Page 142 of Bride of Fire
She strained against his grasp, making urgent sounds behind his palm.
“Aye,” he muttered, “I know what ye’re goin’ to say. We trysted. ’Tis true. But I hardly think ye can claim ye were harmed.”
He stifled her scream of frustration.
“Fine. I did take your virginity. But ye know very well ’twas partly your idea.Mostlyyour idea.”
She emitted an irritated squeal.
“Really?” he asked. “Ye’re goin’ to argue the point?” He shook his head and sighed as he climbed the last two steps. “Maybe ’tis best we say nothin’ about it at all.”
She attempted to speak in a rational tone, intending to tell him the army below was not Rivenloch. But, muffled by his hand, none of her words could be understood.
“Anyway, the important thing,” he said, “is for him to see with his own eyes that his nieces are safe and unharmed.”
She closed her eyes to smoldering, sarcastic slits.
“Oh come now, lass,” he chided. “’Tisn’t so much to ask.”
He was just approaching the middle section of the wall when there was a call from below.
“Who is the lord of this castle? Show your face!”
He peered over the edge and boomed back, “I am Morgan Mor mac Giric o’ Creagor, rightful laird o’ this keep.”
“Then before this day is through, Morgan Mor, I’ll have your head on a pike!”
She felt Morgan start in surprise.
He recovered quickly.
“There’s no need for that, m’laird,” he said. “I think we can come to a fair agreement.”
“A fair agreement?” the man sneered. “For murdering our lord?”
“What?”
“You slew Lord Edward, my brother, while he slept. Now you will pay.”
Dumbfounded, Morgan loosened his grip on her. “What the hell?” he murmured.
“’Tis what I’ve been trying to tell you, you overbearing lummox,” she said, extricating herself. “That’s not Rivenloch.”
Chapter 61
Three thoughts coursed through Morgan’s head in the space of an instant.
The invaders were English.
They’d come for blood.
And his clan’s forces were badly outnumbered.
It didn’t take long to guess who had led the English to believe that it was he who’d slain their lord. And, curse his honor, he’d let the conniving woman into Creagor.
Now what could he do about it?
If he let war break out, he’d surely lose. With his small army, he couldn’t hold the castle for long.
