The door slammed shut, causing her to flinch. She turned around cautiously, noticing that Creighton was leaning against the door with his arms tightly crossed over his chest. His muscles flexed against his sleeves, and his broad shoulders strained the fabric.
“Let me be blunt,” he said shortly. “Are ye here to continue the war? Are ye here to create trouble from the inside, to match the trouble goin’ on outside the clan?”
Nora reddened. “Nay, I am nae. Please, believe me, I am nay spy. I am nae here to cause trouble. Laird Bryden is desperate for peace. He would nae risk such a thing.”
“Nay, I daenae believe thathewould,” Creighton murmured, half to himself. “Evander seems to be a man of his word, I’ll give him that. But ye… Well, I cannae makeyeout, lass. Sendin’ a healer instead of the important lass I’d asked for seems to be a strange choice to me. Why ye?”
“Me father was an important councilor. And I am a foremost healer, and?—”
“Aye, aye, I read all of that in the letter Evander sent,” Creighton interrupted, waving a hand. “Enough of this, I’ll nae drag it out of ye. I’ll ken soon enough. Let me be clear now. If we are to continue as we are, there are goin’ to be some rules.”
“Rules?” she echoed, lifting her eyebrows.
“Are ye goin’ to object?”
“I might. But I’ll hear them first.”
He chuckled, pacing around a desk overloaded with papers and books. This brought him closer to her, removing the last obstacle between them. She retreated warily, eyeing him.
Daenae retreat too much,she warned herself.It might look like weakness.
“If we are goin’ to live under the same roof, here are me rules,” Creighton drawled. In the gloom, his eyes were dark as pitch, drawing her in. “First of all, ye will nae be alone with me sister again.”
Nora flinched, surprised. “What? I mean her nay harm.”
“I didnae say that ye did. Me sister is young, very young. For me, she’s more of a daughter than a sister at times. I want to take care of her. She isimpressionable. Everyone in the Highlands, enemy or ally, kens that me one weakness—meonlyweakness—is me sister. So, she must be protected. Ye willnae be alone with her again.”
Nora pressed her lips together. Was it an insult? Did he mean thatshemight mean Laurie harm? There seemed to be no sense in arguing, though. He was right—Laurie did seem to be his weakness.
“I understand,” she managed at last. “Go on.”
“Rule number two. Ye are nae allowed to roam around the castle without me to accompany ye, or me man-at-arms. Theo willescort ye if ye need it. Andrew might have done so, had ye nae put the fear of God into him.”
Nora bridled at that. “Now this Idoobject to. What, am I to stay in me rooms all day and all night?”
“Aye,” he agreed. “Ideally.”
“Well, I willnae. I’m a betrothed, nae a prisoner.”
“Interestin’ that ye sayabetrothed, notmebetrothed. Are ye tryin’ to distance yerself from me, lassie?”
Treacherous blood rushed into her face. Nora cleared her throat, tossing back her hair. “I amnaea captive.”
“Nay, ye areabetrothed,” he agreed, almost happily. “A betrothed who has managed to anger me guards twice in just a few hours. I am fond of Andrew, believe it or nae. He will have gone scuttlin’ off to his room to pray frantically, I imagine, and I do hate to see him distressed.”
“Prayin’ for God to smite me, eh?”
“I daenae believe that Andrew has ever prayed for God to smite anyone. Me point is, lass, ye are causin’ a stir in me well-ordered Keep. We cannae have that, can we? What’s more, yemuststay alive. Ye must be looked after and protected if I want me family and me clan to be safer. I keep ye safe to keep them safe,” headded, taking a step forward. “So, I’ll ask ye to nae go around the Keep without an escort.”
Nora tightened her jaw, pointedly not replying. Her reply, however, did not seem necessary. Creighton continued.
“Thirdly, ye will tell me what ye did that made Andrew so afraid. Did ye threaten to bring yer laird here to deal with him?”
Nora flinched. “What? Nay, of course nae!”
“Well, then, what?”
She narrowed her eyes and took a cautious step forward. It felt risky to get this close to him, but how else could she show him she wasn not afraid—that she was tougher than that?
