Page 70 of Wicked Highland Wishes
Nineteen
The feeling Lachlan had that Iain’s departing words were a premonition of a division to come became stronger with each passing day that he was gone. Graham was openly hostile to Lachlan, and an uneasiness settled over the men they trained. Lachlan suspected they did not want to appear to take either brother’s side, and his guilt that he had caused all this grew. Not only that but apprehension seemed to thicken the air at Dunvegan Castle. It seemed to him that everyone felt a sense of impending doom.
He spent his days training with the men, and though he knew Bridgette longed to join him in teaching, she stayed away. He only saw her at night, and then they always snuck away, making him feel angry at their predicament. The anger made him tense and terse, and as he glanced across the great hall at supper one night, Bridgette gave him a wary look before glancing away to greet Barclay, who was taking the seat beside her.
It had not passed Lachlan’s notice that Barclay had sat beside Bridgette for the last three nights, and jealousy flared within him. When he had briefly seen her earlier, Lachlan had asked her again, if she would sit on the dais tonight, but she had refused once more, saying it would be best if she sat apart.
To his right, Graham spoke. “It dunnae feel verra good to watch the woman ye desire giving all her attention—and possibly her body—to another, does it?”
All the pressure that had been building inside Lachlan exploded. He reared back and punched Graham, and as Graham tumbled over the bench and onto his back, Lachlan shoved to his feet and loomed over his brother. A furious tick beat at his right temple. “Hate me if ye wish it,” he growled, “but I will nae abide ye slandering Bridgette’s honor.”
Graham reached up from the floor, jerked Lachlan to him, and Lachlan crashed down to the floor as Graham’s fist went flying. Lachlan’s first thought was not to fight back, but then he thought of the years he had spent protecting Graham and how it had made Graham feel worthless. Maybe Graham needed this. Lachlan unleashed his own anger and struck back. Before he knew it, they rolled off the dais to the ground as they pummeled each other. Then suddenly, Rory Mac grabbed Lachlan from behind as Cameron grabbed Graham and they were pulled apart, panting and bloody.
As the blood that had been roaring in Lachlan’s ears dulled, the stark quiet of the great hall struck him. All eyes were upon him and Graham, and when he searched the crowd for Bridgette, he found her standing by Marion and Alanna, with an expression of horror on her face. As she turned and fled, he tried to follow her but Rory Mac still had a firm grip on his arms.
“Release me,” he demanded. “I’ll nae lose control again.”
“Ye’re sure?” Rory Mac responded, his voice skeptical.
Lachlan gave a quick nod, and Rory Mac released him. The noise in the great hall immediately returned, and Lachlan faced Graham as Cameron let him loose.
“If ye must hurt someone in yer anger,” Lachlan said, “let it be me. Nae her.” He knew his raw voice displayed his emotions, but there was no help for it. He could not allow Graham to strike out at Bridgette like that.
Graham’s eyes widened, showing his surprise, and then he slowly nodded before turning and walking away.
Lachlan quit the great hall himself and went to Bridgette’s bedchamber. He could hear her inside the room, and when he knocked and she did not answer, fear tightened his chest. “Bridgette, please open the door.”
“Nay,” she cried from within the room. “Ye need to away from my door. It’s happening, and I kinnae simply let it. Ye two are fighting, and soon one of ye will be dead!”
“I will nae fight with him again. I vow it to ye. Please open the door.”
He waited for the count of ten breaths and was contemplating going through the door with force when it creaked open and she peered out. Her tear-streaked face twisted his heart. He reached out, slid his hand around her neck, and covered her mouth with his. He kissed her hungrily, needing to ensure she still wanted him. Her barely restrained response assured him that in spite of his foolishness, she did.
When they finally broke the kiss, they stared at each other for a moment in silence before she reached up and pulled his forehead down to hers. “I kinnae watch ye destroy each other,” she said, her voice shaking.
“Ye will nae have to,” he promised. “We have come to an agreement.”
She pulled back and stared at him in surprise. “What sort of agreement?”
“I asked him to pledge nae to take his anger out on ye, but on me. The fight started over something he said about ye.”
“Lachlan!” Bridgette sobbed. “That is nae a good agreement!”
“It will have to do for now, so please dunnae argue.”
She opened her mouth as if to but then clamped it shut and instead pressed her lips to his once more.
As Bridgette helped Alanna and Marion in the kitchen two days later, the horn announcing an approaching enemy ship sounded. She threw down the spoon she had been holding and ran to the door. Before she got up the stairs, Lachlan loomed at the top, sword in hand.
“Come,” he ordered, sweeping his gaze over all three women. None of them hesitated to comply. When he reached the top of the stairs, he gripped Bridgette’s hand as he tugged her through the throng of armed clansmen racing out of the castle. The noise of pounding feet, clanking swords, and bows being readied roared in her ears, joining her pounding heart.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he tugged her forward, shoving his own men out of his way in his haste. Tension lay heavy in the air, along with the heat of the clansmen rushing out to meet the enemy.
“To the great hall,” he replied without looking back at her, but his fingers curled more tightly around hers as he squeezed. “Cameron is gathering the women in the castle there. Barclay will guard ye, but dunnae fash yerself. ’Tis one ship coming, and we are five hundred strong.”
Bridgette nodded, even as her heart raced. “I wish to go with ye to meet—”
“Nay!” he snapped. “Ye will stay in the great hall behind the barred door so I will ken ye’re safe.” He stopped suddenly, making her jerk to a halt so as not to run into him, and Marion bumped into her as a result. His steely gaze held Bridgette prisoner. “Vow it to me. I need to ken ye will be safe. I explained.”
