Lisette’s soft giggle in response told him that it had been her purpose to ignore him so they might have a few more moments in bed together, which made him draw close to pull her into his arms.
The wooden comb dropping to the floor with a clatter.
Lisette sighing when he kissed her, gently at first but then so passionately that he seemed to surprise her.
He knew from many battles that life was precious and could be lost in an instant, though he held no fear of not returning to her.Yet mayhap he wanted to reassure her, Lisette’s arms flying around him to hug him as tightly.
“You and Colin will be safe here,” he said against her lips, and then he lifted his head to look down at her.“I’m leaving Finlay in command of the fortress while I’m gone.You can trust him as I trust him.Now we must go.”
As he released Lisette to clasp her hand and draw her along with him to the door, Conall could hear through the closed shutters the commotion outside of whinnying horses and riders assembling.
The square keep had no glass windows like Cameron’s fortress and no towers either, both of which Conall intended to remedy to make this castle as comfortable as he could for Lisette and Colin.
He wanted her to be able to stand in their bedchamber and look out over the sea without rain or wind to deter her.For the children they would have together, the added room a tower or two would afford them was a necessity, to his mind.
He had so many ambitious plans springing up inside him for the present, the future…for their life together within these walls and for the lands he had been granted.He would never have imagined such responsibility for himself only a few months ago, but he would no more fail his new family than King Robert.
As if sensing his thoughts, Lisette’s cheeks were flushed pink and her eyes danced with excitement as she squeezed his hand and flew down the steps with him—but she sobered as soon as they stepped outside into the chilly morning air.
The cloudless sky was only now lightening with streaks of pink and orange, casting her in an ethereal glow that took his breath away.
He wanted to tell her that he loved her and that she was beautiful…his life blessed beyond measure to have her as his wedded wife, but Finlay striding up to them broke the spell with his great booming voice.
“All is in readiness, Conall!”
“I hear you, man,” he replied with a wry smile, letting go of Lisette’s hand.He strode away from her without a backward glance; otherwise, he doubted he would find the will to leave her.
Only when he had mounted his roan stallion and veered the animal around to face the keep did Conall see that Lisette had retreated inside as if she, too, couldn’t bear to be parted from him.
No fond words.
No last kiss—och, it was better this way, he told himself, waving his arm for his men to follow him as he rode through the gates flung wide.
As he had told her, he would return by dusk, Conall already counting the minutes until he once again held her in his arms.
Chapter20
“Was it wise to send them out last night to find horses?It could raise an alarm—”
“They’re MacDougalls!”Euan snapped at Isabeau as the three men waded out of the shallow water toward the horses they’d left tethered in the trees along the shoreline.“That village must be filled with their kinsmen, so no one would dare utter a word.Be glad they know this region, just as you said.Soon they’ll be hiding outside the castle and awaiting our spies tae make their move—aye, mayhap this morning, I can sense it.”
Did her husband sense, too, how much she hated him?Clenching her teeth, Isabeau turned away with the thought of taking refuge in their tent for now they faced more waiting—mon Dieu!If there wasn’t such a fortune of jewels sewn into that cloak, she would have demanded already for them to steer the ship homeward—
“Laird MacCulloch, there’s a vessel coming upon us!Aye, a raider for certain with that blood red sail!”
The helmsman’s terrified cry making the hair prickle at the back of her neck, Isabeau spun around to see that Euan’s face had blanched white.He nonetheless waved onward the three clansmen who had stopped in their tracks upon the shore, and they quickly mounted the horses and disappeared into the trees as if they had never been there.
“Take up your weapons—but do nothing unless I command you!”he shouted to the sailors who scrambled to obey him, while Isabeau hastened to his side—not feeling terrified at all, but strangely exhilarated.
“Don’t forget my suggestion to you, husband—we can bargain with them!With such riches soon to be ours, they would be fools to harm us.”
Somehow Isabeau’s words rang hollow to her at closer sight of the vessel, every inch stained black but for the ominous sail billowing in the wind.
In truth, there was nowhere they could escape to and it was too late to draw up the anchor and push away from shore with the oars.
The ship had come out of nowhere as if a phantom, yet mayhap they had simply been waiting nearby for dawn to break before attacking.Those accursed torches!Wishing now that she had never suggested their use, Isabeau lifted her chin as the ship drew closer…closer…her heart near to pounding from her breast.
It wasn’t as much out of fear…but that the most magnificent man she had ever seen stood at the prow with his dark red hair flying behind him.
