Annabella gazed at the buildings and farmlands stretching out before the castle.
She arose and went to the window on the opposite side of the chamber. From this vantage point, two great structures filled the land on the south side of the island. The first, she’d been told, was the great hall. Would that be where she would dine with MacDonald? The thought set butterflies loose in her belly.
Or would she dine with him in the other structure? His private chambers. The idea of that made her even more nervous than the great hall. Though she would leave here at some point and probably never see him again, she was wary of spending private time with him. As a prisoner of her stature, she was guaranteed some level of consideration for her comfort; he’d seen to that personally. But he had gone much further than that.
Her biggest question was why? It was almost as though he wanted to impress her, but that could not be. He was the self-proclaimed enemy of her cousin. And she was his bargaining tool—nothing more. Then why the extras? And why the request to dine together?
In the distance, she viewed the other island on this loch. Eilean Comhairle, Council Island. There were three structures there and she understood that one was the council chambers, but the other two were mysteries. She surmised that any entertaining would be done on Eilean Mor.
Before she could ruminate any more, the lock clicked and the door opened wide.
A red-haired, attractive young woman entered with a trencher filled with meat, cheese, and bread. Annabella’s belly rumbled approval.
The guard closed the door behind the young woman and she walked to the table with the food. Annabella followed and noticed the maid staring at the letter.
“He is letting you send messages?” the young woman asked.
“Yes.”
Annabella was a little taken aback by the boldness of this servant. Prisoner or no, Annabella was a lady and that commanded a certain level of subservience from a maid, but it was apparent this woman had little.
“Does he not realize you will bring harm to all the people here if you summon your king?”
“What is your name?”
The girl’s brow twitched and she smirked. “I am Rhona.”
“Indeed. And do you not know you are in the presence of a highborn lady?” Her hair prickled at her nape at having to speak those words. Annabella never flaunted her status, but she sensed something sinister in this Rhona.
“You are a prisoner.”
“I am a lady, regardless of the nature of my captivity, and you will show me the respect to which I am due.”
Rhona flicked her hand to the side and knocked over the tankard, its honey-coloured contents spilling across the table. She then turned back and cocked her eyebrow. “I do not owe you anything, Sassenach. You do not belong here. I have heard that you have tried to bewitch him to improve your status. But you will fail. Angus is mine.”
Annabella could not have been more shocked. And she didn’t know which was worse, that Angus had taken a servant as a lover, or that rumours had been spread about the nature of her captivity. Improve her status, indeed. She wanted nothing more than to leave this place and never return. She ignored the sudden pang in her chest.
“I do believe that I require more mead, Rhona. Go and fetch it now and I will overlook your impertinence.” Annabella stood tall and held her ground. This young woman could bully her all she wanted, but she would never get the satisfaction of knowing how her words cut.
“Get it yourself,” Rhona said, and turned on her heel to leave.
“What passes here?” MacDonald said from the doorway.
Annabella had not heard the door reopen, and so had no idea how long he had been standing there.
“Angus, my lord, I was just bringing the lady some food from the kitchen.”
MacDonald’s eyes narrowed. “It sounded more like you were trying to intimidate the lady.”
The complete turnaround in demeanour was telling in how much the young woman liked the MacDonald. She smiled sweetly at Annabella. It was almost humorous. “I will retrieve another tankard of mead for you now, my lady.” She then turned back to MacDonald. “The tankard fell over when I laid the trencher down. Clumsy of me, but I was so awed by our guest. Forgive me, my lord?”
“Be gone with you and send another with the new tankard.”
“But, Angus—”
He stepped forward and pointed behind him. “Leave this chamber at once and do not return. Do you understand? You are fortunate I do not flay you where you stand.”
Annabella could not believe her ears! Surely he would not. She stepped in between them. “You will not touch her,” she said, with her hands on her hips.
