She did not answer, but she was impressed by his humility.
Alex awaited them in the courtyard, along with several others. Katherine recognized the laird from the portrait of himself he’d commissioned to send to Romilly during their brief courtship. He was a striking and serious-faced man with blonde hair that shone like a halo in the sun. Next to him was a woman of fair but solemn countenance, and by her raiment and the way she stood so close to him, Katherine guessed that this must be Lady Isla, who had succeeded in marrying Alex, despite Romilly’s intervention.
Another man stood with them, and Katherine did not recognize him. He had a vaguely cherubic face and dancing blue eyes, and looked delighted to see Katherine in captivity.
If, perhaps, a bit confused.
The procession came to a halt in the center of the courtyard. Bryan dismounted, and once again, he offered his hand to help Katherine do the same. She took it, and, in reaching out to him, confirmed that she was unbound.
“Captain,” the blonde man said jovially. “It appears as though yer errand went well, better than one might expect!”
“It did, tae be sure,” Bryan replied. He turned to Katherine and gestured to each of them in turn, as though introducing them to a respected ambassador from a faraway country. “Lady Katherine McGregor, this is Laird Alex Oliphant, his wife, Lady Isla Oliphant, and Kirk Oliphant, cousin and chief advisor tae Laird Alex.”
“A pleasure to meet ye,” Katherine spoke up, offering a demure curtsy.
Alex cleared his throat, confused. “Aye, ‘tis a pleasure tae have ye here at Castle Oliphant. We hope tae make ye feel like a guest during yer stay, albeit one who is here under duress.”
Kirk and Isla chuckled quietly, and Alex’s face turned several shades of red.
“If the rest of the Oliphants are half as gracious tae me as yer captain has been,” Katherine replied smoothly, “then I have nae doubt that I shall indeed feel welcome. yer castle is magnificent, Laird Alex, truly. I am pleased that chance has finally afforded me a proper view of it, even if the circumstances cannot quite be called ideal.”
Her gentility took Alex wholly by surprise, and the laird turned to Bryan. “Captain, while our new friend is situated in her chambers, perhaps we might have a word?”
“Certainly, sir.”
Alex led Bryan out past the gates, and they perambulated the perimeter of the castle side by side. It took Alex a while to speak, and during that time, Bryan waited patiently. He knew that it was always better to allow Alex to gather his thoughts, rather than rushing him into a conversation and perhaps provoking his ire.
Finally, Alex said, “Ye saw no reason tae bind her?”
“There was no need,” Bryan answered. “She was restrained at first, aye, but then it became clear that she was interested in exchanging gestures of trust tae make her journey more pleasant. I saw no reason not tae oblige her, and she gave me none.”
“When ye say she was willing tae offer reasons for ye tae trust one another, did ye get the sense that she did so with an eye toward gaining the upper hand? Either out there, or once she arrived here?”
“I would never entirely rule that out, Alex,” Bryan assured him, “for keeping ye safe is my most sacred task, and to dothat means never disregarding even the smallest possibility. And to be sure, the bloodline she comes from is poisonous beyond measure. But if ye ask whether I believe her desire for peace tae be genuine; if ye ask whether I believe she is, in fact, not in league with her serpent of a father, then my answer would be aye.”
“Interesting.” Alex stopped mid-stride and stroked his chin, considering this. After a few moments, he said, “Ye would vouch for her, then?”
“I would. I do.”
Alex nodded. “Then ye shall continue tae be responsible for her while she is ourguest.”
“Me? But my duties involve keeping our soldiers trained and sharp, and keeping the ramparts and borders safe.”
“Others may attend to those tasks. Men of yer own choosing, so that ye may be sure they are up to the responsibility. There is no one whose judgment I would trust more than yers with regard to this lass and her motivations. If there is even the slightest chance that she is in league with Laird Angus, or means to offer her sister a means of escape, I know ye will see it and stop it.”
“I shall, sir, of course.”
Privately, Bryan found himself rejoicing at the task he’d been assigned, for it would mean more time spent with this fascinating McGregor lass.
7
Once Bryan and Alex entered the castle again, Bryan immediately went in search of Katherine. Having staked his own reputation on her, he felt it would be prudent to begin his observation of her as soon as possible. As it turned out, she was not difficult to find. He came upon her in the massive Oliphant library, surveying the shelves with an expression of wonderment.
“Do be careful among these tomes,” Bryan chuckled. “This collection belongs tae Laird Alex, and he holds it dear indeed. There was some trouble with Isla when they first met, and she accidentally spilled a bit of wine on one of his precious maps.”
“Well, I dinnae seem tae be holding any wine,” Katherine replied primly, “and as it happens, maps dinnae interest me.”
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow. “What sort of thing were ye looking for, then?”
