At least it had stopped and the sky was clear above. The moon and countless stars shone and reflected off the snow until it appeared nearly daytime.
“Good morn, Caelen.”
Caelen turned to see Gannon standing a short distance away.
“ ’Tis cold, Gannon. Where are your furs?”
Gannon grinned. “I don’t want them wet before our journey. ’Twill be freezing on the ride to McDonald land.”
Caelen studied the warrior who’d long served Caelen’s brother. A more loyal man Caelen had never known. He was glad to get him, but he worried.
“What think you of Ewan sending you with me?”
Gannon stared around at the keep, the courtyard where they’d trained for so many years. At the still-crumbling walls that were even now being repaired, thanks to Mairin’s dowry.
“ ’Twill be hard to leave the home I’ve known for so long. But things are changing. Ewan is newly married and he leaves for Neamh Álainn as soon as Isabel is strong enough for the journey. Alaric will become laird. Aye, things are changing, and ’tis the truth I’m looking forward to a new challenge. Going with you to McDonald keep will give me that.”
“I’m glad to have you,” Caelen said. “ ’Twill be a hard task to train the McDonalds to be warriors on par with the McCabes. We’ve not much time to whip them into shape. Ewan is impatient to be rid of Duncan Cameron once and for all.”
“As is our king.”
“Aye, for different reasons, but aye, David is eager to be rid of Cameron as well.”
“Since we are both awake, perhaps we should ready the horses for the journey. I had some of the men bring down the trunks last night to load into the carts. Will you wait for your lady wife to awaken before we depart?”
Caelen scowled. His lady wife had slept like a babe while he’d lain awake in pain. “I’ll wake her once we’ve readied the carts and the men. I’ll want to say my goodbyes to my brothers and their wives.”
“ ’Tis a new page in your life you’re embarking on,” Gannon said in a sage voice. “A fortnight ago, did you imagine that you’d be laird of your own clan, newly married to a beautiful lass and on your way to a life away from the McCabes?”
For a moment Caelen didn’t acknowledge Gannon’s question. It caused him too much discomfort. The truth was an ugly, unforgiving thing. Always there. Never changing.
“ ’Tis my fault we’ve struggled for as many years as we have,” Caelen said quietly. “I owe my brothers more than I can ever repay. My agreeing to this marriage gives Alaric what he most wants in the world, and it aids Ewan in keeping his wife and child safe. It wouldn’t matter if Rionna McDonald were a pox-riddled whore. I’d marry her for those reasons and never feel regret.”
“How fortunate for you that I’m nay pox-riddled nor a whore.”
Caelen swung around to see Rionna standing a short distance away, her face drawn into an impassive mask as she stared at him and Gannon. He cursed under his breath just as Gannon muttered “Uh-oh.” Caelen was forever making a muck of things around Rionna.
“Rionna …”
She held up her hand to silence him and he did so before it sunk in that she was giving him a command and he’d meekly followed it.
“Don’t apologize for speaking the truth, husband. ’Tis the truth I had no more desire to marry you than you did me, but as you said last eve, neither of us had a choice. Perhaps it would be better to move forward rather than to keep rehashing the reasons why over and over.”
He hated the hurt in her voice even as her gaze flickered coolly over him and Gannon. Her face had the perfect you-can’t-touch-me expression, but her voice told the truth. He had wounded her.
“You shouldn’t be outside the keep. ’Tis frigid this morn. What are you doing up at this hour?”
Her gaze was as chilled as the wind. She showed no reaction to the biting cold even though the clothing she wore was ill-suited for such weather.
“I woke when you rose and I knew you’d want an early start. ’Tis not an overlong journey but the snow will hinder us. I thought to aid you in preparing.”
“ ’Tis a thoughtful gesture, my lady,” Gannon said. “But ’tis my duty to assist your husband. I would feel better if you were inside where ’tis warm and you don’t chance taking ill.”
Caelen glared at Gannon for his well thought-out words. The sentiment should come from him, not his commander. He could see the effect it had on Rionna. Her eyes lost some of their frost, and her stance relaxed.
“I’ll want to bid my farewells to Keeley as well as Mairin and the babe.”