the impression that it was my boat now," Niall said as he reached inside it for his claymore and a leather bag. "Admit it, ye were planning to use her for kindling before I repaired her."
"For kindling? This beauty?" Connor said, though the galley had been nearly destroyed in a storm and looked unsalvageable before Niall got hold of it. "Never."
Connor looked forward to a long discussion over whiskey regarding who had the better right to the stolen boat. Since the MacDonalds acquired the sleek vessel from Shaggy, it had changed hands at least once on a wager.
As soon as they burst into the hall, dripping rain, mud, and seawater, Connor's eyes found Ilysa across the room, and she smiled at him. Each time he entered the castle now, he felt as if he were coming home to her. It was a good feeling. After a long moment, Ilysa's gaze shifted, and she noticed who was standing beside him.
"Niall!" She picked up her skirts and ran across the hall to throw her arms around him.
Niall blushed and grinned while he hugged her longer than Connor thought necessary. "Let her be," he said. "You're getting her all wet."
After finally setting Ilysa on her feet, Niall swept his gaze over her. "I haven't grown accustomed to ye looking so fetching."
Ach, it appeared Niall had acquired his older brother's charm. Time to hide the women.
"Change out of those wet clothes before ye catch your death," Ilysa told Niall.
"Can I eat first? I'm starving," Niall said, sounding young again. While Ilysa sent servants scurrying, Niall thrust a sealed parchment into Connor's hands and, pitching his voice low, said, "Ian sent me with this as soon as it arrived."
With a sinking heart, Connor recognized the MacIain chieftain's seal. He stuck the missive inside his shirt to read in private. Would it say MacIain was coming or no? Either way, it could be nothing but bad news.
Chapter 30
Connor and Ilysa had formed the habit of talking over the day's events and business of the castle when they met at night. Usually, they made love first, but the matter Connor had to discuss with her tonight should not wait. When she came to his chamber, he pulled her onto his lap and sat with her before the brazier.
"I saw ye speaking with Lachlan outside today." This was not what he needed to discuss with her, but the words came out of his mouth.
"Aye." Ilysa's face lit with a smile that was like a needle in his heart. "Have ye thought any more about making him captain of your guard?"
"For now, I need him to travel around the peninsula gathering information," Connor said.
"He said he's going off to look for Hugh's new camp."
"That's what I told him to do," Connor said. "Who knows if that's what he'll actually be doing."
"I'm certain he is." Ilysa drew her brows together and searched his face.
"I thought ye didn't like the idea of me making him captain," Connor said, keeping his own gaze on the burning peat logs. "Ye didn't trust him."
"I don't recall saying that," she said.
"What ye said was that something troubled Lachlan, and ye wish ye knew what it was." Connor turned and fixed his gaze on her face. "I take it ye found out."
Ilysa fussed with her sleeve and did not respond.
"I see that ye don't want to tell me," he said.
"I do," she said. "But it's no my secret."
Connor did not like the idea of Ilysa and closemouthed Lachlan sharing secrets. "Why would he tell you?"
"He didn't, precisely. He just gave me a general idea of the sort of secret it was," Ilysa said, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "He thinks Hugh has a spy in the castle."
If Lachlan was the spy, that is exactly what he would say to divert suspicion.
"So now that ye know - in a general sort of way - what troubles Lachlan," Connor said, "what is your opinion of the man?"
"I believe ye can trust him," she said, meeting his gaze dead-on now, "and that he's the best choice to be your captain."
"What about Sorely?" Connor asked, just because he was feeling sour.
"Ye said yourself that Sorely is no good at training the younger men." She paused. "And I don't like him."
"Perhaps if he told ye his troubles like Lachlan does, you'd feel differently about him."
The hurt on Ilysa's face made Connor regret the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. She removed his arm from around her waist and slid