The Protector

by Allison Butler

  ‘And ended up risking his life to help us when my men and I were attacked on our return home.’

  Angus looked completely surprised by the revelation. ‘When were you attacked?’

  Alastair went on to explain what had happened after they’d left Angus at Aberdeen and the part Duff had played. ‘With Balfour wounded, Duff will take his place.’

  ‘An honoured position,’ Angus said. The hint of rivalry seemed to disappear.

  ‘I am deeply honoured by Alastair Gordon’s offer.’

  ‘In this, only the best will do and your acceptance has given me peace of mind.’

  Duff let Alastair’s compliment slide over him. He was simply pleased to be of assistance.

  ‘Drink so I may show off my prized weapons and find my bed. Tomorrow will be the start of a busy week for all of us.’

  Duff downed his ale, stood with the others and asked, ‘Is there to be a reunion or a Highland festival I’m unaware of?’

  ‘Ah, Duff, forgive me,’ Alastair looked at him. ‘With all that’s happened, I forgot to tell you that Mairi is to marry in a week.’ Duff felt as if someone drove their fist into his stomach. ‘Angus here is the first of the three men I have invited here for Mairi to choose from. It will be your job to watch over her while she is being courted.’

  The invisible fist suddenly became a granite boulder and dropped into the pit of his gut.

  Chapter Eight

  After a fitful sleep, Mairi rose at dawn to wash and dress, ready to greet her final two suitors. It was her habit to see to her own needs, only calling on her maid Rhona to aid her when necessary. It was better this way.

  The blue gown she wore today laced up at the sides and was easily reached. A blessing, as she needed this precious time alone to prepare herself for what this day and the next seven would bring. She combed her hair and paused mid-stroke. Did Duff now know she was to wed?

  Whether he did or not hardly mattered. But if he did know, how had he taken the news? She dragged the comb through her hair. She’d done her best to avoid him, believing he’d be leaving this morning. But as he couldn’t protect her from afar, she’d now be spending more time in his company. She laid the comb on the table and tossed the mass of natural waves behind her. Her thoughts shouldn’t be on the man her father had set to guard her, but on the men her father had invited here to court her.

  She’d been a child when she’d last seen Angus Hay and had to confess she’d thought him old then. Her opinion of him hadn’t altered. He had kind eyes, of a light brown hue, but they were of a lighter colour than was her preference. Odd that until now she hadn’t known she preferred darker eyes.

  She turned to inspect her room, knowing the bed would be tidied the moment she left. The bed she would share with her new husband when she chose him.

  She smoothed her palms down the silk covering her hips and drew a quieting breath. This was her lot, her duty. She’d do it well and make her father proud.

  With a decisive nod she walked to the door and pulled it open. A masculine figure stood guard at the entrance to her room. Dark hair brushed broad shoulders that tapered down to a lean waist, hands casually clasped behind his back, feet braced wide. He stepped to one side and turned to greet her.

  ‘Good morn, Lady Mairi.’ His voice sounded crisp. His look direct. He offered her a bow.

  He knew she was to wed. She sensed it and suffered a brief moment of loss. Duty! ‘Good morn, Duff.’ She eyed his face and attire, looking for signs he’d been standing outside her door all night. The thought made her feel safe. He looked fresh and well rested. Handsome. Rugged. Her belly fluttered. ‘Have you been standing here long?’

  ‘Nae, My Lady. I thought it wise to speak with you about my duties before we descend into the hall.’

  ‘What precisely did you want to talk about?’

  His gaze lowered. ‘Like you, I take my duties seriously, My Lady.’ That he’d noticed caused a burst of warmth to join the fluttering in her stomach. ‘I have accepted your father’s offer to be your personal guard for a short term and when I take on a task, I never fail.’ She believed him. ‘But to succeed in something where another is involved, there may be certain times and certain matters when I will request and need your cooperation for your safety’s sake.’ Mairi’s heart beat a little quicker at his intensity.

  ‘I understand we met under poor circumstances and you wished me gone,’ he continued, keeping his gaze lowered. She had wished him gone. She’d also had other wishes. ‘But this I need to know.’ He finally looked at her. Dark eyes, almost black, stared, unblinking. ‘If asked, can you give me your full cooperation without question?’

