Page 27 of The Mad Highlander
Cayden was shocked to see the young man who had fought him in the previous meeting standing.
His eyes were filled with fire as he met their gazes with an unwavering glare. “Nae man will say that I am a coward, an’ I hope that the example I am giving show the men who are loyal to me that we will stand by our own.”
Cayden nodded as the rest of the men remained seated. “Good man, I will forever be in yer debt. I will wait for the rest of yer replies, but I dinnae expect them to be an aye, nor will I look atany of ye differently if ye say nay.” He turned again, leaving the room this time as Hunter followed suit.
The silence that continued behind the closed doors let them both know that nobody else had joined the young man.
“Now, that was a surprise that I wasnae expecting; it would seem as if yer ugly mug can actually persuade a room.” Hunter whistled through his teeth as they made their way down the hall.
Cayden shook his head, ignoring his friend’s jab. “I wasnae expecting any support, but I am glad that at least one man is willing to fight.”
Hunter nodded. “An’ I meant what I said, ye will have me men at yer disposal. I will arrange for one of the neighboring clans to have our backs as well. Ye never ken what can go wrong with situations like this.”
“Aye, I am truly grateful to ye.” Cayden felt a deep sense of pride at the way Hunter always had his back.
“That aside, when are ye planning on making the lass yer wife? I meant what I said, I want to attend yer handfasting. There are nae enough problems in the world to keep me from drinking a toast at yer banquet.” Hunter held his head high as if he meant every word he was saying.
“Nae until I’ve gotten Ashton back,” Cayden said coolly.
“Now, why in the God’s name would ye wait that long? I have nae met the lass yet, but I can tell ye now that men have spoken of her beauty for as long as I can recall. Iris McCabe has denied many a hand in marriage. Yer a lucky man, an’ I dinnae think ye should tempt fate by waiting.” Hunter spoke more seriously.
Something uncomfortable nudged at the back of his mind as Cayden listened to his friend speak. He had noticed that Iris was exceptionally beautiful from the moment he laid eyes on her, but he hadn’t realized that other men had noticed her either. It made sense to him that she would have drawn attention, yet she seemed so focused on her brother that he hadn’t even considered the fact.
“I willnae marry her until I’ve held up me end of the bargain.” He spoke with an air of finality, hoping that Hunter would lay the matter to rest.
Pausing, Hunter tilted his head to the side before allowing a bright smile to crack his face. “Well, I will be dammed; I never thought I would live to see the day.” He shook his head in amusement and looked down, pursing his lips into an impressed smile.
“What are ye getting at?” Cayden felt his annoyance growing again.
Lifting his hands in a mock surrender, Hunter took a step back. “Nothing, nothing, all I meant was that I can see that the lass has gotten under yer skin.”
“Ye better clarify what ye are saying ’afore I lose me temper.” Cayden bristled under his friends’ teasing.
“I never thought I’d see the day when Cayden Hart was trying to prove his worth to a lass.” Hunter grinned from ear to ear, narrowing his eyes at Cayden.
“I am nae trying to prove meself to Iris, I made a deal with her cousin. Any man worth his word would do the same thing.” His jaw clenched in anger before he turned to leave.
Why did everyone around him insist on making his life so difficult? He had agreed to marry her; why did they need to tease and push him all the time?
Hunter’s laughter carried down the hall. “Aye, any man would have waited, but ye are nae just any man. Ye are Cayden Hart, an’ I never thought I would see the day when Cayden Hart allowed his mind to be influenced by a lass!” he called after Cayden.
“She isnae influencing me!” Cayden called back angrily, wanting to place as much distance between them as possible.
“Keep telling yerself that, Cayden; ye might just believe it if ye do!”
Cayden sighed heavily and stormed away in search of Iris. He had made a promise to her, and he wasn’t about to go back on it just because Hunter had annoyed him.
12
Iris felt her heart sinking when she entered the dining hall to see that Cayden was again nowhere to be seen. He had promised her the day before that he’d make a bigger effort to spend time with her, yet he hadn’t been at breakfast or even lunch.
Perhaps he’s busy coming up with a plan for Ashton.
She reassured herself that there was more than likely an explanation for his absence.
“There ye are, dear.” Margot looked up and greeted Iris with the same kindness that she was beginning to grow accustomed to.
“I’m sorry if I’m late; I ventured into the gardens this afternoon and didn’t realize how far I had gone until the sun began to set,” Iris explained, pulling back her chair and taking a seat.
