Page 51 of When a Highlander Vows
Keeping her voice low, Paige said, “Me goodness, Bram really is the most shameless flirt. But I am nae surprised he took a shine to ye, Lass.”
“Och? Why?” Caitlin asked, feeling all aflutter.
In the space of a week or so, she had received more male attention than she had in the whole of her life. It was odd and slightly disconcerting. Paige chuckled and shook her head.
“Really, Caitlin, I thought at first that the way ye acted so innocent was on purpose, to bring the men to ye, but I am beginnin’ to see that it is nae an act at all.”
“Nay! Honestly, I…” she paused, “I’m afraid I havenae had much experience with people, men especially, besides me own brother. Me eyesight began to fade years ago, and it kept me inside a lot of the time. People stopped visitin’ and invitin’ me, and they thought of me as broken.”
“Och, what a sad thing, Caitlin. I am sorry for that.” Caitlin met Paige’s eyes, and she smiled at her. “Truly.”
“Thank ye.”
“Now, I want to tell ye. Of course, the lad is practically ready to jump over the counter at ye. Ye are the bonniest lass in the Castle and the surroundin’ hills!”
Caitlin found she really did not know what to say to that.
“I think ye should enjoy yerself, Lass,” Paige added as they walked through the village street. “Allow him to pay a visit to ye. Yer merriment last evenin’ was just the beginnin’. It is time to finally see yerself as anythin’ but broken.”
26
Lucas was about to tear the men in front of him limb from limb. It was raining, and the clansmen who surrounded him were stubborn as angry mules, digging their heels in before they would listen to him.
“What in the bloody blazes is goin’ on? I made the border line the last time I came, spoke to both sides, and yet the lot of ye seem to enjoy fightin’ one another. Why call me away from the Castle each time ye cannae come to an agreement? Are ye nae bloody grown men?”
The men on MacGregor land stood silent, their brawny arms crossed against their wide chests. On his own land, the clansmen were equally silent, but he could see the guilt on their faces. At least his men were somewhat loyal to him.
“There has been a miscommunication,” the tallest one on the MacGregor side said, eyeing Lucas angrily. “We dinnae agree.After ye left, yer men changed it again, pushing farther onto our side.”
“That is a filthy lie!” on his own men said, stepping forward.
Quickly, Lucas reached out and put a hand on his man’s chest, pushing him back. “For Heaven’s sake, Lads. It is but a few inches’ difference.”
He could not understand why this was happening. When his father was alive, he was certain he hadn’t had to deal with any of this nonsense. While his father was a cruel man as well as bloodthirsty, he certainly got things done. Lucas wiped a hand over his face, clearing it of the icy raindrops. He put his hands on his hips.
“Well, then why dae we nae make a new agreement?” He straddled the border line, looking up at the growing gray clouds.
The rain would only get worse, and when he eyed Archie listening to him, he saw the same tiredness on his friend’s face. They were both frustrated by the useless return to the border to deal with the tiny bickering of idiot men.
“Leave space here the length of an arm. Then at least, the both of ye lose a little so that is nae just one gainin’ more than the other. The land here is nae even worthy of a till. Rocks abound, but it seems to matter to ye both. What say ye to that?”
A rumble of thunder caused a fresh rush of rain. Instead of a verbal answer, both groups of men nodded their heads.
“Fine.” He pulled his dirk from his side and knelt down, stabbing the blade into the ground and dug a line on one side, then the other.
When he stood again, his hands and dirk were covered in wet soil. “There, done. Now, tell me why the Hell is yer laird nae hear to sort his own shite out?” he asked the MacGregor side. “Why is I who am always called to handle such troubles?”
The tallest one spoke again. “He has other matters to attend to, Lad.” The man put his hand on his sword, and it did not go unnoticed by Lucas.
He frowned. A man would not usually dare address him so informally when he was well aware of his title. Lucas was used to spending time around dangerous men, but he was usually on their side, being the one to cause the fear. It made his mind flash back to the moment he saw the two cloaked men coming at him in the dark on horseback.
Could he have been one of them?
He looked the man up and down. No, he was too tall, too broad. The other men were of more normal proportions, but they had made up for it in their skills with a blade. It was a shame he had to kill them. Briefly, he thought of Caitlin, her eyes unable to see all the blood and death, just before he picked her up in his arms.
After he replaced his dirk at his waist, he clenched his fists. It was better if his hands soon forgot the feel the weight of Caitlin’s slim body or her soft skin. The memory would do neither of them any good.
“Fine then. Suit yerselves. Me second and I are off. Although we will wait until the morrow to make sure that ye have begun the process.” He gave each of the men another dark look in the eye, and then he left, Archie trailing behind him.
