“There is a task I hae for ye,” Malcolm added, looking at Rhys directly. “When ye next have some time alone with Caitlin I want ye tae ask her about the armory and where they house their warriors. They will be our first targets. If we can make sure they cannae defend themselves, the battle will be won without much difficulty. If there’s anything else ye can find out then dae sae. I’m sure she’ll tell ye anything. She’ll want tae please her future husband.”
Rhys nodded and agreed to do as his father commanded, although the unease only grew. It somehow seemed wrong to treat Caitlin like this when she had only ever been genuine with him. But he had a role to play. He had always wanted to prove himself as a soldier to his father, and this was the way to do it. He simply had to harden his heart and steel his resolve against his emotions. They made him weak, and he should turn away from them before they did too much damage. In time this keep would be his and he wouldn’t have to worry about these dark emotions. The plot was already underway and the countdown had begun. There was nothing the McClearey clan could do to escape their fate, and so Rhys thought there wasn’t any point wasting time on mourning.
But there was something else playing on his mind, something that he didn’t dare bring up with his father. Malcolm had always prided himself on winning glory in battle and boasting about glory, but there was nothing glorious about the slaughter of unarmed men. The McCleareys were old enemies, but did that give his father the right to perform such a sly plan as this one? It seemed wrong, not that it mattered now…history was only going to remember a great Frasier victory.
He tried to put those thoughts out of his mind and found considerable solace in the thought of seeing Caitlin again. A warm feeling arose in his heart. It was a strange feeling and not one that he had experienced before. Usually, the only passionate feelings he felt were when he was in battle or on a hunt. The blood surged through him and his mind grew hazy with fervent passion, but this was different. It was a calm warmth, and it reached to the deepest points of his body. It was an ethereal thing, where he knew that as soon as he saw her he would be happy, and this knowledge in fact made him happy. She was animated in his mind, with her laughter echoing around and the image of her dancing and winking at him. It was as though she had been given life beyond her physical form and it was all very remarkable. It would take him some time to understand this emotion fully—that is, if they could ever be understood fully—but he looked forward to finding out the mystery and he wondered if Caitlin was feeling the same thing.
7
Rhys had been somewhat guarded as dinner began, and Caitlin was a little worried that she had misinterpreted his actions the previous night. She had never been this unsure of herself before, and it wasn’t a nice feeling. He fidgeted all night and kept pulling at his tunic, as though he had fleas crawling about inside. There was a murmur of conversation and soft music played in the background, but the mood was far more intimate and relaxed than the previous night’s party. The meal consisted of a number of courses, with bread, cheese, meats, fruit, roasted vegetables, and other delicacies being put in front of them. Her father had not spared any expense to mark the occasion and Caitlin hoped that everyone appreciated it.
Once again she and Rhys were sitting beside each other and people generally ignored them so that they might talk to each other rather than anyone else.
“That was an impressive display today,” Rhys said. Caitlin smiled and offered her wide eyes to him in an appreciative smile.
“I’m nae sure ye da thought sae,” Caitlin said.
Rhys chuckled. “Aye, well, he dinnae think women are suited tae that sort of thing.”
“And what dae ye think?” Caitlin asked, teasing him. Rhys smiled and thought about his answer for a few moments.
“I cannae disagree with the evidence of my own eyes,” he said. “Ye proved taeday that ye can dae anything. Where did ye learn tae throw axes like that?”
“I practiced all those things when I was a lass. I used tae watch Da and the other men practicing, and I wanted tae take part myself. Sae I went out and watched. Da tried tae get me tae gae in, and Ma hated it tae, but I always found a way out tae watch them. Then I started tae pick things up and play with them myself. Da came tae the conclusion that it was better for him tae teach me than for me tae hurt myself. He finally accepted that I was gaeing tae dae it nae matter what.” She lowered her voice and looked at him through her long lashes. “I’m pretty handy with a sword tae,” she said. Then, she leaned back and regarded him with a challenging look.
“I’m surprised ye didn’t take part in any of the events yerself,” she added.
Rhys shot back an equally challenging look. “I didnae realize that we could. I was under the impression that the games were being held in our honor, but perhaps I should hae. I would hae been better than Black Pete. I would hae won the honor for my
