The Wrong Highlander (Highland Brides #7) - Lynsay Sands Page 0,101

he now felt guilty for trying to save them from having to guard Evina. He even felt guilty for helping out his brothers as he tended to do, as if his motives had been some underhand way to—How had Aulay put it? Set himself on a higher footing and make himself feel superior to them?

“Madness,” he growled under his breath. He helped because they were his brothers and they needed help. As for why he didn’t accept help, he usually didn’t need it. It was that simple. Wasn’t it?

“Conny!”

Conran glanced up at that shout from Aulay and hurried to the front of the group to reach his eldest brother’s side at the top of the steps. “What?”

“The women are gone,” he said grimly.

Conran turned to peer down over the great hall. It was busy, as usual, but it was also noticeably absent of every one of their women. From Evina to Aulay’s Jetta, they were gone. Even Bearnard and the Maclean’s dogs were no longer below.

“Don’t set up such a fuss, Buchanan,” the Maclean said with amusement, coming out of his room with a rolled-up plaid in hand.

Conran recalled Rory’s advice to the man the day before about rolling up a plaid and setting it in a circle that surrounded and would protect his arse in the saddle, and could only assume the man intended to ride out to talk to the men at the gate. He wasn’t surprised. While the Maclean was doing better, his injury pained him when he had to walk any distance.

“The women are all together and Gavin is with them,” Fearghas Maclean continued as he joined them at the top of the stairs. Glancing down into the great hall, he added, “As are the dogs. No doubt the beasts needed to relieve themselves and Evina and the others accompanied them outside to get a breath o’ fresh air.”

Cursing, Conran started down the stairs at a run.

“What the devil!” he heard the Maclean say with surprise. “What’s the matter with him? The lassies’ll be safe enough outside with me nephew.”

“So long as Evina’s attacker isn’t even now in the bailey, notching an arrow to a bow and aiming it at her.”

It was almost like Aulay had read his mind, Conran thought as he heard his brother’s words behind him. They were followed by several exclamations of dismay and the sudden thunder of all the men crashing down the stairs on his heels. Conran ignored it and merely hurried across the great hall. He burst out of the keep doors, fully expecting to find Evina and the others standing about at the foot of the stairs watching the Maclean’s huge deerhounds lifting a leg, but they weren’t there. Not on the steps, and not anywhere near them.

Fear clutching at him, Conran paused to scan the bailey from his elevated position at the top of the stairs, and was nearly sent tumbling down them when the keep doors opened behind him and someone crashed into his back.

“Sorry,” Aulay muttered, catching Conran’s shoulder, and saving him from the fall he’d nearly caused. Moving up beside him once sure Conran was steady on his feet again, he glanced around and asked, “Where are they?”

“That’s what I was just wondering,” Conran said grimly as the rest of the men moved out of the keep to take up position around them. “I don’t see them anywhere.”

“And me horse is gone,” Fearghas Maclean growled with exasperation as he stepped up behind Conran and his brother.

“Well, I can’t imagine Gavin agreeing to an outing outside the walls. Evina is too weak for that yet,” Rory pointed out. “Mayhap there was somewhere within the bailey she wished to go and they used yer horse to get her there to save her exhausting herself with a long walk.”

“Is there somewhere she’d want to go?” Aulay asked, turning to glance between Conran and the Maclean.

“Donnan told me she usually oversees the men at practice,” Conran announced, starting down the stairs.

“Surely she wouldn’t try to do that so newly from her sickbed though. Would she?” Rory asked with concern as he and the other men followed.

“Damned right she would,” Conran and the Maclean said together, and then glanced at each other with surprise.

Grinning, the Maclean slapped him on the back and shook his head. “Ye’ll make her a fine husband, lad. A fine husband indeed.”

Conran smiled crookedly and shook his head. “If she lives that long.”

“Nay, Cormag! Ye’re holding it wrong,” Evina called, frowning at the young man