Bride of Ice (The Warrior Daughters of Rivenloch #2) - Glynnis Campbell Page 0,78

husband who would bring a peaceful and prosperous future to the clan and strong offspring to carry on the Rivenloch line. Surely they would recognize that.

As if she’d read Hallie’s mind, Isabel sleepily murmured, “Ma and Da are going to love him. You’ll see.”

She hoped so. She hoped that once she introduced Colban an Curaidh to her parents, they would agree she’d made a wise and strategic choice.

She fell asleep, dreaming of an army of sons and daughters, children with her pale hair and his dark eyes, warriors with Highland spirit and Lowland ingenuity.

Indeed, she slept so soundly that she only half stirred when she heard Isabel gasp. The lass was standing at the window by the light of midday, staring out across the hills. Suddenly her face dissolved in dismay, and she fled the room in a flurry.

Accustomed to her sister’s penchant for drama, Hallie closed her eyes again, sure Isabel was panicking over something harmless. Perhaps a hound was pestering one of her kittens in the courtyard. Or maybe her friends were setting off on a fishing excursion without her.

If it turned out to be anything serious, Rauve would come knocking at the door.

Chapter 27

There was a frantic rapping at the door.

“Come,” Colban called out from the bed before he was fully awake. He was surprised to see the day was half gone.

Thankfully, he had enough presence of mind to cover himself with a wad of bath linens when Isabel came bursting into the room.

“You have to go!” she said, her eyes as round as coins. “Now!”

“Go where?”

“Away!”

The word hit him in the gut like the butt end of a claymore. Of course he had to go away. He should have realized what had happened last night was too good to be true.

“Hurry!” she pleaded. “Get dressed!”

He sighed, then made a circling motion with his finger, indicating she should turn her back. She did.

“They’ll be here any moment,” she said over her shoulder. “We have to hide you.”

Hide him? He was no coward. Whatever punishment a bastard was due for swiving the daughter of Rivenloch, he wasn’t about to run away from it.

“I don’t hide,” he told her.

“Not even for Hallie?”

“’Tis naught to do with Hallie.”

“’Tis everything to do with Hallie. You have to protect her.”

“Protect her from what?”

“From my parents.”

“Your parents?” he said, stabbing his arms into his leine. “They’ve returned?”

“Aye, and they mustn’t find out about your marriage. Not yet. Not until Hallie can speak to them.”

“How did ye know…” He frowned as he struggled into his trews. Had Hallie told Isabel about their marriage? Did that mean she wasn’t sending him away after all? Did she still wish to wed him?

Like balm on a cut, hope soothed the sting of rejection.

But if Hallie had already told Isabel of their upcoming nuptials, how long would it be before the entire clan knew? Telling Isabel a secret was like touching a brand to a field of dry barley.

If Hallie’s parents were here, there was no time to lose. He had to vacate the laird’s bedchamber, make himself presentable, and let Hallie handle the diplomatic details of explaining the circumstances.

He picked up his boots in one hand and raked his hair into order with the other.

“Where shall I go?”

Isabel frantically straightened the bed linens. “Our bedchamber,” she said. “’Twill be safe enough for the moment.”

“What about the bath?” He nodded to the tub full of water that had gone cold.

There was no way to empty it quickly.

“You go on. Tell Hallie our parents have arrived. I’ll take care of the bath.”

He hesitated, wondering if the determined lass might try to carry the thing to the garderobe to empty it herself.

“Go!” she urged.

As he snagged his crutch and limped to the door, he heard a splash behind him. Isabel had plopped herself into the bath, clothes and all. She sat shivering in the water with a forced flippancy, as if taking a cold bath in her leine was something she did all the time.

Shaking his head, he stole out one bedchamber door and into the next, where he was surprised to see Hallie dozing in unsuspecting bliss.

He closed the door softly behind him.

“Hallie,” he whispered.

There was no reply.

He took two steps forward and tried again. “Hallie.”

Still there was no answer.

He crept to the foot of the bed. Not wishing to alarm her, he gently placed his hand atop her blanketed thigh. And almost lost his head.

She sprang up as fast as a jack-in-the-box. She had a dagger in her