Highland Rake (23 page)

But Cameron couldn't believe what he was hearing. The shepherdess had been with a MacNeill? And now she had been in on this plot to send his niece across the stream bordering the MacNeill and Cameron lands? "Who told my niece that the shepherdess had been ill?"

"A girl in Cook's employ by the name of Pelly."

Cameron opened his mouth to speak, then shook his head. How many more had been involved in this insidious plot?

"Dougald and his men made all haste to bring Lady Alana back here for her own safety," James said.

"Dougald MacNeill?" Unable to keep the scowl off his face, Cameron snorted. "He is as bad as my nephew was when it comes to lasses."

Ignoring his comment, James said, "Why would someone from your clan want the lady brought here? Was it because of the marriage arrangement you were seeking for her? Someone who felt she wouldna be safe if she were a MacDonald bride?"

"How did
you
know?" Cameron asked, furious with his people for letting the word reach the MacNeill's ears.

"'Tis of little import. Because of the circumstances that my brother found himself in, that is he could not leave the lass where she was, defenseless and far from home, nor could he have safely taken her across your lands without alarming your people, he had only one choice—bring her here. Since she had no maid, though he and my men had been completely honorable with her at all times, he wed the lass early this morn to ensure she would not be disparaged under any account."

Cameron just stared at James, his blood running cold. He couldn't believe it. All his plans upset in a single conversation with his enemy. He had considered that Hoel MacDonald might be angered that Alana had been with the MacNeill men without chaperone, that he might even wish delaying the marriage to ensure she was not breeding. But he never thought one of his MacNeill enemies would marry his niece.

He growled. He'd had no problem with her marrying Hoel. The man agreed to live with them, and if the clan approved of him, eventually he would be chief. But Dougald?

"Dougald MacNeill?" Cameron said. The man would
never
settle down with one woman, ever. He would break his niece's heart.

"Aye."

"You have forced this on them? I canna imagine Dougald settling down."

"They are both pleased. Neither the lass nor my brother were coerced into this."

Cameron rubbed his bearded chin, trying to concentrate on the real issue now at hand. "I dinna want my niece living here."

"She will live where her husband resides," James said.

Cameron pondered that further. He had no choice. He didn't know if his people would accept Dougald, but he wanted his niece home where he could still care for her and ensure her husband was good to her.

"I want her under my roof."

James didn't say anything.

"Dougald must agree to this. I wanted my niece to have an heir and her husband would be clan chief should the clan vote for him to take over when I am ready to step down."

"My brother will be agreeable."

"My people may no' be. We have fought for many years—your people and mine."

"Aye. Mayhap 'tis time to set aside our grievances and provide a unified front against our enemies. Someone, it appears to me, wanted the lass to come here. Why? To avoid an arranged marriage to Hoel MacDonald? Why did you no' want her to marry her first betrothed? MacIverson?"

Cameron glowered at James. "'Tis none of your concern."

"Was he involved in the killing of her da? Did she see any of the men who killed her father and his men? Mayhap someone knows 'tis MacDonald who had her father and his men murdered. And here is another thing to consider, why was her brother murdered?"

Cameron narrowed his eyes. "You canna believe this had anything to do with Alana."

"Mayhap no, but what if it did? What if whosoever sent her away from your castle did so to protect her? We have no quarrel with you in any of this—your nephew's death, Alana's father's death—but Dougald will do everything in his power to protect the lass should anyone wish her harm."

Cameron knew all of the MacNeill brothers had fought during the Crusades. Dougald had been a capable leader of men. But Cameron still didn't trust him as far as the lasses were concerned. "Aye, if Dougald takes his vows seriously with regard to my niece, then we will somehow live with this arrangement."

Cameron wasn't certain even if Dougald did live up to Cameron's expectations as a good husband, whether Cameron's people would want to kill the MacNeill over the past grievances between the two clans.

"And I will attempt to ensure my people dinna kill him," Cameron added for good measure.

James toasted Cameron with a small smile. "To the uniting of our clans."

A sharp rap on the door startled Dougald awake, but before he could unwrap himself from Alana’s warm body to see to the matter, Angus opened the door a wee bit, and said, "Alana’s uncle is here. James told me to send word for two maids to assist the lass with dressing. They will be here soon."

"Aye, thank you, Angus." Dougald hurried off the bed.

"James is speaking with Laird Cameron first. You can bring the lady down after that."

Dougald lit a candle, then threw on his tunic, glancing back at the bed. Alana was naked, but mostly buried under the covers, her cheeks red in the soft candlelight's glow as she tried to burrow further so his brother wouldn't see any part of her.

"Good luck, brother." Angus closed the door, his footfalls fading down the corridor.

The notion was just sinking in that marrying Alana and having the sweet lady for his wife meant taking on her uncle and moreover her clan as Dougald would have to live among her people, if the Cameron wished it. They might well not like it.

Dougald handed Alana her chemise.

He had been so tired when Alana had awakened him from a sound sleep earlier as she'd had a nightmare, he wondered if talking about it might help. "You had a nightmare," he said, gently, as he pulled on his boots.

Alana didn't say anything as she slipped her chemise over her head.

"Do you remember it?"

She shook her head.

"You were crying."

Appearing surprised, she looked up at him.

"You… dinna remember it?"

"Nay. If I dream, I never remember it upon waking."

He hadn't considered it before now, but if she had dreamed about her da's murder, mayhap she recalled some of what happened that day in the woods. Mayhap if he'd asked her at the time when she was just waking, she would recall it. Next time, he would give it a try.

