His perceptive wife.
“I would prefer not to have to leave ye and our children as my father always did. He could be gone for years. A warrior does battle, sometimes long, drawn-out battles, but then he returns home. It is the king who stays behind after the fighting is done to settle things.” Dreading her answer a lot less than he had earlier, he asked, “Does this change yer opinion of me?”
“It does not. I will always hold ye in the highest regard whatever ye choose for us.”
“Did ye see yer uncle when they described what had transpired? He was unable to remain present.”
“I did speak with him.” She turned to him, her eyes rounded with concern. “I did not want him to feel guilty.”
“So ye did not tell him everything?”
“I tried to tell him.” She frowned, glancing away. “Lachlann finally had to spit it out in that way that only my brother has.”
“Brighit. It was his fault ye were there at all. His and yer brothers.”
“I know ye feel that way, but mayhap ye do not understand exactly how persuasive I can be.”
“Ye say this to me?” Darragh put his hands to his hips and quirked a brow. “So ye believe ye bullied them into allowing ye to come?”
“No.” She had the grace to blush. “Mayhap ye do know, but my uncle has been through so much. He just lost his wife.”
“I understand that and I have great sympathy for the man, but he putmywife in harm’s way and I do not take that lightly. I had trusted him to protect ye, not drag ye into the dark of night where ye—”
“I know what happened, Darragh, I was there.”
He slammed his mouth shut. She had been correct to not allow him to come with her when she spoke to Niall. Darragh would not have been able to hide his irritation with the man, even though he would have been right.
“He offered to pay his honor price to Clan Dubhshláine for his part in the untimely raid. They refused him.” Brighit sighed. “My uncle is a good man.”
“I do not dispute that.”
“Clan Dubhshláine wants only good will with their neighbors, including yer clan and my father’s clan.”
“It did help clear the tension when Seigine admitted he was the one killing the deer on our land and his own.” Darragh rubbed at his face. “A tiresome ordeal, this whole thing.”
“And it was that outlaw Black Oengus who attacked the women in his clan, did my father tell ye that?”
Darragh nodded.
“Seigine’s wife was so damaged from the attack, she is no longer right in the head.”
“Garbhán assured me the man was a cruel husband even before that.” He pulled back on his horse’s reins, stopping just within the tree line near a small clearing. “This seems like a good place to rest for the night.”
Brighit dismounted and pulled her bag down with her as she came toward Darragh. He took the sack and dropped it on the ground beside them to take her in his arms. “Have I told ye how pleased I am with ye as my wife?”
“I believe ye show me every night.”
“Ah, our passion is indisputable, but do not underestimate how much ye impress me with yer bravery and intelligence.”
She held his gaze for a long moment before she finally answered. “No other man would have accepted me just as I am. They would have needed to break me to their will.”
“And it would have been their loss.”
Brighit swallowed, her gaze intense. “That ye do accept me as I am means everything to me.”
“My she-warrior.” He kissed her again then nuzzled into the crook of her neck. “I have married a warrior who also pleasures me in bed.”
“Have I told ye how pleased I am with ye as my husband?”
