She understood, but she’d neverutter a word if someone was unkind. She would simply get them to like her bymeeting their dislike with care. She wanted Iain to see that she could managewithout help. What she did not want, above all, was him thinking he needed toworry about her or protect her every moment. He’d never relax around her enoughto let her close if he was anxious about her.
“Marion, did ye hear me?”
“I did. I understand,” she replied,without actually agreeing.
Iain squeezed her hand. “Verrawell. Ready yerself.”
She laughed. “You act as if we’reabout to be descended upon.”
He stood and brought her to herfeet with him. “It will nae be long,” he said looking up toward the castle.
Marion followed his gaze throughthe growing darkness and up, very high, beyond the battlements. On the barmkin,blazing torches suddenly appeared, and the sound of the pipers floated down theseawall stairs in clear notes. By the time the birlinn reached the shore, wassecured, and they left the ship, hundreds of torches made a long, curving linedown the stairs.
The mist seemed to part as thefirst torches came near. Three tall men led the line, their heights and stepsmatching, making them seem almost as one person. Their plaids flapped with theforce of their strides as they walked. The man in the center moved ahead of theothers and reached Iain first.
“Brother,” his voice, though deep,was crisp and clear. “It’s good to have ye back. And Rory Mac, as well. AndNeil,” the man said in surprise, then looked quizzical. “And is that BridgetteMacLean?”
Bridgette moved to Marion’s side,dropped into a curtsy, and gave the man a coquettish smile. “Yer eyes dunnaedeceive ye, Lachlan MacLeod. ’Tis me.”
“It’s good to see ye, Bridgette,”he said politely and turned his attention to Archibald, who stood behindMarion. “And who are ye?”
Iain stepped forward and claspedLachlan on the forearm. “Ye remember Archibald, Alex’s cousin?”
“Aye. Welcome, Archibald.”
Archibald offered his greetings,and then Iain quickly presented Angus without much explanation, which Lachlanaccepted without protest, but Marion could hear murmurs from the men behindhim.
“It’s good to be back,” Iainexclaimed. “I missed home.”
A look of mischief swept acrossLachlan’s ruggedly handsome face. “Did ye now? Are ye getting soft, then?”
Iain chuckled. “Nay, but the foodin England is awful—”
“Worse than here?” Lachlan askedwith a chuckle.
Iain scowled, but it gave way to asmile. “Aye, I ken it seems hard to believe.”
“And the women, were they too uglyfor ye to bed?” asked the man on Lachlan’s right, the only one with light hair.
As Angus growled behind her, Marionstiffened at the comment and at the laughter that erupted from the group of menthat she suspected were Iain’s brothers. These men—the blond-haired one,Lachlan, with his deep russet locks, and the dark-headed man—matched Iain inheight and had eyes of the same shape.
“Cease talking, Cameron,” Iainsnapped at his fair-haired brother, even as he reached out and clasped himaffectionately by the forearm.
“Why? Is it nae the truth?” theScot demanded, laughter in his voice. “Are yer bollocks now aching for ahighland lass’s touch?”
“If they are,” the man with theshoulder-length brown hair said, as he stepped forward and gripped Iain by thearm Cameron had just released, “then I sayfinally.”
Iain’s three brothers nodded asone, and the dark-haired man grinned. “Fiona has done naught but annoy meconstantly about when ye may be returning. She’s fairly itching to take hersister’s place as yer bride.”
“Then she will be disappointed tohear what I have to say, Graham,” Iain said, his voice cold.
“What?” Graham asked, clearlystartled.
“What do ye mean?” Lachlandemanded, appearing more irritated that he didn’t know of the news already thanhe did surprised.
“What do ye have to tell us?”Cameron asked and grinned as his gaze came to rest on Marion.
She drew herself up to her fullheight and squared her shoulders, just as the first wave of MacLeods bearingtorches reached them. A woman with bland brown hair and small beady eyes smiledbefore casting her gaze down. Another woman, beautiful and dark-haired withgolden eyes, stared straight at Iain with a more-than-welcoming look.
