Taming the Wild Highlander 04 (31 page)

The other man shook his head. Angus turned his attention to him.
"Nay? Then what? Kill me and come for her at Craigly later?"

"
Let me live and I will tell you," the man said, his voice pained.

"
Why should I? Would you have allowed me to live? What if you had injured Edana in the process?"

"
We wouldna," he said.

Angus hmpfed.
"In the dark, how would you know? And she was ready to defend me. If you had harmed me, she would have injured you. Then you are telling me you wouldna have retaliated?"

"
I wouldna have…cut her. Keary is mad with wanting her. When her escort came to the castle and told him she was missing, he searched for her. He had every intention of taking her to wife as soon as he found her. He recalled having seen her as a young lass and remembered how bonny she was even then. But then you arrived with her and he still thought he had a chance to wed the lass. He didna believe you or she intended to marry. Laird Lockton had the notion even to get her da's permission before you had a chance. She had thoroughly bewitched Keary. No' only because of her fiery hair. He sees her as the kind of woman he wants to call his own."

"
So he doesna intend to steal her away," Angus said, worried that Keary had that plan in mind.

"
Nay. He intends to come for her at Craigly Castle, after you are dead. He will propose marriage again to her da, as she would be a widow and…free to marry."

Niall snorted.
"I have already spoken for the lass. She will be mine first before Keary can get his hands on her."

Angus looked at Niall. He thought his cousin was truly serious.
"Need I remind you, Cousin, I have no intention of dropping dead anytime soon?"

Niall smiled
self-assuredly. "Aye, Angus, but in the event Keary thinks he has a chance, he doesna. And you heard Gunnolf—he wishes her to be his warrior bride. So if something happens to me…" Niall shrugged.

Swords clanking in the distance made them all turn in that direction.
Angus looked again at the wounded men, the one appearing to have expired. To the other, Angus said, "I will let you go for speaking freely to us. Should you attempt to harm me or mine in the future, I willna go so easy on you."

The man nodded and Niall and Drummond helped him to his feet. He waited
, holding his bloodied wound, his tunic sleeve sliced halfway up the arm.

"
I wouldna speak to Keary about any of this. Rather, if I were you, I would disappear." Angus truly hoped the man would do the opposite of that, and tell Keary he had no chance with Edana ever. Did Keary truly believe no one would connect him to an arbitrary murder? And that Tibold would again grant Keary the right to wed Edana?

"
Aye," the man said.

"
Go," Angus said.

Keary
's man stumbled off, holding his bleeding arm. Angus glanced up at the window. Tibold was still watching them. Angus wanted to join the fighting to see if he could be of assistance, but he didn't want to leave Edana with just her father.

"
Return to her," Niall said. "We will watch your back until you reach the room. Then Drummond and I can look into the other fighting."

"
Aye." Angus hated to think anyone had to stay to protect him.

When he returne
d to the room, he found it empty, but before full-fledged panic could set in, Tibold opened the door to his own room. "Kayne moved Edana to my room. My sons and I will sleep in yours since the shutters no longer protect the window."

Angus
agreed that the plan was sound and retired to Tibold's room with Edana, sword ready for any further disturbance.

L
ater, Egan banged on the door, "'Tis me, Egan, and Gildas ending our shift for the night."

Angus quickly opened the door to them
so that they would not wake Edana. "Your father and Kayne are sleeping in our room next door."

"
My thanks," Egan said. "Sorry to disturb you."

"
Did you see any sign of Keary? Were any of our men injured?" Angus asked.

"
Two of Keary's men were wounded and one killed. Our own men are well. Keary was never seen. We are going to suggest to our da that we stay with you until you and Edana are safely tucked away at Craigly Castle."

Angus dipped his head and the men said their goodnights and banged on Tibold
's door. Kayne let them in and Angus barred his door and returned to a sleeping Edana. At least she had not been disturbed by
all
the night activities.

Or so he thought until
she reached for him and said, "Make love to me, husband."

***

A couple of hours later, the dawn's pink ribbon of sunlight appeared, turning to orange, then yellow. The sky had cleared and it looked to be a beautiful, blustery day.

After breaking their fast, they were on their way to Craigly Castle
, Una riding beside Edana, and looking much more refreshed than his wife after the harried night they'd had.

Gunnolf quickly joined him to give news of the night before as no one wished to disturb him earlier that morn and everyone talked of other matters for their journ
ey ahead when they broke their fast. "Niall says that if something untimely happens to you, he will wed the lass next."

Edana said,
"You know, I should have some say in this." She arched a dark red brow.

"
My very thought, lass," Gunnolf said, grinning. "Should anything happen to Angus, I would step in to take you to wife."

Sh
e laughed. "You jest as much as my brothers do," she said, smiling.

"
For the last time, I am no' leaving my wife to
either
of you," Angus said, of good cheer, knowing they would always be there for him no matter the trouble, just as he would be when it came to protecting them. "'Tis good I dinna question your loyalty, or I might think neither you nor Niall would protect me sufficiently because the treasure to be had would be too tempting."

Gunnolf laughed
heartily.

"
So what happened during the fighting?" Angus asked. "Egan told me briefly what he had seen."

