Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

T he remainder of the day, Mae spent helping in the kitchens. Many of the female staff approached her and thanked her for putting Brian in his place after hearing about the morning events. Brian didn't make an appearance until late in the afternoon, and that was only so he could eat and get more whisky, though Mae had heard that he'd gone down to the stables and spoken with someone. Niall hadn't been with him at the time, as he had been in a meeting with Cam.

Mae was anxious to hear what that was about.

After dinner, Mae returned to her room and waited for Niall to join her. She dressed for bed and was seated there reading from a tome she'd gotten from the library upstairs. It was mostly just a historical accounting of the Donald clan, but she was learning more about the area and the people she was now living with. She'd finished the second chapter by the time a knock sounded upon her door.

Closing the book, Mae went to answer it with a smile. She opened the door to see Niall standing there with a covered plate. "What's that?"

He gave her a mischievous look and uncovered it. "Shortbread. I swiped the last of it from the kitchen."

Mae giggled. "Don't let Mira find out, she was probably saving that for someone."

He chuckled and set the plate down on the table while she closed the door and locked it. A moment later she was swept up into his arms and he was kissing her.

"I missed you today," he murmured against her lips.

"I missed you too." Mae kissed him back, savoring the feeling of his lips upon hers. "Tell me about your day, she said as she led him to the bed.

Niall sat and as he pulled off his boots, said, "It was a fairly nice day, Brian didn't cause any trouble once he made his reappearance. I even managed to get in a training session with Jen. Then I had a meeting with Cam about what happened this morning."

Mae's lips twisted into a grimace. "He didn't blame you for that, did he?"

Shaking his head, Niall pulled his shirt off. "Nae, with as much whisky as Brian had been drinking, something like that was bound to happen. Cam knows I put Brian to bed and expected him to be passed out for the rest of the night."

Mae reached for him. "I'm glad he's got your back. Some of those other guardsmen seemed to be blaming you. I didn't like it." Her tone was fierce.

"Aye, nor did I, love. I've had a word with our Captain about it. Despite being associated with the Donalds, there are those who think catering to the Campbells is going to brighten their own future should we lose this place. What they donnae seem to realize is that they're painted with the same black mark we are because their families tied themselves to ours."

Mae frowned. "There are always those brown-nosers who think they can kiss the authority's ass and come out smelling like roses."

Niall chuckled. "Another of your twenty-first century sayings?"

Mae giggled. "Yep, pretty much, though I'm not sure it originated in my time, but we still say it, well some of us do. Others just call them kiss-asses."

They spent the rest of the night talking and making love and then fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next few days and nights continued in the same vein, with Brian acting very subdued and keeping mostly to himself. It left Mae suspicious. She didn't trust that Brian had actually turned over a new leaf. She had the distinct feeling that he was biding his time and waiting for something. She hated when she was proved right.

Five days after the morning incident on the wall and ramparts with Brian, a rider approached the gate, which because it was early in the morning, was closed. Mae had woken early along with Niall, and they'd gone up to the wall to watch the sunrise together and enjoy some tea and biscuits together away from most everyone else. It was then that their attention was drawn to the guards in the tower.

"Campbell approaching!" one of the tower guards bellowed, his words echoing through the stone walls. "Open the gates!"

"A Campbell?" Mae questioned. "Why is another Campbell here?"

"I donnae know, love, but I think we're about to find out." Niall looked worried as he picked up their crockery and the two of them headed back down to the courtyard.

"Who is it?" she asked as they got closer and saw a man in a blue and green tartan plaid kilt coming through the gates. "Do you know him?"

Niall's expression was a serious mask of frustration. His lips thinned and pressed together for a moment as he stared at the man upon the horse. "I do. He's Sir Kellan Campbell," he replied. "His being here now, does not bode well for us."

Mae glanced at him from the side of her eye. "Why is that?"

"Because generally Sir Kellan only comes when tis time to collect our taxes. We paid them a few months ago. For him to come now… it cannae be good news for us. The Laird would not have sent him if he didnae foresee a problem here."

"Maybe it's a good thing?" she said, hopeful. "Perhaps he's here to collect Brian?"

"Nae, I donnae see that as likely, love."

