away from him, she lifted her skirts and fled from the hal as fast as her injured foot could carry her.
“Give her time, Rory. She’l come to understand.”
“Do you think so, brother? Because I doona’,” he said wearily as he watched her leave.
“She’s frightened is al . Afraid somethin’ wil happen to you.”
“I ken that, but right now I doona’ have time to al eviate her fears. We head out on the morrow with Aidan. Fergus, ready the men.” Once his cousin’s men left, Rory ap
proached him.
Aidan scrubbed his hand over his shadowed jaw. “I saw yer lady. She didna’ seem verra happy.”
“Nay, but ’tis the way of it, somethin’ she wil have to get used to.”
“I’m sorry ye’l no’ be spendin’ much time with her. I wish I didna’ need yer help in this, Rory, but I do.”
He waved his cousin’s concerns aside. “’Tis a good thin’
we settled with the MacDonald, is al . How’s Lan?”
“I didna’ think it would happen this soon or I wouldna’
have left my brother on his own. He’s too young for the re
sponsibility.”
LORD OF THE ISLES
285
“He’s got Dougal and Torquil with him, doesna’ he?”
“Aye, he does, and fer al that he’s young, he’s canny and strong as wel .”
Rory threw an arm over Aidan’s shoulder. “He’l be fine. We’l be by his side before long. Doona’ fash yerself.”
By the time Rory had assured himself al was at the ready the hour had grown late. He paused before entering Aileanna’s darkened chambers. The fire had died down, and a lone candle flickered by her bed.
“I know it’s you,” she said, her voice husky. He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair from her face, kissing her tear-swol en eyes.
“Why do you have to go?” she asked.
“Aileanna, do you think if it wasna’ necessary for me to be there that I would be goin’?”
“Yes. I’ve seen you, Rory MacLeod, playing with your men. You love the fight, the thril of the battle.”
At one time she would’ve been right, but no longer. He would give anything to stay at Dunvegan with her, but he couldn’t abandon his cousin. “Would you have me leave Aidan and Lachlan to battle the adventurers on their own?
They doona’ have the men, and the ones they do have are no’ trained as wel as mine.”
“It’s not fair, Rory. I thought . . . I thought with the truce signed there wouldn’t be this threat hanging over us. The ink is barely dry, yet you’re off to fight another battle.”
“We doona’ face an enemy like the MacDonald, mo chridhe. ’Twil no’ be the bloodbath that would’ve been.”
“But you’re stil going to fight, and let me guess—no one even tried to negotiate with these men.”
“’Twas sanctioned by King James. There wil be no talks. The MacLeods of Lewis have held the island for centuries, yet the king means to depose them. Do you see the fairness in that, Aileanna? Would you no’ fight if you were in their place?”
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“Can’t they go to the king?”
“They did, and it did them no good. There’s no other way but to fight for what is theirs. I’m obligated to assist, and I wil .”
“There has to be—”
“Nay, stop. I wil na’ battle you as wel .” His words were terse, angry at her stubborn refusal to understand. “Wil you no’ let it go?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I can’t. If you would just try, I’m—”
He held up his hand. “Nay, you refuse to see reason. You doona’ trust that I ken what is necessary and what is no’, and I wil na’ spend my last night with you battlin’ over this. Good night, Aileanna. I leave at dawn. I wil see you on my return.” He scanned her face for some sign she’d relent. Finding none, he took his leave, even though he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms. Ali’s eyes widened at the sound of the closing door, stunned Rory had walked away without a backward glance. He was furious with her, but she didn’t think he would leave without one last kiss. What if he didn’t come back to her? As soon as the thought entered her head she shoved it aside. A night that had been fil ed with joy and hope had turned into a nightmare. With her presentation of Trotternish to Rory she felt she’d made some progress with the clan. At least they no longer looked at her with suspicion—wel , most of them didn’t. She might not have gained total accept
ance, but it was a start.
Was Rory right to insinuate she was too stubborn to un
