Page 61 of A Highland Bride Taken
Campbell turned around with a frown, only to find the last person he wanted to see.
“Darragh,” he said with a frown. “Why are ye here?”
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Campbell tried to hide his surprise at seeing his grandfather in his hall, but it was getting hard to endure the man’s condescending look.
He had not seen the man since he had torn their family apart, and yet his face had been seared into his mind.
It was his hatred of his grandfather that had spurred him to defend his clan and become stronger. He had sworn he would never be weak like his father, but seeing his grandfather in his home, uninvited, raised his hackles.
His grandfather had never done things without purpose, and even now, his eyes scanned the crowd. Campbell cast his gaze around the hall, trying to spot the boys and his wife. He needed to ensure they were safe.
When he saw the boys still playing with the other children and his wife with her sisters, a wave of relief washed over him, but he was still wary and on edge.
What did the man want?
Campbell had not invited him, and they did not have any sort of relationship for his grandfather to consider attending, even if he caught wind of the cèilidh.
Was this about his letters?
He couldn’t think that Campbell would write to him, could he?
“Surely ye wouldnae want outsiders to listen in on our conversation,” his grandfather said, with a pointed look at Kian. “Leave us now, Crawford. This doesnae concern ye.”
Campbell glared hard at the man for thinking he had any right to order anyone around inhishome, much less a fellow laird.
“He isnae an outsider to me. Ye are the only outsider I see here,” he growled, fixing him with a glare. “Why are ye in me home? I didnae invite ye here.”
He met Magnus’s eyes across the room and subtly motioned for him to keep watch. There could be more afoot, with his grandfather’s sudden presence, and he did not want to be caught off guard in front of the other clans present here.
So far, no one had taken note of their exchange, and he intended to keep it that way. He did not need any rumors spreading.
“A shameful thing, in me opinion. We are family, after all. Ye invited almost all of Scotland, yet ye didnae think to invite yer one remaining family member.” His grandfather tutted, disdain evident on his face. “Nay matter, I decided I must see ye. Ye have been ignoring me letters, and I grew tired of writing them. Where is yer wife? I must meet the new lady of yer clan and determine her suitability.”
Campbell frowned.
He had expected news of his hasty wedding to travel fast, but he did not like the fact that his grandfather had traveled all the way there for that purpose.
“‘Tis nae yer place to determine whether me wife is suitable or nae, Darragh, and ye will do well to remember that,” he warned, stepping closer to the man, who did not even flinch. “Me marriage and clan arenae yer concern.”
His grandfather’s face twisted in a frown, and he looked ready to pounce but was holding back. Instead, he straightened his shirt and glanced around the room to ensure no one was listening in on their conversation.
Even now, he was still concerned about how he was perceived in public. Even though he was well along in years, he looked strong, albeit smaller than he had been in his younger years. His hair had gone from brown to a shock of white, which was the onlything betraying his age. His brown eyes shone with knowledge and disapproval.
Despite his pristine facade, Campbell knew that behind it swirled a darkness that corrupted everything it touched. An acrid, corrosive thing as foul as the man who housed it.
“I dinnae ken who taught ye to be so disrespectful, but nay matter. ‘Tis much too late to teach ye better,” Darragh said with a frown. “I only want to make sure that ye have chosen a bride deserving of yer maither’s place as lady of this clan. ‘Twill be a great honor to her if ye have chosen to walk as she did. Ye cannae afford to have children with someone unworthy.”
Campbell wished he could tell the man what he thought about honoring his mother’s place. He couldn’t fault her for making the decision she had when her father had manipulated his way into their lives, but her abandonment of him was something he did not know how to forgive.
“Ye dinnae have the right to decide for me, Darragh. I havenae seen ye in years, and ye have never cared for me existence, so ye cannae assume I consider yer opinion of substance,” Campbell bit out. “Ye havenae told me the real reason why ye have come, and I dinnae care for it. I dinnae trust there is any truth in ye. I dinnae like ye tainting me castle with yer presence, so ye will leave at once.”
Magnus returned to a place nearby and shook his head.
Darragh had apparently come by himself.
That was hard to believe, but Campbell did not want to probe. Doing so would ruin his evening, and he had intended for everything to go smoothly.