  He was asking her to trust him. A stranger. She couldn’t. Not fully. Not after … but would he turn down her father’s offer even after accepting, if she said no? Who would her father ask to fulfil such a duty then? Oddly, despite him being a stranger, she’d been standing alone with him outside her chamber yet felt no fear.

  ‘I can only say I’ll do my best and hope the need to place my life in your hands does not arise.’

  He studied her eyes a moment more. ‘Your best is all I ask, My Lady.’

  Mairi wanted to ask him to stop calling her ‘My Lady’, but it was safer to keep this small distance between them. Instead she said, ‘Is that all you wanted to discuss?’

  ‘Aye. Unless you have something you care to add.’

  She wanted to tell him his voice was like a warm cloth trailing the length of her spine, but of course she could not. She couldn’t believe she’d even noticed such a thing.

  ‘There is nothing.’ She started for the stairs, fully aware Duff followed close behind and slightly to her right. ‘I trust you found my father’s weapon collection satisfactory?’

  ‘His collection is impressive.’

  ‘Father is proud of it.’ She lifted her skirts and descended.

  ‘But you do not like it.’ He spoke as if he was certain.

  ‘Weapons have their uses, but I do not care for swords or blades of any kind.’ Her stomach tightened thinking Duff would ask more questions, but to her relief they reached the Great Hall without further conversation.

  Mairi crossed the hall and as she normally did, she scanned the chamber to ensure all preparations for breaking their fast were on schedule. But today it was imperative that all went well to prove she was skilled in overseeing everyday tasks. She was pleased the servants had just finished setting out the trestles and benches.

  She breathed in the delicious scent of freshly baked bread and entered the kitchen. As always, the hum of friendly banter between the maids and kitchen-hands hushed at her arrival. All eyes swung toward her, but this morn, instead of lowering, they stayed on her.

  ‘The last loaves are being pulled from the oven now,’ Cook informed her.

  Mairi nodded, turned to leave and her face almost collided with Duff’s chest. If he hadn’t stepped back and to the side …

  ‘I do not think it necessary for you to follow me so closely within the Great Tower,’ she said quietly, as she exited the kitchen.

  ‘As your personal guard, I believe it is necessary to follow you closely wherever you go.’

  She slowed and asked, ‘You do not think I am safe within my father’s walls?’

  ‘Your father hired me to ensure you are safe anywhere, including inside this tower. More so now that you have a guest staying beneath this roof, with two others yet to come.’

  She’d been right. He did know she was to marry. Was knowing the reason for his change in manner toward her? There seemed to be a distance of sorts between them now. None of her insults had had the desired effect for long, yet accepting the role as her personal guard had. It seemed he did take his duty as seriously as she did. She didn’t appreciated sharing such a trait with Duff.

  Mairi reached her seat as her father and Angus Hay found theirs. She greeted them both and Angus stepped forward and pulled out her chair. With a nod of thanks, she took her seat beside her father and
Angus claimed the chair on the opposite side. It was strange seeing someone other than Duff occupying the space on her father’s right. Despite the short amount of time he’d sat there, his placement seemed well suited somehow. Strange that she hadn’t thought on the matter until another had taken his place.

  The now familiar smell of pine told her he stood behind her. Not so close as to touch her but near enough that she could feel his presence. Had he broken his fast already?

  Dear Lord help her. She had to stop thinking of him and start focusing on the man sitting at the table. One of the men who could possibly become her husband. She had a huge decision to make and should be learning all she could about Angus Hay instead of concentrating on someone who only remained because of his duty as her personal guard.

  Bowls of steaming oats and platters of smoked ham and cheeses were delivered to the table, accompanied by warm, brown loaves that had only been removed from the ovens moments ago.

  Mairi lifted the crock of heather honey and drizzled some over her oats. ‘I hope your chamber is satisfactory, Angus.’

  ‘My thanks, Lady Mairi.’ The bread and smoked ham he held paused halfway to his mouth. ‘My chamber is more than comfortable.’

