Page 19 of Bound to a Scot
“I’d like tae. But until ye get yer head right about this lass, I fear we’ll keep havin’ this conversation,” he replied. “Worse, if ye cannae get yer head right, I fear ye’re goin’ tae muck up makin’ this alliance with Laird Macfie. We need this, Maddox. Desperately.”
“Aye. I ken.”
“I hope so because if Macfie finds out ye stole a kiss from his wife, he’s nae likely tae look too favorably on it.”
Maddox grunted, his mood darkening. “The way he treats her ye’d think he’d welcome somebody takin’ her off his hands.”
“Well, that person isnae goin’ tae be ye. Ye need tae get yer mind right about this. We cannae afford fer ye tae bungle this alliance.”
Maddox sighed and ran his hands over his face. “I ken, I ken. I’ll be fine. I’m nae goin’ tae.”
“Ye sure?”
“I will say I dinnae like the way Macfie is goin’ about this. I dinnae like the idea of bein’ forced tae marry a bleedin’ child,” he said, his voice tight.
“Ye dinnae need tae like it. Ye just need tae dae it,” Adair said. “We’re nae in a position tae be barterin’ fer a better deal.”
Maddox leaned against the wall beside the window and folded his arms over his chest. As usual, Adair was speaking wisdom and the truth. Although his pride prevented him from admitting it, Maddox had come to Castle Macfie as little more than a beggar searching for help. And because of that, Macfie held all the leverage. He truly had nothing to barter with since, as Macfie likely knew, if Maddox could not provide for his clan, his soldiers would more than likely disperse, many of them finding their way to Macfie’s employ anyway.
If that happened, Maddox would be left with nothing. He would still have his lands, but he would not have people to work them, nor an army to defend them. By offering the money to provide for his people, Macfie could ensure Maddox’s army would stand intact and that when—and if—the time came and they werecalled upon, he would have a formidable fighting force at his back rather than the scattered remnants of Maddox’s army.
“Ye need tae get this lass out of yer head, cousin. I mean it,” Adair said. “Emmeline is nae yers. She will never be yers. So, it doesnae matter if she’s havin’ an affair with the war chief or nae. ‘Tis nae yer business. Dae ye understand?”
“Aye. I understand.”
“So, get her out of yer bleedin’ head.”
He sighed. “Aye.”
He turned back to the window and stared out at the night beyond. Everything Adair had just said was true. The trouble was, he couldn’t stop thinking about Emmeline. He feared that getting her out of his head would be a case of easier said than done.
CHAPTER TEN
“Ye need tae be a bit more discreet if ye’re tae be carryin’ on with another man,” Lorn said. “Especially if it’s beneath Burchard’s own roof.”
I’m nae carryin’ on with anybody,” Emmeline snorted.
“Are ye certain about that? Midnight meetin’s in the bleedin’ privy of all places?—”
“’Twas nae what it looked like.”
“I hope nae because it looked bad, me lady.”
Emmeline stopped pacing the length of her bedchamber and cast a sour look at the war leader. Lorn was half a head taller than her and just as wide. His rich, auburn hair was pulled back into a tail that fell just below his shoulders and his sparkling vermillion eyes were ever watchful. There was very little that went on in Castle Macfie that he did not know about. The scarover his left eye and strong jawline gave him a gruff, rugged appearance—a perception he did nothing to hinder—but Lorn was one of the kindest, most loyal souls Emmeline had ever met. He was also one of her only friends in the entire keep.
Most of the women in Castle Macfie lived in fear of Burchard. His foul temper was as notorious as his penchant for taking unwanted liberties. More than that, most knew Emmeline was not in his favor and took pains to avoid being seen with her to keep from being painted with the same brush. Lorn had never cared. He did not care for Burchard himself and only served as his war leader because he’d been thrust into the role. Over the years, he had become Emmeline’s friend and most trusted confidante. He looked out for her.
“How did ye ken we were in the privy in the first place?” she asked.
“’Tis me job tae ken what goes on under this roof.”
Emmeline frowned. It wasn’t much of an answer. She folded her arms over her chest and arched an eyebrow, making it clear she wanted him to elaborate. She had been cautious. He chuckled and gave her a half-shrug.
“I saw ye creepin’ around the corridors like ye were a bleedin’ spy,” he told her. “It got me curious, so I followed ye. And when I saw ye slip intae the privy after Laird MacLachlan, I stood guard outside tae make sure nobody else walked in on ye.”
She shouldn’t have been surprised that he was protecting her virtue. He was always watching out for and protecting her.
“Me lady, may I ask what ye were doin’ in the privy with Laird MacLachlan? Is there somethin’ I should be watchin’ out fer, or…”