They watched as Sir Kellan dismounted from his horse with a graceful ease of a man who often rode. Mae studied the man and immediately thought he was probably an asshole. One of those entitled jerks who always thought they were better than her. They were the kind of men she used to enjoy conning back when she did that sort of thing. They often deserved it. She took in his dark blond hair and the well-trimmed beard, which framed his face, he was well put together. Not someone like Niall who was rough around the edges, but someone polished and posh. As he scanned the courtyard, his pale blue eyes held a glacial chill that made Mae shiver.

Finally, Sir Kellan's gaze settling upon Niall and Mae. It was direct and chilling, as though he had found his target. His lips curled into a barely perceptible smirk, a condescending glint flickering in his eyes.

"Why is he focused on you and me? We're not high ranking members of the Donald clan…" Mae said under her breath so only Niall could hear her.

"It tis almost as if he were specifically looking for us," Niall agreed.

His words had Mae standing taller. If this man was about to come at her, she'd not back down. He was going to get as good as he gave.

Before Sir Kellan could even take a step toward them, the castle doors opened and Cam, with Jen at his side, glided regally down the steps. Nearly everyone in the courtyard were frozen, watching the scene unfold.

"Sir Kellan, welcome to Fort Donald, though I must say that I am surprised to see you."

Sir Kellan tilted his head in acknowledgement, his chin still high in arrogance as he looked away from Niall and Mae. "Ah, Chief MacDonald. I was not surprised that you were not here to greet me, as I arrived. Typical of you Donalds."

"As I said, had I known you were coming, I would have been prepared to meet you at the gate. As it stands, my wife has had the staff preparing your room as we speak. You do recall my wife, Lady Jennifer, do you not?" Cam challenged.

"I vaguely recall meeting you," he replied with disdain. "This is not a social call, however."

"I was sure that it wasnae."

Mae had to swallow back a laugh at that retort.

Narrowing his eyes, Sir Kellan said, "It has come to the Laird's attention that his cousin's life was nearly taken the other day by one of your duplicitous guardsmen."

Cam's posture straightened and he seemed to grow a bit taller and broader in the shoulder in his anger. "That is a lie. We've been nothing but hospitable to the man. Not one man here would harm him."

Sir Kellan sneered. "Be that as it may, I've been sent to keep watch over him to make sure one of your lot do not harm him any further." His gaze traveled back over the crowd and landed on Niall and Mae. "And it was my understanding that not only did one of your guards attempt to harm him, a woman of yours humiliated him as well."

Mae, unable to contain her shock and indignation, erupted with a loud exclamation. "That's a damn lie," she exclaimed, her voice cutting through the air with undeniable force. The sudden outburst drew the attention of everyone present, causing Mae to blush, but she stood firm.

In that moment, Mae's mind raced, realizing the extent of Brian's treachery. She connected the dots and understood that his uncharacteristic silence had been a ploy, as he quietly sent a letter to Laird Campbell, lying about what occurred, probably in the hopes of the Donalds being kicked off their land. The realization sent a surge of anger and frustration coursing through her veins.

Niall's fists clenched at his sides, but he didn't move forward. "That bastard," he muttered.

Mae started toward Sir Kellan, but Niall grabbed her arm and held her back. She glanced at him, wondering why, but he shook his head, telling her not to physically confront the man. Frustrated, she stepped backward to stand next to him once again.

Sir Kellan's eyes flickered with a sense of smug satisfaction as he observed them. "I am merely here make sure no further abuse is given toward our man," he stated coolly, his words cloaked in a veil of detachment. "It's up to you to handle the consequences of your guard and woman's actions," he said, looking at Cam.

"I've already spoken to my guard, and I think it is perhaps you who are under a mistaken impression. As to the woman, she is a guest here, and not obliged to sully her person with advances from anyone she does not wish to associate with."

Cam's words caused a flicker of confusion to cross Sir Kellan's face for a moment, but then it was gone, replaced with what Mae considered a resting dick face, it was the same as resting bitch face, but on a guy. He flicked his icy gaze toward her, as though daring her to say something else. Mae just stared him down, glaring at him with her own version of the look, though she added a bit more attitude to hers.

"It is still early, I would imagine you havenae dined yet, Sir Kellan. I am sure you would like nothing more than to wash away the dirt from your journey and have a nice repast sent to your room?" Jen suggested, keeping her tone diplomatic.

Jen was a better woman that Mae, because she would have taken him down a few pegs and shoved his attitude where the sun didn't shine, but either way, it got Sir Kellan to look away first. That made a satisfied smile curve her lips. Now she just needed to track Brian down and kick his ass for bringing this jerk here and trying to destroy the Donalds.