The two maids tasked to help Alana to dress arrived and they quickly moved into the chamber, looking just as disheveled as Alana. They hurried to dress her in a
léine
, then covered her in the brat and pinned it with his grandmother's brooch.

The maids tried to plait Alana's hair but she could barely sit still. He watched her, her face flushed, her teeth worrying her lower lip, her eyes downcast as she looked at the floor again. She'd seemed so at ease among his people, but now the reality of the situation seemed to be setting in with the lass as well.

When the maids finished with her hair, they stepped aside to let Dougald comment. He smiled at her. "You are beautiful, Alana. Come, we shall see your uncle now."

She didn't make a move toward him and looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears.

It killed him to see her so distressed.

"Go," he said to the maids, then crossed the floor to Alana as the maids left. He cupped Alana’s face and looked into her eyes. "You are my wife. You have naught to fear."

"What if my uncle wants to kill you?"

"My brother willna allow him to."

She frowned at Dougald. "No' here. When we return to my home? What if you have an untimely accident?"

He pulled her into his embrace, loving the warm soft feel of her. "'Tis hard to kill me, lass. Many have tried and have proven unsuccessful. If he throws me in your dungeon, I have it on good authority you will slip down there and free me."

"Or half a dozen other lasses will do the deed before I even have a chance," she said, smiling up at him through her tears.

He chuckled. "I wouldna leave the dungeon until
you
came for me." He sighed. "As long as you dinna say I have harmed you in any manner…I would think the Cameron would be pleased to have me as his nephew."

"You are a rake," she said, "like my brother. My uncle willna be pleased if you…"

Dougald silenced her with a kiss, deepening it, wanting to pull the pins out of her hair so he could run his fingers through her silky tresses. He wanted to return her to bed and make love to her again.

When he looked down at her, he found her eyes closed, her lips swollen, her face flushed. He smiled and shook his head at himself. "Come, lass, 'tis time we speak to your uncle before I take you back to bed and forget he is wanting to see you. The maids willna like it if we have to call on them to plait your hair again. And you know how they would talk."

"You are a rogue," Alana said, but she was smiling when she said it.

"Only where you are concerned, my lady." Then he kissed her forehead and tucked her arm into his and hoped James had disarmed the Cameron, just in case. He could fight well, if he had his sword, but in an attempt to show that he only wished peace he was not carrying it.

He walked with her toward the stairs, found her step reluctant, and wished he had something he could say that would settle her worry. And hoped her uncle wouldn't be too incensed with her for leaving or Dougald would forget wanting peace with the Cameron.

***

Alana was terrified. She had been so concerned about spending her first night with her husband, she had let that rule her thoughts completely and had forgotten about her uncle. She knew he would be furious with her. Her marriage had always been his decision to make. Would Hoel MacDonald, if that was who her uncle had made arrangements with to marry her, be furious she had wed another? Would the MacDonald clan want her still? Or would they be glad not to have her in the family?

And her uncle? How angry would he be with her? Especially after she had been with Dougald and his clan for so long without a maid to ensure propriety.

How would her people act toward Dougald? She hadn't really given it much thought since his people had only treated her with kindness. She could just imagine the rumors—Dougald had despoiled her, and she was no longer fit to wed Hoel MacDonald. Then James had forced Dougald, the man with a roving eye and hands, to wed her out of a sense of decency and honor.

She gritted her teeth. Would her uncle treat him ill?

Standing taller, she realized just what she had to do. Aye, his people had been her people's enemy for longer than she'd lived. She would protect him, show her kin he was a good man. Of course if he strayed to any of the lasses in her uncle's castle, she'd let her uncle clamp him in irons, and she'd keep the key herself. She smiled.

Dougald glanced down at her and smiled also. "Good. You appeared as though you believed you were about to be beheaded. I am pleased to see you are no' taking this so hard now."

If only he knew where her thoughts had travelled.

As soon as she saw her stern-faced uncle, although he was travel weary, he stiffened to see her, and she faltered.

When he rose from the chair to greet her, it was all she could do not to run across the hall like a little girl and into his arms to hug him. She had not wanted to worry him like this, and she still was afraid of what he'd think of Dougald.

"I am sorry, my laird," she said, rushing to bury herself against his chest, the gruff father he'd been since her own had died, hugging him as he wrapped his arms around her with a bear of an embrace.

Ever the indomitable Cameron laird, he said, "I canna pardon what you have done, running off to see Odara—"

"She lied," Alana said, looking up at her uncle with tears in her eyes. She could see her uncle was fighting tears of his own, so glad to know she was alive and well, yet how could he show that side of himself to his enemy? Even to his own people he might seem weak. So she knew why he acted the way he did, though she still didn't want him to believe she had left the keep for some other reason, such as to escape a marriage agreement he was in the middle of arranging.

"Aye, lass. But you shouldna have left the castle grounds while I was away for that long. You could have been killed." His voice choked a little on the words. He said to James, "I wish a word alone with my niece."

Dougald spoke before James had a chance. "Lady Alana is now my wife, Laird Cameron. Should you wish to speak to her, you may say what you will. We will have no secrets from each other."

She wanted to tell Dougald it was all right for him to leave her alone with her uncle. She knew he only wished to ensure she hadn't been bullied into the marriage or that she was able to speak her own mind
without
Dougald and his brother in the great hall listening in. Further, she was certain her uncle wanted to ask her questions she did not want Dougald or his brother to hear. At the same time, she needed to show allegiance to her new husband, and if she dismissed him—which she assumed wouldn't work anyway—her uncle would not respect him as much.