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Authors: Margaret Mallory
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serene in the face of
danger.
“Ye knew Deirdre was in that bedchamber with a man,” he shouted at her. “Ye embarrassed both me and my guests by what ye did.”
“I tried to warn ye about her,” Ilysa said in a soft voice.
“Ye led me to believe ye disliked the lass because ye were jealous of her,” he said. “Ye did not tell me she was bedding one
of her clansmen in my keep while her brother was negotiating a marriage contract with me!”
“I didn’t know how else to stop ye.”
“Ye came in here playing the innocent with that story about poor Deirdre being attacked,” he said. “Ye deliberately deceived
me and made fools of us all!”
Ilysa looked so small and pathetic sitting in her oversize gown that he felt like a monster for yelling at her. With an enormous
effort, he forced himself to stop.
“A chieftain is judged by how he treats his guests,” he said, though it was a ridiculous point and not the reason he was upset.
“They were not being very good guests,” she murmured.
“I do not gauge my behavior by others,” Connor said.
“I’m sorry for how I did it,” Ilysa said, worrying her skirts in her hands. “But I had to do something before ye committed
yourself.”
Connor rubbed his neck and took a deep breath. “Ye should have simply told me what ye knew, instead of making vague remarks
about her not being the right wife .”
“All right,” she said. “Next time I will.”
Next time? God help him, there had better never be a next time.
“There is something more ye ought to know,” she said in her quiet voice. “I think Deirdre is already with child.”
Connor sank into his chair and rested his head in his hands. Of course Deirdre was pregnant. And of course her brother knew
it. Connor felt like a failure to have been duped like that. By tradition, the clan chose a chieftain from among the men who
carried chieftain’s blood. To avoid strife, it was essential there be no question that Connor’s sons were truly his.
Ilysa was right to stop him, though he wished to God she had chosen a less dramatic method. If he had signed a marriage contract,
it would have been a disaster.
Deirdre’s child would have been born too early and then Connor would have two choices, both of them bad. If he returned her
in disgrace, he would risk war with her powerful father. If he kept her, he would lose the respect of his clan and the other
clans. A chieftain who was not respected weakened his clan.
He should have been suspicious when James was so intent on rushing the marriage contract. Connor was in need of a quick alliance,
but their clan was not. Why had he failed to be more cautious?
Connor could tell himself it was because he was desperate to gather forces to attack the MacLeods before they attacked him.
But that was not the whole of it. He had wanted to bed that lass so badly it hampered his judgment.
Lust had made him hasty and careless. It was unforgivable. He would not allow himself to be so weak again.
CHAPTER 8
I t was kind of ye to come with me,” Ilysa said to Niall as they walked the final yards through the field to the castle.
“’Tis dangerous outside the castle,” Niall said in an uncharacteristically gruff tone. “Connor said ye needed a man to protect
ye.”
Ilysa was surprised Connor was even aware that she had been called to a nearby cottage to assist a woman who was having a
difficult birth. But then, he had promised Duncan he would protect her, and Connor was vigilant about his responsibilities.
“Ye won’t tell anyone that I keeled over, will ye?” Niall asked, sounding young again.
Niall was over six feet and was a courageous warrior, but he had fainted dead away when the babe was born.
“Of course not,” she said. “You’re not the first man to do that, I promise ye. Now you’ll know what to expect when ye have
your own.”
“What I’ll expect,” Niall said making a face, “is to be where I don’t have to
danger.
“Ye knew Deirdre was in that bedchamber with a man,” he shouted at her. “Ye embarrassed both me and my guests by what ye did.”
“I tried to warn ye about her,” Ilysa said in a soft voice.
“Ye led me to believe ye disliked the lass because ye were jealous of her,” he said. “Ye did not tell me she was bedding one
of her clansmen in my keep while her brother was negotiating a marriage contract with me!”
“I didn’t know how else to stop ye.”
“Ye came in here playing the innocent with that story about poor Deirdre being attacked,” he said. “Ye deliberately deceived
me and made fools of us all!”
Ilysa looked so small and pathetic sitting in her oversize gown that he felt like a monster for yelling at her. With an enormous
effort, he forced himself to stop.
“A chieftain is judged by how he treats his guests,” he said, though it was a ridiculous point and not the reason he was upset.
“They were not being very good guests,” she murmured.
“I do not gauge my behavior by others,” Connor said.
“I’m sorry for how I did it,” Ilysa said, worrying her skirts in her hands. “But I had to do something before ye committed
yourself.”
Connor rubbed his neck and took a deep breath. “Ye should have simply told me what ye knew, instead of making vague remarks
about her not being the right wife .”
“All right,” she said. “Next time I will.”
Next time? God help him, there had better never be a next time.
“There is something more ye ought to know,” she said in her quiet voice. “I think Deirdre is already with child.”
Connor sank into his chair and rested his head in his hands. Of course Deirdre was pregnant. And of course her brother knew
it. Connor felt like a failure to have been duped like that. By tradition, the clan chose a chieftain from among the men who
carried chieftain’s blood. To avoid strife, it was essential there be no question that Connor’s sons were truly his.
Ilysa was right to stop him, though he wished to God she had chosen a less dramatic method. If he had signed a marriage contract,
it would have been a disaster.
Deirdre’s child would have been born too early and then Connor would have two choices, both of them bad. If he returned her
in disgrace, he would risk war with her powerful father. If he kept her, he would lose the respect of his clan and the other
clans. A chieftain who was not respected weakened his clan.
He should have been suspicious when James was so intent on rushing the marriage contract. Connor was in need of a quick alliance,
but their clan was not. Why had he failed to be more cautious?
Connor could tell himself it was because he was desperate to gather forces to attack the MacLeods before they attacked him.
But that was not the whole of it. He had wanted to bed that lass so badly it hampered his judgment.
Lust had made him hasty and careless. It was unforgivable. He would not allow himself to be so weak again.
CHAPTER 8
I t was kind of ye to come with me,” Ilysa said to Niall as they walked the final yards through the field to the castle.
“’Tis dangerous outside the castle,” Niall said in an uncharacteristically gruff tone. “Connor said ye needed a man to protect
ye.”
Ilysa was surprised Connor was even aware that she had been called to a nearby cottage to assist a woman who was having a
difficult birth. But then, he had promised Duncan he would protect her, and Connor was vigilant about his responsibilities.
“Ye won’t tell anyone that I keeled over, will ye?” Niall asked, sounding young again.
Niall was over six feet and was a courageous warrior, but he had fainted dead away when the babe was born.
“Of course not,” she said. “You’re not the first man to do that, I promise ye. Now you’ll know what to expect when ye have
your own.”
“What I’ll expect,” Niall said making a face, “is to be where I don’t have to
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