Caution urged her to take a step back, but she forced herself not to cower before him. She found courage in the knowledge that she was his brother’s wife, and Jamie would kill him if he harmed her.
He scanned the hall and then demanded without preamble, “Where’s my brother?”
The flat voice echoed in her consciousness, sending a shudder of horrible memories reverberating through her, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. She remembered with some satisfaction the punch she’d thrown in his face and could see that he remembered it as well.
“As you can see, he’s not here.”
His eyes narrowed at her impudent tone. “When will he return?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where did he go?”
Caitrina felt some of her old spirit rising inside her. How dare he burst into her home and question her as if she were one of his lackeys. Her temper flared. “My husband did not confide in me the details of his travel plans.”
His cold gaze leveled on her. “Watch your tongue, lass. Unlike my brother, I do not tolerate disrespect from women. Even from family.”
“You are not my family,” she snapped, though she realized it was the awful truth. His smile only further infuriated her. Discretion escaped her. “I am the lady of this keep, and I’ll thank you to remember it. Consider yourself fortunate that I don’t have you tossed out of here after what you did.”
If he felt any guilt, he did not show it, but he did moderate his tone. “Your father was harboring outlaws, he knew well the consequences of his actions.” He paused, looking her over with a considered stare. “But I didn’t realize what you were to my brother.”
The concession surprised her. “Would it have made a difference?”
He shrugged indifferently. “I don’t know. What’s done is done. I cannot change the past.”
And as much as she wanted to, neither could she. If she and Jamie were to have a future, somehow she would need to find a way to exist with this man. Though she hoped she would not be forced to endure his company for long. “Why are you here? What is it that you want?”
At first she didn’t think he intended to answer her, but after a few moments he explained, “My men and I were attacked last night as we rode to Dunoon. If not for the timely arrival of some of my cousin’s men, we would have been overwhelmed.”
Caitrina couldn’t help the feeling of disappointment that filled her. She would not mourn Colin Campbell’s death. But disappointment swiftly turned to trepidation when she realized the significance of the timing of the attack. “What does that have to do with Jamie?”
“I’ve reason to suspect that he might have knowledge of the men who attacked me.”
Ice trickled through her veins, but she gave no sign of how his words had affected her. “Why would you think that?”
“Because we followed some of the outlaws to Bute.”
It seemed her fears had been realized: Niall had to be responsible. She dared not ask the question she most wanted to know: the toll of dead among the attackers.
“And why should my husband know about this?”
“Bute is his damn responsibility. He was charged with clearing this isle of outlaws, and if he can’t handle it, I’ll damn well do it for him.”
Dear God, no!
“I’m sure you are mistaken,” she said evenly, trying to calm her rising panic. “There are no outlaws on Bute.”
“Is that so?”
His voice made her skin prickle with alarm. “Of course it’s true.”
“That’s strange, since I swore I recognized one of the men as your brother. Your brother who is supposed to be dead.”
She froze, fighting to control her reaction, but every bone in her body wanted to shake. “My brothers are dead,” she said flatly. “You should know, as you were the one who killed them.”
His mouth fell in a hard, flat line, and his eyes glimmered with anticipation. “I fear not well enough, sister. But it’s a mistake I will soon rectify.”
Too disturbed to maintain her composure any longer, Caitrina left Colin in the hall and retreated to her chamber to anxiously await Jamie’s return. Colin, she suspected, was preparing to search the hills and caves, and she prayed Jamie came back before he did. If Colin found them first, her brothers and her father’s men would have no chance.
What a mess. She should have trusted Jamie. If she had, maybe this could have been prevented. Justified or not, Niall had attempted to murder one of the most powerful men in the Highlands. After what Colin had done to her family, she did not blame her brother, but she wondered if something else had provoked the sudden attack. Something that had to do with the strange man Mor mentioned. None of that mattered—Niall would die no matter what the reason if Auchinbreck found him.
By midday, her prayers were answered. When the call went up, she rushed to the window in her chamber in time to see Jamie ride through the barmkin gate. Wanting to avoid another confrontation with Colin, she waited—impatiently—for him to come to her.
The minutes dragged on. Finally, after about half an hour, she heard the heavy footfalls tread up the stairs and cross the corridor. A moment later, the door opened.
Though the fire had burned low, the room heated with his presence. She could feel the anger radiating from him. Anxiously, her eyes flickered to his face.
His mouth was drawn in a tight line, and his visage bore the marks of his journey. She wondered if he’d slept more than a few hours since he’d left. His lips were chapped raw from the cold, and lines were imprinted around his eyes as if he’d been squinting into the icy rain. Soaked to the skin, he looked as if he’d slogged through bad weather for days—which he probably had.
She wanted to go to him, but the forbidding look on his face stopped her. “Jamie, I—”
“You know what has happened.” His voice was hard and flat.
God, he’d never looked at her so coldly. She knew then that he realized she’d lied to him. Fear ripped through her. Surely he would understand? She’d been in an impossible situation, divided between two loyalties.
And you didn’t choose him, a voice inside her head reminded her.
