and discard her when she no longer served a purpose.
He sighed. She wanted to be loved and cherished. He couldn’t offer her those things, but he could offer her his protection and his regard. It was far more than Duncan Cameron would give her.
“I’ll never hurt you, lass. You’ll have the respect due you as wife to the laird of the McCabe clan. I’ll protect you and any child you bear me. You wanted a man who had the strength to defend your legacy. I’m that man.”
She turned wounded eyes on him, skepticism bright in her gaze. “Not to offer insult, Laird, but your keep is crumbling around your ears. If you can’t defend your own, how can you expect to defend a holding such as Neamh Alainn?”
He stiffened at the insult, intended or not.
“You cannot be angry over such an observation,” she rushed to say. “ ’Tis my right to question the qualifications of the man I would marry and in whose hands I would place my life.”
“I have spent the last eight years fortifying my troops. There is not a larger, better-trained force in all of Scotland.”
“If that is correct, why then does your keep look as if it has sustained crippling damage in a battle?”
“It did,” he said bluntly. “Eight years ago. Since then my focus has been on keeping my clan fed and my men trained. Repairs to the keep have been a much lower priority.”
“I had not desired to marry anyone yet,” she said in a mournful voice.
“Aye, I can understand that. But it seems you no longer have a choice. You’ve been discovered, lass. If you think Duncan Cameron will give up when a holding such as Neamh Alainn is at stake, you’re daft.”
“There’s no need to be insulting,” she snapped. C;I’m not daft.”
He shrugged, growing impatient with the direction of the conversation. “The way I see it, you have two choices. Duncan Cameron. Or me.”
She paled and twisted her hands in agitation.
“Perhaps you should give it some thought. The priest should arrive within two days. I’ll expect an answer by then.”
Ignoring the dazed look in her eyes, he turned and walked from the chamber. He paused at the door and turned to pin her with a stare.
“Don’t think to try to escape again. You’ll find I have no patience for chasing disobedient lasses all over my lands.”
CHAPTER 10
Marry the laird. Mairin paced the interior of her chamber until she thought she might go mad. She stopped at the window and stared out, inhaling the soothing spring air. It was a warm afternoon with only a gentle bite of a chill.
Making a decision, she gathered her shawl and hurried from the room. No sooner had she stepped from the keep than one of the McCabe warriors fell into step beside her. She peeked cautiously up at him and remembered that he’d been one of the men with Alaric the day they’d found her and Crispen. She searched her memory for his name, but the whole event had been one big blur to her.
She smiled, thinking he only wanted to offer her greeting, but he continued in step with her as she rounded the corner of the keep and headed in the direction of the hole in the skirt.
Before she could lift her dress hem and climb over the crumbling rock face, the soldier gallantly took her hand and assisted her over the side.
She stopped and he nearly bumped into her, so close was he following behind. She whirled around and tilted her neck so she could look him in the eyes.
“Why are you following me?”
“Laird’s orders, my lady. ’Tis unsafe for you to walk about the keep unescorted. I am charged with your protection when the laird himself is not with you.”
She snorted and put one hand on her hip. “He fears me escaping again and you’ve been put to the task of making sure that doesn’t happen.”
The soldier didn’t so much as blink.
“I have no intention of leaving the keep. The laird has informed me of the consequences of such an action. I’m merely out for a walk and a bit of fresh air, so there’s no reason for you to leave your other duties to escort me.”
“My only duty is to your safety,” he said solemnly.
She gave a disgruntled sigh. She was sure the laird’s men wereevery bit as thickheaded and stubborn as he was. It was probably a requirement.
“Very well. By what name are you called?”
“Gannon, my lady.”
“Tell me, Gannon, are you my permanent watch guard?”
“I share the duty with Cormac and Diormid. Next to his brothers, we are the laird’s most senior men.”
She picked her way over the stones protruding from the ground as she made her way up the hillside toward the grazing sheep.
“I can’t imagine that’s a duty any of you would welcome,” she said wryly.
“ ’Tis an honor,” Gannon said gravely. “The laird’s confidence is great. He wouldn’t entrust the safety of the mistress of the keep to just any of his soldiers.”
She stopped and whirled around, clamping her lips shut to prevent the shriek from escaping. “I am not the
