Elaine looked at her in shock. “He says Black Hugh of clan Fraser rides with the Comyns against us. We fostered him as a child,” she huffed in outrage. “He became a knight under my father’s tutelage. That treacherous viper.”
Hugh. Had he joined the enemy out of revenge? She leaned her head back against the stones. Dread filled her. Her destiny, the reason she’d been sent back in time, seemed to be unfolding before her as Malcolm and his men discussed the insult done to them by the Comyn clan. Their voices raised in anger, the men spoke too rapidly for her to understand. “What will happen? What are they saying?”
“Malcolm commanded a watch be set upon the hills surrounding Loch Moigh. He’s ordering the villagers to the island by nightfall. All but one of the boats are to remain here on the island. One will be hidden in the forest to be used by the men rotating on watch and to transport those who come from Meikle Geddes.” She paused, listening for a time, and then continued. “The messenger says only a score or so of Comyn’s men remain within the keep; the rest of have ridden off. He knows not where they’ve gone.”
She sucked in a breath and gripped Alethia’s arm. “Liam has volunteered to gather information. He claims to have a spy in Castle Rait. That’s the Comyns’ keep. Malcolm has bid him go with all haste. He’s traveling alone. ’Tis very dangerous.”
The conversation below became hushed, and they could no longer hear what was being said. Lydia was the first to leave the gallery, motioning the rest to follow. Like ducks in a row, the eavesdroppers traipsed after her to the solar.
Once the door closed behind them, everyone spoke at once, and the conversation flowed around her. While she waited for Malcolm, her thoughts went back to their time together at the spring. He’d apologized. For what? Had he been sorry things had gone as far as they had? Lord, what had she been thinking? All those lessons about safe sex flew right out the window when it came to Malcolm. It couldn’t happen again. The possibility of pregnancy terrified her. Life in the fifteenth century already held all the complications she could handle.
Thinking about the way she’d come apart in his arms made her blush. The memory of his powerful body covering hers, the way he’d made her feel, she’d never forget. His touch had been so tender. He’d driven her crazy with desire and love. Surely Malcolm felt the same. Why else take her to drink from the sacred spring with him if he didn’t care? No, she knew he cared. But was it love? Whenever she tried to read him, what came back was a tangle, strong complex emotions all wound together into an indecipherable mass. “What will happen?”
“We’ll take Meikle Geddes back, of course,” Lydia said.
“Oh.” The comment brought her back to the present. She hadn’t meant to voice her thoughts out loud. “Will the Comyns attack Moigh Hall?”
“No one has ever laid siege to our island fortress.” Elaine’s tone was tinged with pride. “The loch makes it impossible.”
“So Malcolm will lead men into battle.” This was it. She had to go with him, had to be there to save his life. “When do you think they’ll leave?”
“Not until our people have arrived safely from Meikle Geddes and are settled. He’ll wait for Liam’s return. Within a se’nnight, no doubt.”
Alethia waited all afternoon, through supper and late into the evening for Malcolm to return. Her thoughts went from one worst-case scenario to the next until exhaustion numbed her brain. She’d finally handed Tieren off to his mother, reined Hunter in and made her way to her chamber. Elaine joined her in the corridor, taking her arm as they walked.
“Once our people arrive, you and Hunter are to share my chamber,” Elaine told her as they reached Alethia’s door. “Every corner of the keep will be full.” When she didn’t respond, Elaine looked at her with concern. “You are upset.”
“Of course I’m upset.” She opened her door, and Elaine followed her in. “Wash and get ready for bed,” she told Hunter. “Malcolm will lead men into battle. Aren’t you worried?”
“Not overmuch.” Elaine shrugged a slender shoulder. “Only a score of men remain to hold Meikle Geddes. Malcolm is a seasoned warrior and quite skilled, as are all the men he will take with him.” Elaine sat on the bed as Alethia helped Hunter. “Have faith in my brother.”
She tucked Hunter in and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. His arms came around her neck in a fierce hug, and she sensed how frightened he was by all he’d witnessed. Like her, he’d been inundated by the strong emotions emanating from everyone around him. She held him tight and sent him reassurance that all would be well. Disentangling herself, she signed that she would explain everything tomorrow, kissed him again, and rose to join Elaine on the bed. “Have you forgotten why Giselle sent me here?”