Seducing the Highlander (33 page)

“I welcome the opportunity to correct the failures of your past opponents.” Adain smiled back with intentional insolence. Normally self-possessed in all situations, he fought to regain his calm for the sake of his wife. Even though he was certain the men guarding her would keep Gillian safe, he knew it would cause her pain should he come to any harm, even if it was not fatal.

She had whispered she loved him that very morning.

How had she penetrated his cold shell so quickly? All he knew was that when he looked into her soft blue eyes and heard the words, he felt suddenly free of the invisible chains of disappointment and hurt that had held him captive since the moment he realized Julia believed him capable of murder.

The most fortunate moment of his life was when he rode around the bend that fateful night only weeks ago and saw Gillian being dragged from that carriage. With a joyful future in reach, he wasn’t about to relinquish it.

Turning in the saddle, he lifted his sword to signal his waiting men for the charge.

“Adain, wait!”

The urgency in Duncan’s voice gave him pause, and he glanced back.

“Look.”

In disbelief, Adain saw that the two men in front of the opposing troops were still in obvious dissention. The earl’s son seemed to be against the fight, and his father insanely adamant. To his surprise, he saw Kleiss swing his sword viciously at his own son. The younger man managed to dodge the blow, and his sword slithered free of his scabbard. Kleiss roared in fury, taking another swipe, and the clang of metal came through the dreary afternoon.

No one interfered, and Adain wasn’t sure who was more astonished at the outbreak of discord, the earl’s forces or his own men.

“I hope he kills the old bastard,” Duncan commented gleefully. “The earl—may his black soul rot in Hades—is trying to kill his own flesh and blood. His son is just defending himself, but the old man is in earnest.”

It was true. Malcolm Graham was getting the worst of it, and his father’s maniacal temper was unquestionably out of control.

“Good God,” Adain muttered as the earl forced his horse closer and the fight became more intense. “Surely Kleiss’s son understands he has to kill him to save himself.”

Apparently so, for as swords flashed and blood was drawn, suddenly the younger man said something and feinted in with an effective slash across his father’s right leg. There was a howl of pain and Kleiss reeled in the saddle.

It gave the earl’s heir a chance to gain his inheritance, for he plunged his weapon deeply into his father’s chest.

Both sides were silent as the old man slowly toppled over and slid to the ground, the sword sliding free as he fell.

Into the hush, Duncan murmured, “Well, I admit, that’s not something you see every day, now, is it?”

“No,” Adain admitted, watching as the victor of the unexpected battle stared for a moment at his father’s fallen body. He was bleeding from a host of wounds, but did not seem to notice. Instead, he looked up at where hundreds of Cameron troops sat in disbelieving audience to what had happened. Then he urged his horse forward, galloping all alone the short distance that separated them. He halted in front of Adain and Duncan and gave them a brief salute with his bloody sword. “I am Malcolm Graham. As you can see, Cameron, I disagreed with this quarrel in the first place. There will be no fight unless you wish one.”

“I am never interested in useless bloodshed.”

Graham smiled grimly, blood trickling down his chin from a gash on his cheek. “Neither am I. I will take my men and go. I wish you joy with your new bride.”

He turned and rode back to the front; then the entire company whirled their horses and headed east.

It was over that easily, and no Cameron blood stained the grass.

The Earl of Kleiss was left behind. His body was splayed on the wet ground, sightless eyes staring at the gloomy sky.

Duncan said with a grin, “Well, that’s a lesson learned, isn’t it, lad? His own kin didn’t even take him home for a decent burial. Now we’re left with the refuse. What do you want us to do with him?”

“Toss him somewhere to rot, for all I care.”

“My pleasure. Let the worms have him, I say.”

 

 

Robbie McCray wasn’t at all what she expected.

Well, that wasn’t true, Gillian thought, watching him casually drink ale from a mug and chat with his men. He was tall and compellingly handsome, with dark hair and eyes, and a wickedly sensual smile. However, the wild border rogue had been polite and respectful upon their introduction, congratulating her on her marriage with obvious sincerity.

That Adain would call him to come join a fight he had no party to was a little surprising. So was the fact that he had come without hesitation.

It made her very nervous, for the sheer volume of men her husband had summoned told her he expected a very real battle.

Over her.

Well, no. Over Lord Kleiss’s sense of insane outrage. He’d never even seen her.

Still, she felt guilty.

Afraid
and
guilty. For she had the suspicion that if harm came to Adain, she would feel as if her life had ended. Pensively, she sat and stared across the room with unseeing eyes, sick to her stomach at the thought of what could be happening. Her hands were clasped so tightly in her lap her fingers ached unmercifully.

“Don’t fret, lass.”

She glanced up. McCray sank into a chair next to her and gently lifted her entwined hands and pried them apart. He lightly rubbed her fingers and palms. “I could see you worrying from across the room.” He flashed that charming smile. “There is naught to concern yourself over, for Adain can handle Kleiss. I am here only because he is overprotective of his new bride. I can understand it completely.”

She attempted a smile, but her lips trembled. “If he is harmed, I would be . . . I am not sure how to even express it. I know we have been married only a short while, but I am—”

McCray laughed and shook his dark head, interrupting her. “You do not need to try to explain, my lady. I knew Julia a scarce three days before we wed, and I was captivated at once.” His dark eyes showed a glint of devilish amusement. “I still am, in fact, even now, when she is breeding and a bit on the shrewish side. She claims her ill temper is entirely my fault.”

Gillian lifted her brows, his levity and confidence easing some of her discomfort. “I believe it could be, Mr. McCray.”

