“Don’t think to cheat me out of being me husband,” Cora muttered to him. She clasped his hand but dropped it a moment later because his fingers were icy cold.
She bit her lip.
No!
Cora crawled into the bed, curling along the uninjured side of his body. “Ye warmed me the first night to keep me from slipping away into death.” Cora used her hand to rub his arm and shoulder. “I will nae let ye go, Faolan McKay. Do ye hear me? We shall not be cheated of our years together.”
No. She wouldn’t be cheated.
Ye do nae always get what ye want…
*
Orla reached up and wiped away a tear.
She had to be firm.
It was quiet now. The passageways were very cold because the window shutters were open to blow the scent of blood away. Orla drew in a deep breath.
Such a loss and perhaps one more to come before too long.
It was so very hard to bear. Without a strong laird, the McKay would not hold the respect of the neighboring clans. Even with a formidable mistress, they’d have a tough road in the years to come.
Perhaps there would be an heir.
It was a tiny flicker of hope but one far overshadowed by the odds stacked against it.
Naught ever came from worrying, but it gave Orla the strength to finish her chore. She walked the last few paces to a small door. As a competent Head-of-House, she knew where every chamber was. She rapped on it once before entering. A candle was lit inside the chamber. Una sat on a stool beside the made bed. There was a small bundle on the bed.
“I see ye expected me,” Orla remarked.
Una nodded. “I hoped ye’d be the one to come. We have known one another our entire lives. One last moment with a friend. So much better than a noose and a masked executioner.”
Orla spent a moment in recollection. There had been summer days filled with games in the heather. There had been weddings when they had danced and danced with all of the exuberance of youth.
And now, there was the duty of being the adults who had to make the difficult decisions.
Una stood up and took the cup Orla held. She wasted no time in draining it. Likely worried she’d be denied a quick death if she argued.
“We were friends once,” Orla assured her quietly. She sat down on the stool as Una lowered herself onto the bed.
Una offered her a small smile. She recalled a melody from childhood and began to hum it. Orla tilted her head to one side, listening before she joined in.
Orla finished the last bit of the song herself. She pinched out the candle before leaving the chamber.
It was another chore finished. And like all chores, they were done for the sake of having a good home to live in. Orla sought out her bed, resting, at last, in comfort because her home was safe.
Chapter Eleven
There was a soft rap on the outer door in the morning. Cora went to answer it quickly.
Cormac Grant stood there. He offered her a nod as she got a look at his green eyes. He walked over to the door and pulled it wide.
“Me father is raving mad.”
Cormac was facing away from her still. His body was tense. She heard him draw in a deep breath before he turned and looked at her.
“It’s a poor excuse. All of the matters of the Grants have fallen to me, and it’s me duty to shoulder it. I placed me trust in Lirkin. A matter I apologize to ye for, lass.”
“He placed greed above the good of the clan,” Cora offered. “It is something we must all be on guard against.”
Cormac nodded. He considered her for a long moment. His gaze was sharp, and Cora stood in place, looking straight back at him.
“Ye are a fine woman, Cora Mackenzie,” he complimented her.
“A married one.”
Cora turned so fast her ankle nearly buckled. She had to blink, but Faolan was leaning against the doorway, his dark eyes open, even if his eyebrows were lowered in pain.
“And do…nae forget it, Grant.” Faolan pointed at Cormac.
“Christ, man,” Cormac muttered. “What are ye doing on yer feet?”
Faolan chuckled. The sound was weak, but his lips curled up. “I’m no’ ready to be buried just yet.” He looked at Cora. “Me wife refuses to be cheated out of our years together.”
Cora trembled. From head to toe, her body reacted to the knowledge that he had heard her.
But he was as white as the shirt he wore.
Cora gasped. “Ye’ll go straight back to bed, Faolan.”
She hurried toward him, still locked in wonder over seeing his eyes open. Was she trapped in an enchantment? Her soul willingly embracing fantasy because reality was too cruel? Her hand shook as she reached for him. Cora felt his heartbeat as she got beneath his arm. Cormac took his other side as they walked Faolan back to his bed.
Faolan growled. “If ye’ve a mind to be helpful, Grant, share some whisky with me.”
Faolan settled back into bed. Cormac reached into his jerkin and withdrew a costly silver flask. He unscrewed the top and offered it to Faolan.
Faolan took a large swig of it and let out a satisfied sound. Cora smiled. It was a huge, likely ridiculous-looking expression. Anyone watching would have known she’d become a fool muddled by love.
And she didn’t care.
Not one bit.
*
Brynna carried a tray down from the laird’s chamber. There was a smile on her lips as she made her way to the kitchens.
“Brynna.” A man stepped into her path. “I have missed ye so!”
Cameron plucked the tray from her stunned fingers and set it aside before he swept her up in an embrace.
“What are ye doing?” Brynna recovered enough to demand.
Cameron set her down. He was tall with wide shoulders, and her heart still did a little flip as she set eyes upon him. He cocked his head to one side and gave her a questioning look.
“I have nae seen ye since I brought ye here,” Cameron informed her. “Can I no’ be happy to see ye, woman?”
Brynna stared back at him. She was at a loss as to what to say. Orla suddenly appeared, and the Head-of-House was worrying her lower lip. Brynna reached up to see if she had a fever, for the day had suddenly turned so very strange.
“Me son was up in the pastures,” Orla said. “He’s just now returned.”
There was fear in Orla’s eyes. Brynna had never seen her looking so vulnerable. For a moment, Brynna battled the urge to lash out at the woman who had banished her to the tower.
But it had turned into Brynna’s greatest fortune.
“I was deep in thought.” She smiled at Cameron. “I’m sorry. It has been strange here.”
Cameron grinned. He hugged her close again. Brynna pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
No.
It was, indeed, Cameron. All of the love she’d locked away suddenly burst through the door she’d sealed it behind.
“We need to get the pair of ye wed,” Orla remarked from behind them.
Somewhere in the kitchens, there was a clatter as someone dropped a tray. Brynna felt tears gathering in her eyes.
Love was truly life’s greatest blessing.
*
Cormac Grant and Rolfe stood on the steps of the McKay stronghold. Their men were making the horses ready to ride.
“Ye’re a fool,” Rolfe told Cormac bluntly. “Cora McKenzie is a fine prize of a woman.”