She’d always thought him imposing, but never had he seemed so unreachable. Never had he held himself so apart from her. She’d hurt him, she realized. By not giving him my trust, I’ve made him think I don’t care for him. How would she explain?
He was waiting for her reply. “Yes, your brother informed me of his purpose for being here.”
The mention of his brother seemed to trigger his conscience. “I’m sorry that you had to be here alone when Colin arrived. I’m sure it was difficult for you.”
She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze. “It was.”
“He mentioned that you threatened to toss him out.”
Her cheeks burned, not sure what Jamie’s reaction would be. Colin might be the devil, but he was Jamie’s brother. “I did,” she admitted.
“I would have liked to see that.”
For a moment, she thought she detected the shadow of a smile, but then his gaze hardened. “You know what this means, don’t you? If your clansmen are found responsible for the attack on my brother, not only will they have broken the truce, but they will be charged with murder. My brother is out for blood, and their actions have put all of us in jeopardy.”
“What do you mean?”
“When we married, I took surety for the Lamonts. I am responsible for their behavior, and my brother wants me to pay. Colin was furious that Argyll gave me Ascog when he thought it belonged to him by right.”
The blood drained from her face. Niall’s rash actions had put Ascog in jeopardy. Her dream of returning their lands to the Lamonts was slipping through her fingers. And what would become of Niall and Brian and the others? Her eyes shot to her husband. “You must do something.”
“It’s a little late to ask for my help now, Caitrina.”
Her heart stopped, hearing the censure in his words. Late. Was he telling her
it was too late for them? “I’m sorry,” she said. “You must believe that I never meant for this to happen.”
His eyes pierced her with accusation. “Is what my brother said true? Was your brother Niall with them?”
Did you lie to me? She heard the unspoken question. Her eyes burned as she met his gaze unflinchingly and nodded.
He let out a vile oath that shook her—the uncharacteristic loss of control proof of the extent of his anger. “When?” he demanded.
“Not long ago. I only discovered that they lived when you were called away to Dunoon.”
“They?”
Her mouth lifted in a smile. Even in the circumstances, the joy she felt at the thought of her brothers’ survival could not be dampened. “Brian survived as well as Niall.”
She explained how they’d escaped and what had happened after the battle—how they’d fled to Eire and returned only when news of the MacGregor’s surrender reached them. She left out the part of them fighting with the MacGregors, but when she told him of Brian’s recent injury, he no doubt realized how it had occurred.
The whole time she’d been speaking, he’d been watching her face carefully. “I’m happy for you, lass.” She could hear in his voice that he was. “I know how much they mean to you. You must have been overjoyed.”
She blinked back the tears. “I was. I am. I still can’t quite believe it.”
“If you’d told me the truth, I might have been able to prevent them from coming to any harm.”
“I wanted to tell you, but Niall swore me to secrecy.”
“I’m sure he did, but you should never have agreed, knowing that in doing so you would be keeping something like this from me.”
“It’s not that simple. Niall swore that he would leave if I did not agree—and Brian was so ill, I feared that it would kill him. He said that you would throw them in the dungeon.”
“And you believed them?” His voice was deceptively even.
“No.”
He gave her a measured look, challenging her claim with his cool, assessing gaze.
“At least I hoped you wouldn’t,” she admitted. “But I know how you feel about outlaws and your duty to the law.”
“You are my wife,” he said stonily.
She could tell by his voice that her lack of faith had hurt him. “I know that. But there’s also your cousin to consider. I feared what he would do if he discovered they were alive.”
“Your fears, as it turns out, were misplaced.”
“What do you mean?”
“If it was discovered that your brothers lived, Argyll promised to be lenient.”
“But why would he agree to that?”
“He had much to account for.”
She realized what must have happened. Jamie had exacted payment from Argyll for the wrong he’d done him in mercy for her brothers. “You did that for me?”
He nodded.
“You never told me.”
“You never gave me the opportunity.”
Because I didn’t tell him the truth.
“Where are they, Caitrina?”
She hesitated a second too long.
“Bloody hell!” he exploded. “You want my help, but you still don’t trust me.”
“I do trust you, I do.” She could sense him pulling away from her and clutched his arm. She had to do something. Tilting her head back, she looked deep into his eyes and somehow found the words that she’d been unable to voice but had been in her heart all along. “I …” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I love you.”
Something flickered in his gaze, and his muscles went rigid under her fingertips. “If only I could believe that.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Why now, Caitrina? I know how much your brothers mean to you and that you’d say anything to help them. But it isn’t necessary. I’d help them anyway.”
Caitrina was incredulous. She’d finally found the courage to voice her feelings and he refused to hear her. “You don’t believe me?”
“Love means trust. You can’t have one without the other.”
“You don’t understand. I promised—”
“To hell with your promise.” He took her elbow and shook her angrily. “Tell me where I can find them. If you don’t tell me what you know, I won’t be able to help them.”
“But what about Colin?”
His face was grim, not hiding the truth. “You better hope that I find them first.”