“Well, I suppose I had a thing or two to do with it.” He winked and cocked his head to the side. “It is nice to see you smile. Adain is a lucky man, and I am glad for you both. I once loved a bonny English lass, and you remind me of her. Instead, I married a fiery Scottish girl with dark hair and a sharp tongue.” He gave a theatrical grimace.

The door swung open and a young man came in, his gaze raking the room and settling on the two of them. The arrival came over and said breathlessly, “Riders coming, Robbie. It could be the Camerons returning, but they are riding fast and with a purpose.”

Instantly, McCray changed from charming courtier to decisive leader. He released her hand from his comforting grip and stood, swiftly moving across the room with long strides. Her heart pounding, Gillian could hear him give staccato orders on what to do in case it actually was the earl’s attacking forces.

Luckily, it was not.

There was a great commotion outside as hundreds of horses thundered up, and moments later Adain strode through the door. He crossed the room and smiled at her, the curve of his mouth nothing at all like the teasing smile McCray seemed to produce at will, but instead something intense and real. Before he could even speak, Gillian jumped up and threw herself into his arms, twining her arms around his neck and burying her face against his chest. She gave a small sob of relief and inhaled the smell of fresh rain and his own male scent, the one she knew so intimately.

“ ’Tis over,” he said, his fingers gently caressing her back. “Without one drop of blood shed except that which needed to be spilled a long time ago. You can rest easy and so can I, for you are mine.”

“Forever,” she promised in a muffled voice against his chest. It was wet, but she did not care.

Adain laughed then, a low rumble of amusement. His voice dropped a notch in timbre. “Yes, forever sounds very appealing.”

Men poured into the main hall of the big house and he gently freed himself from her embrace. “I have to speak to Robbie and Mrs. Dunbar, for McCray will wish to hear what happened, and all these men need to be fed.”

“I’ll help all I can.” She nodded and wiped at her wet cheeks, the moisture not just from his sodden clothes.

“That will endear you to her, though she seems to have accepted you well enough for an Englishwoman.”

She lifted her skirts a little and started across the room.

“Gillian.”

The sound of her name, said in such a husky tone, made her pause and look back.

Her husband’s beautiful silver eyes glimmered. “I do not embrace violence, but I warn you, the fire of battle is in my blood and was never satisfied. Tonight, will you assuage it in another, much more pleasurable way?”

She could read the desire in those eyes she loved so well.

“I look forward to it,” she said truthfully, with a blush.

 

 

McCray poured himself another drink and grumbled, “I anticipated at least some sort of combat. Damn Malcolm Graham—he should have done that long ago and saved us all this trouble. I got my hopes up for naught.”

“It was not a pretty sight,” Adain admitted, sprawled in the chair behind his desk in his study. “Father against son. Entirely unnatural.”

“Yes, but history shows it has happened before this day.” Robbie’s gaze was direct. “Though I cannot imagine it. You have heard Julia is expecting our first child?”

“She wrote to me,” Adain acknowledged, inclining his head. “Congratulations.”

Congratulations
. He could say it and, what was more, mean it. Gillian had healed him that much.

“As always, my wife and I disagree, for while I insist that a girl would please me, she wants a boy.” The other man ran a lean hand through his dark hair and grimaced. “You know how she is, stubborn to a fault. I want an heir, naturally, but a bonny girl would suit me just as well. A healthy child and safe birth are all I ask.”

“I will drink to both.” Adain had to wonder at how little rancor he had over this news, which just weeks ago would have blackened his life even further. He felt joy for his cousin and her husband, not sorrow for himself.

Why should he begrudge anyone happiness and glad news when he knew Gillian waited for him upstairs?

McCray lifted a dark brow. “Somehow I feel certain you will follow in our footsteps soon enough. Your bride is lovely, Cameron. And as sweet as a summer’s breeze across Loch Cray. The thieving renegades who tried to rob her uncle’s carriage did you a favor, my friend.”

“I think so too. And you are a true friend, McCray, despite the hard feelings that at first fell between us. I appreciate your coming at once.”

“Don’t thank me.” Julia’s husband grinned. “I attract trouble in an uncanny way. How I see it, you now owe me assistance if the McCrays are rallied against at any time.”

“You have it.” Adain frowned. “We’ll be fighting our enemy soon enough, from the sound of things. This is where the Sassenachs come first when they invade. It has been that way forever. The Borders get the brunt of it each time. We are the gateway for English wars.”

“We’ll send our wives north to Ian if we hear word of another invasion over our independence. They’ll be safe with my cousin in the Highlands, and he will protect them as none other could.”

“Agreed.” Adain hoped it wouldn’t come to it, but he knew that at least some fighting would break out, if not now, then within the next few years. The struggle for Scottish independence went on, as it had for centuries.

“This is not the time to worry over that.” McCray shoved himself to his feet, his lazy grin all-knowing. “I think it is getting late. I know what
I’d
be doing if I were wed to such a winsome lass and she waited in my bed.”

“There is no question of that,” Adain replied dryly. “We’ve all heard of your reputation.”

The other man looked uncharacteristically sober for a moment. “Go to her, for there were tears in her beautiful eyes this afternoon as she worried over your safety.”

“That is a very sound idea.”

McCray sighed. “I get to sleep with my men and horses this wet, cold eve. Maybe you can think of this as retribution of some kind as you enjoy her charms.”

Adain replied quietly, “I no longer need retribution.”

Not when he had love.

Gillian lay expectantly in the big bed, wondering if it was truly shameless of her to be entirely naked beneath the coverlet.