"I'm sure they're good men who only lack for training," Ilysa said. "Connor will remedy that, though he can't do it all himself. He needs a new captain of his guard."
"Everyone here knows that the man the chieftain needs is Lachlan of Lealt."
"Who's he?"
"Lachlan is a hero in these parts for fighting the MacLeods when others fled," Cook said. "He's led raid after raid, and the MacLeods can't catch him. After he attacks, he slips away like an eel."
"This Lachlan sounds impressive," Ilysa said.
"Ach, women love a mysterious man," Cook said, waggling his bushy, gray eyebrows at her. "Lachlan is tall and fair-haired besides."
"Surely, he has no time for women between all that raiding and slipping away?" Ilysa asked with a smile. "If this Lachlan is loyal, he ought to come to the castle now that our chieftain is here."
"I expect he'll arrive soon," Cook said. "I heard he was visiting his father, who is in poor health."
"Truly," Ilysa said, leaning forward, "ye believe this Lachlan would make the best captain?"
"Aye, he has the respect of all the men here," Cook said. "They owe their allegiance to the chieftain, of course, but they don't know him. Most haven't laid eyes on him since he was a young lad. They'll be more willing to risk their lives to fight at his side if they see Lachlan there."
"I appreciate your telling me," Ilysa said.
"Ye should go to bed, lass," Cook said, stifling a yawn. "Ye worked harder than any of us, and ye look tired."
"You go on," she said. "I'd like to sit here in the quiet and finish my cup of wine."
Despite running all day, or perhaps because of it, Ilysa felt too edgy to sleep. Besides, she would be sharing a bed with Deirdre, and she was not in a hurry.
Tomorrow would be another long day, but it would be easier because she had won a key ally. Cook was obstreperous, but he could work miracles in the kitchen with a little help and encouragement.
When she could not keep her eyes open anymore, Ilysa got up and lit a candle in the hearth fire to light her way to her chamber. As she left the kitchen, she heard something and paused before starting up the stairs.
Was that a light under the door to one of the storage rooms? She went to investigate. The last door did have a sliver of light under it. Leaving a candle or torch unattended overnight was dangerous. Tomorrow, she would find out who was responsible and speak to them. In the meantime, she would put it out.
She pushed the door open with her hip and then sucked in her breath. She was too stunned to move. In the warm glow of the torch in the wall bracket, she saw a pair coupling on the narrow wooden table.
"Aye! Aye!" the woman moaned as the table rocked with the rhythmic thrusts of the man standing between her legs.
The woman's bodice was pushed down to reveal ample, rosy-tipped breasts, and her golden hair spilled over the sides of the table. Rich, wine-colored skirts fell from the long, slender legs she had wrapped around her partner's waist.
O shluagh! The woman on the table was Deirdre.
The couple's obvious enjoyment brought a flood of unwelcome memories of Ilysa's brief marriage - the humiliation of her husband's awkward attempts, his limp member pressing against her.
So this was what it was supposed to be like. Ilysa's breathing went shallow as she watched how the man gripped Deirdre's hips while he thrust deep inside her. Slowly, she moved her gaze up the man's bare chest. When she reached his face, she started. His gaze was on her, and he had a wicked grin on his face.
He was laughing at her. Heat drenched her as she backed out and quietly closed the door.
When Ilysa reached her bedchamber, she undressed in the dark. Her care was unnecessary. There was no one else in the bed, confirming that the lass she had seen in the storeroom was, indeed, Deirdre.
Ilysa would be relieved when their guests departed. It was not that she begrudged Deirdre her lover or the attention of all the men in the hall. No, there was only one man whose regard she envied. When she recalled how Connor had looked at Deirdre, she wanted to weep.
Exhausted as she was, Ilysa stared up into the darkness. She had been so busy in the hours since she had gone to Connor's chamber