“Thank ye for the visit last night,” Cait said. “It eased my mind a bit, and I enjoyed the company.”
Maggie’s smile was mischievous, and Cait wondered how MacLean kept his wife in line. “Ye be safe out there, and don’t let those men command ye about. They tend to do that from time to time.” She touched Cait’s arm, then immediately drew away. “Take care of yer man.”
Cait swallowed and wondered if she would have the chance to take care of Iain. “I will,” she said.
Maggie nodded and stepped back, and they rode away—Cait, Sutherland, MacLean, and a very small contingent of their warriors. They’d decided that fewer was better and that it wouldn’t be prudent to ride into an English stronghold with an entire army of Scottish warriors.
They had ridden only a few miles when their path was blocked by MacGregor and Graham with Rory and Tavis.
“If ye’re here to tell me to abandon my quest to free Iain, then ye best turn around and go home,” Cait said, unwilling to listen to her grandfather’s stories of how bad the Campbells were. She glared at Rory, whose gaze slid away from hers. Where the hell had he been the last several days? And what, if anything, had he found in those woods?
“We want t’help,” Graham said. “MacGregor and I are too old to go traipsing off to Fort Augustus, but we want to lend our support. We’re sending Rory and Tavis with ye.” He paused and looked sheepish. “If ye don’t mind, that is.”
Cait paused, overwhelmed by the humbleness of Graham’s offer and the sincerity he showed. He truly did want to make amends. And while MacGregor had not spoken, neither did he say anything to the contrary.
“I thank ye,” she said with a voice that wavered from too much emotion.
“Campbell and I have had our differences, and I don’t much like the man, but I know he didn’t kill that soldier or the others. What the redcoats are doing ain’t right,” Graham said.
MacGregor nodded his agreement when his gaze locked with Graham’s. “Aye,” he said. “I don’t much like Campbell, I think everyone knows that. And I still hold the Campbells accountable for my father’s death, but I don’t want t’see him die at the hands of the redcoats.”
“We’re riding to Fort Augustus to try to free him,” she said. “We’ll accept any help ye can give us.” She nodded to Rory and Tavis, trying to hold Rory’s gaze, but he wouldn’t look at her.
“We’ll let ye be on yer way,” Graham said. “Send word if ye need more men, and MacGregor and I will provide them.”
“We’re no’ declaring war on the English,” Cait said, somewhat amused. “We’re coming in peace to talk to them.”
MacGregor harrumphed and Graham rolled his eyes. “Ain’t no talkin’ peace with those bunch of numpties. If ye need men, send word.”
Cait bit back her smile, touched by their generosity toward a man they both held no love for. “Thank ye,” she said.
Chapter 32
The closer they got to Fort Augustus, the bigger the ball of dread and anxiety in Cait’s stomach grew. She’d noticed a while ago that MacLean couldn’t seem to get comfortable in his saddle, that he kept looking around, alert but worried, which caused Cait to worry more. What condition would they find Iain in when they arrived?
She dropped back to fall in with MacLean. “I met Maggie last night,” she said.
He glanced at her quickly. “Did ye, now?”
“She paid me a visit.”
“No doubt in the dead of the night.” He grinned, and Cait was able to see the love he had for his Maggie.
“She’s a great woman.”
“Aye. She is that. And a bit more,” he added cheekily. “I hope she did no’ bother ye overmuch.”
“I think she knew I needed someone to talk to. Someone who’s been where Iain is now.”
MacLean didn’t seem to have a response to that.
“Is it bad?” she asked quietly.
He looked straight ahead and narrowed his eyes as if trying to remember. Cait figured it didn’t take too much to recall the horrors of Fort Augustus. She’d heard the rumors. “No’ too bad,” he finally said.
“Ye’re lying, Colin MacLean.”
He looked at her sharply. Calling someone out for lying was not a light offense. Then his shoulders relaxed a bit.
