“The fewer people who knew, the better.”
“That’s what my father said,” Meg replied bitterly.
“He was right. A connection with me would be dangerous for you. My enemies could use you to get to me. I also couldn’t take the chance that you would allow something to slip—especially because of your friendship with the Campbells. And from some of our conversations, I wasn’t sure you would agree with what I was doing.”
“How could you say that?” Meg asked, horrified. “I’m a Highlander. Just because I recognize the difficult issues facing the Highlands doesn’t mean I agree with the king’s policies. I would never betray you or do anything to put my clan in danger.”
“Does leading one of the king’s men right into our camp not constitute putting us in danger? The fact that you brought Campbell with you proves I was right to be cautious.”
Her cheeks burned with indignation. “Jamie risked much by helping you. You should be thanking him. I hardly think he’d turn around and betray you.”
“Are you so sure of that?”
“He’s the one who informed me of the plot on your life.”
“And you believed him without question? Can you be sure that it was not a trick? His cousin Argyll is ever the opportunist. The Campbells would benefit greatly if Jamie could lead the king to us.”
Meg felt horrible. How could he think that? Yet part of her knew he was right. The ramifications of her actions rained down on her. She’d never truly considered the possibility that Jamie would take advantage of their friendship.
She knew Alex was wrong in his suspicions but right in criticizing her for acting without thinking. “It’s true that Jamie is loyal to his cousin, but he is also a Highlander. And he was once your friend. I am not like you, Alex. I do not see treachery in every shadow.”
“It’s my duty. Men’s lives are at stake by my ability to see what lurks in the shadows.”
Meg flushed. She knew he was thinking about his cousins. She hadn’t meant it like that at all. Her stomach twisted. By coming here like this, she had thought to control the situation. She’d kept the information to herself, had not told her father of the situation. And now look what she had done. She’d possibly compromised his position on Lewis. How had it gone so wrong?
“I only wanted to help,” she said softly.
Alex raked his fingers through his hair.Damn.He heard the shaking in her voice and knew she was perilously close to tears. He hadn’t meant to be so harsh. The entire situation had him twisted in knots. He knew she’d thought only to warn him.
He did appreciate it, but he felt stripped of all his defenses when she was near. “You’re right. I owe you my thanks. If what Jamie said is indeed true, we would have been greatly outmanned and quite probably trapped.” He took her quivering chin in his fingers as she blinked away the tears that had been threatening to fall. “But that doesn’t mean I think you should have taken such a great risk in coming here. Nor does it mean I trust Jamie. One day soon, he will have to choose a side.”
She gazed up at him, her eyes wide and glassy. She looked tired and pale, but still achingly beautiful. And so damn alluring. The memory of their kiss surged through him, but he shook it off.
“You’ll leave at sunset with your father’s men. And not return. No matter what, Meg. Do you understand?”
She nodded. “And Jamie?”
“He’ll leave with you, under guard until he is returned to your father. I’ll write a missive to your father asking him to hold Jamie at Dunakin for a few days. It should all be over by then.”
“And then what?” she asked, her eyes still focused on the ground.
He nearly smiled at the ability she had to cut to the quick. A myriad of questions wrapped up succinctly in one small, innocuous package.
“I don’t know.”
So much between them left unsaid. But he was glad she knew the truth. It made everything more complicated, but perhaps it was already. He couldn’t prevent her heartbreak whether he’d driven her to another man or he never returned from Lewis. At least this way she would not doubt herself. Unknowingly, his poisoned arrow had struck too well. He wished he could take back everything he’d said to Lord Huntly. He’d meant to strike at her duty, not at an old wound.
He watched as she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin, meeting his gaze. The soft glow of the moon cast deep shadows off the curve of her cheek. He knew what she was going to say and wanted to stop her. He opened his mouth, but it was too late.
“I love you, you know,” she said softly.
There it was. Words that would be better left unsaid.
His heart clenched. He couldn’t breathe. A thousand thoughts rushed through his head, thoughts of a future, thoughts of a family, dreams of happiness. There were no more lies left between them to camouflage the truth. With the secrets stripped away, the truth and all of its consequences lay bare before them. She loved him. But he wasn’t ready to hear those words, not while he still had a job to do. Not until he’d laid the ghosts of his past to rest.
Overcome with emotion, he could manage only one word in response: “Don’t.” He pressed his fingers against her trembling mouth.
Her face crumpled.
