She frowned as she tried to curlinto a tighter ball under Iain’s plaid. The birlinn dipped sharply, remindingher it wasn’t just the way the cold had affected her that seemed to separateher from the others. They didn’t seem a bit queasy. None of them. She couldn’tunderstand it. No one had retched over the side of the birlinn except her, andwhen they’d been on horses before taking to the water, the others had not askedIain to stop so they could relieve themselves. Again, only her.
When she finally requested he stop,she’d seen the amusement in all eyes but Iain’s. He’d looked exasperated. Andwhen she’d heaved over the side of the boat, they’d all made comments that itwas to be expected, as if her being half-English made her inherently weak. EvenBridgette and Angus, who should have been squarely on her side, made thecomments. Only Iain had said nary a word. He’d watched her with wary eyes,though, as if he expected her to fall over and die at any moment.
The birlinn dipped yet again, andthis time a spray of water came over the edge and drenched her. She had toclench her jaw until pain shot through it to stop the violent chattering of herteeth, which she was sure everyone could hear even above the hum of the rowingmen. She was not weak; the Scots simply were not normal.
The birlinn entered the loch withthe ship that was transporting the men’s horses directly behind it. Soon someonecalled out the sighting of land. Marion peered out from the plaid and thenparted it, her eyes going wide at what she was sure must’ve been DunveganCastle.
“Iain,” she called loudly over thenoise of the water, oars, and sudden chatter of everyone on board.
Iain glanced over his shoulder fromwhere he stood a few feet away, frowned, and then made his way to her, concernetched on his face. “Are ye going to be sick again?”
“No,” she said, willing it to beso, even as her stomach roiled. “Are we home?”
“Aye, Marion,” he said, his voicecatching. “We’re home.”
She parted the plaid more and anicy wind caressed her cheeks, but she left the garment open, entranced at thesight of Iain’s home. Dunvegan Castle sat like a crown high atop the steeprocky cliffs of the seashore. Its stone walls seemed to reach Heaven itself. Itsat very near the edge of the bluff, and as she stared at the square keep andthe turreted tower, she inhaled a sharp breath. The high land the castle stoodon was completely surrounded by a curtain wall, and it appeared the only entrancewas through the seagate.
“What is it?” Iain asked her,taking her hand in his.
Instinctively, she curled herfingers around her husband’s hand. “I thought my father’s castle was surely themost impenetrable, but Dunvegan would be impossible to breach. You’d see yourenemies coming long before they reached you.”
He squeezed her hand. “It is asclose to invincible as a home can be, but there is nae a place anywhere that isinvincible.”
She looked at him. “How wouldanyone get inside?”
“By drawing us out,” he saidsimply.
As the birlinn glided closer toshore, Marion thought she heard pipers playing. “Is that—”
“Aye,” Iain interrupted. “They’rewelcoming us home.”
“Us?”
“Me and Rory Mac,” he replied. “Butwhen they learn of ye and our marriage, they will welcome ye, as well.”
She did not miss the steelydetermination beneath his words. “Iain,” she said hesitantly, trying todetermine the best way to ask him to let her try on her own to befriend hispeople.
“Aye?”
“I am a bit concerned about yourclan liking me.”
“Dunnae worry,” he replied. “I’llcommand them to do so.”
She bit her lip. It was just as shethought. She loved that he wanted to keep her safe, but his actions wouldactually make the task harder for her. She was sure of it. “Iain, you cannotcommand them to like me. They will resent you—and me—if you try to make themaccept me directly. I beg you to let me win their friendship on my own.”
She watched his eyes narrow. “Thereare some that may nae be nice to ye if I dunnae command it.”
“Are you referring to Catriona’ssisters?”
“Aye,” Iain replied. “Her motherhas passed. How do ye ken of her sisters?”
“Bridgette told me, but I candefend myself,” Marion stated firmly, feeling more sure of herself than sheever had before. Being away from her father and with Iain, who truly offeredher respect, had helped her to see that it was not her duty to constantly tryto prove she was worthy of admiration, but for others to see her worth andrecognize it. And if she’d not broken under years of her father’s harshtreatment, two women would not defeat her. She also had Bridgette as an ally.
Iain studied her for a long momentand finally nodded. “I’ll let ye try,” he said.
She exhaled with relief.
“But,” he added, causing her totense once more, “if anyone gives ye any trouble at all, ye will come to me,tell me, and let me attend to them. Ken?”
