“Of course!” he assured her cheerfully, adding with a wry chuckle, “that is, if I’m nae dead before the week’s out.”
“Ach, shut up! I’ve told ye, dinnae say such things, nae even in jest,” she scolded him, batting at his arm with her hand.
He clutched his arm melodramatically. “Ow! Lay off hittin’ me, will ye, woman? I’m a wounded man, ye ken!”
“Ach, ye great fool!” she muttered, unable to help laughing at his playfulness while fear for his safety stabbed at her heart like a dagger.
They rode home together through the bright misty morning. Isla leaned against Ewan’s back, her arms about his waist, reflecting that the day seemed too perfect to be poisoned by the evil shadow of war and death that loomed over them all. It was an outrage, and it made her even more determined to succeed in her plan to save the two people she loved most in the world.
They crossed the perimeter of the camp and were greeted with respectful yet curious nods by the few soldiers present. At the open-air stable, Colin strode up to them and stood, armsakimbo, looking up at them both questioningly. “I see ye’re well enough tae ride then,” he remarked to Ewan.
“Aye, the healer stitched me up and dressed the wound properly. ’Tis sore, all right, but nae too deep. She says I’ll mend, but I havetae be careful of me stitches,” Ewan told him, waiting for Isla to slide from her perch to the ground before carefully dismounting himself. Not quite convinced by his claim to feel little pain, especially after what had happened last night at the inn, Isla almost reached out to help him. But she held back, conscious it would look odd coming from Harris.
“That’s good tae hear, but what took ye so long?” Colin asked with a frown. “I was expectin’ ye back last night. I was gettin’ worried about ye, what with Allan’s men in the area. I was about tae send a search party out fer ye.”
“The healer gave me a potion tae drink fer the pain, and it almost knocked me out. I thought it best tae stay at the inn last night so I could rest and sleep it off,” Ewan explained as they made their way to the tent. He gave no hint of the passionate intimacy that had taken place between him and Isla, but memories flickered through her mind, forcing her to lower her head to hide her flushed cheeks.
They stopped outside the tent. Ewan looked out over the camp and the few men going about their business. “Have ye got the men out trainin’ as I ordered?” he asked, pulling off his gloves.
“Aye, the majority of them. The displaced villagers are comin’ along quite well considerin’ most of them havenae picked up asword before. Some of them are provin’ tae be valuable fighters,” Colin replied.
Ewan nodded approvingly. “Good, We need all the hands we can get. Any other news while I’ve been gone?”
Colin shook his head. “The bulk of Allan’s army daesnae seem tae be in the area yet, accordin’ tae the scouts’ latest reports anyway. That advance party ye ran intae yesterday was obviously gatherin’ information ahead of the arrival of the main force. A few stragglers got away, but we’re out lookin’ fer them now. Hopefully, we’ll get somethin’ useful out of them if we can capture them.”
“All right, good. If ye find any of them, I’ll question them mesel’. What about Galbraith’s missing sister?”
“Naethin’ so far,” Colin answered with a shrug.
“That’s disappointin’,” Ewan remarked, an edge of worry to his voice. Isla felt a surge of fresh guilt for deceiving him about her true identity when she knew the woman he was searching was standing right in front of him. She had been deeply moved when he had confided in her about the torment he had endured the previous year when Allan had kidnapped his sister Deidra. In the circumstances, she found his attempts to help Gregory, his bitter enemy, to recover his own missing sister a sign of a noble and generous spirit that belied his stern exterior. It was yet another reason to love him.
“By tonight, if the old man is as good as his word and shows us the secret route intae the castle, we can plan our attack for the morrow. I’m gonnae answer a call of nature, but I’ll nae be long. Then I’ll rest fer a while. Call me when the old feller gets here,” Ewan told Colin, leaving him with Isla as he walked away.
Isla felt stab of hatred for the traitorous old man who had given up the castle’s secret in in exchange for gold, thereby putting so many lives in jeopardy. Since she had Colin alone, she decided it was worth making a last-ditch attempt to convince Colin that Ewan’s plan to attack the castle was far too risky.
Ewan trusts him, and if I can sow a seed of caution in his mind, mayhap he’ll be able tae persuade Ewan tae call it off. ’Tis a long-shot, but it might work.
“I’m worried, Colin,” she began, doing her best to appear earnest. “I dinnae think this plan of Ewan’s is gonnae work. ’Tis far too risky. Laird Galbraith is gonnae be expectin’ an attack, and his men are gonnae be ready fer anyone who shows up.”
Colin looked at her searchingly. “Is that so? Ye have experience in the strategies of war, dae ye?”
She blushed but forged ahead anyway. “Nay, but I can sense when somethin’s a bad idea and will likely end in our men bein’ slaughtered,” she replied. Hoping to appeal to his love for Ewan, she added more truthfully, “I dinnae want Ewan tae get hurt. He is already badly wounded.”
He gave her a strange look before he answered firmly but not unkindly, “There’s nae need fer ye tae worry. He’s an experienced strategist and a formidable fighter. I’m fully confident in his ability tae manage the risks involved.”
“I ken all that, but I just dinnae think he’s taken all the dangers intae account.” She felt she was fighting a losing battle but was loath to give up for obvious reasons.
“I told ye, ye have naethin’ tae worry about,” he repeated. Then, to her consternation, he folded his arms, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, “Ye seem awful concerned fer Ewan’s safety.”
Flustered, Isla retorted, “Iamconcerned fer his safety. Why should I nae be? He’s been good tae me, lettin’ me stay in the camp and givin’ me the chance tae get me revenge against Laird Allan. I dinnae want anythin’ bad tae happen tae him. But I’m worried fer all of the men’s safety, even yers, Colin.”
“Ye should have more faith in him, as I dae. He kens what he’s daen’.” He raised his sandy brows and continued to regard her curiously.
Disturbed by his scrutiny as well as disappointed by her failure to plant doubt in his mind, she got up and walked over to the stove. Keeping her back turned, she busied herself with fixing some tea. The skin between her shoulder blades prickled where she was sure his eyes were boring into her back, and she had the distinct feeling he knew something she did not.
She was relieved when Ewan returned shortly after that. While the tea brewed, she listened to the men discussing plans for the attack on the castle once again. Before long, they went outside to talk to the men, leaving her alone.
Seeing her chance to return to Ella’s and collect the potion, she left the tea to stew, grabbed her jacket, and stole from the tent. She could hear Ewan addressing the men at the rallying point, so she easily reached the open air stable without being noticed. Quietly, she walked her mare out of the camp and into the woods before mounting her and cantering swiftly along the familiar route leading to Ella’s cottage.
