Emily smiled, remembering her triumph of almost floating alone. 'Yes. It was wonderful. He is teaching me to swim so I will not fear the water any longer.'
'He is?' Cait asked as if such a thing were too astounding to be believed. 'So you won't be afraid?'
'Oh, yes. And he's a very patient teacher. You wouldn't think so by the way he acts the rest of the time, but he did not yell at me once.'
'I see… I think.' Cait frowned and sighed. 'Actually, I don't understand anything.'
'What do you mean?'
'His patience and the kindness in teaching you to swim… it doesn't fit with what I was thinking about him.'
'What were you thinking?' Emily asked, not surprised Cait was confused by this side of Lachlan.
She was as well. The man could order the kidnapping of two innocent women to assuage his pride and then go out of his way to help her conquer a lifelong fear. She'd read of a creature who changed color with its surroundings and wondered if Lachlan wasn't a bit like that.
'Well, I do not believe Susannah lied. She is really too sweet to have done so,' Cait said as if trying to convince Emily. 'Besides, why would she lie? Unless she was afraid Magnus would think less of her otherwise. Yes, that is possible, maybe even probable. Only I had about convinced myself that Lachlan was the one who was lying, you see.'
'What? Why would Lachlan lie?'
'Because he wants war with our clan and doesn't want his clan to blame him for starting it, so he sent Susannah off by herself and pretended outrage when the inevitable mating took place.'
'I don't see how he could think a woman going off hunting was going to end up married.'
'Trust me, in this case, he would have been certain.'
'Hmm… Even if that is the case, you are attributing terribly devious thoughts to Lachlan and I don't think he's like that.'
'You don't think he's capable of deception?'
'Not that exactly, but I think he's too arrogant to believe it's necessary. If he wanted to go to war with your clan, he'd declare war and be done with it. It would never occur to a man of his temperament that he needed to deceive his own people like that. My father's much like him, too arrogant by half.'
'Really?' Cait asked, looking diverted.
'Oh, yes. I'm in this mess because of his arrogance. He likes to blame my stepmother because she made the suggestion, but he only does what he wants.'
'What did he do?'
'The king issued a call for soldiers and my father sent the bare minimum under his lord and vassal agreement. His stinginess angered our king and in revenge, he decreed that Father had to send one of his daughters north to marry your brother.'
'He believed that marriage to my brother was punishment?' Cait asked, outraged.
'Losing his daughter to a marriage that could not benefit him in any way was the punishment,' Emily soothed. 'A Highland laird is hardly likely to become a baron's ally, even if he is married to the baron's daughter.'
'Oh, I see.' Cait looked somewhat mollified. 'You said one of his daughters. You have sisters?'
'Three. Two are my stepsisters and Margery, the baby, is my half sister. I also have two half brothers.'
Cait frowned. 'You have a stepmother?' .
'Yes and she's annoying, but she would not betray my father like your and Talorc's stepmother betrayed your clan. Sybil loves my father, but it is a very jealous love.'
'That must have been hard for you… living with her.'
Emily nodded. 'But I loved my sisters and brothers. Especially Abigail. She's the reason I cannot return to my father's house.' And she explained her fear for her sister and why she had to stay to marry Talorc, no matter what she wanted.
'And do you want something else?' Cait asked when Emily was finished.
She felt herself blushing even though Cait had said nothing embarrassing.
The other woman smiled. 'You are attracted to Lachlan.'
'How did you know? Is it that obvious? I shouldn't be. He's rude and grumpy and impatient except when he's teaching me to swim. I wouldn't think my feelings for him were so easy to see.' After all, more often than not she felt like strangling the man, but here Cait was saying she thought Emily was attracted to him.
Which she was, but still… it should not have been evident.
'You cannot learn to swim in a gown,' Cait said dryly.
'Oh. Um, no, you can't.'
'If he convinced you to take it off, he must have been very persuasive indeed.'
'He was.'
Cait was back to looking worried. 'Talorc will not marry you if Lachlan has mated you.'
'Lachlan said he would not breach my maidenhead.'
'Oh, my.' Cait fanned herself.
Emily straightened her shoulders. 'I have determined to allow him to teach me to swim and… and other things if he is so inclined.'
'The English and Highlanders are different. Talorc would have ripped my throat out for doing similar.'
Emily shivered at the gruesome image. 'My father would no doubt beat me, but he is not here and I am and when I am with Lachlan like that… I am happy. I want to taste happiness before I must submit to duty.'
Cait eyes filled with understanding. 'Do you love Lachlan?'
'I hope not.'
Cait smiled ruefully. 'I understand. It would hurt too much, would it not?'
'Yes,' Emily whispered.
But then she thought Cait understood only too well. If her wedding night had been so special for her and she was convinced it had not been for Drustan, the pain of caring was already in her heart. Emily could only hope the Balmoral soldier would realize quickly what a treasure he had in Cait.
A peremptory knock sounded on the door and then it opened. Drustan stood in the opening, his expression void of emotion. 'It is time to go down for the nooning meal.'
'Is Emily to come, too?' Cait asked.
'Yes.'
Relief brought a smile to Emily's face. So, she was free to leave her room. That was very good news. She would also see Lachlan. Her heart sped at the thought.
Lachlan was sitting in the center chair at a long table at the far end of the hall when Emily, Drustan and Cait walked in. All of the other places were taken at his table except for two to his right. No doubt who those were for: Drustan and Cait.
Emily looked around for a place to sit herself and saw an empty spot at the table where Angus sat. Ulf was also at that table, but that could not be helped. She would know at least one person.
She told Cait where she was going and why and started her way toward Angus's table. The soldier saw her when she'd drawn near and nodded in greeting. She nodded back and he bumped the man beside him, forcing him to move on the bench so the empty spot at the table was beside Angus.
Emily smiled her gratitude, but before she could sit down a strange look came over Angus's features and the blood drained from his face. Two of the other soldiers at the table looked up as well, their features expressing shock. All three of the soldiers looked toward Lachlan. He was scowling, which was nothing new really, but he hadn't been doing so when she first entered the great hall.
Angus jumped up from the bench. 'I believe the laird wants you to sit at his table, Miss Emily.'
'I'm sure you are wrong. There is no place for me at that table.'
'I believe he has just instructed one of the soldiers to move to a different table.'
She shook her head. 'I'm sure you are mistaken.'
'No. I am not. I just heard him.'
'You couldn't possibly hear your laird over this din.' There were at least seventy-five soldiers eating in the hall and the noise was enough to mask even a loudly spoken conversation.
