Wild Highland Rose (Time Travel Trilogy, Book 2) (18 page)

Across the old man
'
s shoulder, Cameron
'
s eyes locked with Marjory
'
s, her glare indication that she
'
d heard Torcall
'
s comment.  He shook his head slightly, indicating she should keep quiet, but the action only seemed to infuriate her more.

"
I did naught to endanger your son, Torcall.  If you dinna believe me, ask him yourself.
"
  She marched forward, blue eyes shooting sparks.

Torcall released Cameron, stepping back so that he could see them both, his brows raised in question.

Cameron knew this was a test of some sort.  A moment when he had to commit to one side or the other.  Cameron or Macpherson.
 
The warmth of his reunion with his father evaporated.  He had no father.
 
He had nothing.  This was all a charade, none of it real.  At least not for him.  Still, he held back, both Marjory and Torcall waiting for his answer.

"
I dinna think he can say anything for certain, Father,
"
Allen interjected, his eyes knowin
g, judgmental, as if he
'
d read
Cameron
'
s thoughts. 
"
He doesna remember falling, and he seems to have forgotten who his enemies are as well.
"
  He shot a pointed look at Marjory, and then returned his knowing gaze to Cameron.  And for the first time, Cameron found himself wondering where Allen
'
s loyalties lay.

"
I remember everything that has happened since then, Allen.
"
  If his brother could play rough, so could he.  Even without knowing Torcall Cameron, he was fairly certain he
'
d side with Ewen over Allen, and the events in the wood the previous day could certainly be played to advantage.

Allen obviously recognized his plan, because he dropped his gaze, reaching instead for a cup of ale.

Cameron turned to face Torcall. 
"
I
'
ve been treated well here, Father.  As if I were one of the household.
"
  It was a bit of an exaggeration.  The lady of the house hadn
'
t exactly welcomed him with open arms, but there had been moments.  He smiled in Marjory
'
s direction, satisfied to see her flinch.  A little guilt wouldn
'
t hurt her a bit.

"
I
'
m glad to hear it.
"
  Torcall seemed to have missed all the undercurrents running through the room, or perhaps he simply chose to ignore them.  Wrapping his arm around his son, he drew him close again. 
"
And there
'
s no worries now that I
'
m here.
 
I
'
ll make certain,
"
his solemn gaze met first Fingal
'
s then Marjory
'
s, his eyes flashing a warning,
"
that no harm comes to ye.
"

He should have been comforted, but he wasn
'
t.  Truth was, he had no idea who to trust.  Common sense favored his father, but his instincts told him that he could trust Marjory.  Or maybe he just wanted it to be so.
 
Maybe none of them were to be trusted.
Then again, perhaps they shouldn
'
t be trusting him either.  After all he was lying too.  His head ached with the enormity of everything that was happening.

"
You
'
re no
'
well.
"
  Marjory was instantly by his side, her arm slipping around him, the touch soothing and exciting him all at the same time.

He smiled down at her, grateful for the support.

Torcall frowned at the two of them. 
"
I dinna ken ye
'
d grown to tolerate each other.
"

"
I
'
ll no
'
let a man fall, just because he
'
s my enemy
'
s son.
"
  Marjory tightened her hold on Cameron in defiance.

"
I told ye there
'
s more going on here than we were told.
"
  Allen moved closer, his eyes on his father.

"
Nay.
"
  Torcall waved him away. 
"
I dinna think helping a mon, means anything more than just that.  Besides,
'
twill be far easier to get the wench with child, if she
'
s no
'
fighting every inch o
'
the way.
"

Marjory released Cameron so suddenly he stumbled. 
"
I
'
ll no
'
be a brood mare for a Cameron.
"

"
Ye
'
ll do what yer told
,
girl.
"
  Torcall shook a finger in Marjory
'
s direction, and Fingal moved to stand between them, tensions rising again to battle proportion.

"
Leave her be.
"
  Fingal growled.

"
I
'
m no
'
afeare
d of ye, Fingal Macgillivray. 
Ye know as well as I do that powers higher than either of us demand an heir. 
'
Tis no
'
my order, but the Lairds of Clans Cameron and Chattan.
"

Fingal nodded, accepting the inevitable.  Marjory
'
s face had turned red. 
"
I
'
ll have a say in my own life, thank you very much, and I tell you now, I willna spread my legs just because you say so.
"

Cameron reached out to soothe her, but she shook his arm away, her temper holding sway.

"
Dinna threaten me, girl,
"
Torcall barked,
"
or I
'
ll see that he beds ye tonight, injury or no
'
.
"

Marjory clenched her fists and took a menacing step forward.  Cameron wanted to hold her back, to try and talk some sense into her, but he knew she
'
d just push him away.  So instead, he shot an imploring look at Fingal, whose pulse was now beating visibly at his temple, his face turned an angry red.

