Chapter Sixteen
Erskine was pacing up and down his father’s study in the castle, waiting for the Laird’s return.
I have to tell him about Laura. I cannae dally much longer.
The whole night through and the whole day since he had last seen Laura, he felt as though his veins were coursing with fire, burning just for her. God, how he had wanted to do more with her in that cave, the temptation great indeed. He had even succumbed to it partially, his need for her overtaking him enough to pleasure her there.
She deserves a bed and worshippin’, nae a romp in a cave!
Not that she seemed to have minded…the way she had moaned his name told Erskine just how much Laura wanted him too. Having to say goodbye to her yesterday was more painful than he had imagined. He wanted to bring her back to the castle with him. There they could be together, enjoying each other’s jests and company without fear of disapproval, and she could share his bed too, but that was not possible.
I willnae share me bed with her until I am sure I can release her from her bonds to Earl Moore.
He would beg her father, Sir Hamilton, if it came to it, plead for Laura’s release from this betrothal, but in the meantime, he would not allow himself to have her, not until he could be sure that she could be his completely, for a lot longer than just one night.
This thought made Erskine suddenly stop in his pacing, the breadth of that wish taking hold.
I want her here with me forever.
Before he could think any more on this idea, the door opened wide, and Dearg stepped in, followed by their father. Erskine’s heart sank.
I willnae do this in front of Dearg.
Then Erskine’s gaze settled on Laird MacCallum, and it became clear something was incredibly wrong indeed.
“What is it?” Erskine asked, unfolding his arms and walking toward his father as he took up his place behind the desk.
“Urgent messages from the clan’s villages on the western side,” the Laird sighed, fear and anger evident in his heavy brow.
“The mountainside?” Erskine checked.
“Aye, they are bein’ attacked by brigands.” The Laird tossed some letters down onto the desk. Completely distracted from his earlier thoughts, Erskine snatched up the letters, reading the cries for help with pain twisting in his chest.
“Do we ken what the brigands want?” Erskine asked.
“It is nae clear,” the Laird shook his head and huffed down into his chair. “They seem to be pillagin’, takin’ the people’s livelihoods, stealin’ cattle, attackin’ the women—” Erskine flinched at these words “—maybe they are just after violence.”
“In the name of the wee man,” Erskine pleaded with the heavens, looking back down to see Dearg had barely moved, his face relatively unchanged. He tried to ignore this oddity and move his attention back to his father. “Do we ken when they arrived?”
“One village last night, another possibly this mornin’.”
“They’re spreadin’,” it was the first words Dearg had said. “We need to block off the next villages on their path, stop them before they get any further into the clan.”
“What? Nay!” Erskine could not believe what Dearg was implying. He tossed the letters back on the desk and flicked his head toward his brother. “So ye wouldnae send men tothesevillages, Dearg? The ones actually sufferin’ an attack?”
“Erskine,” Dearg seemed to be attempting reason, “be logical. We cannae save them all. Our best bet is to stop the brigands from gettin’ any further on our land.”
“Daenae be ridiculous,” Erskine shook his head, despairing. There was a reason Erskine had always been a better soldier than Dearg, and now he saw evidence of that again. Dearg had a tendency to cut his losses and run, but that was never Erskine’s aim.
We save as many as we can.
“What are ye thinkin’, Erskine?” their father called his attention back to him, his chin steepled between his hands on the desk.
“Gather the whole army,” Erskine said quickly.
“Is that nae a bit much?” Dearg scoffed.
“There are lives at stake here!”
