“Do ye nae believe it to be so?” he asked.
“I did,” she said firmly. “But I dunnae ken what to think or who to trust any longer.”
He opened his mouth to say he understood, but she spoke. “My time at Iona was long,” she started, weariness making her words slow. “Verra long. Imagine a cold place.”
He frowned. “There are many cold places in Scotland.”
She shook her head, her gaze going toward where the fire had burned but was now merely glowing embers of wood. “I did nae mean cold in the air, but itwasmost certainly that. Lots of places for the wind to enter.” A visible shiver ran through her, and he could see her tense to overcome it. “I mean, it was cold because of the quiet and the lack of companions. ’Twas cold because it was so lonely.” Her gaze landed on him briefly but flitted away. The faraway look in her eyes made him certain that she was beside him physically but in her mind, she was at Iona.
“I mean,” she continued, the pain in her voice throbbing and making his heart thud, “that it was cold when stripped naked and made to stand outside while the sisters stood in a line and poured buckets of ice water on my head for the crime of singing during the silent hour. It was verra cold at night, especially when my blanket had been taken as discipline for nae making my bed correctly, but it was as equally cold in the summer standing under the hot sun but having nae a soul to enjoy it with nor even comment to on the changing seasons. I was an outcast. Do ye ken?”
Her eyes met his and seemed to delve into his very soul. “I ken ye,” he replied, thinking on how alone he’d felt when his jealousy separated him and his brother. The difference between Graham and Isobel, however, was thathehad caused his loneliness. She had done nothing to incur such an isolated, harsh upbringing, yet it had been her fate, just the same. He wanted to wrap this woman he had only just met in his arms and tell her that such loneliness was behind her, but touching her would be a mistake, not to mention that he had no notion if his words would be true. Mayhap the marriage she would be forced to make would offer nothing but loneliness.
His stomach felt suddenly hollow. Perchance he should not have taken her from her home. He clenched his teeth against his doubt. No. She would have found far worse than loneliness married to his uncle. She would have found hell.
“I am sorry for what ye have endured. I’m certain—” What the devil was he certain of? He struggled to find what to say to soothe her, even as he grappled with wondering why he felt he must. “I’m certain ye will nae have such loneliness once ye’re married and in yer home with the people of yer new clan.” That was a truth he believed, and he would do his best to make it a reality. Even if her actual marriage was cold, he could not see how the man’s clan would fail to embrace her. She was warm and kind.
She smirked and inhaled a breath as if to reply, but before she said anything, one of his men shouted, “Attack! Attack!”
Graham jumped to his feet, taking her with him, but by the time he had his sword unsheathed, the deafening sound of horses’ hooves filled the air, and a line of men came into view at full charge. He turned Isobel to him and gripped her arms. Behind her, Marsaili was already scrambling to her feet, fear etching her features.
“Take shelter behind the rocks,” he ordered.
As both women nodded, he rounded toward the horses that were racing toward him. The blades of the swords raised high above the men’s heads glittered in the moonlight. His body tightened in preparation to fight, in readiness to defend. What surprised him as he lifted his own sword, though, was that his greatest concern was not winning the battle, as it always had been, but keeping Isobel safe no matter what.
Findlay’s and Jamie’s faces became discernible as the men leading the attack, and Graham charged, putting space between Isobel and himself to give her time to hide. When Findlay was almost upon him, he braced his legs and met Findlay’s sword high above his head as the man swooped his weapon down to strike.
The blow sent vibrations down the length of Graham’s arm and deep into his chest, but he swept his sword down and to the right, spinning away from Findlay. As he faced Findlay once again, a hard blow came high on Graham’s back, causing him to stagger forward. He caught his balance in time to fend off the new opponent.
This man did not have Findlay’s arm strength, and Graham easily knocked him from the seat of his horse and felled him in two blows. He shoved the fallen man out of his path and twisted back toward Findlay, but the man was gone. All around Graham, his men still fought their attackers so he picked his nearest foe and charged.
Chapter Seven
Isobel raced toward the rocks as Graham had directed her, Marsaili directly behind her. They stood in the darkness for a moment, each panting to catch her breath. Isobel’s heart squeezed when she saw Graham barely defend a blow from Findlay. Findlay may be her brother, but now that she knew the sort of man he was, the wicked things he had done, she found herself hoping Graham would be the victor.
She held her breath as Graham swept his sword down and spun to the right and away from Findlay. Findlay’s destrier danced a few steps backward and then Findlay brought him forward, as if to launch another attack on Graham. But one of Graham’s men came out of the darkness with his sword raised and struck Findlay hard on his side. Isobel gave a sigh of relief, but then a scream tore from her lips as one of their brother’s men struck Graham from behind.
Graham staggered forward, but he managed to knock Findlay’s man from his destrier with a few blows. It took Graham only a few strikes before his attacker was lying still by his feet.
She took a step to go to him, but Marsaili pulled her back. “Dunnae leave the cover. Ye may be accidentally struck. With the men fighting like this, they will pay ye no heed. They may nae even take notice that they’ve killed a woman until the rage from battle has worn off.”
Isobel startled. This was it! She had an opportunity to flee both her brother and Graham!
She found Graham in the melee once more, and an unfamiliar sense of reluctance filled her. It was foolish to be hesitant to leave her captor, but he had kept her safe. Striking out on her own would mean she would only have herself to rely on. Yet, she knew what she had to do.
For one brief moment she considered whether she should go to Oban or try to make her way to Brigid. Oban was close, though, and she knew Brigid to be far. And she did not know her grandmother at all. Though the woman held Brigid in Isobel’s name, she had no notion if her grandmother would try to force her to marry just as everyone else was doing. At least in Oban with the Summer Walkers, she knew they cared not for the trappings of the world. They would not try to use her. And Evan had sworn to repay her for saving his child’s life.
She gave a small nod of resolution. Oban it was.
Isobel gripped Marsaili by the arm. She could flee and not say a word, but she feared Marsaili would give chase and draw attention. Yes, Marsaili had used her, but Isobel could not see the benefit in her half sister stopping her flight now.
“I’m fleeing,” Isobel said. “If ye truly care for me, ye’ll nae try to stop me.”
Marsaili’s blue eyes widened. “Isobel, dunnae be foolish! Ye could die alone on the road.”
“I might well die directly after I’m married and claim my castle, as well,” Isobel snapped. “If I’m forced to marry a man who despises Father, do ye honestly believe my husband will wish to let me live? I’m only safe until the moment my grandmother hands Brigid over to me, and she will nae do so until I’m married.” She swallowed, memories sweeping over her. “When I was a child, one of the nuns told me that my grandmother made my inheritance contingent upon me reaching eighteen summers so that I’d nae be forced to bear a child before then. Childbirth killed my mother… But the other contingency was that I was wed before I inherited the castle. This was a stipulationherfather required in order to send his men to drive my grandfather out of the castle and then force my grandfather to give my grandmother men to hold the castle in my name. I will do my best to ensure I wed a man of my choosing.” She met Marsaili’s gaze and held it. “Would ye see me bound to a monster?”
Marsaili shook her head. “Nay, but to where will ye flee?”
