Page 57 of A Constant Blaze

“How do you do, my lady wife?” he said softly and bent his head. In his eyes lurked all the old danger, impulsive and thrilling and, right now, terrifying.

There was no way to avoid it. A kiss of greeting was expected, especially after twenty years. She remembered. She remembered everything as his mouth took hers, firm and yet respectful in public. Secretly, utterly sensual. A mere moment from which she had to recover.

“I heard you were in Ross,” she managed as he straightened.

“I heard you weren’t.”

So, he’d known. He’d followed her. Not come for Mairead… Or had he killed two birds with one stone?

“The question is,” he said, retaining her hand as he turned to include the others. Did that hurt Mairead? The girl was more vulnerable than she pretended.Aren’t we all?“The question is, are the MacHeths truly raiding in Angus, and if so, who is leading them?”

“Adam would not risk it,” Halla said, dragging her thoughts together under her frown. “He would always see the larger need.”

Malcolm lifted one eyebrow in a gesture so familiar, it hurt her. “Unless he’s come for Mairead?”

“Love does strange things to a man,” Muiredach observed, watching the Lady Mairead, who shrugged impatiently.

“Perhaps. But Adam’s love, if it ever affected him that way, is all for Christian. He might and would act through loyalty, but never stupidity.”

Halla found she could smile. “Well. You do know him.”

“Up to a point,” Mairead said ruefully. “What of Donald?”

“Impulsive enough, but not with Adam to rein him in.”

“But if Adam’s at Tirebeck,” Muiredach said slowly, “and John the messenger is at Brecka when Donald returns from the north—”

“Gormflaith is there,” Malcolm interrupted.

Before she could prevent it, Halla’s eyes flew to his face. He had been to Brecka. Hehadcome home. She couldn’t think what that meant, not now, not with all her careful plans for Malcolm and Donald’s freedom, for peace, about to explode in violent failure.

“Gormflaith is sweet-natured and loyal,” Halla said. “But no one ever called her worldly. She could not hold Donald back if his heart was set on this. But why would it be? Donald is no fool. He would not bring an army south now.”

“Even to save you?” Malcolm asked quietly.

She stared at him. “I don’t know. I’m never in danger. It’s always someone else.” She turned back toward her room, tugging her hand to free it from his. “I have to find them.”

“If they exist.” Malcolm’s grip tightened, holding her still.

“It could just be a rumour,” Mairead agreed. “It happens a lot. Every brigand attack, any group of strangers can be accused of being MacHeths. To be honest, for the last year, you could all have stayed in Ross with your feet up, and the whole country would still have been afraid of you.”

“I’ll ride towards Montrose and see,” Muiredach offered. “No one is looking for me.”

“And if theyareMacHeths?” Mairead retorted. “How will you stop them, Muiredach the Harper?”

Muiredach met her gaze without obvious offense. “I’ll give them your ring.”

To Halla’s surprise, Mairead flushed. Something was going on between those two that might have interested her in other circumstances. For now, it was hard enough to deal with the vital matter in hand while Malcolm stood at her side, his fingers curled around hers.

Muiredach turned and seemed to address Malcolm as well as Halla. “Adam and Donald both know me well enough to understand that I would not lie. If I say it is your command, they’ll go.”

“And if it isn’t one of them?” Halla said with foreboding. “If it’s some rogue army of Ross men that we deliberately riled up to threaten the King of Scots? They might not have disbanded as they should and just gone on the rampage. Or they heard of Mairead’s imprisonment. They must all know of your aid to us.”

“We need to know,” Malcolm said abruptly. “And we need to deal with it, whatever it is, before the King of Scots sends his army and disavows all our agreements. You and I, Halla, are far too vulnerable here. And Mairead is in enough trouble. We all go. Now.”

He moved, just as suddenly as he’d used to, tugging her into her bedchamber and kicking shut the door. Halla’s heart hammered. There was no lock, but no one would dare to come in. She looked up, giving away as little as she could.

A small, rueful smile teased the corners of his mouth. His thumb moved, idly caressing her palm. “I dreamed of our reunion a hundred times and more. Never was it like this.”

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