Her blood ran cold. He was right. The hills would be blanketed with Campbells in an hour. If Colin found her brothers, there would be no mercy. Of course, there was a chance that they would evade discovery, but it wasn’t a chance she was willing to take.
She debated but knew she didn’t have much choice. She had to trust that Jamie would help them. Still, breaking her word to her brother did not sit well with her. Niall would be furious. But what else could she do? She’d rather have them angry than dead.
Sensing her struggle, Jamie said gently, “I can protect them, Caitrina.”
She looked deep into his eyes and saw only sincerity. “Promise you won’t let Colin harm them.”
“I’ll do everything in my power to see that they come to no harm, but I can only do that if you tell me where they are.”
There was no time left for indecision. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she nodded. If I’m wrong …
No. She trusted Jamie with her life. And now she trusted him with her brothers’ lives as well. “Very well. I’ll take you there.”
“No,” he said flatly. “It’s too dangerous.”
The overprotectiveness toward her was to be expected, but she would have none of it—not with something this important. “There is no other way. I would not be able to give you directions, and my brother and his men will be lying in wait. If they see you, they are liable to put an arrow in you. I’ll go first and explain.” Lord knows what I will say. “I’ve been many times before without incident.”
His mouth tightened at the reference to her secret. “But not with my brother and his men roaming the hills. Someone else must know where they are. What about the old woman?”
Caitrina would not be dissuaded; Mor would not be able to explain. “I’m going. I need to be the one to explain.” He looked ready to argue, but she stopped him. “Please, Jamie, I need to do this. I promise to be careful, and you’ll be there with me.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to see you get in the middle of anything.”
“I’m already in the middle,” she said softly.
He was silent for a moment, studying her face. “Please,” she said one more time.
She could see the conflict war across his features. Finally, he swore. “Very well, but you must promise to do exactly as I say.”
“You mean follow orders,” she said dryly.
He didn’t see the humor. “That’s precisely what I mean,” he snapped. “If I so much as blink in your direction, you’ll listen. If I say jump, you do it.” His voice grew more insistent. “I mean it, Caitrina. No arguments. No questions. Understood?”
Knowing he would not allow her to go otherwise, she agreed—albeit reluctantly. “What about your brother?” she asked.
“He rode out a short while ago. Let’s hope in the wrong direction.”
“Then we’d best not waste any time.” She strode to the ambry and pulled out a heavy wool cloak to wear over her arisaidh. Tossing it around her shoulders, she hurried to the door that Jamie was holding open.
They were standing so close, yet the distance between them had never felt greater. For a moment, it seemed time stood still. They stood at the door, eyes locked in a silent struggle. She wanted to lift up on her toes and give him a kiss, to throw herself into his embrace and feel a moment of comfort—the knowledge that everything was going to be all right. That together they would get through this.
If only she could be sure.
To Jamie there was right and there was wrong, and by lying to him, she had betrayed
him—or so he thought. He didn’t see that she hadn’t had a choice. Nor had he believed her declaration of love. Once her brothers were safe, she swore she would do whatever it took to convince him that she’d spoken in earnest.
Finally, he dropped his gaze and stepped through the doorway, allowing her to cross. Inexplicably disappointed, she started down the hall.
“Caitrina.”
His voice stopped her in her tracks. She turned, seeing him still standing outside their chamber, watching her. “Yes?”
His eyes pinned her, hard and unyielding. “Don’t ever lie to me again.”
Though it was only late afternoon, twilight fell like a black curtain through the trees. With winter coming on strong, the days had shortened considerably. But in the dense forest, where it was difficult for light to penetrate in the best of circumstances, there was an eerie, unsettled feeling floating through the ghostly mist. Many Highlanders avoided the hills and forests, believing them to be the mystical domain of fairies.
It wasn’t fairies that worried Jamie, but his wife.
Caitrina had led them to a tree-lined ridge opposite the cave. From here, they had a good view of the surrounding hillside but were far enough away to avoid detection by the Lamonts. Jamie scanned the trees, seeing the remaining two Lamont sentries posted beyond the entrance to the cave. They’d already captured the man who served as the perimeter warning, and Jamie’s men had circled around to take the two others—waiting only for his signal to do so.
He’d promised to give her a few moments alone with her brothers to explain, but something didn’t feel right. He should never have allowed her to come, but he’d seen the determination on her face and understood the source. Hell, he admired her for it. It wouldn’t be easy to face her brothers’ wrath.
Just as it hadn’t been easy for her to face his. He’d been furious and frustrated, but most of all betrayed. For two days, he’d ridden nonstop across Cowal and Argyll, searching for any sign of her clansmen, hoping to prevent disaster. News of the attack on his brother had reached him in Dumbarton west of Loch Lomond, and suspecting those responsible, he’d ridden hell-bent for leather back to Rothesay. Finding Colin here had only made matters worse. His brother would demand retribution and wouldn’t be happy to see the Lamonts spared. But Jamie had no doubt his cousin would keep his word—whatever Colin’s demands.
The Campbell Trilogy Page 28