“Beitris. Niall.” Gordan gave them each a brief nod. “Sileas, may I have a word with ye? It’s important.”
“We’ll walk slow,” Beitris said to her. “Ye can catch up to us when you’re done with your chat.”
Gordan gave Sileas a warm, hopeful smile that made her feel wretched. Beitris was right—’twas time to tell Gordan that things were settled between her and Ian. Gordan was a good man, and she owed him that.
“I can’t go out walking with ye anymore,” she said. “I’ve made my decision to stay with Ian.”
“Say ye don’t mean it.” His eyes were wild as he gripped her arms. “Tell me it’s not too late, that ye haven’t given yourself to him yet.”
She flushed, remembering all the things Ian had done to her. Though she was still a virgin, she had, indeed, given herself to him.
“Ian doesn’t deserve ye,” Gordan said. “He doesn’t love ye as I do.”
Ach, he was not making this easy. “Ian says he’s ready to be a good husband to me, and I believe him.”
“With his pretty face, Ian can have any of the lasses,” Gordan said, waving his arm out to the side as if there were a line of women standing there. “But you should have a man who sees ye for the special woman that ye are.”
She didn’t want to hurt him, but softening the message would not help Gordan accept it.
“Ian cares for me,” she said.
“Is that what he tells ye?” Gordan said, raising his voice. “It hurts me to see ye believe his lies.”
“Stop it, Gordan. I know ye are upset, but you’ve no cause to call Ian a liar.”
“You’ve always had a weakness for Ian, and it’s made ye blind,” he said, shaking his head. “What Ian values ye for is your lands.”
“No. That’s not true.”
“He’s come back to Skye to help Connor take the chieftainship.” Gordan’s voice was rough with emotion. “That’s all this is about.”
Icy fingers of doubt crept over her heart. “No, Ian wants to be my husband.”
“Is that why he stayed away five years?” he asked. “Ye know Ian would do anything for Connor, and Connor wants your castle back in MacDonald hands.”
“What are ye saying, Gordan?”
“The four of them—Connor, Ian, Alex, and Duncan—held a secret meeting last night in the church.”
A shiver of fear went up her spine. “What about? Are they going to fight Hugh?”
“Connor is a clever one. He knows it’s too soon to challenge his uncle directly,” Gordan said. “Instead, he has Ian—as your husband—be the one to call on the men to take Knock Castle.”
Why had no one told her of the plan to oust her stepfather from her castle? Why had
“The four of them have it all planned out,” Gordan said, raising his arms. “They know how much losing Knock Castle hurt the clan’s pride. Men came last night because they are angry that Hugh has not called for an attack. They all went home believing that unlike Hugh, Connor would never turn his back while our enemies took what belongs to us.”
“Connor wouldn’t,” she said in a low voice.
“I’m telling ye,” Gordan said, “the whole purpose of taking Knock Castle is to rally the men into supporting Connor for the chieftainship.”
Sileas felt like her throat was closing. Her voice came out high and tight as she asked, “Are ye saying this meeting was last night?”
“Aye.”
And Ian had come back this morning with a ring, saying he didn’t want to wait another night to be her true husband. She felt as if she were standing on the edge of a sandbar with the sand sliding out from beneath her feet.
“Connor needs a man with a husband’s claim to justify the attack,” Gordan said. “That is the reason Ian is claiming ye now.”
In the back of her head, she heard Ian’s voice.
Still, she said, “That doesn’t mean Ian doesn’t care for me.”
“What Ian cares about,” Gordan said, “is being the hero who saved the clan by putting Connor in the chieftainship.”
His words rang true in her heart, for she knew Ian had a burning need to redeem himself.
“Just because Ian wants to help the clan doesn’t mean that’s the only reason he wants to be my husband.”
“I’m telling ye,” Gordan said, “Ian wants ye so he has the right to claim your lands and castle.”
“That wasn’t enough to make him want to wed me five years ago, and I was heir to Knock Castle then.” She could hear the desperation in her voice.
“That was before Flodden. Before Connor’s father and brother died. Before Hugh Dubh took the chieftainship.” Gordan hit each point relentlessly. “And it was before Connor had a chance at becoming chieftain.”
