Page 44 of Taken By the Savage Highlander

I should not feel so disappointed that Cameron didn’t tell me himself.

The feeling of being left alone washed over her. A gust of wind came winding through the courtyard, the air noticeably cooler. She shivered, wondering if the Land was mocking her for being so invested in the man.

She knew she should not take his absence personally, but she could not help thinking how easy it would have been for Cameron to inform her himself. Their rooms were adjacent. Surely, he’d known about it the night before he’d left.

Turning away from the children’s laughter, Margo walked back into the castle. Her stomach turned, and her heart ached. She only hoped that spending the afternoon with the kittens would soothe some part of the pain that didn’t fully make sense to her.

“Laird MacLeod, is that you?” an accented voice asked, a young woman only a few years older than Margo stepping out from the flowered bushes. “We did not know if you were coming or not. Did you send a missive ahead of your arrival?”

“Ye werenae expectin’ me because I left the second I found the time to,” Cameron said as he dismounted. “I trust that ye’re well, Marian.”

Around the two of them, residents of Glen Carrick went about their day. The gardener was pruning bushes, and a boy stood by with a basket to collect flowers. A groom was walking a young mare in circles, speaking to her in a low tone to desensitize the animal.

“Much better now that you are here,” she said, her brightness and the way her mouth curved around her words painfully reminding him of the woman he left at Castle MacLeod. “Did you come to assist Lachlan with the granary?”

“Aye, I did,” Cameron said gruffly, irritated at himself for seeing Margo in Marian. “We just finished a round of emergency repairs. I’d like to see to it that we fix the granary as soon as possible.”

“I wondered how much damage you got so close to the sea,” Marian said conversationally, waiting for one of the stableboys to run forward. As he took Cameron’s horse, she gestured for Cameron to follow her inside. “It wasn’t anything too bad, I hope.”

“It was nothin’ that we couldnae handle,” he said, deciding that she didn’t need the details. He had a feeling she would be able to sniff out the ordeal with Margo, even if he didn’t include that bit. “The fishin’ boats we repaired after the last storm held nicely. I’m confident that we will be able to weather the storms to come more effectively now that our fleet is runnin’ once more.”

“I am quite glad to hear it. I have never had fish quite as good as the fish that your village brings in,” she said, waving over a maid. “Would you please prepare a chamber for Laird MacLeod?”

The maid nodded, giving a small curtsy before scurrying away. As she rounded the corner, he heard the low murmur of her voice being answered by a deeper timbre. Then, a second later, Laird Carrick, Lachlan MacLeod came striding down the hall.

“Laird MacLeod!” Lachlan said as he stepped into the Atrium, doing nothing to hide the surprise in his voice. “We werenae expectin’ ye.”

“Ye wrote for me help, cousin,” Cameron replied, grasping his hand in quick greeting.

“Aye, nearly a month ago,” Lachlan confirmed laughing as they released one another. “That was before we’d received news that ye were married.”

“And we did not even receive an invitation to the wedding!” Marian said, her indignation rivaling Margo’s. “Nor did you bring your wife along so that we could meet her. Lachlan tells me she’s an Englishwoman as well.”

“She is,” Cameron confirmed, his skin prickling with acute discomfort. He’d come to assist his cousin to give himself a break from the ever-present distraction that was Margo MacLeod. And now, only minutes after arriving, she was the only thing he could think about. “I think the two of ye would get along well.”

“Then you should bring her along next time,” Lachlan said, leading the three of them toward the Great Hall. “I’d like to meet the woman that finally made you settle down.”

“I’m nae any more settled than I was before me weddin’,” Cameron said, his voice clipped with poorly concealed frustration.

Lachlan caught his eye, and a spark of understanding passed between them. He would drop the subject for now, but the discussion was merely tabled. Cameron wasn’t sure if he was grateful or annoyed that his cousin was bound to ask for more information later.

“I will give ye the report on the damage and what we’ve gotten finished since I sent the missive,” Lachlan said as they entered the room. A group of servants was quickly putting together a small spread of bread, cheese, and fruit. “Ye will have to forgive us for nae havin’ a more substantial meal for ye. Marion, could ye let the cook ken that we have a guest that needs somethin’ to eat.”

“Of course,” Marian said easily, giving the two of them a smile before she walked away.

“Ye daenae have to trouble yer staff for me,” Cameron said as they settled across from one another. “This is more than enough.”

“It will take them a wee bit of time to prepare yer chambers,” Lachlan said. Then, puffing out his chest slightly, he continued, “And ye ken that I will always repay yer own generosity.”

“Is it a point of pride for ye?” Cameron asked, suppressing a smile at the way his cousin’s gaze narrowed. “I’m nay keepin’ score. It’s me job to look out for me people and me allies. When we have needed help in the past, ye have come without a second thought.” Drumming his fingers against the top of the table once, he added, “Truthfully, I should have come to yer aid sooner. Both of our clans rely on the granary, but yers more than mine.”

“I imagine the recent storms delivered quite a beatin’ to yer land,” Lachlan said. “And I’m nae keepin’ score, either. Perhaps I’m just bein’ cordial with me cousin.”

Cameron rolled his eyes, picking up a berry and staring down at it. When the color started to remind him too much of Margo’s lips, he popped it in his mouth. After he swallowed, he said, “Daenae do that.”

Daenae.

“One day ye will get used to kindness,” Lachlan said. Then, he sat back, crossing his arms as he continued, “Now, eat while I inform ye of what me and me men have been doin’.”