the next instant, her dress hastily thrown on as she gathered the rest of her things and reached for the door. She paused and looked over her shoulder at him.
Then she was gone.
Daman wanted to hit something, to scream his fury. If only he had friends he could seek out. It would be the first time he asked for help, but he was willing to do anything for Innes.
~ ~ ~
Innes stood in the bailey stroking her horse’s forehead when she heard the voices from within the castle. Alistair was bellowing, and suddenly, everyone was rushing about.
She looked to the castle entrance as the door was thrown open and Alistair emerged followed by Daman. Her heart dropped to her stomach like a stone. Had Alistair discovered that she had given her innocence to Daman?
Daman’s gaze was a mixture worry and anger as he looked at her, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. But that fury wasn’t directed at Alistair.
“Someone released Donald,” Alistair told her in a tight voice as he walked down the castle steps.
Innes looked around at the faces of her clan. Those who remained had left the village and taken shelter at the castle. One of them was responsible.
“Who did this?” she asked them as she came around her horse. “Do you want to see another clan take over the castle? Because that’s what is going to happen. Who would dare to go against your laird and free Donald?”
No one bothered to respond, and it infuriated her.
“Do you have any idea what Alistair and I have done for you? Do you even care? Perhaps we should let the Sinclairs take over,” she said, her voice failing at the end.
She had been willing to give herself to the Sinclair laird for peace, but her clan didn’t want peace. Why should she wreck her life for people who didn’t care?
Innes felt a presence beside her and knew it was Daman. He turned her away to lead her back to her mare. His strong hands wrapped around her waist, and she looked into his eyes.
His long hair was tied back in a queue, giving his stark features more of a dangerous look. His blue gaze sought hers. Then he gave her a slight nod.
Innes took a deep breath. “I’m all right.”
At that, he lifted her onto her horse and walked to his own. Innes didn’t look back as she and Daman left the castle with Alistair.
They hadn’t gone far from the gatehouse before she said, “Perhaps we should just keep riding and forget the clan.”
“Nay,” Alistair said. “They’re my responsibility.”
“They freed Donald,” she stated. “I think that says everything.”
“We doona know who freed our brother, but it wasna the entire clan,” Alistair argued.
Innes snorted. “The fact is, someone did. Someone went against you and released him. We don’t know who supports you and who supports Donald. I fear we won’t know that until Donald challenges you again.”
Daman was riding ahead of them, his gaze sharp. Innes thought of the previous night and waking up in his arms. If only every day could be like that. Was it too much to ask that she be allowed to be happy? That she be able to choose a husband for herself?
“Do you love him?”
She was pulled out of her musing by Alistair’s question. Her eyes swung to him. “What?”
“I’m no’ blind, Innes. I see how you look at him. More importantly, I see how protective he is of you.”
“I woke him.”
“Aye. But I think there’s more you’re no’ telling me. I want things to go smoothly today. In all ways.”
She looked forward, her gaze landing on Daman. “You mean you want to know if I’ll refuse to go with the Sinclairs.”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Have I given you any reason to doubt me?”
Alistair was quiet for a long time before he said, “No’ until now. Our clan needs peace, Innes.”
“Then give them Donald,” she argued. “They know he’s the culprit.”
Alistair blew out a breath. “We must all make sacrifices for the clan.”
Innes felt tears threaten. She was a
Then she was gone.
Daman wanted to hit something, to scream his fury. If only he had friends he could seek out. It would be the first time he asked for help, but he was willing to do anything for Innes.
~ ~ ~
Innes stood in the bailey stroking her horse’s forehead when she heard the voices from within the castle. Alistair was bellowing, and suddenly, everyone was rushing about.
She looked to the castle entrance as the door was thrown open and Alistair emerged followed by Daman. Her heart dropped to her stomach like a stone. Had Alistair discovered that she had given her innocence to Daman?
Daman’s gaze was a mixture worry and anger as he looked at her, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. But that fury wasn’t directed at Alistair.
“Someone released Donald,” Alistair told her in a tight voice as he walked down the castle steps.
Innes looked around at the faces of her clan. Those who remained had left the village and taken shelter at the castle. One of them was responsible.
“Who did this?” she asked them as she came around her horse. “Do you want to see another clan take over the castle? Because that’s what is going to happen. Who would dare to go against your laird and free Donald?”
No one bothered to respond, and it infuriated her.
“Do you have any idea what Alistair and I have done for you? Do you even care? Perhaps we should let the Sinclairs take over,” she said, her voice failing at the end.
She had been willing to give herself to the Sinclair laird for peace, but her clan didn’t want peace. Why should she wreck her life for people who didn’t care?
Innes felt a presence beside her and knew it was Daman. He turned her away to lead her back to her mare. His strong hands wrapped around her waist, and she looked into his eyes.
His long hair was tied back in a queue, giving his stark features more of a dangerous look. His blue gaze sought hers. Then he gave her a slight nod.
Innes took a deep breath. “I’m all right.”
At that, he lifted her onto her horse and walked to his own. Innes didn’t look back as she and Daman left the castle with Alistair.
They hadn’t gone far from the gatehouse before she said, “Perhaps we should just keep riding and forget the clan.”
“Nay,” Alistair said. “They’re my responsibility.”
“They freed Donald,” she stated. “I think that says everything.”
“We doona know who freed our brother, but it wasna the entire clan,” Alistair argued.
Innes snorted. “The fact is, someone did. Someone went against you and released him. We don’t know who supports you and who supports Donald. I fear we won’t know that until Donald challenges you again.”
Daman was riding ahead of them, his gaze sharp. Innes thought of the previous night and waking up in his arms. If only every day could be like that. Was it too much to ask that she be allowed to be happy? That she be able to choose a husband for herself?
“Do you love him?”
She was pulled out of her musing by Alistair’s question. Her eyes swung to him. “What?”
“I’m no’ blind, Innes. I see how you look at him. More importantly, I see how protective he is of you.”
“I woke him.”
“Aye. But I think there’s more you’re no’ telling me. I want things to go smoothly today. In all ways.”
She looked forward, her gaze landing on Daman. “You mean you want to know if I’ll refuse to go with the Sinclairs.”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Have I given you any reason to doubt me?”
Alistair was quiet for a long time before he said, “No’ until now. Our clan needs peace, Innes.”
“Then give them Donald,” she argued. “They know he’s the culprit.”
Alistair blew out a breath. “We must all make sacrifices for the clan.”
Innes felt tears threaten. She was a
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