Page 4 of The Mad Highlander

4

H er heart thudded furiously from anger as she threw a few of her belongings into a trunk that her maid was hurriedly trying to pack.

How could Tristan agree so readily to the change of plans?

The confusion and anger made her heart ache with longing for her brother and the way things used to be before everything had gone to hell.

I have to say something.

She squared back her shoulders and lifted her head. The resolve to save her brother was there, yet she wasn’t willing to be ordered around like a servant just because she had agreed to marriage. Turning toward the door, she yanked on the handle and jolted when she came face to face with her cousin.

“I want a word with ye, Iris.” The look in his eyes was so serious that she felt her resolve melting a little. “Come an’ walk with me ’afore we have a drink with Laird O’Brien.” He nodded to the side and glanced at the maids in her room that bustling about like a nest of ants.

“Aye, I would like to have a word with ye as well.” She accepted his offer and shut the door behind her.

Tristan offered her his arm as they began to walk down the corridor where she had spent most of her life. The walls held so many memories for her, memories of raising her brother and learning to cope with the loss of her parents.

“I can still recall the day that ye and Ashton showed up here at the castle after yer parents died. Ye were such a pretty little lass, a little lost, but so protective over yer brother. He was just a bundle of clothes with a face when I laid eyes on him for the first time.” A smile curved the corners of his mouth as he reminisced over that day.

“Aye, I dinnae ken what would happen to us, but I was glad that ye and yer faither took us in. It was a great kindness.” Her heart ached at the memory of her brother in her arms. She had feared he would fall ill and die just as her parents had. Her uncle had gotten a wet nurse to look after Ashton, but that hadn’t stopped her from staying up late at night to check on him every hour.

Tristan hadn’t paid them much attention at first, but that all changed when her uncle died. Tristan had inherited the title and took over the running of the castle. It had been Iris and Ashton who comforted him, staying by his side as he processed the loss of the only parent he knew. Lady McCabe had lost her life giving birth to Tristan.

“I ken that ye must have a lot of questions an’ fears right now, one of them being why I agreed to let ye go so soon instead of fighting harder?” Tristan glanced at her as they turned a corner that led to a small courtyard of stone where a large ash tree had been planted in the only patch of soil. The tall tree touched the sides of the courtyard, reaching out its branches as if trying to hold everything together.

“Aye, I had hoped for more time. I’ve hardly had enough time to prepare meself ’afore his arrival.” She let out a heavy sigh that hinted at just how burdened she felt.

Tristan nodded understandingly. “It’s nae an easy job being laird; ye have to make decisions for the good of the clan, even if what ye want is to keep those ye love close to ye. If our dealings with clan O’Brien had been better, then I would have fought for ye to stay. But I cannae go against the man when he needs to protect his own.” He stopped and turned to her with a serious look.

“There must be something we can do to buy more time?” She felt the tears welling in her eyes as her fears threatened to burst.

“I cannae risk a war now that the deal has been made. I am sure of one thing: Laird O’Brien willnae harm ye. He’s a hard man when it comes to war an’ protecting his own, but he’s never started anything with the surrounding clans unless they threatened to attack him.” He gripped her upper arms and gave her an encouraging squeeze.

“But what about all the rumors of him killing his father and brother.” Fear rose in the pit of her stomach again as she searched his face.

“Those are just rumors; besides, even if he killed his father an’ brother for the title, ye are nae someone standing in his way. I beg of ye, Iris, ye are our only hope of getting Ashton back; dinnae say ye willnae go now.” His eyes pleaded with her as he tightened his grip to an almost painful pressure.

Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath that felt as if it were rattling through her body. “I will go for Ashton’s sake.”

Tristan’s face softened as he loosened his grip. “I knew ye would make the right decision. It’s funny, ye were the one that took care of yer brother when ye lost yer parents, an’ now, ye are the one falling on yer sword to save his life again.” The corner of his mouth lifted into a sad smile as he let her arms go.

I have to do this for Ashton.

She swallowed the final shreds of doubt that she was doing the wrong things. All she needed to take a bold step was the gentle reminder that her only brother’s life was on the line.

“Come, let’s nae keep Laird O’Brien waiting any longer.” Tristan nodded back to the way they had come, his eyes determined with anticipation again.

The carriage rattled over the uneven country roads as Iris glanced across the carriage at Laird O’Brien. He hadn’t said so much as a few words to her in the past few hours, making the atmosphere in the small confines of the carriage almost unbearable for her.

He hadn’t offered her more than simple monosyllabic grunts since they had started out. The topic of his father and brother seemed far too dangerous to broach at present, yet she still needed to know more about him.

“Tell me, Me Laird, does yer family live with ye at Castle O’Brien?” She felt her pulse quicken when he glared at her.

“Aye, they do,” he grunted at her.

Iris waited for more of a response but found herself face to face with a brick wall. The man’s stubbornness was harder to break through than an iron shield. “Do ye have a maither?”

“Everyone has a maither.” He narrowed his eyes at her and gripped his knees as the carriage rattled on.

