Page 70 of Bound to a Scot
Maddox wasn’t sure what to say, so he said nothing. He lowered his gaze, trying to hide the guilt that was no doubt etched into his features. That Lorn could see what was between him and Emmeline was a problem.
“I willnae judge ye fer what ye’re doing. God knows that woman deserves any bit of happiness she can grab hold of,” Lorn said. “And whether I like it or approve of it or nae, when she’s with ye, I’ve seen her laugh more than I have in all the years she’s lived here. Ye seem tae make her happy. And fer that I’m grateful tae ye.”
“I’m nae sure what tae say.”
“There is nothin’ fer ye tae say,” he replied. “But I’ll tell ye what I told her. If ye insist on carryin’ on, ye need tae be discreet. Ye need tae be careful. Somebody’s always watchin’ around here and like I said tae Emmeline, there is somethin’ strange afoot.I dinnae ken what is goin’ on but Burchard seems tae be up tae somethin’.”
“Why dae ye say that?”
“The strange men he’s been meetin’ with fer one,” he said. “There’s just a lot goin’ on and he’s cut me out of everythin’. I dinnae ken what he’s doin’, but ‘tis nae sittin’ right with me. So, just be careful and watch yer back. But more than anythin’, watch her back. Dinnae dae anythin’ that’ll bring that man’s wrath down upon her or we’re goin’ tae have trouble between us.”
Maddox frowned, the man’s words sending a cold chill down his spine. His gut had been telling him that Macfie was not a man who could be trusted. But then again, he had a hard time trusting anybody. Hearing his thoughts confirmed from the man’s own war chief though, only made him that much more uneasy about this entire alliance. He truly didn’t know who he was getting into bed with.
“Dae ye hear me?” Lorn pressed. “Ye need tae be lookin’ out fer her.”
“Aye. I heard ye,” Maddox said. “And I give ye me word that I will.”
Lorn looked at him for a long, quiet moment then nodded. “All right. See that ye dae.”
Maddox extended his hand, which seemed to surprise Lorn, who hesitated for a moment. But then he gripped Maddox’s forearm in the warrior’s grip and gave him a nod. With that, the man grabbed his shirt and his blade and strode out of the sparring yard, leaving Maddox with his thoughts. He turned and looked through the archway, frowning when he saw Adair leaning against the column, arms crossed over his chest and a smile on his face.
“Ye made nice with the man,” Adair said with a nod. “It shows growth and maturity, mate. I’m proud of ye.”
Maddox waved him off with a chuckle. He was annoyed the man had disobeyed his order to stay away and relieved that he didn’t seem to have heard the substance of their conversation. But what worried him more than Adair knowing about he and Emmeline was what Lorn had said about Burchard. His war chief had told him he was concerned about what the man was up to, believing it to be something shady and perhaps dangerous. It was unsettling.
What are ye up tae, Macfie?
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Early the next morning, Maddox had dressed and slipped out of his chamber. Adair was still sleeping, which hadn’t surprised him since the man had crept into their chamber in the small hours, no doubt after finding his amusement with one of the chambermaids. That hadn’t been what had kept him awake most of the night though.
He had gotten out of bed still angry and needing to burn off some of the energy, so he made his way down to the sparring yard. It was early enough that he figured he’d find Lorn there. And when he walked through the archway, he had been proven correct. The large man was just beginning to limber up before going through his forms and looked over as Maddox stepped into the yard.
“Dae ye mind some company?” he asked.
“Nae at all,” Lorn replied.
Maddox stripped out of his shirt and stretched, loosening up his muscles and getting himself warmed up. Once he was ready, he picked up one of the blunted practice swords as Lorn pulled another from the rack. They each took a couple of moments to get familiar with the grip and feel of the blade in their hands.
“Are ye ready?” Lorn asked.
“Aye.”
They moved to the center of the yard and tapped their blades together, the ring of steel on steel echoing around the courtyard. Moving slowly and deliberately, the two men moved in a circle, taking each other’s measure. Lorn was the first to move, wading in with a slice that cut from left to right. Maddox turned the blade aside, spinning to his right and slashing back with his own sword. Lorn seemed to remember the move from the last time they’d sparred because he was able to parry the attack with ease.
Maddox laughed. “Aye. Ye remember.”
“Of course, I dae,” Lorn replied. “I dinnae forget when somebody nearly takes me bleedin’ head off me shoulders.”
They laughed together as they continued to spar. Maddox was working up a good sweat and purging some of the dark feelings that had been plaguing him. The more he got to know Lorn, the more he liked the man. He silently chastised himself for being so distrustful and cruel to him at the start. After about half an hour, the men took a break to wipe the sweat from their bodies and totake a drink of water. Maddox was more relaxed than he’d felt in ages. It was a feeling, however, that proved to be short lived.
“Well, what dae we have here?” Burchard said as he strode into the yard.
Lorn immediately leapt to his feet, his back rigidly straight, all traces of the good humor they’d shared just moments ago gone. He inclined his head, giving his laird a polite nod. Maddox noticed Laith, the pale, creepy man who always seemed to be lurking in the shadows, standing beneath the arch at the edge of the practice yard, watching intently.
“Me laird,” the war chief said. “We were just getting a bit of a workout in.”
“Aye,” Burchard said. “I can see that.”
