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Morna’s face reddened, and she pursed her lips. ‘We shall neither speak of it, nor do it, again.’ She had not looked him in the eye once. ‘Why this feast?’ she snapped.

‘T’is to celebrate our taking the Cranstoun’s ship and in honour of you, my treasured guest.’

‘I have been told I am still confined to the east wing of the castle and cannot roam free. Do you treat all your guests the way you treat me?’

‘No, I only kiss the really pretty ones.’ Will noticed the rapid rise and fall of Morna’s chest as her eye met his. Was it in fear or indignation? If the former, he regretted it, as he had no intention of distressing her. Her anger he quite enjoyed as it was unusual to have a woman stand up to him, he was amused and excited by the novelty of it.

She turned to him and smiled sweetly. ‘Let us get on with the pretence of civility, shall we,’ she said, holding out her cup to be filled. ‘Have you no more stolen wine for me?’ she asked as Drostan sidled up to the table.

Will snapped his fingers for wine to be brought and heard Drostan murmur, ‘So good to see you about, Morna, as you have been absent these last few days.’

‘My jailor did not wish me to roam free about Fitheach. He fears I will make mischief you see,’ she replied with heavy sarcasm.

Drostan eyed him warily and was about to speak, but Will interrupted him. He stared straight at Morna.

‘Her captor would have her safe and not scampering through lands about which she knows nothing, lands beset by enemies bent of vengeance, the cruelty of which she is already painfully acquainted with.’

‘My captor thinks me a simpleton too weak to fend for herself,’ said Morna, to a confused Drostan. ‘In that, he is quite mistaken. Were any villain to lay a hand on me in future I would be minded to lop it off.’ Morna turned and glared at him.

He can’t have been very good at hiding his humiliation and dismay for the insensitivity of her remark suddenly hit her. Her face reddened as she glanced down at his hand and quickly away again.

‘Be off and eat your supper now, Drostan, before these wolves devour it all,’ he said to his cousin with iron in his voice.

‘I sought only to check on my Lady Morna’s welfare,’ replied the young man.

‘Well, you have done that now, so be off, Drostan,’ he snarled.

Though the hall was clamorous, between them, a terrible silence fell. Morna fidgeted with her knife and bit her lip. Suddenly she surprised the hell out of him.

‘Forgive my words, Will, they were not well said, given your injury. I meant no insult.’

‘None taken, Morna. I suppose I deserved a tongue lashing for taking liberties. I am afraid I indulge my appetites too often, not all of them honourable. Can you forgive me and call it even. I wish us to be friends again.’

‘Friends?’ she asked, raising a quizzical brow.

He laughed. ‘Very good friends indeed.’

‘If that is so, why do you still confine me to the east wing? I tried to go beyond it today, and one of your guards stopped me,’ she said.

‘Tis dangerous to roam about and the fewer people know you are here and who you are, the better, given your abduction.’

‘But everyone in this hall knows who I am.’

‘And everyone in this hall is loyal to the core - to this clan and to me. I will not have it otherwise.’

‘The sooner I return to Beharra, the better then. Did the seas calm enough to get me across to the mainland?’

‘It is spring, a wild time in these waters and storms have blown in giving us no chance to get a vessel across safely. Besides, there’ll be no crossing for you. I will send word for your brothers to come and fetch you. It is safer that way.’

‘But that could take weeks, and I want to go home.’

‘So, you cannot bear my company enough to spend a few weeks here, Morna?’

‘T’is not that. I am fearful after what happened and terribly homesick, that is all,’ she said in a small voice which Will was absolutely certain was a pretence at womanly vulnerability. He wasn’t fooled for a moment. ‘Put me on a ship, William, as soon as can be, and I can get a horse on the mainland and make my own way. You will be well rewarded, I swear.’ She sniffed and a single tear rolled down her cheek. What an effort it was for her to produce even one.

‘The answer is no, and I’ll have no discussion on it.’

‘I will not be locked up here at a whim of yours,’ her voice was harder now she was defied.

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