Page 27 of The Mad Highlander

27

I ris sat by Ashton’s bed. Her heart had settled a little after he had woken a couple of times over the past twelve hours. He hadn’t said much, but when he looked her in the eye, he smiled in recognition. Astrid had not left the healer’s hut since he had been rescued from Murdoch Castle, and she had her work cut out for now with a dozen of Hunter’s men returned beaten and bloodied.

Help had been ordered, and she had half a dozen maids to help her dress wounds, administer medicine, and monitor the men. The hut had a gentle hum to it as the women padded around quietly to help where they could, all under the hushed whispered commands of Astrid.

A knock came at the door, and by the commanding restraint of the sound, Iris knew it was the Laird. She had not seen him since he had left the hut previously, and her stomach fluttered. She could start to think about Cayden in that way again now she was sure her brother would be fine.

The door opened, and Cayden looked in. He shook his head at the scene inside. Iris could not imagine how Hunter felt. Cayden looked at Iris.

“I need to talk with ye. Will ye walk with me?”

“Aye,” Iris replied.

She got to her feet and glanced at her little brother before leaving the hut with the Laird. When her brother had woken the first time and taken a small amount of soup and water, she thought life would go back to normal. When Hunter’s men were helped into the hut, reality came rushing back.

“How is Ashton doing?” Cayden asked.

The light breeze cooled Iris’ cheeks as they walked toward the castle wall.

“He’s doin’ much better since he got here. He woke a couple of times, and he knew who I was. Astrid is sure he will make a full recovery in a few days. He only needs to eat and sleep.”

“Aye, she is a good woman,” Cayden commented.

Walking with the Laird felt peaceful, but there was a hive of activity around them. There was always activity in the castle, but the number of men who walked quickly with weapons caused fear to creep into her heart.

Iris bit gently on her lower lip before she spoke. “She told me about Isaac.”

The Laird was looking straight ahead, but the words caused him to look further into the distance as if he could see something that wasn’t there. “Aye, they loved each other dearly. Me brother spoke of her often and fondly. If they had married, she would have been the lady of the castle. She would have made a fine lady. She would have become me sister in marriage, but she became me sister in death instead.”

“I’m sorry.” Iris linked her arm through Cayden’s, squeezing his bicep.

“Aye, I’m sorry, too. It’s hard seein’ her around the castle. I see me own sadness mirrored in her eyes. She never got over me brother, and I dinnae ken if she ever will. I hope every day she finds a guid man to wed, but nay one can measure up to Isaac.”

“I wish I could do somethin’,” Iris admitted.

“There’s nothin’ to be done other than let her be. As long as she is helpin’ people, she can go on.”

“Aye.” The word escaped Iris’ lips like a bird alighting from a tree. It flew up into the air and slowly disappeared. “Ye needed to talk with me. Is it about the war?”

“Aye, in some ways. I had hoped yer brother would be awake by now, so I could ask him what happened before he was taken and to tell him also about yer cousin.”

“Tristan?” Iris asked. “Is he doin’ better? I heard he and many in the castle were sick.”

“I dinnae believe any of them are sick now.”

Cayden stopped walking now they were outside the castle walls. The fields were open on the east side of Castle O’Brien, and there were patrols of men in pairs walking close to the walls and some in the distance up on the hill. More men—footmen and castle hands—were digging trenches in the fields that had been harvested.

Cayden furrowed his eyebrows very slightly, and he moved his lips as if chewing on his words before spilling them. “Yer cousin betrayed us all.”

“What? Tristan? What did he dae?” Iris racked her brain, trying to work out what her cousin had done. Did he want to cancel the handfasting now that Ashton had been rescued?

I’ll talk with him and tell him that everythin’ is different now. I’m nae marryin’ the Laird because I have to, I’m marryin’ him because ? —

Iris didn’t have time to finish the thought before Cayden answered her question.

“Laird McCabe allied with Laird Murdoch before yer cousin was captured. It was all a plan between them to have me act, so they could go to war with me. He sent ye to me to get the favor in return. Yer cousin is about to lead his men into battle against us with the Murdoch clan.”