  ‘But not as impressive as my weapons chamber,’ her father stated with a proud smile.

  ‘You have the right of it, Laird Gordon,’ Angus said, slowly shaking his head. ‘My eldest brother and Laird of Clan Hay boasts a fine weapon collection, but your swords alone far outdo his. Please don’t tell him I said so,’ he finished with a smile that took five years from his appearance.

  ‘Never fear. Your secret is safe with us,’ her father assured with a chuckle, and then a sudden cough.

  Mairi stared at her father for a moment then peered down at her bowl. She needed to speak with Tavie about her father’s cough. It wasn’t getting better. Her stomach clenched at the thought.

  ‘How many brothers do you have?’ Her query was meant to distract herself and steer the conversation away from weapons.

  Angus sat back in his chair. ‘I am the third son and have one other younger.’

  ‘Nae sisters?’

  ‘None.’

  A pity. Such an odd thought for Mairi. She had no sisters and no women friends and had never imagined looking forward to having a woman come to visit or stay.

  Did Duff have any sisters?

  She held her silence and ate her oats while the men finished breaking their fast. Just as she downed the last of her watered wine, Douglas approached and whispered in her father’s ear.

  ‘Show him in and see to their needs and mounts,’ her father directed. Douglas left and her father turned his smile on her. ‘Your next suitor has come.’

  Mairi swallowed and nodded to hide her nervousness. The man looming at her back seemed to crowd closer and, as foolish as it seemed, she felt herself relax knowing he was near. She met her father’s gaze then glanced at Angus Hay, who appeared to grow an inch in height where he sat.

  Lifting her chin she turned to witness the arrival of one of his two opponents and her second suitor.

  Her first glimpse was of black, wind-blown hair that brushed the tops of straight, wide shoulders. Shoulders that swayed as he walked with a confidence she was certain many a man wished for. A long face beheld high cheekbones and a jaw that tapered to a chin that cradled a deep-set dimple, positioned just below a mouth that looked confusingly hard and soft all at once.

  The sword strapped to his hip glinted silver against the green and blue of his clan’s plaid. Mairi moved her gaze upward and away from the blade. An equal in height to Duff, the man’s dark colouring and masculine security in who he was matched her current personal guard almost perfectly. Almost, except for his eyes.

  Pale blue, ghostly eyes, swept the occupants of the table as he advanced. No hint of what he thought showed on his face. Another likeness he shared with Duff. He had at least ten less summers to his name than Angus Hay, but had several more years than the man standing behind her.

  He reached the laird’s table and stopped directly in front of the man who had asked him to come. ‘I bid you and your company a good morn, Laird Gordon, and give my thanks for the invitation.’

  Her father stood and clasped hands with his newest arrival. ‘Welcome to Gordon, Ewan Strachan. This is my daughter, Mairi and this is another of my guests, Angus Hay.’

  Mairi stood and Ewan Strachan took her hand across the board and brought it to his lips. Soft, she decided as he brushed them across the back of her hand. The air behind her shifted and thickened.

  ‘If I’d known you were such a beauty I would have scaled Gordon’s walls sooner,’ Ewan said with confidence.

  Mairi felt heat rise in her cheeks at his flattery. The man would need more than pretty words to win her. While he might appear Duff’s equal, there was something vital lacking.

  His pale gaze left her and settled on something, or rather someone, over her shoulder.

  ‘And is this also another rival for your hand, Lady Mairi?’

  Her cheeks burned. ‘This is Duff Elliot, my personal guard,’ Mairi said, extracting her hand from his.

  ‘Balfour, Mairi’s usual guard, was injured during an attack yester morn as we were returning from Hay,’ her father added. ‘Duff aided us and has the best sword skills I have ever seen.’

  The very air seemed to crackle with a sudden tension at her father’s explanation. Did Ewan believe his sword skills were better than Duff’s?

  ‘Then you have chosen her protector well, Laird Gordon.’

  ‘Would you care to join us and break your fast?’ Mairi offered, as a sense of relief slid through her. She’d obviously been mistaken to think there was cause for a challenge between Duff and Ewan.

