Page 61 of The Guardian
Sìleas’s heart lifted at the thought. Beitris had guessed that everything had changed between her and Ian—and was almost as happy about it as Sìleas.
When Niall gave her a searching glance, she blushed. She wasn’t about to tell Niall that she and Ian were going to start sharing a marriage bed, though he and the rest of the household would know it by morning.
“Ach, look who’s coming,” Niall said with a sour look on his face.
It was Gòrdan, and he was marching straight for them, looking like a man with something on his mind that would not keep. Sìleas took in a deep breath. She had feared they would see him, coming or going, since they had to walk past his house to get to Annie’s.
“ ’Tis best to set him straight,” Beitris said in her ear just before Gòrdan reached them.
“Beitris. Niall.” Gòrdan gave them each a brief nod. “Sìleas, may I have a word with ye? It’s important.”
“We’ll walk slow,” Beitris said to her. “Ye can catch up to us when you’re done with your chat.”
Gòrdan gave Sìleas a warm, hopeful smile that made her feel wretched. Beitris was right—’twas time to tell Gòrdan that things were settled between her and Ian. Gòrdan was a good man, and she owed him that.
“I can’t go out walking with ye anymore,” she said. “I’ve made my decision to stay with Ian.”
“Say ye don’t mean it.” His eyes were wild as he gripped her arms. “Tell me it’s not too late, that ye haven’t given yourself to him yet.”
She flushed, remembering all the things Ian had done to her. Though she was still a virgin, she had, indeed, given herself to him.
“Ian doesn’t deserve ye,” Gòrdan said. “He doesn’t love ye as I do.”
Ach, he was not making this easy. “Ian says he’s ready to be a good husband to me, and I believe him.”
“With his pretty face, Ian can have any of the lasses,” Gòrdan said, waving his arm out to the side as if there were a line of women standing there. “But you should have a man who sees ye for the special woman that ye are.”
She didn’t want to hurt him, but softening the message would not help Gòrdan accept it.
“Ian cares for me,” she said.
“Is that what he tells ye?” Gòrdan said, raising his voice. “It hurts me to see ye believe his lies.”
“Stop it, Gòrdan. I know ye are upset, but you’ve no cause to call Ian a liar.”
“You’ve always had a weakness for Ian, and it’s made ye blind,” he said, shaking his head. “What Ian values ye for is your lands.”
“No. That’s not true.”
“He’s come back to Skye to help Connor take the chieftainship.” Gòrdan’s voice was rough with emotion. “That’s all this is about.”
Icy fingers of doubt crept over her heart. “No, Ian wants to be my husband.”
“Is that why he stayed away five years?” he asked. “Ye know Ian would do anything for Connor, and Connor wants your castle back in MacDonald hands.”
“What are ye saying, Gòrdan?”
“The four of them—Connor, Ian, Alex, and Duncan—held a secret meeting last night in the church.”
A shiver of fear went up her spine. “What about? Are they going to fight Hugh?”
“Connor is a clever one. He knows it’s too soon to challenge his uncle directly,” Gòrdan said. “Instead, he has Ian—as your husband—be the one to call on the men to take Knock Castle.”
Why had no one told her of the plan to oust her stepfather from her castle? Why hadIannot told her? Instead, he’d led her to believe he’d spent the night drinking with Connor and the others.
“The four of them have it all planned out,” Gòrdan said, raising his arms. “They know how much losing Knock Castle hurt the clan’s pride. Men came last night because they are angry that Hugh has not called for an attack. They all went home believing that unlike Hugh, Connor would never turn his back while our enemies took what belongs to us.”
“Connor wouldn’t,” she said in a low voice.
