He took aim with a pistol that looked like the one Jamie brandished. He was about to shoot when her belly rumbled and the hare took off.
Elspeth gasped. That was likely supper. She slid her gaze to him, hesitating to avoid his ire.
But he chuckled and then laughed out loud. She was stunned. He was like no master she had ever had before. She hated to admit he was her master, but it would be over soon—and he really wasn’t so terrible.
“Was that supper?” she asked with regret.
“There are plenty of other hares to have fer supper. Dinna lose yer faith in me, aye?”
Was she expected to have faith in him, then? Did he forget who she was? Should she remind him?
She found that she didn’t truly want to. Not right at this moment. At this moment, she wanted to watch him stalk on his long, muscular legs toward another hare.
He took aim and shot. She jumped and then closed her arms around herself and looked away from the dead hare. She didn’t like the deafening boom of pistols. Not many men in the houses she served had them, and if they did, they were only used in battle. She had never gone hunting with a man before.
“Were ye not worried that I would take yer horse and escape?” she asked him as he collected the hare.
“My horse would have thrown ye the moment ye set yer arse in the saddle.”
She scowled at him. Was he telling the truth? “So, yer horse loves ye too then?”
He shrugged while he tied the carcass with a thin rope and then let it hang from his hand by its feet.
“I dinna know if horses feel love fer people, but I raised him. My father would let no one ride my horse but me. Everyone else is foreign to him. Never try to ride him.”
She nodded and studied him while they walked. “Are all Camerons like yer horse, making friends with no one?
“Of course we have allies,” he said flippantly. “We are a large clan but we would not have survived withoot the aid of our friends.”
She wondered who those allies were. Did they aid in killing Protestants? She glared at him through the corner of her eye. “I’m sure any friend of yers would be an enemy of mine,”
He nodded. “Most assuredly.”
Most assuredly? What was that supposed to mean? Did not he and his kind understand that the Lord did not speak to the king while leaving everyone else in the dark? The king should not have absolute reign. She doubted Mr. Cameron would fight for him if King James held beliefs that were contrary to his. But what did she care about any of it? It was likely that she wouldn’t live to see another king take the throne.
“Is James such a good king that ye hand over all yer loyalty to him?”
“No’ always,” he admitted shamelessly.
“Does he make decisions that ye believe come straight from God?”
“Nae.”
“Then why—?
“Because he is the king.”
She waited for more, but nothing else followed from his lips.
Finally, she shook her head. “’Tis senseless to kill fer a man ye are no’ sure of.”
“Tis senseless to kill fer any man,” he corrected.
Was he being serious? Elspeth couldn’t tell by looking at him. He sounded serious, but what warrior felt such a way?
“Surely ye have killed many, Mr. Cameron.”
“Just because my body is good at somethin’ doesna mean my heart agrees with doin’ it.”
