The Knight's Temptress (Lairds of the Loch) (21 page)

“About that wager,” he said glibly. “In troth, Ian, now that Lady Lina has teased us with the event, methinks you do owe us an explanation.”

“I’ll tell you later, if you insist,” Ian retorted. “But I’d remind you that whilst we eat, courtesy suggests that we let our host choose the topic.”

By the look of Galbraith, that point had been about to leap from his own tongue. But he said mildly that he would like to hear about the rescue instead. Contrary to Lina’s expectation, though, he did not demand that she account for her actions or Lizzie for hers. He let Ian tell a brief tale and asked few questions.

Ian ended his account with their arrival at Dunglass the previous evening, adding, “Since my father values both peace and his neutral position—”

“Aye, sure,” Galbraith interjected. “I ken fine how he thinks, lad. As ye also ken, I was in agreement with him about how best to treat with James Mòr. So I would hear what stirred ye to intervene. Ye left that detail out of your account. I do understand that the ladies’ presence may deter ye. Nevertheless…”

When he paused pointedly, Ian said, “I will gladly answer all of your questions, sir, before Rob, Alex, and I return to Dunglass tomorrow.”

“As to that, ye must realize that the ladies cannot safely stay here. Although Lippin Geordie deterred one set of
James Mòr’s searchers, others will come, so I must stay or leave the tower at risk. But neither Lina nor Lizzie can be here if they do come, so all the women should leave for Tùr Meiloach in the morning. Sithee, Andrew Dubh will take part in naught that ensues at Dumbarton. So he can keep them safe until we sort that out. I did expect our Patrick to protect Lizzie. But—”

“He did naught but say that I’d come by my just deserts,” Lizzie muttered.

“We will talk more about that before ye leave,” Galbraith said, leaning forward to give her a look that subdued her again. “See you,” he added, shifting his attention to Lady Aubrey, “since Patrick has reaffirmed his loyalty to James Mòr, I cannot know that even Lizzie will be safe here or at Bannachra. Nor will Margaret if this whole affair has drawn the rebels’ attention to us.”

“Margaret and Lizzie are both welcome to stay with us at Tùr Meiloach for as long as you think they should,” Lady Aubrey assured him.

“Thank you, I knew you would say so, and Andrew, too. Sithee, Rory could arrive any day, too, since he travels with the duchess. She will be unsympathetic to anyone who hopes to drive her sole remaining son out of Dumbarton.”

“These are difficult times,” Lady Aubrey said. “We must do what we can.”

“We must, aye,” he said. Then, to Ian, he said, “I shall be of more use to ye, too, lad, if I know that Lizzie is safe.”

“I’m glad we’re going with you,” Lizzie whispered to Lina.

“Me, too,” Muriella said from Lina’s other side. She grinned when Lizzie turned toward her, and the two soon fell into conversation across Lina.

Changing seats with Lizzie, Lina conversed politely with Lady Margaret until Lady Aubrey turned to them and murmured, “Shall we go upstairs now?”

Receiving nods, she asked Galbraith to excuse them and rose from her chair.

The other four ladies stood, too. However, when Lizzie moved to follow Lina, Galbraith said, “You will stay, Liz. We’ll talk anon.”

Obediently if unhappily, Lizzie sank back to her stool.

When all the ladies but Lizzie had left the dais, Galbraith turned to Ian. “I’d liefer spare no men to escort them, lad,” he said. “I need my men here, and many of them are fiercely disinclined to set foot on Tùr Meiloach land, as ye might understand. I doubt, though, that your men share that fear.”

Ian knew the tales told about Tùr Meiloach but tended to disbelieve them. Colquhoun insisted that no odd or unusual terrors awaited those who trod on what Andrew Dubh insisted was the sacred land of Tùr Meiloach.

The name meant “little tower guarded by giants,” and men claimed that the beasts of its forests and birds that flew above them were fiercer than normal, that its bogs reached out to drown the unwary, and that mountain landslides had swallowed whole armies. The craggy, precipitous peaks between Loch Lomond and the Loch of the Long Boats did form a toothlike granite ridge, though. And the plain truth was that although Ian had visited Tùr Meiloach, he had done so only by invitation.

He realized that the tangent his thoughts had taken was ill-timed, because Galbraith was eyeing him as if he
expected an answer to a question that Ian had failed to hear. He was about to admit his lack of attention when Alex said, “I have my men with me, sir. I would be honored to escort the ladies to Tùr Meiloach.”

Glancing at Lina’s retreating back as she neared the archway, admiring the way her backside moved beneath her softly clinging skirt, Ian collected wits enough to say gruffly, “Nae need for that, Alex. I brought the lassies this far. I’ll see them to their destination.”

“I’d be grateful to ye, aye,” Galbraith said. “But it does occur to me that Colquhoun must be expecting your swift return.”

“I believe, sir, that it will be at least a sennight yet before any Borderers reach Dunglass. Until they do, we can delay making any decisions. In troth, I’d liefer let them all debate their own plans with each other before I take any part.”

Galbraith’s eyes twinkled. “A wise course, lad. In my experience, every man comes with a plan of his own and will fight buckle and thong for it without listening to anyone else until they all wear themselves out. But do you not fear that such debate may undermine your position as leader?”

