Page 70 of The Splendor of Fire
Léo sipped the whisky and coughed, his voice coming out ragged.Toad.“I chased him to Loch na Beiste where he caught me in the jaw on the shore. Then he boarded a skiff and sailed away toward the mainland.” He pointed to the shadow of bruise on his jaw where Calum had punched him.
“You expect me to believe that a man almost a foot shorter than you got the best of you?”
Léo shrugged. “It is embarrassing. Prison has left me weakened.”
Malvina’s face drew tight. “It doesn’t look like it has.”
On this, she had to agree with Malvina. Sitting beside the fire, his clothing clinging to his muscles, skin tanned, sun-streaked blond in his sandy hair, Léo didn’t seem to have experienced one day in hardship. He caught her looking at him and she returned her eyes to the crack in the plaster.
Gordon slurped his drink. “We sent the guard across to the MacKenzies and are confident they will be able to obtain the difference in grain stores. They’re our trusted allies.”
Moira smiled to herself.Rock.Best wishes trying to get him to agree to that. Léo caught her smile and lifted the corner of his mouth at her. She looked away.
Malvina clucked. “Since David MacKenzie has taken over as chief of Clan Chattan, he’s been difficult with Niall. Doesn’t know his place. How a leader of a nothing clan got to lead Chattan I will never know.”
Moira gave her eyes a break from staring at the crack and found Léo’s warm amber eyes on her. She expected him to look away, but he didn’t.
With a sigh, Malvina brought her uisge-beatha to her lips. “I’ll begrateful when Niall comes back and can deal with these ruffians. No mercy. That’s what these people need.”
Moira tried to keep her face neutral. No mercy is what Malvina deserved.
“Are you quite sure the man you saw wasn’t MacLean?”
Léo nodded. “Absolument.”
Malvina rose to her feet and trudged to the decanter, pouring herself a second heaping glass of uisge-beatha. “I find it very hard to believe indeed that one person could be responsible for destruction on that scale.”
Léo’s gaze moved to Moira again, something crossing his expression. His tunic gapped open at the neck. Firelight danced off the gold disc resting against his solid chest…the crack. Keep your eyes on the crack.Stupid necklace. Stupid broken heart.
“Gordon, do you think you could run the keep for a few days? I’ve been summoned to Iona to attend Fingon.”
Gordon looked up from the fire, appearing startled. “Aye. How long is Your ladyship going to be gone?”
“Michaelmas. My son needs assistance reconciling the tithe books.”
Moira and Léo looked at each other. Finding funds from the church accounts to replenish the Wolf’s stores? It must be dire indeed for Malvina to leave her roost.
Gordon smiled. “I’d be more than happy to keep an eye out for Mistress Allen and Léonid until you and Niall return.”
Moira stiffened. She could only imagine what he had in mind.
Malvina shrugged. “Do what you wish with her. Sometimes I feel she doesn’t understand a thing we’re saying. Niall left her behind, perhaps he grows tired of her.”
Across from Moira, Léo’s eyes locked on Gordon. Hard.
Gordon chuckled. “I’m certain I can keep her entertained.”
A pop sounded, then a clatter, liquid spilling across the floor.
Malvina’s face became florid. “You fool. What have you done?”
Léo got to his knees and picked up the bowl which had split from the collar of his cup and rolled under his chair. “I’m sorry, it just…fell apart.”
Malvina snapped her fingers ather. “Clean it up.”
Grateful for the chance to leave the oppressive solar, Moira made her way to the hall and down to the entresol, plucking a cloth from the basket Isobel kept there for a quick tidy.
Léo exited the solar wiping his drenched tunic as she stepped into the doorway. He spotted her and hurried down the stairs, shutting himself in with her. She made to leave and he blocked her path.
