my son's role in it. I don't want him killed for taking the chieftain's life."
If it can be helped, Lachlan added in his head. He was not certain his father valued his life above vengeance. But that was the way in the Highlands.
"So tell us," his father said, "do ye have a new plan to kill Connor MacDonald or not?"
Chapter 20
Why are ye taking Ilysa back to Trotternish?" Moira asked, her eyes blazing.
"Because my household is in chaos without her," Connor said.
"How can ye be so inconsiderate?" Moira asked.
"Calm down," Connor said. "I've no idea why you're upset."
"Men!" Moira said, raising her hands and looking to the heavens. "I finally persuade Ilysa to get out of those ugly gowns and headdresses, and she has men following her around - half a dozen of them serious about wedding her, I might add - and my brother the chieftain decides to bury her at Trotternish Castle and ruin her chances."
"Ruin her chances for what?" Connor asked.
"For happiness!" Moira said. "That lass is so devoted to ye that she'll sacrifice everything for ye - anyone can see that."
Connor always knew Ilysa was devoted to the clan. But devoted to him?
"Ilysa enjoys keeping my household," he said. "And it will only be until I conclude negotiations for my marriage and my wife arrives."
"Don't ask this of her," Moira said, leaning forward with her hands on her hips.
Ach, MacDonald women were the most stubborn, willful women in all of the Highlands. And as for his sister, well, they had not called her Princess Moira as children for nothing.
"Does Ilysa want to marry any of these men?" he asked after taking a deep breath.
"Not yet, but she will," Moira said. "Ilysa loves children. She deserves a husband and family of her own."
Ilysa, married? It was hard to think of it.
"Ye seem to have forgotten that it's your duty to help a widow find a new husband," Moira said.
Moira was right about that. As chieftain, his duty to safeguard his clan was all-encompassing and included protecting them from attack, feeding them in famine, and, unfortunately, finding husbands for widows. Connor would rather fight a hundred MacLeods than matchmake. And finding the right man for Ilysa would not be easy. He would have to be a strong warrior who could protect her, but also a kind man.
"If ye let her be, Ilysa will have no trouble finding a husband on her own," Moira said, folding her arms.
"As ye just reminded me, it is my duty to make certain she weds a good man," he said, "if she wishes to marry at all."
"Ilysa deserves happiness," Moira said. "Give her a chance to find it."
* * *
Ilysa watched for Alastair MacLeod. When he did not appear in the hall for the midday meal, she decided to find him. Duncan had assigned Niall to escort her if she left the keep, but he was speaking with Lady Philippa so evading him would be easy. In fact, she worried that Niall was the one who needed guarding.
Ilysa guessed that a chieftain of the MacLeod's stature would be given a chamber inside the castle and asked a serving maid.
"The MacLeod is in the West Tower," the maid told her.
Ilysa found two enormous MacLeod warriors guarding a door on the second floor of the tower.
"I'm a healer, and I've brought a salve for your chieftain," she said and held out the jar.
The guards exchanged glances. Instead of taking the jar from her, one of them went inside. A few moments later, he returned and demanded her name.
"Ilysa."
The guard opened the door and jerked his head to the side to indicate she should enter.
"I don't need to see your chieftain," she said. "I only brought the salve."
"Go in." The guard gave her a look that said she could walk in or he could carry her.
Ilysa felt uneasy about entering the MacLeod chieftain's chamber. As soon as she crossed the threshold and saw him, however, her uneasiness vanished. His face was drawn with pain. She sat on the stool next to his chair.
"I brought that salve I promised ye."
"It won't help," he said.
"This is always a good salve." She held it up for his inspection. "But this particular batch has special healing powers."
"Lilies?" he asked after sniffing it, just as Connor had. "What makes it special?"
Ilysa hesitated to tell him, but she knew the salve would ease his pain and she wanted to persuade him to use it. "I collected the water lilies from a faery