“I don’t think ye realize this could have turned out verra badly.” Rory was not ready to let it go. “I don’t like how that Munro looks at ye.”
Catriona tilted her head. “How does he look at me?”
“Ach, you’re too naïve for your own good,” he said. “But don’t worry, he won’t trouble ye again. I’ll see to that.”
She opened her mouth to speak but seemed to change her mind.
“Why didn’t ye go to one of our own clansmen?” he said. “I looked all over for ye. No one knew where ye were.”
“After I heard about Brian’s death, I was afraid.” Her lower lip trembled. “I didn’t know which of our clan were Hector’s men.”
He could not argue with her judgment on that, and he was annoyed with himself for yelling at her. He put his arms around her, which is what he should have done in the first place.
“I can see ye made what ye thought was the best choice,” he said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect both you and Brian.”
“He came to Killin,” she said. “He was angry with Hector and looking for you.”
“Did he tell ye why?”
“Nay, but I’d never seen him like that,” she said. “He gave me two books to keep for him. I hid them in the safe place Mother showed me in the barn.”
“Books?” What use would they be? He was no closer to learning why Brian had set out for Edinburgh.
“All he told me was that if he did not return, I should hide the books and disappear until you came,” Catriona said.
“I’m glad you’re safe.” Rory kissed her cheek. “We ought to join the others in the hall.”
“Who is that lass who greeted the Munros,” Catriona asked, “and why did she pretend to be your bride?”
***
Sybil took a deep breath when Rory entered the hall and saw the Munros.
“It appears they’ve decided to stay for our wedding feast,” Rory said when he joined her.“Ge b’e thig gun chuireadh, suidhidh e gun iarraidh.” Who comes uninvited will sit down unbidden.
“But I did invite them,” Sybil confessed.
“Ye knew I wanted them gone,” he said. “Why did ye interfere?”
Sybil judged that Rory was not ready to hear that his sister had formed an attachment to the handsome young Munro chieftain.
“Interfere? I was simply trying to be a good Highland wife,” she said. “I thought it was a matter of honor to graciously welcome every guest, even your worst enemy.”
Rory blew out a deep breath. “What was your real reason?”
“Ye said yourself that Hector should have tried to make the Munros allies rather than enemies,” she said.
“That was before I knew their young chief was an arrogant arse.”
Munro’s accusation that Rory had failed to protect his sister stung because he felt it was true. Her telling him it was unjust would not change that.
“And I don’t like how he looks at Catriona,” Rory said.
“Your sister is a lovely lass,” Sybil said. “Men will look at her.”
“Hmmph.”
“Worry about Munro tomorrow.” She rose on her toes and kissed him.
