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Fiona’s blood chilled. “Edward laid siege to your castle?”

“He tried. But surrender took far longer than he anticipated. Thankfully, an early frost and a biting winter wind sent him back across the border.” The earl met her gaze unflinchingly. “He might try it again in a few weeks, as he marches north, though the Bruce is his true quest. Word has it that he plans to capture and punish him once and for all.”

Fiona blanched and alarm flared through her. This was one complication she had not considered. Having experienced the brutality of battle firsthand, she was not eager to once again be a part of the fray.

Almost as if reading her mind, the earl asked, “Are ye sure ye want to stay?”

A flash of indecision seized her. She had made her decision. And yet . . . “The castle appears to be well fortified, with strong outer walls that can withstand a significant attack.”

“They’ve never been breached,” the earl replied.

His words were not spoken boastfully, but rather with a reassuring confidence that offered Fiona some comfort. Still. “There are other ways to gain entry inside a castle,” she pointed out.

The earl’s eyes flashed with resentment at the implication. “My people are loyal. There’ll be no one opening the gates in the middle of the night.”

She forced her rapid heartbeat to slow. “I pray you are right, my lord. For I am entrusting you with the safety of myself and my son.”

Out of the corner of her eye Fiona caught a movement. A pair of serving women passed near them, their expressions openly curious. Fiona then noticed that quite a few others had drifted back to the hall and decided some silent signal must have been given. There were a few soldiers, though none she recognized. And a contingent of women that grew steadily in size. The whispering among them increased and they didn’t bother to hide their efforts to overhear her conversation with the earl.

“No harm will come to ye while ye’re under my roof,” the earl insisted.

The whispers from their growing audience grew louder, along with the resentful looks. In a way, Fiona could not fault the feelings—the McLendons were a proud people and she had cast aspersions on their leader.

“I understand that my escort must depart, but I was hoping you would allow my maid, Alice, to stay,” Fiona said. “We have been through much together these past years. It would be a comfort to have her by my side.”

And a relief to the female servants of the castle, Fiona silently added, knowing none of them would willingly serve in that capacity.

The earl shrugged his broad shoulders. “I see no harm in it.”

“Thank you.” Fiona cleared her throat delicately, hating to ask for more, but there was one other member of her household she wanted near. “Father Niall has also asked that he be allowed to remain with me. His mother was a Highlander who married an Englishman. Father Niall would relish the chance to live for a time in the land of his mother’s birth.”

The earl’s jaw locked in a formidable line. “A priest willnae approve of our arrangement and I’m in no mood to have a man of the cloth lecturing me on the evils of the flesh day and night.”

Fiona struggled to keep the color from rising to her cheeks—without success. “He will not interfere,” she replied.

“Priests cannae help themselves. ’Tis part of their training.”

Fiona blinked back the sudden rush of emotion. Her sense of loss at having to give up Father Niall cut deep. Her shoulders slumped and she hugged her arms to her chest, but she could not hold back one final plea. “I shall make certain that Father Niall keeps his opinions to himself.”

A short silence fell between them.

“See that he does,” the earl finally said.

Grateful for the unexpected boon, Fiona broke into a smile. Without thinking, she reached out and squeezed the earl’s hand. His warm fingers covered hers, his hand tightening fractionally in response.

A shiver tingled over Fiona’s skin. Strangely disoriented, she withdrew her hand and looked away. “Where will Spencer be housed?”

“He’ll spend his days training with the other squires and sleep in the hall with the rest of my retainers. ’Tis important that he not be given any special treatment, or else the others will come to resent him.”

She sent him a troubled look. “You won’t allow him to be teased or bullied by the other boys, will you?”

The earl barked out a short laugh. “Ye want me to make a man out of him, to train him to fight and lead. I willnae succeed if ye try to mollycoddle the lad.”

Fiona twisted her hands against her overskirt and leaned closer to avoid being overheard. “You must understand a mother’s fears.”

“Aye. That’s why training is done by men. They’ll be hard on him, make no mistake about it. But fair. I dinnae tolerate brutality of any kind among my retainers. We save that passion fer our enemies.”

“But we are your enemy,” Fiona whispered.