As Sir Kellan, Cam and Jen entered the castle, followed by a few of Sir Kellan's men, Mae turned to Niall. "Where is he?" she seethed.

She didn't even have to tell him who she was talking about. "Why do you want to know, love?"

"Because I'm going to wring his scrawny little neck."

Niall chuckled. "Cannae have that, love. As much as I would love to see it. Come, let's go see what Sir Kellan has decided to do."

They trailed after the man, watching as Jen led him up the stairs to one of the guest quarters. "Looks as though he's going to do as Jen suggested."

"Aye, it does seem that way." He sighed.

"Do you expect Brian to show his face today?"

Niall shrugged. "Probably so. Especially with Sir Kellan here. He'll think he's done something to cause us grief and he'll want to see it for himself."

Mae sighed. "I wonder what he actually told the Laird about what happened."

"Definitely wasnae the truth."

The next afternoon, Mae got the chance to find out. Brian had gotten beyond drunk again, which wasn't unusual, and was back to his typical lecherous self the night before. The good thing about that though, was that Sir Kellan had gotten to witness it firsthand. Mae had watched him as he had watched Niall diffuse multiple situations between Brian and various woman as well as guards Brian thought he could antagonize.

She found Sir Kellan in the courtyard, grooming his horse as he kept an eye upon Brian and Niall. Marching over she decided to set the record straight, but she decided to start with being cordial, since she didn't want to enrage the man, not yet at least.

"Good afternoon, Sir Kellan. I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Lady Mae Welles, a guest of Chief MacDonald and the one, I am sure, Brian spoke of in his letter to the Laird."

Sir Kellan set down the grooming brush and dusted off his hands. "Lady Welles, tis a pleasure to meet you formally. I cannae say whether or not you are the woman in question he spoke of?—"

"Oh, I assure I am. I'd like to tell you exactly what happened and why I did what I did."

A curious expression crossed his face, and he gave a slight nod. "Very well, do continued."

"As you witnessed last evening, Brian likes his whisky a bit more than polite society would care for."

"That is a nice way of speaking of it, however, I can agree with that." He nodded.

"That was not a rare occasion, Sir Kellan, but a nightly, near daily occurrence. On the morning in question, Brian had passed out from too much drink, woken and found another bottle of whisky. In his drunken state, he climbed not only the wall, but the ramparts."

Sir Kellan looked taken aback at Mae's words, his jaw dropped slightly, and he looked as if he were about to object, but Mae pressed on.

Niall, good man that he is, attempted to talk him down, but Brian was too busy singing a drunken song about Bonnie and George Campbell to listen to him, so I tried to get his attention and get him to come down." Mae frowned.

"Bonnie and George?" Sir Kellan frowned and then he smiled. "Lass, the song tis Bonnie George Campbell, about an ancestor of ours."

"Oh, well that's beside the point. He was on the ramparts and leaning, attempting to balance on one leg, not listening to Niall, who was only worried for his well-being. When I tried to help, Brian had the nerve to say he'd come down if I kissed him and I said absolutely not."

Sighing, Sir Kellan nodded. "What happened after you told him no?"

Mae pursed her lips and admitted, "The guards laughed, which I suppose did leave Brian humiliated, but it was his own undoing. He got angry and came down, but then looked embarrassed as he finally sobered enough to realize he could have fallen to his death if he hadn't gotten down."

"I see. Well, in that case, Lady Welles, I appreciate you saving young Brian's life and for saving him from his own stupidity."

Mae was slightly off kilter at being thanked. She hadn't expected him to so easily accept her word, but she replied, "You're welcome."

His lips quirked up in a smile for half a second. "I think perhaps it is time for me to return home. Not that the Donalds' hospitality hasnae been very accommodating, but I donnae think I am needed here as I first imagined."

"Too bad you can't take Brian with you," Mae said under her breath.

Sir Kellan turned his head back toward her and arched a brow. "What was that, Lady Welles?"

Mae felt her cheeks heat. "I was merely wishing you a safe journey, Sir Kellan. Shall I have Mira pack a lunch for you?"

Again, his lips twitched as though he was trying not to smile. "That would do nicely, thank you."

Mae had a feeling he had actually heard her original words, but had chosen to ignore them. She gave him a nod and returned to the castle to speak to Mira, happy that Sir Kellan was leaving without any trouble being brought down on the heads of the Donalds.