“I’ve been looking for ye, Cooper,” Leith said. “Where did ye disappear to after the battle in the village?”
The war chief squared his shoulders and his chin jutted out. His thick brows lowered over frosty eyes, “A sect of the raiders took flight. I was perusing them to bring them to justice…as is me job in this clan.”
“Aye, it is,” Leith said coldly. “I went back this mornin’ to find how the raiders had come to the village. Nayone can tell me where they came from. I went to check the mountain passes and found nay sign of their tracks. Can ye tell me how they got here?”
“There are dozens upon dozens of ways they could have come. Have ye scoured every inch of the mountainside? Or are ye implying that I planned this?” Nicolas sneered.
“I cannot leave it out as ye seem to be doin’ a lot of other things. Yer job is to control the soldiers and protect the people but now I hear that ye have taken control of the people from the village leader. That ye have taken a census of them, that ye seek supplies for them and that ye have accepted gifts from the people for securing their homes. How far it from ye to stage a raid and then become their savior to gain more acclaim?”
“Listen here, boy,” Nicolas replied with a touch of ice to his tone. “I did nay entreat anyone to give me anything. They did that of their free will and even more, with your faither ill and yer absence from the lairdship, nay one kent ye were the Laird either. Someone had to take control of where ye fell short. I was doing ye a favor, boy, having a strong hold over matters where ye had none. I gave ye leeway for ye to do what ye needed to do for yer faither. Ye should be thanking me.”
“I should be thanking ye?” Incredulity painted Leith’s face. “How can I thank ye when it’s very evident that ye are trying to undermine me?”
“What foolishness is possessing ye?” Nicolas scowled. “If I wanted to undermine ye, I’d have done it a long time ago. Instead, I’ve made yer territory more formidable and more secure than ever before. Stop letting erroneous thoughts run through yer mind. I’m loyal to this clan…” his eyes slanted to Mary with scorn, “probably more than ye.” With that, Nicolas brusquely brushed past him and strode to the castle without a look back.
Wind whistled between them as Leith blew out a long, hot breath, loaded with mumbled curses. Mary shifted away from him but he did not shy away from her, “Ye dinnae need to see that. I’m sorry, Mary, ye…ye should go back inside.”
She nearly said his name as they were alone, but a cautionary look in his eye had her stopping herself. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, touch his hand, soothe the bruise on his cheek, smooth out his furrowed brows, or even kiss him, but she could not. She forced herself to nod and turn away, aching inside.
Back in the kitchen, she spent hours preparing meals and washing up after, but though she was constantly busy, Leith was always on her mind. He looked hurt, deeply hurt, and though she knew what betrayal felt like, she had no inkling how deep that kind of treachery could cut.
While eating her supper, she decided to do something for him. Leith was not going to go to her this time, she was going to him. He needs someone to listen to him. He needs a willing ear. His father is just recovering and his right-hand man might be a usurper. God knows, if I was in his shoes, I’d need someone to talk to.
How could she get him to meet her though? He’d probably gone to his rooms yet and she did not dare go up to the family quarters. She might need to send him a message. She was taking her last bite of bread when someone came to the door. She did not pay much attention until she heard cook say that a meal would be sent up to Young Lenichton.
Her head darted up. This was her chance. As cook ladled out the warm hare stew and dropped two rolls of bread unto a trencher, she came close. The cook looked up at her, “Oh, good, take this to him, dear. East wing, second floor, last door on the left.”
Happy, she nodded, took the tray and left the kitchen, taking the stairs to the wing that was set apart for the family. She bypassed the room where his mother lived in and went right down to the last door.
Managing to knock, she waited until it was tugged open and she went inside. The room was dim, except for the fire flickering in the grate…and Leith was shirtless. She swallowed over a suddenly dry throat.
The flickering light rendered his tanned skin bronze, stretching over his lean muscular upper body, lightly dusted with dark, crisp curls of hair over his chest. A line of hair traveled down his powerful torso to the taut ribbed muscles of his stomach.
He took the tray from her and rested it somewhere behind him. He then slipped his hand under her hair to the base of her neck and pulled her close. “Thank ye.”
His embrace was warm but she could not allow herself to capitulate to it. Pulling away she asked, “Would you like to tell me about it?”
Leith dropped his hand and shook his head. “There is nothing to say, Mary.”
“Yes, there is,” she insisted, grabbing at his arm and turning him back to her, “You must be feeling something!