  ‘My thanks, but I have already eaten.’ His attention finally left Duff and he smiled at her. ‘But I will join you.’ He skirted the table and pulled out the chair to her left. ‘Tell me, Lady Mairi,’ he said settling into his seat, ‘How many men has your father set against me to win your hand?’

  His directness surprised her a little but she preferred it to secrets. ‘I believe he has invited three men to Gordon, including you, Ewan Strachan.’

  ‘You’ll not have long to wait to meet the last of Mairi’s prospective suitors, Ewan,’ her father added. ‘I expect he’ll arrive shortly.’

  ‘Good,’ Ewan said. ‘I like to know exactly who and what I am up against.’ His gaze found and locked with Angus Hay’s on her father’s far side.

  Again Mairi noted a change in the air and the men had only just been introduced. How much worse would it be once her third suitor arrived and all shared the same room and breathing space?

  ‘I understand we are neighbours of sorts, Ewan,’ she said into the thickening silence.

  ‘That we are. Though I have only had the pleasure of meeting you once before and that was many years ago.’

  ‘You have brothers and a sister, aye?’

  ‘You have a good memory, Lady Mairi.’ He smiled a white-toothed smile. ‘My eldest brother is Laird of Strachan Keep. I also have another two. My sister is three summers younger than I, but married years ago and lives with her husband’s people to the west.’

  ‘Do you see her often?’ Mairi was curious to know.

  ‘Only twice in the twelve years she has been wed.’

  A commotion at the Great Hall’s entrance drew everyone’s attention. Douglas was heading toward them with a man of some years in tow. Her third and final suitor had arrived.

  Mairi drew a slow deep breath and studied the newest arrival’s length from head to toe. Straight, wheat-coloured hair streaked with silver strands fell just below his ears. Like the others, his jaw was scraped clean of any whiskers. Deep-set grey-blue eyes studied those who were studying him in return. The matching lines bracketing each side of his mouth deepened as his lips stretched into a smile. A smattering of lines crinkled and deepened about the outer edges of his eyes.

  Her father stood, nodded his thanks to D
ouglas and, smiling broadly, stretched out his hand and offered it to his guest. ‘Welcome to Gordon, Ranald Barclay. This is my daughter, Mairi.’

  Mairi stood, as her father introduced both Angus Hay and Ewan Strachan. Ranald Barclay acknowledged her other suitors, took her hand and bowed over it, offering her a greater smile as he did so.

  Mairi’s instant liking of the man she hadn’t seen for a decade wobbled as she noticed his gaze settled and then narrowed on the man standing at her back.

  Her father must have noticed the direction he was looking, for he said, ‘And this is Duff Elliot. He has kindly taken on the task of guarding my precious daughter while you three do your best to impress her.’

  ‘You must forgive my staring, Duff Elliot, but you remind me of someone.’

  ‘It is a pleasure to meet you, Ranald Barclay, and there is naught to forgive.’ Duff’s velvet, smooth tones washed over Mairi. ‘Nae doubt I look like a hundred other men you’ve seen.’

  Mairi had to stop herself from disagreeing with such a ridiculous notion. If there were a hundred men who looked like Duff she was certain she wouldn’t have been mesmerised by his dark appearance the moment she’d set eyes on him. Even her three suitors fell short of snaring her immediate attention. They might have small similarities in manner or features, but when put together to form a whole, Duff was the one who caused her belly to—

  ‘Mairi?’ Her father spoke her name and cleared his throat. ‘Are you well, lass?’

  ‘I’m fine, Father.’ It was only then that she noticed everyone’s eyes were focussed on her. She’d been so busy comparing her personal guard’s looks and traits to those of her three suitors that she’d obviously missed something of import. ‘I’m sorry, gentlemen. My mind has wandered. It is not often I am surrounded by so many handsome men.’ To her relief her father lost the serious expression he wore and her suitors all smiled at her compliment. ‘Will you not join us, Ranald Barclay?’

  ‘It would be my honour,’ Ranald said, as he walked around the table’s end and pulled out the chair to Ewan’s left. ‘It has been many years since we last met, Lady Mairi. Those years have been kind to you.’