“No, sir. I have Jamie’s royal warrant to show if I must. I also have the support of Rob, Alex, and their men, as well as our own. But I doubt that I will meet resistance when the time comes. I just want to avoid squabbles. Meantime, I can see the women safely to Tùr Meiloach. If Rob will come with me, Alex can return to Dunglass to reassure my father and the others that I’ll return as soon as I can. He might also encourage them to discuss every way they can imagine to breach an impregnable castle. Someone just might suggest a plan that can work.”

“You seem confident,” Galbraith said, smiling.

Ian grinned. “When a plan is required, sir, one will present itself.”

Lina followed her mother and Lady Margaret upstairs, with Muriella at her heels. “I’m glad you’ve come back, Lina,” Murie said quietly. “I missed you, and I was terrified for you. Had Galbraith not met me halfway down Glen Fruin and ordered me to turn back, I’d have gone to rescue you myself. Mam was furious with me. But she does understand. I haven’t wanted to worry her about anything else, though. What do
you
think is amiss with Dree?”

Hearing Lady Margaret assure Lady Aubrey that she never snored and thus assured of their inattention, Lina stopped on the stairs and turned to face her sister.

“What makes you think that aught is amiss with her?” she asked.

“I don’t know exactly. I just knew she was in distress.”

“Most likely, she was worried about me,” Lina said. “I feared that you would both try to find me, which would have been gey foolhardy. Sithee, I was in the topmost tower of a castle that sits on a sheer, two-hundred-foot-high rock.”

“Dree’s distress was much greater than what I felt from you that first day,” Murie said. “I think she was in pain, Lina, and gey frightened.”

“It was dreadful for us that day,” Lina said. “She must have sensed that. But when I realized that they weren’t threatening to kill us, I stopped worrying about myself. I did still worry about you and Dree, though.
And
everyone else.”

From the landing above them, Lady Aubrey said,
“Lina, you, Murie, and Lizzie will all sleep in Lizzie’s room. I’ll send Tibby down shortly to see if you need her. But get to bed quickly, and do not talk long. We leave early in the morning and will have plenty of time to talk on the way home.”

“Yes, Mam,” Lina said. Bidding the older women goodnight, she opened Lizzie’s door and motioned for Murie to go ahead. As Lina moved to follow, she remembered the shawl, “Mercy, I’ve forgotten Lady Colquhoun’s shawl. It was so warm that I took it off, and a gillie set it aside for me. I must fetch it at once.”

“I should go with you, or you should wait and take Tibby.”

“Nay, you need not, and I do not need Tib, either. It is not as if this place were teeming with men. The room where Sir Ian, Sir Alex, and Master MacAulay will sleep is on the south stairway, as far from here as it can be. I’ll wager that no one is downstairs now except Galbraith, who is talking to Lizzie, and perhaps Hector. I’ll slip down, fetch the shawl, and be right back.”

“Aye, sure. But if the men
are
still down there, come back for me. And if Mam comes looking for you, do not expect me to tell her aught save the truth.”

Lina smiled. “When have I ever asked you to tell an
un
truth?”

Murie grinned saucily. “Never. But if you did, I would not.”

“How virtuous you are,” Lina said, shaking her head. “I shan’t be long.”

Nor did she mean to be. But as she rounded the last turn before the hall landing, she nearly collided with Sir Ian, carrying his mother’s shawl.

“Oh!” Lina exclaimed, coming to an abrupt halt a step above his.

“Rather careless of you to leave this behind,” he said.

He was too close.

“Aye, it was,” she agreed, stepping back up a step to gain more space.

His eyes danced. “Mayhap I should demand a penance before returning it.”

“You dare,” she said, stiffening and wishing he were not so fiendishly beguiling with that boyish gleam of mischief in his eyes. He was definitely not just a mischievous boy anymore, though. And, for a lady to encourage such behavior…

He looked up, as if to heaven, and murmured, “Just one wee ki—”

“Shame on you, Sir Ian Colquhoun,” she interjected, thinking she sounded just like her mother. “Galbraith cannot know that you are on this stairway.”

“Once again, you are wrong, lass,” he said, his eyes still alight. “He is still with Lizzie on the dais—giving her a well-deserved scolding, I trust. I saw that you had left the shawl and offered to find a maidservant to return it to you. But this is much better. I do think you should thank me prettily for taking so much trouble.”

“I will thank you.
After
you have returned it to me.”

Cocking his head, he held the shawl higher, so she’d have to reach for it.

When she did, he moved it back out of her reach.

Lina lowered her outstretched hand to her side and eyed him sternly from her slightly superior height. “I thought you sought my approval.”

He stepped up to the stair below hers, putting the shawl
out of reach again. His face was now inches higher than hers and his body again much too close for comfort.

“I’d prefer something else just now,” he said softly, looking into her eyes.

Reaching with his left hand for her right wrist, he held it firmly. Apparently oblivious of her attempt to snatch it free, he pressed the shawl into her hand and let go of her wrist, his gaze never leaving hers.

She waited to see what he would do next.

He smiled then, wryly, as if he dared her to walk away.

His lips were tantalizingly close.

Lina shut her eyes.