Page 74 of Kilted Abduction
“’Tis why he is our maister of arms,” Domhnall noted.
After her workout, Ciara had gotten herself cleaned up and had put on one of the fresh dresses Enya had provided for. It was blue velvet with long sleeves and a bustline that was lower than she was comfortable with but still far more decent than the gowns Edmund Fairfax had provided for their wedding day. It showed a bit more flesh than she liked, but the dress she wore made her feel elegant rather than like a harlot.
What she liked most about it though, was the way Magnus kept stealing glances at her. It was as if couldn’t stop himself. As if his eyes were somehow uncontrollably drawn to her. It made her feel beautiful. Desired. It made her feel things she never knew she could feel and things she didn’t understand. But she liked it, the way his attention made her feel. It was a heady feeling. And that was a problem for her.
Although she’d gotten quite comfortable at Dunvegan, Ciara knew there would come a time when she was going to have to leave. She couldn’t stay there forever. Magnus had said it was the safest place for her and that Fairfax would find some other pretext to attack, if that’s what he wanted to do, whether she was behind their walls or not. But the longer she stayed there and the closer she got to the siblings, the more she feared what would become of them if Fairfax attacked the castle to get her back.
She knew enough about the man to know he was cruel. Brutal. And he would leave no survivors. The mere thought of any of the MacLeods being put to the sword because of her sent a bolt of pain through her heart that was unbearable. She would not be the reason Fairfax and her father used to kill the MacLeods.
Ciara had kept her plans to herself, but she had been quietly checking in with the guards around the castle, listening for any gossip that gave her a hint as to what was happening. Magnusdidn’t want her worrying herself with what was happening and had repeatedly told her to put it out of her mind. That whatever happened was going to happen and that she was not the reason for any of it. She disagreed. And the consensus among those she’d spoken with was that if the English were going to attack Dunvegan, it would likely be in the spring, when the weather was better, and they could prepare for a siege. They told her very few battles were fought in the cold and snow.
It had made her feel somewhat better but had hardly reassured her completely. Fairfax was not a conventional man. Nor was he a patient one. She knew he did things that defied the norms. And that when he wanted something, he did not wait for clearer, warmer weather. He went after it and did not stop until he had it. The man was relentless and single-minded. It was one of the things that terrified Ciara the most about him.
“Are you all right, dear?” Katherine asked.
“Aye. I’m fine,” she replied. “Just tired from trainin’ all day.”
Katherine looked at her as if she knew Ciara wasn’t being fully truthful, but seemed to want to respect her privacy and didn’t press her for the details.
“Ciara, why dinnae ye show us what ye learned from Calum today?” Kai called from the other end of the table.
She laughed and shook her head. “I dinnae think so.”
“Come, lass,” he replied.
Kai got to his feet then ran to a corner of the hall and picked up a pair of wooden training swords. He came back and handed her one, a wide grin on his face.
“I’d rather nae, if it’s all the same tae ye,” she said.
“Come on,” Kai prodded. “It’ll be fun.”
Magnus glared at his brother. “She said she daesnae want tae play yer bleedin’ game. Leave off.”
The laughter that had filled the hall tapered off and the mood grew chilly and tense. Magnus glared at his brother and Kai looked back at him with a surprised expression on his face.
“I didnae mean tae?—”
“Ye should learn tae take nay as an answer instead of pressin’ like ye dae,” Magnus growled.
“’Tis all right,” Ciara said and quickly jumped to her feet. “’Tis all right.”
Magnus looked at her as she took one of the wooden blades from Kai and offered him a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
“Ye dinnae have tae play me braither’s game,” Magnus said.
“One thing Maister Calum said was I’ll only get better with practice, eh?”
“That’s the spirit,” Kai said.
“Come,” Ciara said. “Let me embarrass ye in front of yer family.”
Magnus’ face darkened but the rest of the siblings roared with laughter and applause, the mood in the hall instantly lightening. Ciara and Kai walked to the open area in front of the hearth and took their positions. He flashed her a cocky grin.
“Are ye ready then, lass?”
“Are ye ready is the question ye should be askin’.”
“Oohs” and laughter echoed around the hall as the MacLeods all turned their attention to Ciara and Kai. She closed her eyes and took a breath, getting focused. Calum’s fighting style had been like a dance, the movements fluid and graceful. Of course, she had a long way to go to master the form but between what she’d learned earlier and her prior training, she felt confident she’d at least put on an entertaining match for the family.