Fingal took a step toward Marjory, intent on intercepting her, but before he could reach her side, a blond woman burst into the room, eyes wide with joy.  "Ewen,
mo chridhe
,
'
tis true, yer really alive.
"

She rushed to his side, her long hair flying.  At first Cameron thought it was the woman from his dream, his heart stopping at the thought, but as she drew nearer he realized the likeness was only superficial.  Still, she was a beautiful woman, and it was more than obvious she cared about Ewen.  Her green eyes sparked as she approached.

Unfortunately, he had no idea who the hell she was.

He shot a quick look at Marjory, hoping for guidance.  Instead, he found her narrow-eyed, practically spitting nails.  No help from that corner.  He wracked his brain for some clue to the woman's identity.

"
Aida, was heartbroken to think ye gone, Ewen.
"
Torcall said.

Aida
.  This was the mistress then.  The one Allen had talked about.  No wonder Marjory was frowning.  With a whirl of petticoats, the girl closed the distance between them, her arms encircling his waist, the scent of lilac clinging to her hair.  It was intoxicating.  Hell,
she
was intoxicating.

"I missed ye so much, Ewen."  Tears filled her lovely eyes.  "And when they said ye were dead, I wished I could follow ye to the grave."  Aida smothered his face with tiny kisses, her breath wet and warm on his cheek.

Cameron pulled out of her embrace, more than a little overwhelmed.  Given the circumstances, he couldn
'
t exactly blame Ewen for sleeping with the woman.  She was a hell of a package.  But judging from the look on Marjory
'
s face he also knew how much it had hurt her.

Maybe not because she cared about Ewen.  She quite obviously didn
'
t.
 
But because it was an insult of the highest order.  A rejection at a soul deep level, that would tear at a person
'
s pride.  He hated the idea of infidelity.  No matter the reasons.  And for a moment, he felt nothing but disgust for the man he was supposed to be.  He knew the pain of broken promises only too well.

A memory flitted through his brain, tantalizing him with truth, but it dissipated before he could understand its true meaning.  With a grimace, he disentangled himself from the blonde, suddenly feeling smothered by her fragrance and her presence.  Oddly enough, he found that he preferred Marjory
'
s smell, crisp and clean
.  Hell, he even preferred her acerbic comments to this fluff of a girl, no matter how pretty she was.

He turned to find her.  She was standing alone by the window, her face even paler than usual, her eyes riveted on him and the blonde, who was now clutching at his arm, trying to regain his attention.  Without a word, she pivoted and ran from the room.

Cameron fought an urge to follow.  He wasn
'
t yet ready to choose sides.
 
He told himself the decision was as much for Marjory as for himself, but he knew it was the coward
'
s way out.

Not that he owed anything to Marjory or to anyone here.  But still, a part of him yearned for something more.  A commitment, a sense of belonging.  The idea was as frightening as it was foreign and he swallowed the thought whole, turning instead to the girl on his arm.

*****

"Fingal, we just have to tolerate them until they're gone."  Marjory sat on the edge of a rickety chair by the kitchen fire, her fingers laced so tightly together she could feel the blood pounding through them.

Fingal was pacing in front of her.  "I dinna like the way things are going.  First the fight with Dougall, then Torcall
'
s threats, and now Ewen thicker than thieves with them in there."

Marjory glanced in the direction of the great hall.  Both clans had settled for dinner, sitting on decidedly opposite sides of the room.  Two armed camps within the confines of Crannag Mhór.  And Ewen was sitting with the enemy, his mistress draped over him like a simpering cat.  "Ewen is a Cameron.  Even if he canna remember them."

"True enough.  But I thought perhaps he
'
d changed.
"

Aimil looked up from the dish she was washing with a knowing snort. 
"
That
'
d be the day.
"

"
'
Tis true, Aimil,
"
Marjory defended.
"
He saved me from Allen.
"

"
No doubt because it suited him.
"
  Aimil looked to her brother for support. 
"
Ye know that
'
s the way of it.
"

Fingal shook his head, his expression pensive. 
"
I
'
m no
'
so sure, sister.  There
'
s also the fact that he caught her in the courtyard when she fell.
"

"
An instinctive act, nothing more.
"
  Aimil shrugged.

"
No. 
'
Twas more than that.
"
  Marjory felt heat washing across her face at the memory of his strong arms around her, his scent enveloping her, teasing her senses.

"
'
Ye see only what ye want to see.
"
  Aimil put down the rag she'd been using to clean the tabletop. 
"
Mayhap it
'
s a trick to get ye to breed with him.
"