“That’s not what I meant.” She felt the heat rising in the back of her neck. Why could he not just answer the simple question?

Cayden smirked for the first time since they had met, causing the pit of her stomach to flutter with unease.

“Aye, I ken everyone has a maither. Thank ye for remindin’ me of that.” She held her head high in defiance and glared at him.

Naebody else could be as brutish as ye.

Iris looked out of the carriage window before looking back at the Laird. “All I wanted to ken was if there were other members of yer family living at the castle. Ye cannae blame me for wanting to ken the people who will become me kin? If I had more time to prepare, I wouldnae have to ask so many questions. I deserve some answers, dinnae I?” She stood her ground despite the angry glances that he kept casting in her direction.

The murderous look he presented her with sent shivers down her spine. She couldn’t look him in the eye for too long, yet there was something in his eyes that made her want to know him better.

“Ye will meet everyone when we get there. What point is there describin’ everythin’ to ye when ye will see it all soon enough. Will ye continue to ask questions for the remainder of our journey?” He seemed intent on offering no information whatsoever, yet there was a glimmer of something in his eyes when she asked about who was residing in the castle with him.

“Well, I look forward to meetin’ everyone.” She glared at him, giving up on his curt responses.

“Good.” Cayden snapped at her, raising his voice just a little as his patience seemed to wear out.

Iris rose to his challenge, glaring back at him with her eyes narrowed. “Aye, it is good, Me Laird. I’m glad we had this conversation.” It was hard to hide the sarcasm in her voice when she had been trying so hard to be kind to him.

“Aye, and now, ye ken the type of man I am. I’m sure ye kenned who I was before ye met me. Ye didnae think we would be goin’ back to host tea parties, did ye? I have more important things to occupy me time, like running the clan an’ finding yer brother.” He shot back at her.

The Laird had agreed to help find her brother when he could have refused them.

Clutching her seat as the carriage rattled over stones in the road, she composed herself. “I didnae mean to be rude, Me Laird. Ye are doing so much for me family; I only want to ken more about the place I am going.”

Cayden looked at her in surprise. “Ye will learn all that ye need to ken once we arrive, an’ dinnae fuss, ye willnae be thrown into a dungeon.”

The silence filled the air once more as Cayden turned his attention to the passing scenery. He seemed to lapse back into thought almost as soon as he looked away from her. It infuriated her almost as much as his insistence upon making her leave her home sooner than she was ready.

What is he thinking about?

She studied his profile from the side, feeling a surge of heat in the pit of her stomach when she noticed again how muscular and handsome he was.

Her heart skittered a little when the carriage caused his knee to jostle against hers. Clearing her throat, she pasted a smile on her lips. “How far is it to yer castle, Me Laird?” She attempted to start a conversation with him once again that she hoped would lead to him opening up a little. The need to know more about the man she was marrying overpowered any fear that she felt in his presence. Even his churlish ways couldn’t discourage her from making proper conversation.

“We will spend the night at an inn an’ carry on in the morning. Castle O’Brien is two days away from yer home,” he answered curtly in a deep voice that sent shivers coursing down her spine despite her resolve not to react to the mad laird. He hardly turned his gaze away from the passing scenery.

My home. At least he acknowledges the fact that I’m leaving it behind.

Reluctant to give up, she composed herself again. “Tell me about your castle, if you dinnae mind, Me Laird?” She spoke softly, hoping to coax him into saying more than just a few words.

Cayden turned to her with a veiled expression as his eyes swept over her body. “It’s a castle much like any other. It has walls an’ rooms to sleep in.” He looked her over once more before turning back to the window.

Irritation filled her body along with the heat that rose in her cheeks beneath his gaze. “I’m glad to hear that yer castle has walls, Me Laird; it would be terribly inconvenient if it didn’t.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Turning back to her with his eyes narrowed, Cayden glared at her. The depths of his blue eyes made her breath catch in her throat.

Why does he look at me like that?

She felt her breathing quicken as his eyes fell to her lips and lingered there for just a moment before traveling to her full breasts that rose and fell steadily beneath her emerald dress. Feeling as if he were undressing her with his eyes again, she reached for the edges of her cloak and protectively wrapped them around her chest.

Cayden smirked with a look that could easily have been mistaken for amusement before looking back out the window.

Iris was surprised to note his handsome appearance when he wasn’t scowling or glaring at her. The danger that oozed from his being lifted ever so slightly and made her even more curious about the person behind the rumors. Was there a softer side to him? Or was he simply attempting to disguise his true nature with brief moments of civility?

“Will we be arriving at the inn soon, Me Laird?” She watched a muscle in his jaw twitch as he turned to look at her again.

“Are ye always this chatty? Or is this interrogation supposed to be for me benefit?” He narrowed his eyes at her now with a disapproving scowl.

“I’m just trying to make conversation, Me Laird. It’s what people do when they meet others. But since you didnae ask, I am a little hungry; I wouldnae mind if we stopped somewhere soon.” She felt her pulse racing as the determination to stand her ground took over.

Why am I challenging him like this?

