Page 100 of Wedded to the Devilish Highlander
He lay back down on the bed and sighed. “I dinnae ken, nor do I care to, but O’Gunn’s men kenned I was comin’ to MacLennanCastle, and they ambushed me on the way. I tried to fight them off, but a blow to the back of the head knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in the dungeons.”
“Why?” she pressed. “Why did they take ye?”
“A power grab of some sort,” Reid muttered. “They hounded me for any information I had, and that allowed me to gain information from them. I think O’Gunn grew suspicious of me and then decided to kill me and leave me on MacLennan lands so Laird MacLennan would be blamed. He’s been spoilin’ for war as long as anyone can remember, and if he can get us fightin’ with the MacLennans, then he can swoop in and scoop up the spoils. He couldnae secure an alliance through marriage, so he decided to take what we had through force.”
“Aye, but he didnae count on ye, did he?” Eileen asked, pride lacing her voice.
“Nor ye,” Reid pointed out. “I would have died if ye hadnae come here and had the Laird send men after me. I’m very proud of yer courage and tenacity, Eileen.”
Eileen beamed at him.
“If only ye could stop the ugly cryin’,” he added.
She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. “How did ye escape?”
“I pretended to be more wounded than I was,” Reid replied. “When the guard came one evenin’ to bring me food—if ye could call the slop that—I attacked him and took his dirk. Gettin’ out of the dungeons was the hard part. I had to kill two guards. Sneakin’ out of the castle was easy. I thought I was free after that, but they came after me.
“I dinnae remember much of the fight after that, but I was told I took down five of them. The only thing I could think about the entire time was gettin’ out of there so ye would never have to marry him. I needed to get back to ye. The next thing I kenned, I woke up here with a fire ragin’ around me. The Laird saved me life.”
“Aye, then he came and saved mine,” Eileen revealed. “They were takin’ me back to O’Gunn Castle.”
“Then we both have a debt to pay,” Reid said.
“Nay,” Archer uttered, entering the room. “There’s nay debt to pay. Ye have both done more for me than ye could ever imagine. It’s only thanks to the two of ye that I discovered the traitors in me castle and was able to flush them out.”
“Ye have?” Eileen asked.
“I believe so,” Archer replied. “One of the men from the forge went to Calum last night and asked for mercy in exchange for information.”
“He’s rattin’ people out?”
“Aye.” Archer nodded. “He’ll be left in the dungeons to rot, but he willnae lose his head like the rest. Calum and the guards are roundin’ them up as we speak.”
“They kenned it was the end,” Reid commented. “Ye got to the leaders, and they became headless snakes. They kenned ye would catch them all, eventually.”
“Aye,” Archer grunted.
“So, yer castle is finally safe?” Eileen asked.
“As safe as it can be,” Archer sighed. “For a long time, I had nay clue that there was any danger, and again, I wouldnae have kenned were it nae for the two of ye. Ye’re welcome here for as long as ye need.”
“Thank ye,” Reid said.
“Aye, thanks,” Eileen murmured, lowering her head and looking down at a small black beetle making its way across the wooden floor.
Eileen walked with Reid through the castle grounds, the dirk not at her waist anymore—it was freeing, as if a great weight had been taken from her, when the weight was not much at all. Still,it didn’t bump against her thigh as she walked. She was safe with her brother, and after the traitors were rounded up, there was no more danger in the castle. Besides, Laird O’Gunn would not attack when he was at his weakest.
The clans were still deciding what to do with him.
“How are ye feelin’?” Eileen asked as they walked.
“Och, ye dinnae have to ask me that all the time,” Reid complained. “I’m doin’ well.”
“Aye, I ken,” Eileen said with a smile. “I just… wanted to…”
Her gaze strayed to Archer as he spoke to one of the stablehands by the brick building.
The Laird stood with his shoulders pushed back and his head tilted slightly upwards. His hands flowed like water in gesture as he spoke. The young stablehand had a permanent smile plastered to his face as he looked up at the taller Laird, animated in his responses. He looked like a small child who’d just received a book of carved wooden soldiers on Christmas morning.
