“That’s a bit vague,” Connor said, and Duncan could feel Connor’s eyes drilling into him through the darkness. “What, precisely, do ye plan to do about it?”
“I respect ye as my chieftain, and you’re closer than a brother to me,” Duncan said. “But I cannot let ye wed Moira to another man. If I must, I will fight even you for her.”
The prospect of losing Connor’s friendship was like a hot blade piercing his heart. If he lost this lifelong bond, Duncan would never feel whole again. But as much as it would pain him, he was choosing Moira.
“I intend to marry her this time,” Duncan said and steeled himself to face Connor’s fury.
“It would have been a shame to have to kill ye,” Connor said, his teeth showing white in the darkness as he broke into a grin. “With the way the two of ye have been carrying on, the whole clan is talking—and that was before ye carried her upstairs in front of God and everyone today.”
“Are ye saying I have your approval?” Duncan was stunned. “I thought ye would want Moira to make a marriage alliance for the clan.”
“Ach, marrying her outside the clan has its dangers,” Connor said. “If Moira sticks a dirk in you like she did her last husband, I won’t have to worry about it causing a clan war.”
“There is that,” Duncan said with a dry laugh.
“You’ve always underestimated your value to me and to the clan,” Connor said, his tone serious. “If you are the one Moira wants to wed, I’m glad of it.”
“Well,” Duncan said, and cleared his throat. “Moira has not agreed to it, precisely.”
“Not precisely?” Connor asked.
“She will.” She had to. “I told her we could not marry until we took Trotternish—and ye made me keeper of the castle.”
“Moira was ready to wed, and ye put her off and set conditions on it?” Connor threw his head back and laughed, a rare sound these days. “I wondered what the problem was. Ach, you’re both stubborn as mules.”
“She’s always had a fine home to live in,” Duncan said, defending himself.
“If we succeed in taking Trotternish Castle, it will need a keeper,” Connor said. “You’re the only man I would entrust it to.”
“We will succeed,” Duncan said.
“Did ye ask Moira what she was discussing with James when youinterruptedthem?” Connor asked.
“I don’t want to know.”
“She was telling him that Ragnall is your son, not Sean’s,” Connor said. “She asked him to share that news with the MacQuillans so they would not demand the lad’s return after we bring him home to Dunscaith.”
Duncan’s chest felt tight. While he did not regret carrying her off to her bedchamber, he felt like an ass for shouting at her.
“We should go,” Alex called to them. When Duncan and Connor returned to the boat, Alex said, “After your display in the hall, Duncan, a few of us laid wagers on when you and Moira would wed.”
“You what?” Duncan asked.
“Don’t give me that surly look,” Alex said. “I seem to recall you were the one taking wagers before I wed.”
Duncan had collected a fine bag of coins from it, too.
“Your chieftain wagered a silver coin on your marriage taking place in three weeks,” Connor said, draping his arm around Duncan’s shoulder. “A wise man would remember that.”
“We’ll see you and Ian at the gates of Trotternish Castle in four days,” Duncan said to Connor and climbed into the boat.
“We’ll take the MacLeods by land and by sea,” Connor called out to them, and they raised their fists and echoed back the MacDonald clan motto.
“Air muir ’s air tìr!” By land and by sea!
* * *
“We’re a couple of miles from Trotternish Castle now,” Alex alerted Duncan.
