Page 5

Chapter

Five

N iall couldn’t see her any longer. But he could feel her presence behind him as they entered the hall.

Clan MacKinlay crests everywhere, the hall similar in size to their own, the air more oppressive with every step.

. . ’twas a feeling he could not put words to.

He did not care for being here, in a place he’d heard so much about, none of it good.

“I would offer for you to break your fast,” the chief said, “but we’ve done so already.”

And they would not choose to break their fast with them either way. That part was left unsaid, but ’twas just as well. He and his brother had no wish to remain any longer than necessary.

The chief of MacKinlay made his way to the dais. Niall turned to look and found only about seven or eight warriors had followed, likely members of the clan council. And her.

Lady Avelina. A fitting name, as beautiful as the woman herself.

Light brown hair, unbound. Brown eyes, as deep as they were bright.

Cheeks he would dearly love to grab with both hands as he held her head firmly before kissing her.

She was unmarried, but Niall knew little else about her.

Except, of course, that he should not be thinking of the chief of MacKinlay’s sister in such a way.

There she was.

Lady Avelina followed her brother up onto the dais, where three chairs were positioned facing them. No table, as it had likely been taken away after the meal. As the other MacKinlay warriors gathered, the chief, Lady Avelina, and another man all took their seats.

He tore his gaze from the woman who had intervened on their behalf for reasons he could only speculate about and focused instead on the man to the chief’s left.

“My second,” MacKinlay said by way of introductions. “Tell me about these cattle.”

Niall ignored the angry glares all around them.

“We received word, as I said, that MacKinlay cattle were found grazing on Duncraig land along the northern border. Before coming here, my brother and I verified the fact.” He pointed behind the chief’s head toward the crest on a tapestry that hung high on the stone wall.

“That was the brand, or a simplified version of it, we found on nearly two dozen of the cattle openly grazing there.”

“On the northern border of your land?”

His skepticism was warranted, but unwelcome.

“Aye,” his brother said, likely sensing Niall’s irritation.

“You questioned Mackenzie?” the chief asked.

“Of course,” he said, to the chief’s irritation. But Niall had not come here to coddle the man. He came here for answers. “Would you care to tell us why, then?”

As MacKinlay exchanged a glance with his second, Niall snuck a peek at the woman.

She was watching him. Nay, staring at him.

Boldly. Something told him ’twas her way, that Lady Avelina was as intimate with boldness as he was with rarely showing emotion—something his mother complained about endlessly as if doing so might change him.

“Why our cattle grazed on your land? ’Tis simple. They did not,” the second, Fergus, said.

Niall would not let that stand. “You call my brother and me liars? We saw the brand ourselves.” His raised voice echoed through the hall. Tensions, which had already been high, remained so.

“I say no MacKinlay would do such a thing,” Fergus continued. “We’ve avoided another war with your clan for fifteen years. Why would we provoke one now?”

“That is the question,” Niall’s more temperate brother said, “we are here to answer.”

None spoke immediately, and Niall took the opportunity to peek again at the sister. Still, she looked at him.

Bold, my lady, are we not?

She seemed to defy any judgment his silent question held.

Though, in truth, it held none. Niall had never seriously entertained marriage, knowing eventually he must. But when he did think of the type of woman who he’d wish by his side for a lifetime, it would certainly be one more like his mother than his Aunt Margaret, who spent her days nodding in agreement with his uncle even when he acted like an arse.

Of course, neither would it be a woman who was his bitter enemy, but there was no doubt Lady Avelina intrigued him.

“It seems we will not solve this so easily,” Lady Avelina said.

Clearly, the sister held a certain position in the clan, and with her brother, to speak so freely.

Even if that same brother did appear more than a bit annoyed with her interference.

Though he said naught to stop her. “Shall we go, then? To see these cattle?”

Every man in the hall turned their attention to Lady Avelina.

For her part, the sister seemed unbothered even if some of the looks were less than friendly.

Fergus, for instance, glared at her as if she’d suggested the two clans become allies and not journey two days together.

Though Niall did not relish the idea of being in MacKinlay’s presence for so long, ’twas not a bad idea.

“We can leave immediately,” he said. “Despite it, we cannot guarantee the cattle will still be there.”

“Ach,” Fergus said, “of course you cannae.”

“Enough,” the chief said. He locked eyes with Niall.

The hate coming from him was understandable, and Niall could not deny a measure of his own. He’d been raised to believe there was nothing closer to hell than a MacKinlay clansman. And yet, Lady Avelina looked to him more like an angel than the devil incarnate.

“You would be amenable to this plan?” MacKinlay asked him.

With a quick glance at his brother, Niall answered, “Aye.”

As decisive as Niall had seen him, MacKinlay stood up. “I will summon the kitchen to offer you a meal. And then we leave immediately.”

“We’ve as little wish to remain here the eve as your guest,” Niall said, “as you do to host us. But surely you’d prefer to wait until morn. There was an inn in the village—”

“Every moment we delay is another the cattle may stray.”

“A true enough fact,” Kieran said.

“We shall leave at once. You’ve two men. We will bring the same number.” Ewan turned to Fergus, who nodded.

“Fair enough,” Niall said.

Then the three words were spoken that he’d secretly wished to hear and also dreaded.

Lady Avelina said, “I am coming.”