“I saw the two of ye talking alone time and again,” Connor said, his eyes flashing. “And now, ye sneak her out of the castle against my orders. You’ve betrayed me.”
Oh, Jesu, was that all? Being caught violating Connor’s order to keep Ilysa in the castle was a slight offense compared with Lachlan’s near-successful attempt to murder the MacDonald chieftain.
“My sister’s child was ill,” Lachlan said. “She would not have lasted the night without Ilysa’s care.”
“An easy claim to make,” Connor said, folding his arms. “Why should I believe ye?”
“I think we can rule him out as Hugh’s spy,” the warrior lounging in the chair put in. “Evidently, he has no need to stab your guards to get them to leave their posts or open the gate for him.”
O shluagh, Connor suspected him of that? “Ye can ask my sister—ye know both her and the child,” Lachlan said. “Ye were at her and Malcom’s home the night the MacLeod warriors attacked. My sister told me ye saved wee Brigid.”
“That’s your sister’s family?” Connor asked. “Is the child all right?”
“Aye, thanks to Ilysa’s healing skills,” Lachlan said.
“Ye brought Ilysa back with ye?” Connor asked and started heading for the door.
“No,” Lachlan said, bringing Connor to an abrupt halt. “She didn’t want ye to know where she is, and she claims she’s never coming back.”
“What else did she say?” Connor asked.
Lachlan hesitated. “She may have mentioned something about marrying another chieftain…”
Connor made a growling sound and started pacing the room.
“See, Ilysa’s safe, and ye can sort this out later,” the tall blond warrior said and stretched his arms as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “’Tis time for fighting, aye?”
Lachlan was more than ready to change the subject. “Malcom crossed the inlet to the other peninsula and saw scores of MacLeod warriors moving south, toward the river,” he told Connor. “Ye were right—if they were attacking the castle, they’d come by sea.”
At the sound of shouts from the courtyard, he and Connor rushed to the windows. Even the visiting warrior was stirred to drop his feet from the table and join them.
“A fleet of war galleys is coming!” one of the men shouted up to Connor. “Our men from Sleat are here!”
Connor strode out of the room. When Lachlan started to follow him, the other warrior stopped him with a steel grip on his arm.
“I’m the chieftain’s cousin Alex,” he said. “Is Ilysa all right?”
“Aye,” Lachlan said.
“Good,” Alex said with a smile that did not reach his cold, green eyes. “Because I’ll skin ye alive if you’ve harmed her.”
***
With a mix of relief and anguish, Connor watched the MacIain galleys—all six of them—sail toward the bay behind Ian and Duncan’s boats. MacIain had arrived in time for the battle and met Connor’s condition for the marriage alliance.
“Shame I asked my father-in-law to use his warriors to guard North Uist for me so I could bring more of our own men to this fight,” Alex said as they waited on the shore for the galleys to come in. “If I’d known Ilysa wanted to marry him, I would have brought him along instead.”
Connor ignored the taunt. He understood why Alex was angry—hell, he was angry with himself.
“Hope you’re ready to fight,” he greeted Duncan and Ian after their galleys were pulled onto the shore.
“How is my sister?” Duncan asked.
“She’s away from the castle caring for a sick child,” Connor said. This was not the time to tell Duncan that his sister did not intend to return to the castle—and it would never be a good time to tell him why.Duncan, I took your sister to bed, then condemned her for a traitor and attempted to hold her prisoner. She’s a wee bit upset with me.If Alex was right and Ilysa was innocent, he had committed another great wrong against her.
“Have ye found Ilysa a husband yet?” Alex asked.
“Not yet,” Connor said keeping his voice even. He wanted to strangle Alex for goading him in front of Duncan.