Heat tingled through her body, causing her stomach to flutter and coil with tension beneath his gaze. There was something almost undeniably attractive about him despite his brutish ways and responses. The guard’s words came back to her as she wondered why so many women had refused to marry him.

The rumors of his brutality are more than likely true.

She felt herself recoiling a little in her seat. How had she forgotten what he had done to his family? Nothing about him seemed to make any sense to her.

“We will pass two more inns ’afore we stop. The more ground we cover before nightfall, the sooner we will reach Castle O’Brien,” he grumbled and clenched his jaw in frustration, seemingly irritated with her as he clenched his fists over his knees.

“Can we nae even stop for a rest?” Iris felt personally attacked by his refusal to stop even for a moment. She hadn’t been expecting him to treat her like a queen, yet she still felt as if she were owed the basic necessities of rest and food when she needed them.

“Will ye stop talking if we do?” he grumbled at her, gripping the edge of his seat as the carriage hit what seemed to be a large stone. The irritation in his voice made the deep hues of blue appear even icier.

“I cannae say that I will, but I ken all your men and even your poor driver will be thankful for the rest,” Iris bit back sharply, wincing as she bumped her head on the ceiling of the carriage. The road seemed to get bumpier the more she fussed and argued with him.

Glowering at her, Cayden banged his fist against the inside of the carriage until she feared that the roof would pop off. The horses neighed as they came to a sudden stop, causing Iris to almost fall into his lap. She caught herself just in time and almost teetered over as her fingers dug into the seat.

It seemed like mere seconds before the driver appeared at the door and pulled on the handle. “Is there something wrong, Me Laird?” The man stood up straight, his long orange hair braided down his back.

“The lady would like to stop for the evening. Pull over at the next inn. We will be staying there for the night.” Cayden kept his eyes fixed on Iris as he spoke.

“Aye… Me Laird.” The man seemed taken aback at first, looking from Cayden to Iris before shutting the door again and leaving.

“Thank ye.” She sucked in a sharp breath and tore her gaze away from his, looking out the window as the carriage jostled from side to side.

Her heart beat like the rhythm of an uneven drum as she tried to steady her breathing, feeling his gaze boring into her flesh. Why did he keep looking at her like that? As if he wanted to tear the clothes from her body and ravish her. The thought made her stomach coil deliciously with confusion. She did not want to be married to him and was only doing so to save her brother, but something in his lingering gaze caused a fire to grow in her stomach. His deep blue eyes and handsome features definitely weren’t what she had been expecting of the mad laird. She was a woman, and with that came needs. She was not dwelling on being married to the man, but she was considering some of the perks that came with it.

The mad laird.

He seemed dangerous to her in an alluring manner, but she couldn’t decide whether or not she believed the rumors regarding his father and brother.

She cleared her throat and shifted in her seat just as the carriage hit what felt like a massive stone in the road. Arms flew into the air in search of something to hold onto as she flew out of her seat, landing face down in Cayden’s lap.

Her body trembled when strong hands gripped her upper arms, pulling her up until she was face to face with the mad laird.

“Are ye hurt?” His voice was low and deep as he looked into her eyes before allowing his gaze to sweep over the rest of her body.

Iris felt her face filling with heat as she realized that her hands were gripping his thighs. Any higher and she would have ventured into very inappropriate territory. “Nae, thank ye, I am nae hurt,” her voice came out a tad breathier than she had intended.

Cayden tightened his grip on her upper arms, pulling her slightly closer as his lips parted with a deep breath.

Her heart raced along with the horses’ hooves that beat against the road. His face was closer now, his hot breath invitingly caressing her lips.

“Woah!” The driver reined in the horses, bringing the carriage to a stop.

Cayden blinked a few times as if he had been in a trance before helping her back onto her seat as if she weighed nothing at all.

“Thank you,” she muttered sheepishly and straightened her dress, realizing that the fall had caused her breasts to almost break free. She hurriedly fixed her clothes as Cayden averted his gaze.

“We will spend the night here; ye will be in the chambers next to mine with a guard at yer door to ensure yer safety.” He clenched his jaw and climbed from the carriage as he grumbled the instructions at her, leaving her to follow his lead.

Is he mad at me?

She suddenly grew flustered and angry at his seeming dismissal. The man had quite a nerve to be angry at her for falling into his lap when he had been the one who pulled her closer!

He pulled me closer.

Her heart skipped a beat at the memory of his gaze lingering on her lips. The look of hunger and desire in his eyes had taken her breath away. She realized with a start that she had wanted him to kiss her, and even more than that, she had wanted to kiss him.

She swallowed hard and raised her hand to her throat as she watched him walk away from the carriage. His strides were strong and sure as he covered the distance to the inn entrance with ease. The broadness of his shoulders combined with his height and muscular build made him tower formidably above his men who scurried about to do his bidding.

I’m doing this for Ashton.

She reminded herself why she was in his presence in the first place and stepped from the carriage. She needed to keep a cool head and make sure that Cayden held up his end of the bargain. Everything would have been for nothing if she found herself being distracted by the man she was being forced to marry.