Page 142 of Laird of Smoke
Ian scoffed.“Not everyone is in love, Isabel.”
“Butsheis,” Isabel.“Aren’t you?”
“I’m a nun,” she said stiffly.“I cannot love any man.”
“And yet you do.”Isabel’s voice was full of a sympathy so wistful, it nearly brought Eve to tears.
Deirdre rushed up, followed by a scribe.
“Feeling better?”she asked.
Eve nodded.But she wasn’t feeling better.She was more miserable than ever.
Deirdre nodded.“Then you may return to…” She waved her hand.“Whatever convent allows its nuns to do such mischief.I plan to deliver this myself.I only pray I’m not too late.”
It hadn’t occurred to Eve that the marriage needed to be secured before a bairn was born.But of course it made sense.The laird couldn’t have a Rivenloch heir considered illegitimate.
She trusted Laird Deirdre would do the right thing and secure Dunlop’s seal.
Now all she wanted was to hurry home.The siege was imminent.And safe behind convent walls, maybe she could forget all the foolish things she’d said and done in front of Adam.
She was sure his clan would never forget her.This would make her the laughingstock of Rivenloch.
She’d accidentally beguiled Hew of Rivenloch.
Stolen Gellir of Rivenloch’s bride.
And swived Adam of Rivenloch.
Now that her task was finished, she prayed she’d never see a Rivenloch again.
Chapter 23
Adam looked up at the clear, star-spattered sky from the wall walk of the Fergus keep.Two nights ago, the moon had been new, the relentless darkness broken only by the ritual bonfires of Samhain.
Now, on the night of All Souls, the fires were gone.The moon was a thin sliver, dim enough to lend cover for the royal army’s march on Galloway.
Stealth wasn’t necessary, of course.There would be no surprise attack.As far as King Malcolm was concerned, the arrival at night was to prevent the Fergus clan from collecting resources to withstand a siege.He expected Fergus to be unprepared and at his mercy.
Of course, Fergus had been warned.He was ready.Adam himself had helped the laird to prepare the castle for siege.The clan had already gathered enough livestock and food to last through the winter.
If things went Adam’s way, however, the siege would never actually happen.The conflict would be resolved before dawn.
Fergus didn’t completely trust Adam.He insisted Adam wait beside him atop the wall walk to watch for the king’s arrival.If the royal army didn’t come as he’d predicted, that would make it easier for Fergus to toss Adam from the parapets.
Fortunately, the king’s men did show up.And they had a trebuchet.
Thankfully, it was too dark for Fergus to notice their ranks included neither the Rivenloch warriors nor the English troops Adam had promised.But Fergus was satisfied his spy had told him the truth.King Malcolm had indeed arrived on All Souls Day.
That extra level of trust endeared Adam to Fergus.Once it appeared the king’s men had bedded down for the night and didn’t plan to attack, Adam suggested they go together to the great hall for an ale and to brief the clan on what would happen on the morrow.
An ale turned into three for Fergus.
Once he’d thoroughly wet his whistle and was sufficiently emboldened by drink, Fergus addressed the clan with his typical pomposity.He boasted about his cleverness, bragging that he’d foiled the king, who thought he could catch Fergus with his trews down.He declared he would be victorious against Malcolm and send him whimpering home with his tail betwixt his legs.
After his vainglorious speech, he sent the clanfolk to an early bed so they would be bright-eyed and battle-ready at dawn.
The laird, however, was not in the habit of going to bed without being deeper in his cups.He gathered four of his closest advisors to join him in drunken revelry.They worked up their courage for the siege by berating the king, calling him an infant, a maiden, a kiss-arse.
