gown in her fingers. “He’s a good lad. He helped me as much as I helped him.”
The laird nodded. “So he told me. He brought you to me.”
Mairin didn’t like the way he said the last. There was too much possession in his voice.
“Laird, I must depart today. If you cannot spare a horse, I understand. I’ll leave on foot, though I would appreciate an escort to your border.”
He turned to her with an uplifted eyebrow. “On foot? You wouldn’t make it far, lass. You’d be tossed over someone’s saddle and spirited away the moment you left my land.”
She frowned. “Not if I’m careful.”
“As careful as you were when you got yourself abducted by Duncan Cameron’s men?”
Heat rose in her cheeks. “That’s different. I wasn’t expecting …”
Faint amusement glittered in his eyes. “Does anyone ever expect to be abducted?”
“Aye,” she whispered.
“Tell me something, lass. You appear to be someone who firmly believes in a promise. I’d wager you expect people to remain true to their word.”
“Oh aye,” she said fervently.
“And you exacted a promise from my son, is this not so?”
She looked down. “Aye, I did.”
“And you expect him to keep that promise, do you not?”
She squirmed uncomfortably but nodded even as guilt filled her.
“As it turns out, Crispen also exacted a promise from me.”
“What promise?” she asked.
“To protect you.”
“Oh.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. Somehow she had just maneuvered herself into a trap. She knew it.
“I’d say ’tis hard to protect a lass if she’s out running all over the highlands on foot, wouldn’t you say?”
She scowled, unhappy with the direction this conversation was headed.
“I release you from his promise,” she declared.
He shook his head, a smile lifting the corners of hismouth. Shocked, she stared transfixed at the change such a gesture wrought on his features. My, but he was quite handsome. Really handsome. And he looked younger, not as hardened, though she’d seen the scars, so she knew he was anything but soft. Nay, he was a warrior. There was no telling how many men he’d killed in battle. Why, he could probably snap someone’s neck with his fingers. Certainly hers.
The thought had her reaching up to cover her throat.
“Only Crispen can release me from that promise, lass. As I’m sure he told you, a McCabe always keeps his word.”
Glumly, she remembered Crispen saying just that. She also remembered his vow to her that his father would protect her. She’d been too bent on self-preservation to really give thought to what that meant.
“Are you saying I can’t leave?” she whispered.
He seemed to consider her question for a moment, his gaze never straying from her. He stared until she squirmed under his scrutiny.
“If I knew you had a safe place to go, then of course I’d allow you to go. To your family perhaps?”
She wasn’t going to lie and say she had family, so she said nothing at all.
The laird sighed. “Tell me your name, lass. Tell me why Duncan Cameron was so adamant that you marry him. I’ve promised Crispen I’d protect you, and I will, but I can’t do so unless I have all the facts.”
Oh dear, he was going to get all gruff again when she refused to obey his command. He’d been ready to throttle her the day before. A night’s sleep probably hadn’t tempered the desire, no matter how patient he seemed to be at the moment.
Instead of openly defying him as she’d done yesterday, she stood mute, hands still folded in front of her.
“You realize, I’ll find out soon enough. It would bebetter on you if you simply told me what I want to know now. I don’t like to be kept waiting. I’m not a patient man. Particularly when those under my command defy me.”
“I’m not under your command,” she blurted before she could think better of it.
“The moment you stepped onto my land, you came under my command. My son’s promise put you solidly under my
The laird nodded. “So he told me. He brought you to me.”
Mairin didn’t like the way he said the last. There was too much possession in his voice.
“Laird, I must depart today. If you cannot spare a horse, I understand. I’ll leave on foot, though I would appreciate an escort to your border.”
He turned to her with an uplifted eyebrow. “On foot? You wouldn’t make it far, lass. You’d be tossed over someone’s saddle and spirited away the moment you left my land.”
She frowned. “Not if I’m careful.”
“As careful as you were when you got yourself abducted by Duncan Cameron’s men?”
Heat rose in her cheeks. “That’s different. I wasn’t expecting …”
Faint amusement glittered in his eyes. “Does anyone ever expect to be abducted?”
“Aye,” she whispered.
“Tell me something, lass. You appear to be someone who firmly believes in a promise. I’d wager you expect people to remain true to their word.”
“Oh aye,” she said fervently.
“And you exacted a promise from my son, is this not so?”
She looked down. “Aye, I did.”
“And you expect him to keep that promise, do you not?”
She squirmed uncomfortably but nodded even as guilt filled her.
“As it turns out, Crispen also exacted a promise from me.”
“What promise?” she asked.
“To protect you.”
“Oh.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. Somehow she had just maneuvered herself into a trap. She knew it.
“I’d say ’tis hard to protect a lass if she’s out running all over the highlands on foot, wouldn’t you say?”
She scowled, unhappy with the direction this conversation was headed.
“I release you from his promise,” she declared.
He shook his head, a smile lifting the corners of hismouth. Shocked, she stared transfixed at the change such a gesture wrought on his features. My, but he was quite handsome. Really handsome. And he looked younger, not as hardened, though she’d seen the scars, so she knew he was anything but soft. Nay, he was a warrior. There was no telling how many men he’d killed in battle. Why, he could probably snap someone’s neck with his fingers. Certainly hers.
The thought had her reaching up to cover her throat.
“Only Crispen can release me from that promise, lass. As I’m sure he told you, a McCabe always keeps his word.”
Glumly, she remembered Crispen saying just that. She also remembered his vow to her that his father would protect her. She’d been too bent on self-preservation to really give thought to what that meant.
“Are you saying I can’t leave?” she whispered.
He seemed to consider her question for a moment, his gaze never straying from her. He stared until she squirmed under his scrutiny.
“If I knew you had a safe place to go, then of course I’d allow you to go. To your family perhaps?”
She wasn’t going to lie and say she had family, so she said nothing at all.
The laird sighed. “Tell me your name, lass. Tell me why Duncan Cameron was so adamant that you marry him. I’ve promised Crispen I’d protect you, and I will, but I can’t do so unless I have all the facts.”
Oh dear, he was going to get all gruff again when she refused to obey his command. He’d been ready to throttle her the day before. A night’s sleep probably hadn’t tempered the desire, no matter how patient he seemed to be at the moment.
Instead of openly defying him as she’d done yesterday, she stood mute, hands still folded in front of her.
“You realize, I’ll find out soon enough. It would bebetter on you if you simply told me what I want to know now. I don’t like to be kept waiting. I’m not a patient man. Particularly when those under my command defy me.”
“I’m not under your command,” she blurted before she could think better of it.
“The moment you stepped onto my land, you came under my command. My son’s promise put you solidly under my
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