"I didn't want to risk missing any of the fun, so I came early," Alex said.
The sail from North Uist was shorter than the journey Ian and Duncan would make from the far end of Skye, but it was across open water, which meant Alex had a greater risk of being held up by bad weather - not that he would ever admit a mere storm could delay him.
"There's my favorite lass in all of Trotternish," Alex called out when he saw Ilysa.
He strode over to her and lifted her off her feet. As he spun her around, his laughter rang in her ears, and the oppression that had closed in on her all day lifted for a brief moment.
"Alex!" Connor's voice cut through the hall, his tone so sharp that it was like a blade to her heart. "We must speak without delay."
Connor turned on his heel and marched through the doorway to the adjoining building without a backward glance. When Alex raised his eyebrows at Ilysa, she shook her head.
"Ye can't keep anything from me - I'll get if from ye later," he said with a wink before he left to follow Connor.
"Ilysa!" Jane called.
Ilysa was too weary and profoundly unhappy to humor Jane. Instead, she pretended not to hear, which was so unlike her, and went straight to her new bedchamber at the top of the keep. She began packing her things at once, determined to move forward with her plans - and to not give in and go to Connor's bedchamber. Somehow, she must learn to live without him.
Despite his coldness toward her today, Ilysa felt her resolve weakening by the moment. All that saved her from going to him was the knowledge that Alex was in his chamber. The two would likely be up until all hours talking.
But how she wanted him. She fell across the bed and pounded her fists. Why, why, why can't I have him? Why can't I be the one he weds? She felt both confused and overwhelmed by loneliness. Perhaps things would look better in the morning when she was not so tired and did not miss him so much. But tonight, she let the tears come.
Tomorrow she would be brave again.
* * *
"Praise God you're here," Connor said when he and Alex were alone in his chamber with the door closed. "I need someone I know I can trust."
"'Tis like that, is it?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "I thought ye would have weeded out Hugh's spies by now."
"They are like weeds," Connor said as he poured them both cups of whiskey from the jug on the table. "Pull one and two more appear in its place."
Connor told him about Hugh's attack on the farms on the east side of Trotternish, the murder of the two guards, and the skirmish with the MacLeods that ended with heads in the river.
"Ach, that is bad," Alex said, making a face.
Though it did not solve anything, Connor felt better after discussing all the disasters with Alex - all of them, that is, except Ilysa.
"I have news as well," Alex said.
"I can't take more bad news, so this better be good," Connor said and tossed back another whiskey.
"I wouldn't call it bad news, but your uncle Archibald is dead."
"Dead?" Connor straightened. "I saw him not long ago. What happened?"
"He let Hugh Dubh into his home is what happened." Alex paused to take a drink. "Hugh murdered Archibald while he was a guest in his brother's home."
Hugh was not only guilty of a cowardly act and murdering his last brother, but he had violated the ancient and sacrosanct Highland code of hospitality between host and guest, which was almost worse.
"The story is that, after enjoying a fine meal at Archibald's table, Hugh called his brother to the window to look at his new galley - then stuck his dirk in Archibald's back."
After a long silence, Connor said, "I was invited to join them."
"Ye were wise not to go," Alex said and lifted his cup to Connor.
"I would have gone," Connor said, feeling the weight of his errors and misjudgments like a boulder on his back, "except that Ilysa locked me in my own dungeon to prevent me."
Alex threw his head back and laughed. There was nothing for it then but to tell him the full tale, which caused his cousin to laugh so hard that tears rolled down his face.
"I always knew that lass had more spark than she let on," Alex said, slapping