“His knives,” Fionn clarified and laughed with the others.
“Lochiel?” she asked.
“Aye,” Lewis answered, coming around to the table. “The Lochiel of Lochaber, deadliest man alive.”
They laughed in agreement.
Constantine didn’t join in the merriment. He didn’t take any joy having to take down a mountain lion that thought to eat Lachlan five years ago.
Lions wouldn’t come near any castle, but dangerous men would try. And they would fail. Always.
“Fer the last time,” he said, rising from his chair and looking down at her, “ye will be safe with the men.”
She let out a little mocking laugh and shook her head.
“Withmymen, ye will,” he insisted.
“What about ye?” she asked him, gazing up at him. “Where will ye be?”
He finally looked away. “I have things to see to.”
“Such as?”
She was bold, proving to Constantine she was of noble blood. Hadn’t she said her mother had arranged her marriage to a chief? Chiefs didn’t wed servants.
“Such as, doing work on my house—”
“Tor Castle is where ye live,” she observed from their previous conversation. “Yer home is somewhere else.”
“That is correct.”
“Why can I not go there with ye?” she asked him, making himreconsider if she was bold or as innocent as a secluded maiden.
His gaze roved over his cousins to find them all slack jawed and waiting for his reply.
“I willna stay at Tor Castle if ye are no’ there. I will continue on my way.”
On her way? Where? Constantine wanted to ask her. “Is keeping yerself safe dependent on my presence?”
“Ye are the one who announced that ye would protect me,” was her reply.
Should he point out that a public inn was far more dangerous than the home of a Cameron chief? He recalled her telling him that she hated clan chiefs. She’d hated them for a long time now. He was curious why.
But for now, he answered his own question. For her, the chief’s castle was likely more dangerous than a public inn.
“I have been keeping myself alive fer a month now,” she continued when he remained quiet and indecisive. “Yer assistance last eve was verra much appreciated, but yer vow was fulfilled. I willna hold any grudge against ye fer leaving now.”
“A month?” he repeated in a low voice. He’d heard everything else she told him buta monthboomed loudest in his ears. He heard Fionn echo her words. “Where have you come from?”
When she didn’t answer right away, he glanced at his cousins and then at the door. “If ye must think about it, ye likely willna tell me the truth.” He turned to leave.
Her voice stopped him. “Why should I trust a stranger and perhaps put my life in jeopardy again?”
Again. Constantine couldn’t help but wonder how many times her life had been in danger.
“Did I not prove last night that I can be trusted?” he asked, pouting.
“Ye could be tricking me into trusting ye fer somesecret purpose.”
