house last night, drunk and desperate. After a week with his parents, he would have followed a demon to hell to escape.
“I was going to leave my husband for ye,” Mary called down.
“For God’s sake, lass, ye don’t want to do that!” Alex bit his tongue to keep from reminding her that she was the one who had started the affair—and she’d made it very clear at the time that all she wanted from him was between his legs. “I’m sure your husband is a fine man.”
“He’s an idiot!”
“Idiot or no, he won’t like finding another man’s clothes in your bedchamber,” Alex said, talking to her in the even tones he used to calm horses. “So please, Mary, let me have them so I can go.”
“Ye will regret this, Alexander Ban MacDonald!”
He already did.
His shirt and plaid floated down to him as the door slammed upstairs. As he dressed, Alex had a sour feeling in his belly. Most of the time, he managed to part on good terms with the women he bedded. He liked them, they liked him, and they understood it was only meant to be a bit of fun. But he had misjudged this one.
“Alex!” Through the open window, he heard Duncan calling from the shore. “There’s a man walking up the path. Get your arse in the boat!”
Alex climbed out the window and ran for the boat. Not his finest moment. He took the rudder while Duncan raised the sail, and they headed for open water.
Duncan was in a foul mood—but then he often was. He stomped around the boat, making sure everything was tied down, which it already was.
“Are ye no tired of these antics with women?” Duncan finally said. “God knows I am.”
Alex was weary to death of it, but he wasn’t about to admit that. Instead, he said, “This was easier in France.”
Alex and Duncan—along with Alex’s cousins, Connor and Ian—had spent five years in France, fighting and swiving. It had been grand. Once a French noblewoman gave her husband an heir, no one got too excited if she discreetly took a lover. Ach, it was almost expected. In truth, Highlanders were no more likely to keep their vows, but bloodshed and clan wars were a too-frequent consequence.
“How did ye know where to find me?” Alex asked when his curiosity got the better of him.
“I saw Mary drag your drunken arse off last night just as I arrived,” Duncan said. “Ye didn’t look worth the trouble, but then, she doesn’t strike me as particular.”
Alex fixed his gaze on the horizon as they sailed past his parents’ houses. When his mother left his father, she had only gone across the inlet, where she could watch him. His father was no better—both paid servants in each other’s houses to spy for them.
“Why does my mother insist on returning to my father’s house when I visit?” Alex asked, though he didn’t expect an answer. “My ears are still ringing from the shouting.”
When they reached open water, Alex stretched out to enjoy the sun and sea breeze. They had a long sail ahead of them, from their home island of Skye to the outer isles.
“Remind me how Connor convinced us to pay a visit on the MacNeils,” Alex said.
“We volunteered,” Duncan said.
“Ach, that was foolish,” Alex said, “when we know the MacNeil chieftain is looking for husbands for his daughters.”
“Aye.”
Alex opened one eye to look at his big, red-haired friend. “Were we that drunk?”
“Aye,” Duncan said with one of his rare smiles.
Duncan was a good man, if a wee bit dour these days—which just went to show that love could bring the strongest of men to their knees.
“And he didn’t tell us that he wanted us to visit the MacNeils while we’re in the outer isles,” Duncan said, “until after he’d lured us in with the prospect of chasing pirates.”
“Since Connor became chieftain,” Alex said, “I swear he grows more devious by the day.”
“Ye could make this easy by marrying one of the MacNeils’ daughters,” Duncan said, the corner of his mouth quirking up.
“I see ye do remember how to make a joke.” Not many men teased Duncan, so Alex did his best to make up for it.
“Ye know that’s what Connor wants,” Duncan said. “He has no brothers to make marriage alliances with other clans—so a cousin will have to do. If ye don’t like one of the MacNeil lasses, there are plenty of other chieftains’ daughters.”
“I’d take a blade for Connor,” Alex said, losing his humor, “but I’ll no take a wife for him.”
“Connor has a way of getting what he wants,” Duncan said. “I wager you’ll be wed within half a year.”
Alex sat up and grinned at his friend. “What shall we wager?”
“This boat,” Duncan said.
“Perfect.” Alex loved this sleek little galley that sliced through the water like a fish. They had been arguing over who had the better right to it ever since they had stolen it from Shaggy Maclean. “You’re going to miss this sweet boat.”
