“What?” he said, his tone sharp as a blade. His earlier kindness had made her forget who he was, but he was all chieftain now, huge and intimidating.
“I meant no offense,” she said quickly. “I’m a healer, and it troubles me to see that ye suffer because your injury was not looked after properly at the time.”
“We were a long way from home,” he said, glaring down at her, “and no one was concerned about how the shoulder was set because they didn’t expect me to live.”
“That’s a poor excuse,” Ilysa said. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do to repair it now, but I can make ye a salve that will soothe it.”
“I don’t mind the pain,” he said. “It serves to remind me who my enemies are.”
***
After working his way around the hall, Connor was once again attempting to have a conversation with the MacIain about his granddaughter when Ilysa caught his eye. The arched entrance was just behind her, framing her like a painting. It was a mystery to him how she could look like herself and yet so achingly lovely at the same time.
His muscles tensed when he noticed that Alastair MacLeod was next to her. It was a testament to how shocked he was by Ilysa’s transformation that he did not see the MacLeod chieftain first. He could not bear for her to be so close to their enemy. When he took a step toward them, MacIain stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“I’ll have no trouble between you and the MacLeod here,” his host warned.
Connor relaxed as the MacLeod moved away from Ilysa and into the crowded hall. Suddenly, the man turned and met his gaze, as if he had been aware of Connor watching him all along. The animosity that burned between them could have set the hall on fire.
CHAPTER 19
Feels like we’ve been here a month,” Duncan said when Connor found him at their camp near evening on the second day. “When can we leave?”
“As soon as I get this business of a wife settled.”
All day, Connor had had careful conversations with other chieftains about their marriageable daughters and sisters without committing himself, which had tested his skills and made him sweat. Now it was time to enter into serious negotiations with one of them.
His near mistake with Deirdre made Connor realize that, if the circumstances allowed, he ought to consider the nature of the lass as well as the strength of her clan. Unfortunately, his own judgment had proved fallible when it came to prospective brides. It was a shame Alex was not here, because Alexknewwomen. Duncan was useless on the subject, and Moira let her emotions rule her judgment.
“Who’s that with Ilysa?” Connor asked when he saw her strolling along the shore with a man. “I’m surprised ye let her walk alone with him this far from the castle.”
“That’s the MacNeil,” Duncan said, which explained why he was not concerned. Alex’s father-in-law could be trusted to keep Ilysa safe.
“That’s good,” Connor said. “With all the men I’ve seen following her, she needs watching over.”
He suddenly realized he had failed to tell her he wanted her to return to Trotternish and decided to do it now.
***
Ilysa was grateful to the MacNeil chieftain for taking her outside the crowded castle to enjoy the spring air. Despite his gruff manner, he was easy to talk to.
“Connor isn’t the only man who came to the gathering looking for a wife,” he said after a while. “As ye know, mine died giving birth a short time ago.”
The poor man. “I am sorry,” she said and ventured to touch his arm.
“I have both the new babe and a second young son,” he said. “Of course, I have a nursemaid for the boys, but they need a mother.”
“Mmm,” Ilysa murmured to show she was listening. She wondered why he was sharing this with her, but thought perhaps he wanted her advice.
“And I have three foolish daughters,” he said, “who are badly in need of a sensible woman like you to guide them.”
“Like me?” Ilysa came to an abrupt halt and turned to face him. Could he mean what she thought he did?
“Glynis’s mother is the only woman who had my heart,” he said. “Still, I did my best to be a good husband to my second wife, as I will do with my next one.”
Was this the best she could hope for? Could no man love her? She told herself not to be foolish. MacNeil was a good man and a far better match than she had reason to expect.
“I…” Ilysa faltered, unable to make herself say the words.