Iris had to take a second. There were so many thoughts running through her mind as she stared at the Laird that it took a few seconds for his words to register.

I love him!

“He’s marchin’ to war against ye?” Iris asked. “Nay, it doesnae make sense. He was the one who was nice to us. It was me uncle who would have done somthin’ like this. Ye’ve got it all wrong. Let me talk with me cousin, and I assure ye that everythin’ will be fine.”

“Ye dinnae ken who he truly is,” Cayden told her.

Iris glared at him. He was so handsome and brave and protective and generous, but he was wrong this time—dead wrong. Tristan would not attack them. The other clan would, but not her clan.

“Listen, me maither and faither passed when I was a bairn, and Ashton was barely a toddler. They were good people, and we wanted for nothin’ growin’ up, but me faither’s brother was nae a good man. He might have taken us in when me parents died, but he didnae do it out of the goodness of his heart. He did it to acquire me faither’s estate, and I’m sure he would have found a way to keep it from Ashton when he came of age. He was an angry man who was quick with a beatin’ and always shouted at us. We wouldnae have made it through if it were nae for Tristan.”

Iris placed her hands on her hips. She didn’t want to argue with Cayden, but she had to set him straight. He needed to focus on the true enemy and not waste his time on Tristan.

“Tristan was good to us. We were cousins, but we quickly became friends. Nay, more than that—he was like an older brother to the both of us. Ashton looked up to him. He practically raised us through our later years. When me uncle died, Tristan became the Laird, and he always looked out for us. He even trained Ashton to fight. He cares for me; I ken he does.”

“Ye dinnae really ken yer cousin,” Cayden told her. “He’s a coward, and he sent yer brother into Murdoch’s arms.”

“Nay!” Iris felt her voice rise in volume, and she could do nothing to stop it, nor did she want to. “Nay, ye are wrong. He is the only family I have.”

Cayden reached out a hand and tried to place it on Iris’ shoulder, but she took a step back before he could.

“I ken this is hard to hear, but power corrupts people,” Cayden informed her. “If it makes ye feel any better, I ken this will have been Murdoch’s doin’. He will have gone to yer cousin and made all sorts of promises for his help.”

Iris scoffed and turned away in anger before turning back to face the Laird. “How is that supposed to make me feel better?” Her arms were flailing now. “Yer tellin’ me the only family I have has betrayed me and Ashton, and that he is nae even clever enough to come up with the idea himself. He’s a traitor, and he’s weak. And I fell for it all. Is that what ye are tellin’ me?” Iris felt her cheeks warm. She couldn’t stop now. “Ye want to tell me that me whole life has been a lie?”

Caden reached out and took her wrists before she hurt herself. It only enraged her more, but she couldn’t get out of his grasp.

“I ken this is hard to hear, but we don’t have time for this. Yer cousin is comin’ whether ye like it or not, and we have to be ready.”

“If what ye are sayin’ is true, then it means he doesnae care at all about me or Ashton,” Iris said.

Cayden loosened his grip a little on Iris as she started to lose vigor.

“Aye,” he replied.

“And that he will happily see us dead if he has not come for us first.”

“Aye,” Cayden repeated.

“Nay, I dinnae believe ye. Unhand me, please. I dinnae want to talk about it anymore. Ye can get ready for yer war, but ye willnae see Tristan, and when this is over, well…”

“Well, what?” Cayden asked.

Iris looked into his eyes, into the eyes of the man she had fallen in love with, and didn't know what she would do. She wanted to spend her life with him, but how could he say such things?

“I need to be alone,” Iris stated, pulling her hands away.

“Be on yer own,” Cayden told her. “I dinnae care what ye say to me or what ye think, I’ll still protect ye.”

Iris’ insides turned to jelly at the words, and she longed to leap into his arms, but everything was too confusing. She knew her cousin, and he was not the man Cayden talked about.

“I need some time to think,” Iris said before turning and storming off.