“I torched one of the MacDonald villages.” He said it with such calm it was as though he were speaking of the weather.
She was enough of an historian to understand what that meant. It meant killing innocents and displacing those who had managed to survive.
“You burned people’s homes? Why?”
“Vengeance for killing our da.” He broke another oatcake in half and ate it, as though this were the most normal conversation to have.
“An eye for an eye, then?” she asked.
He nodded, smiling. As if he were proud of himself.
She remained silent as she considered his answer. Evie had told her the MacDonald laird himself dealt Hamish the death blow. Did Malcolm think killing innocents was the way to get back at the man who had ultimately killed their father? Though, she supposed, that was normal behavior for men of this century.
“Ye seem to disapprove of that,” he said.
Chloe was never one to hide her expressions. He must have seen her abhorrence flickering over her face.
“It’s not for me to approve or disapprove.”
Where the devil was Evie? What was taking her so long to return from the kitchen? She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze. She ate another piece of the oatcake as silence descended in the great hall. The pastry turned to ash in her mouth.
She shoved back from the table and stood. “I’m not hungry anymore.”
He said nothing as she stalked toward the door to the great hall, pushing it open and slipping into the morning. As soon as she did, she regretted her decision as the morning wind was cold and she didn’t have her cloak.
She didn’t know where she was going or what she intended to do. She only knew she had to be out of that room with that infuriating man.
Callum was at one of the outer buildings conversing with a tall, dark-haired man. He was deep in conversation with him.
Near him, the stables were a bustle of activity. She saw the stable hands coming and going and assumed they were busy mucking stalls and caring for the horses. She had neverbeen one for horses. Neither she nor Evie had experience with them. Despite living and growing up in Texas, they had never been around them since they lived in the suburbs. She recalled Malcolm telling her his brother’s wife—Evie—had become an accomplished rider. She wondered if she, too, would be able to achieve that.
A distinctive clang caught her attention. In another building, sparks flew as the clang sounded again. Excitement pumped through her at the thought of seeing a working forge. She followed the sound until she found her way to the blacksmith. He was busy hammering out what appeared to be a sword. She paused to watch, amazed by his strength.
“If ye wanted a tour, lass, all ye had to do was ask,” Malcolm said.
She turned to see him standing behind her. He held her cloak out to her.
“Ye forgot this.”
Grateful and glad to stop shivering, she took it from him and wrapped it around her. He, though, wore no cloak. Only his tunic, breeches, plaid, and black boots that looked as though they had seen better days.
“Thanks,” she muttered.
Clouds gathered in the sky, making the sun come and go. Some looked gray as though they might bring rain.
“Do ye wish for a tour?” he asked. Hope tinged his words.
She wanted to refuse, especially after learning why he had been banished from Dundale. But something pulled at her to accept his invitation. A gut feeling. Finally, she nodded.
“All right, then. Give me a tour.”
He motioned toward the forge and gave her a quirk of a smile. “The smithy.”
She couldn’t help herself. She laughed. “Yes, I see that.”
Malcolm motioned for them to continue walking. Next was the chapel. It was a small stone building sitting off to one side. “There is where ye sister and my brother were handfasted.”
She understood, of course, what that meant. They were to be married for a year and a day. The marriage would be final if she produced a child within that time from their union. She wondered what it was like to witness a true, medieval handfasting. Evie hadn’t bothered to elaborate on the details of their wedding. She was more interested in telling her about the prophecy and their entwined destinies with the MacLeods.
