She prayed it would not come to that.
“We are simply meant tae take her word for that, are we?” Rory challenged. “How do we know she won’t betray us at her earliest opportunity?”
Bryan cleared his throat loudly. “I have vouched for her. Ye have all trusted me tae protect our clan for many years, so I ask ye tae trust her, in my name.”
“Ye watch over her for a handful of days, and think ye can see into her soul?” Barclay snickered. “I find it more likely that her fair looks have turned yer head, Captain Black.”
“There are none who take the safety of this clan more seriously than I do,” Bryan retorted sharply. “I have proved my loyalty a hundred times over, and I will not have my sense of duty questioned.”
“Nor should ye,” Alex spoke up. “No one here has any right tae doubt ye, and I’ll not stand for it. I say Bryan’s motives are unimpeachable, and I say that Lady Katherine will be a valuable asset tae us. That should be more than enough tae satisfy all of ye. Unless, of course, there is anyone here who would care tae questionmyloyalties?”
Having been thus chastised, the men fell silent.
Still, none of them seemed to be entirely comfortable making direct eye contact with Katherine—or Bryan either, for that matter.
16
Several hours into the meeting, the men found themselves no closer to a solution, and try as she might, Katherine was unable to provide any information which might help them put an end to the hostilities with her father.
Eventually, Alex suggested that they adjourn briefly, to see if any new ideas might come to them. Katherine followed Bryan closely as he left the Great Hall, and the moment the others were out of sight, Katherine threw her arms around Bryan and kissed him passionately.
The gesture surprised him tremendously, but he surrendered to it immediately.
Her mouth was so soft and warm against his, and with her body pressed against him, he could feel her heart hammering fiercely. He embraced her reflexively, inhaling her scent once more, and she held him even more tightly. Her hands slid up and down his back, sending shivers of delight all through his body.
Though he wished the kiss could last forever, he knew that it would be bad for anyone to catch him at it. If they did, it would surely cause them to question his loyalties all over again. With great difficulty, he pulled his face away from hers.
“What on earth was that for?” he asked, mystified.
Even though she was exhausted after the previous night’s efforts, she favored him with a smile. “Ye defended me; ye put yer own reputation on the line tae do so. That’s more than my own family has ever done for me. Ye’re the kindest, bravest man I’ve ever known, Captain Black.”
He laughed gently. “After all we’ve been through, I believe the time has long since come for ye tae call me Bryan.”
“Bryan, then,” she giggled. “And ye must drop the honorific and simply call me Katherine.”
“Then ye are the truly brave one, Katherine, not I,” he continued. “It takes real courage tae do the right thing, even if that means going against yer own people. Ye are risking so much tae help us stop yer father. And no matter what happens in the days tae come, know that if yer clan does not welcome ye back, ye will always have a home here with us.”
“Thank ye,” she replied. “I hope there will be some way for me tae be accepted by my own people, but if not, it is good tae know I will not be entirely displaced.”
“There must be some way tae resolve all of this,” Bryan mused. “We will find it, I promise ye.”
As he said this, he saw that the council members were beginning to drift back into the Great Hall. He took a couple of steps away from Katherine, so their intimacy would not be seen as suspicious.
“Perhaps I ought tae remain outside this time,” Katherine suggested. “I’ve not been able tae tell ye anything useful so far about my father’s defenses, and my presence does not seem tae be conducive to yer planning.”
“Very well,” Bryan agreed. “But remain close by, just in case there are any questions we need answered. Hopefully, we’ll have an answer tae all this before too long.”
But as Katherine waited outside the Hall, more hours ticked by. She heard raised voices several times, and the occasional thud of a fist hitting the table for emphasis. None of the sounds were particularly encouraging. She paced the corridor in a tight circle, hoping that they would make some progress before long.
At last, the door opened again, and the men filed out. Kirk Oliphant was the last one to leave the Hall, and as he did, he gave Katherine a doubtful look, shaking his head slowly.
“Madness,” he murmured before continuing down the corridor.
Katherine stepped into the Hall, where Alex and Bryan waited for her. The laird’s hands were on his hips. The captain of the guard looked confused, and not altogether pleased.
“Ye arrived at a decision, then?” she asked timidly.
“Aye, that we did,” Alex replied briskly. “We shall write tae yer father at once, and tell him that ye are tae be married tae an Oliphant man of noble breeding and station.”
