Page 29 of The Highlander's Dare
Aha!Graham was right. Why else would Baston—conceited, brutish Baston—be blushing?
“Ye’re jealous of me,” Graham taunted. “Which lass have I taken from ye?” He pretended not to know just which one. “And Cormac? Has he taken your woman too?”
Baston took a threatening step forward. “The both of ye came here intent to destroy our plans, dinna deny it.”
Incredible, the dunderhead had figured it out. How funny. Still, Graham would deny it to his dying day. “How would we know a damn thing about your plans?”
“Ye want revenge.”
“Revenge? About what?” Graham’s tone turned mocking. “Possibly that we asked ye for aid when our people were dying, and instead ye gave it to our enemies?”
“Exactly.” Baston nodded very seriously as if he’d figured everything out.
Graham tried not to laugh like a madman. “The whole Ross clan can rot for all I care. My brother and I will meet ye on the battlefield tomorrow, and we’ll see who walks off strong.”
“It willna be ye.”
Graham bared his teeth. “She’ll never be yours.”
“Ballocks.” Baston spat on the ground beside Graham’s foot. “I’ll see ye on the field.”
Baston shouldered past Graham. His men did the same, which only worked to fuel the anger storming through Graham. If one more bastard touched him…
Graham stormed into his tent, needing to fight something, someone, right then and there to get the rage out. Baston wanted to fight him to the death on the battlefield—a fight for Clara. Though her name had never been mentioned, it had been obvious all the same.
And Graham knew bloody well that he would fight for her any day of the bloody week.
She was his. He… cared for her.
Shite.
Graham needed to find her. To tell her what had happened between him and Baston. To tell her that she need not plan any more games, for the man was bloody well intent on thrusting his sword through Graham and ending his life instead of giving up Clara.
He searched the lord’s platform for her beautifully defiant face but did not see her. She was not in the marketplace, or the great hall of the castle, and the only thing he could conclude was that she was in her chamber. The other alternative was that Baston had tied her up and hidden her somewhere she couldn’t escape him. This of course had Graham marching toward the Ross tent, intent on seeing her, when Cormac grasped his arm, startling him from his trance.
“Where are ye going?” Cormac asked.
“To kill Baston,” Graham said with a slight hint at humor.
“I’ve something to discuss with ye. Come back to the tent.” Cormac looked grave. Of course, he always looked grim, but this time, there was something more to the edge of his voice, the grimness of his gaze.
Graham hesitated only a minute. But realizing that Clara was worth more alive to Baston than dead, he put his search for her on hold for just a moment. Graham followed his brother back to their tent. As soon as the flap had closed behind him, Graham was set on giving his brother an earful about his fight with Edmund the Braw, but Cormac cut him off.
“I’m going to marry Isolde tonight, in secret.”
Graham raised his brows. “Ye’ve done it. Bloody good job.”
Cormac nodded, still serious, but a small curl to his lip surprised Cormac. “Aye, the smiling worked. We’d have wed last night, but couldna find a priest.”
“Ye’d have wed without me?” Graham pressed his hand to his heart and feigned hurt, holding back a laugh when Cormac truly looked a little embarrassed.
“Och, it was a bit of the spur of the moment. After we… well…”
Graham had never seen Cormac look as flustered as he was right then and there, and so he attempted to put his mind at ease.
“Brother, I completely understand. I but jest. And tonight? Do ye want me by your side as a witness?”
Cormac nodded but looked pained all the same. “Ye know I do, but I also need ye here, pretending to be me should I get an invitation to the feast. I canna risk Brodie noticing I’m gone and coming in search of me. The wedding has to happen, not only for the coin but because I love her.”
