll be here soon enough.”
Laren nodded but said nothing. She looked painfully uncomfortable beside her husband, as if she wanted to be anywhere but here. At Alex’s suggestion, Nairna came and sat beside the Lady of Glen Arrin.
It was then that she noticed Laren was wearing gloves at the table. It struck her as odd, but no one else made any comment about it. Perhaps that was simply her habit.
“I am glad to meet you,” Nairna said. “It’s good to see another woman here.”
She’d hoped Laren would start a conversation, but the woman’s cheeks flushed and again she only nodded. It was as if she were too afraid to speak in front of her husband. Nairna wondered if Laren knew what had happened to the other women and children.
One of the men brought out baked trout, served on a wooden plank. Nairna tried a little of the fish, wondering where Bram was. She stared into the crowd of men, searching for any sign of him.
Over an hour had passed since she’d left his side and she worried about him being alone. He didn’t appear comfortable around so many people, even when they’d first arrived. She needed to find him to understand what was going on.
She excused herself from the table. “I’m going to find Bram,” she told Alex.
“I’ll come with you.”
He stood up, but Nairna shook her head. “No, let me do this alone. I promise I’ll return with him.”
She skirted her way through the crowd until she reached the entrance to the keep. Torches flared against the darkness, and the faint reflection of the loch lay silver against the moonlight. Nairna clutched her wrap around her shoulders, her eyes searching.
Outside the gates, she started along the path leading to their house when she saw a shadowed figure sitting against the hillside. Her heart steadied when she realized it was Bram. He was reclining against the hill, his arms propped up beneath his head. Unrest brewed in his eyes and she sat beside him.
He didn’t speak, made no excuses for his absence. She didn’t push for answers, and she suspected that he had his reasons for not entering the fortress.
