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“He thought ye had fled to one of yer faither's old allies. He sent warriors after ye, boasting that no one would dare make an enemy of him by harboring ye.”

“He wasnae wrong,” Isla muttered. “Everyone fears him.”

Mary shook her head. “Nay, nae everyone. Yer husband doesnae fear him. And Uncle is scared of him.”

Isla nodded. “This is why I came here.”

“I was in the Great Hall when a messenger came and broke news of yer wedding.” Mary’s eyes turned distant. “For a few moments, he froze, as if the words didnae make sense. Then he got up, grabbed the messenger by the collar, and ordered him to repeat the news. When the messenger said plainly that ye had married Laird MacLeod, Uncle threw him against the wall.” She looked back at Isla. “This is why I came, Isla. First, I needed to make sure that yer husband isnae mistreatin’ ye.”

Isla smiled softly at her cousin. Although they were different in temperament, they shared a deep bond.

“Second, I needed to warn ye. If ye think Uncle has accepted this and moved on, ye are wrong.”

“I never thought he would,” Isla said.

“Every day he talks and plots. He says that MacLeod humiliated him, that he stole from him.”

Isla clenched her jaw. Her uncle still saw her as an object. Even now, he would never admit that she had secured this wedding herself, that she had a mind of her own and the courage to stand up to him.

“He is plotting something, Isla,” Mary warned again. “I daenae ken what—ye ken how he is—but he has been meeting with his allies more frequently.”

Isla had never hoped her uncle would let her go. But hearing it said aloud made it real. But she should have known better. If anything, he would use this as an excuse to start a war.

Her chest tightened. Lady Moira, Ewan, the clansfolk—all would be in danger because of her.

“Ye need to be prepared,” Mary advised. “Because he will come for ye. He willnae let this go.”

“Daenae worry. I will tell Alisdair.” Isla patted her cousin’s hand to calm her down, though her own hands were shaking and her stomach was churning with dread.

“Honestly,” Mary chuckled, the somberness fading. “I came here terrified. But now that I have seen yer husband… I mean, that man is huge!”

Isla narrowed her eyes. “Is that really what ye want to talk about, Cousin?”

“Ye daenae give me the gossip, Isla. I can see that he is capable of breaking Sinclair in half with his bare hands, but when those hands are on ye⁠—”

“Mary!”

They burst into laughter.

They talked for a while over the bread and cheese Lorna brought up from the kitchens, before Isla led Mary to the chamber Lady Moira had prepared for her.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

HEATED ARGUMENT

Alisdair hadn’t left his study the whole morning and past midday. Mary Sinclair’s arrival had upset the castle. The Sinclairs were their sworn enemies, and now two of them were under his roof.

He was trying to concentrate on the ledgers, but it was impossible. Isla had vouched for her cousin, but her arrival alone spoke volumes. If she were a spy, this meant Sinclair was moving. If she came as an ally, then she came to warn, which again meant Sinclair was moving.

None of it was good news.

And yet he kept summoning up that bright smile Isla had worn in the courtyard. His body tightened and eased at once, just thinking of it. He hated it, and hated even more that he hadn’t been the one to put it there.

He forced his attention back to the ledger when the door to his study burst open with a bang to reveal a scowling Isla. Her hands were shaking, jaw set, spine rigid, chin up and eyes on fire.

She looked magnificent.

Alisdair looked away in self-preservation.