Page 69 of The Mad Highlander
“I was given me orders, Me Lady. I need to get ye to safety.”
“And I need to speak with the Laird. I’m givin’ ye new orders.”
“All right,” Thomas said.
Iris walked past him and headed toward the keep.
I need to apologize to him before he goes into battle. I need to see him in case… I don't get to see him again.
29
Iris had a lump in her throat as she stood before the Laird’s bedroom door. She looked down at her cream dress and smoothed it down for the third time since she had arrived at the oak entrance. She finally mustered up the outrage to knock, doing so gently.
She was surprised when she heard his voice from inside.
“Enter!”
Iris slowly pushed open the door until she could see into the room. She got a good view of the bed but could not see the Laird. She had expected him to be sleeping before the battle tomorrow, but he was not.
“Me Laird?” Iris called into the room.
“Och, just come in, will ye? I’m over here.”
Iris walked into the room and saw Cayden sitting in a chair beside the window. She hung her head, unable to look him in the eye after shouting at him and storming off.
“I had a sneakin’ suspicion that ye would nae listen to the orders. Part of me did hope that ye would find yer way up here.”
“Ye did?” Iris looked up quickly, her mind unable to process what he had said.
“Aye, I did,” he told her. “Tomorrow, I ride into battle, and I wanted to see yer face one more time.”
Iris ran to the chair and got down on her knees beside him just as she had been at her brother’s bed. “Ye must forgive me for how I spoke to ye. I was a fool to say such things, Cayden. I didnae mean any of it.”
“Och, stand up.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Or at least come and sit on me lap.”
Iris felt her stomach do somersaults, and she became suddenly warm even though a cool breeze came from the night outside.
“Ye are nae mad at me?”
“Mad at ye?” The Laird patted his lap. “Why would I be mad at ye?”
“Because I got so angry at ye.”
Cayden took Iris by the waist and guided her down onto his lap. “Ye were tryin’ to protect yer family, and I would have done the same thing. Come here.” He wrapped his arms around her midriff once she was sitting on his lap. “Everythin’ ye have said has been forgotten. There are much bigger things to worry about.”
He kissed the back of her neck, sending a shiver running down her spine. She laid her hands over Cayden’s. She would have to leave some time to go down into the bowels of the castle, but she needed to hold onto him for as long as possible.
“You feel tense,” Iris said.
“Don't worry about me,” Cayden said.
Iris felt her body tense, too. “But I do worry about you. How can I not worry about you? Tomorrow, you go into battle, and what if…”
“I will return.”
“I want to believe that. I need to believe it, but what if something happens? How can I be calm when you are so tense? I was wrong before. Me brother is awake, and he told me what happened to him. He is sure Tristan is partly behind it all, and that means they will march on yer castle with the Murdoch clan. How can I be calm when me cousin is comin’ to kill ye? And what aboutme and Ashton? Tristan won’t let us live after what he has done. Please tell me everything will be fine.”
“I already told ye that,” Cayden snapped.
