“We?”
“Aye, husband, I’ll not stay here pacing up and down and wondering what’s happening. Dinna forget that Aislinn is cousin tae the king’s wife! Do you think he would truly allow Lord Butler tae take her back tae Éire after what he must know about him? Conall, didna you just tell us that Cameron said the man possessed a harsh temperament?”
“Aye.”
“Uncompromising… brutal, even?”
“Aye, that as well.”
“Och, it reminds me of what happened tae my sister, Debora…”
Conall swallowed hard at the tears suddenly glistening in Magdalene’s eyes, and Gabriel drew his wife close to comfort her.
Conall remembered her sister, too, from his days as a young guard at what had been the MacDougall fortress… Debora so lovely and sweet and kindhearted, but none of that had saved her from an arranged marriage to a cruel man.
Six months later and the poor lass was laid in her grave—her untimely death affecting everyone who had known her, especially Magdalene. She had spent four years in a convent feigning lunacy to spare herself the same fate, but thank God, Gabriel was as good and honorable a man as Cameron…
Conall exhaled heavily, feeling disgusted with himself now.
What would it have cost him to wish his brother well instead of railing at him about losing lands and title—things that he and Cameron had never thought to possess?
They had fought together for one overlord or another in countless battles… splattered with blood and muck… and yet in this battle of the heart, Conall had failed him!
If the plan Magdalene had proposed might grant Cameron the chance to wed the woman he loved, aye, the woman who had cured him of his lifelong affliction—och, who was Conall to stand in the way of his brother’s happiness?
“I agree with your lady, Gabriel. King Robert gave Cameron three days before he’ll order any move against him, and today’s the first of them. Even if we leave by midday, we willna arrive in Dumbarton until tomorrow afternoon. I told you that I have an idea where my brother went tae find Aislinn, though not the exact place, so we’d have tae search for them—”
“We’ve no time tae waste. No, we’ll go directly tae King Robert and make our appeal—and my clever wife will accompany us.”
Conall remembered that commanding tone in Gabriel’s voice from when he’d served as one of his trusted captains, and knew that the final decision had been made.
As Magdalene threw her arms around Gabriel and stood on tiptoe to kiss him, Conall found himself wondering what it must feel like to have earned such devotion—och, whatever was the matter with him?
Love caused nothing but torment and trouble! Look at what Gabriel had gone through with Magdalene… and now Cameron with Aislinn, and the outcome was yet unclear!
“I’ll leave Alun in charge here while we’re gone—and Finlay will ride tae Campbell Castle with your order allowing him tae assume command until you return. Is that acceptable tae you, Conall?”
“Aye.” Glad to have something else to think about than love and devotion and the sheer madness of it all, Conall had no doubt that Gabriel’s captains, Finlay and Alun, would capably handle such responsibility.
They were former brothers-in-arms, after all.
United again in a common purpose for Cameron—God help them that their appeal didn’t arrive too late!
* * *
“My wife.”
“My husband.” Aislinn’s whisper following Cameron’s as the old priest intoned a blessing and made the sign of the Cross, she could barely focus upon the words for the wild beating of her heart.
They were married, truly bound together! Astonished by the brevity of the ceremony, she stared into Cameron’s eyes and he, into hers… her trembling hand held so firmly by his as the priest gestured for them to follow him.
Another man in brown clerical garb, their only witness, walked quietly ahead to a low table where he sat down while the priest shuffled to one side.
“Our church record,” explained the friar, dipping his pen into a small bowl of ink. “Cameron Alexander Campbell.”
“Aye.”
Aislinn shivered at the resonant sound of Cameron’s voice and the scratching of pen upon parchment as his name was written into the leather-bound book.