"
The two men who had been sleeping in one of the crofts must have heard the fighting with the ones who tried to enter your room at the tavern. The men we were watching tried to slip out of the place. Egan, Halwn, and I engaged the men. Both were wounded, but we gave them the same message as you and Niall had told the other man. Leave; Keary has no hope to wed Edana as she has a string of men—Niall and me, waiting to wed the lass should some mishap befall you. We hope the word will get back to Keary and he will cease and desist," Gunnolf said.

"
Or want your heads also. I recall Keary was always like that when he was a lad," Angus said. "Wanting something, making a half-hearted attempt to get it, and stirring his father's ire."

"
Aye," Gunnolf said. "Only it seems he is making more than just a half-hearted attempt this time." He looked at Edana. "What exactly did the lass do to intrigue him so?"

"
You have to ask, Gunnolf?" Angus said. "You, who swear you will never wed?"

Gunnolf grinned at Edana, who blushed in response.
"She is a warrior woman. She would serve me well."

Niall rode back to join them.
"Horses have recently traveled this way. Mayhap ten?"

Keary
's men? Lying in ambush? Angus cursed under his breath.

Tibold posted more guards that night to ensure Keary nor any of his men thought to rid themselves of Angus too easily. Though normally, Edana and Una would have slept in their small tent together and no male would have entered it, Angus joined them, the low height of the tent forcing him to stoop. A candle chased away some of the shadows as he laid out his bedding next to Edana's. Her eyes widened with surprise to see him moving in with them.

Una giggled.
"Had I suggested a man sleep in the same tent that I did, my da would have exploded."

Angus smiled at her.
"He understands that I am here strictly for security."

Una made a face.
"Dinna let me stop you from enjoying the night with your wife."

Angus thought back to Edana
's comments about how she had witnessed Una and the guard kissing, which was where Edana had gotten the notion tongues were used in the process. He certainly didn't want to give Una any further ideas concerning lovemaking for when the time came for her to have a husband.

"
Nay, lass. What would your future husband say?" Angus placed his sword next to his bedding.

"
Oh, I would turn my back to you both and pretend it never happened." Una unplaited her hair, looking way too eager to see him make love to his wife.

Edana shook her head, smiling.
"You will have your day, Una. I didna see you speaking with Gildas. Did you no' tell him how glad you are that he is well?"

Una snorted and smoothed out her blankets.
"Think you he has any interest in me? Besides, when he sees that ward of your cousin McEwan, he may fall in love with her and that would be that."

"
I am no' certain about that. He hasna been happy about the prospect. What about you and Seumas?" Edana asked.

Una blushed.
"My da gave him the devil for going along with Kipper to escort the two of us in the search for your brother, because your da gave my da the devil for allowing it to happen in the first place."

"
Oh," Edana said, her voice contrite. "So because Seumas is in trouble for aiding us, he is not happy with you?"

Una looked down at her bedding.
"Truth be told, I think my da said that Seumas has to wed me."

"
Why?" Edana sounded horrified.

Angus wanted to tell the lasses they needed to sleep. He hoped they would not talk all night long. Di
d they do this back at Rondover Castle? It was good that Una would not share his bedchambers with them.

"
Because I traveled alone with Kipper and Seumas for so long. 'Twas the same as you being with Angus and his cousin and Gunnolf. Alone." Una looked expectantly at Angus and Edana as if she shared the same secrets as they did and wanted to hear about it.

Edana glanced at Angus, but didn
't say anything.

Angus smiled.
"It was cold those nights?" Of course he knew it had been. He could just imagine the guard using the same ploy—to snuggle close, to keep the lass from growing ill. Not that it wasn't true—he just couldn't imagine the guard doing it purely out of the goodness of his heart and not wanting more. Una was a wee bit older than Edana, her hair a light brown and sparkling green eyes, bonny indeed. She was a cheerful sort and he could see she could make a man happy.

"
Aye, 'twas cold, as well you must know," Una said, slyly.

"
Seumas offered to keep you warm?" Angus ventured.

"
Oh, aye. He is always very heroic."

Edana didn
't say a word, but she was blushing beautifully.

"
He didna want me growing ill," Una persisted.

Angus shook his head.

Edana glanced at Angus and he thought she was afraid he'd tell how she had slept with him. For Una to learn the truth, Edana would have to tell Una herself, not Angus.

"
Most sensible of him," Angus said, and blew out the candle.

But the absence of light in the tent did not stop the
two women from talking.

He
'd considered kissing Edana to stop the conversation, but he knew he'd want more, and that Una would be listening instead to Edana's soft moans, and…well, none of them would get any sleep, anyway.

He pulled her into his arms and snuggled with her instead and prayed they would be quiet soon.

Edana loved Angus. She knew he wanted to kiss her to shut her up. He curled his arms around her with her back to him. He stroked her arm in a soothing caress as she told Una all she'd missed while she'd stayed in the village and Edana had found herself lost in the woods, the boar, all of it.

Una was like a sister to her and she couldn
't help it. She wanted to know what had happened to Una also while she stayed with the crofters. She wanted to know how Una felt about Seumas. Would she marry him?

Several times they had lapsed into silence, and then one or
the other or the both of them would ask another question and the conversation would start all over again. Poor Angus. But if he was supposed to be guarding, he wasn't supposed to be sleeping anyway.

At one point
when she mentioned about Keary and his men having the audacity to attempt to kill the sow and leave the wee boar piglets orphaned, Angus chuckled softly against her hair. She smiled.