Page 61 of Promises to Keep

“Yes,” I sobbed, by this point the fear of the situation had devolved into tears. “Yes, he told me you weren’t coming back tonight, and that he wanted me to take him up to my room.”

Arran tried to stand, but Magnus swung his foot back and kicked him hard in the ass. “Ye are a liar, and hae behaved without honor. What were ye goin’ tae do in m’rooms with m’wife?”

“Nothing, I—”

“Naethin’, yet I can see yer fingermark upon Kaitlyn’s jaw — ye put yer hands on m’wife? Enough tae leave a mark? I am goin’ tae kick yer arse.”

Magnus took off his coat and tossed it tae the side.

There was a voice from the door — the Earl’s, “Young Magnus! Are ye brawling again? I told ye there would be nae more brawlin’ in m’home!”

“Nae, I am impartin’ a punishment, sire, this man, Young Arran, was disrespecting yer title!”

“Now was he? I… I’m sure there must be some misunderstanding.”

“Nae, Arran is in yer lands, the lands of the Earl of Breadalbane, inside yer castle, shewin’ ye disrespect — much like his grandfather once shewed ye little honor!”

Magnus circled Arran. “Ye came in here as if ye are entitled tae the place, how dare ye? I am going tae kick yer arse because ye disrespected Lady Mairead, ye frightened Madame Lizbeth, and ye deserve tae hae the lesson. Get up and take the fight.”

Magnus said, “Kaitlyn, will ye remove yerself from the hall? I daena wish ye tae see it.”

I said, “Yes, Magnus.” I left through the large wide doors, into the arms of Lizbeth.

Lady Mairead said, “Thank God Magnus arrived when he did, I ran tae get him, as soon as I saw what was happening.”

“Thank you.”

Inside the shouts and bangs and sounds of furniture being upended and grunts and groans. Lizbeth and I hugged and then let go of each other and pressed our ears to the doors to listen. A second later, Lady Mairead was beside us, with her ear pressed, a look of intense concentration.

A few minutes later, Sean’s voice, “Young Magnus, enough!”

The sounds of a struggle, then Magnus’s voice, “He and his men must leave, right now! They do not receive one more minute of shelter.”

Sean said, “Aye, brother.”

The Earl said, “The guards have their horses readied.”

Lizbeth, Lady Mairead, and I jumped from the path of the doors as they were pushed open and the visitors were shoved and dragged from the Great Hall, down the passageway, yelling and groaning. Arran looking dazed and semi-conscious with his face bloodied. Then the crowd of men shoved out through the main doors to the courtyard. By this time it was a big melee, the strangers being picked up and carried out into the rain.

It was horrible to witness, and also a huge relief — both those things were true. I didn’t relish the idea of justice being meted out like that, but the dude had been really scary and there was no guilty or not guilty, he had been creepy as hell and had malevolent plans… Relief washed over me — then Magnus was pushing through the crowd toward me.

Aye?

Yes.

“Ye good, Kaitlyn?” He swept me up in his arms, burying his face against my neck in my hair. “Och, I was worried on ye.”

I nodded against his shoulder and kissed his cheek. “I’m okay, are you okay?” I pulled back to look, his brow was wet from sweat, his lip swollen, his heart racing.

“Aye,” He kissed me, a full mouth, a searching tongue, a ‘wanting me’ kind of kiss. “Wrap yer legs.”

He carried me from the gallery toward the end, one of the rarely used entrances. I glanced back at the crowd. Sean, watching us leave, chuckling, nudging Liam.

We made it out of the main room into a smaller corridor where Magnus pressed me up against the wall and began pulling up my skirts, kissing my mouth, pressing and searching, pulling and pushing until he got my skirts up.

“I wish I could help.”

“Nae worries, I can manage, just hold yerself up.”

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