Chapter 24

When they got inside, they found a note had been pushed under the door. Odhrán picked it up.

"'Tis from Liam," he said, opening it and reading the few scrawled lines. He frowned and dropped his hand.

"What is it?" Maddison asked, watching him.

"He says they searched for the soldier who attacked us, but they found naethin'. Liam reckons the man must have gone through the woods and had help getting over the wall. At any rate, there's nae trace of him. Damn. I'd been hopin' they'd find him, and that I could use him tae prove tae the council that Rollo's behind the attacks." His calm, happy mood was somewhat deflated by the news.

Maddison said, "I'm sorry, I ken that's a big disappointment fer ye. But I'm certain there must be a way tae get the proof ye need. I feel certain the opportunity will come tae foil Rollo."

"I like yer optimism, Maddy. I've nae choice but believe ye're right. 'Tis frustratin' though," he admitted.

Before they got into bed, she checked the wound on his head and applied a little more salve. Then, they got in to bed and cuddled up again, finishing off their wine.

"I think 'tis safe fer ye tae sleep now," she told him, seeing him yawn widely. "Ye must be exhausted." She took his empty glass and put it with hers on the nightstand before they snuggled down in each other's arms. Odhrán lay awake for a short while, reveling in the warmth of Maddison's body next to his, feeling happier and more complete than he could ever remember in all his twenty-six years.

He mused on how things had changed so rapidly, hardly able to take it all in. He knew well the bitterness of loving and having that love returned with hatred. He had believed himself doomed to a miserable marriage to the one he adored with all his heart and soul.

But now that Maddison had let her guard down and admitted she cared for him despite their past, he found himself filling up with new, unknown emotions, as if a dam had crumbled inside him and let loose an ocean of happiness and fulfillment. He sensed he was at last becoming the man he had always wanted to be but had been forced to hide away.

Yet deep down, the fear lingered that it would all be snatched away from him in an instant. To prevent that, he knew he had to destroy Rollo, the only cloud on his horizon. Apart from one.

I just want her tae say the words… I want tae hear her say she loves me.

Maddison slept late the following morning and awoke feeling deeply content. But when, still fuzzy from sleep, she reached for Odhrán and found his side of the bed empty, she sighed, missing him keenly.

"Ach, he shouldnae be up and about with that wound tae his head," she murmured, concerned that he might still be suffering from the effects of the blow. She sat up and sipped the cold tea from the tray that Jessica had apparently left for her on the nightstand. She turned the sapphire ring on her finger, admiring it once more and feeling a flush of pride at his dedication to being a good laird.

She felt something else too; a warm glow around her heart that she knew full well went against all her previous promises to make his life a misery, but which seemed to be growing every day. Now that she had let him in and begun to discover the real Odhrán beneath the fearsome exterior, she only longed to ease his burdens. She wanted to see him smile, hear him laugh, hear him murmur her name, Maddy, as they lay together in mutual passion.

I cannae help it, I'm fallin' fer him.

The realization brought with it a small frown, for she still could not quite accept what was happening to her. Though she understood that Odhrán had played no part in his father's atrocities, to admit she cared for him still felt like a betrayal of her murdered family. Pushing the thought away, she finished her tea, swung her legs out of the bed, and sat on the side for a few moments, gathering her wits for the day ahead.

"Come on, there's work tae dae," she told herself, getting up and deciding not to bother to wait for Jessica to come and help her dress. Instead, she washed in cold water before putting on clean linen and an old dress, meaning to go and help Alana and Kate tend to the wounded. She brushed out her hair and tied it up firmly in a scarf before slipping into her shoes and leaving the room.

She hurried downstairs, finding the hallways busy with people rushing here and there in the aftermath of yesterday's battle. But no Odhrán.

"The laird's with the council, me lady," a passing servant told her when she accosted him. "He's likely tae be busy fer most of the day."

"Aye, of course, thank ye," she replied, a little disappointed not to be able to have just a few words with him. She went on to the great hall to help with the wounded. She would have wanted to in any case, but now it seemed vitally important to lend Odhrán all the support she could by fulfilling her duties as Lady Lennox. She felt suddenly proud to bear the title and had come to share her husband's frustration with the council, wishing she could help him prove Rollo was behind the attacks.

I hope those fools give him the men he needs tae vanquish that twisted cousin of his at last. The man's as cunning as a fox, damn him tae hell!

"But we still have nae direct proof Rollo is behind the attack," one of the councilmen pointed out for the umpteenth time despite Odhrán's spirited arguments to the contrary. "The men who attacked us yesterday wore nae insignia," he added. "We cannae be sure he's responsible. 'Tis too risky tae retaliate without a good reason."

Feeling the absence of his two captains supporting him, Odhrán burst out, "Ye talk of reason, but can ye nae see there's nae one else who could be responsible? Nae other clan has any reason tae attack us. Rollo is the only one with a stake in all this. There's ye proof. How much more d'ye want? I warn ye, the longer ye make me wait for a counterattack, the weaker we are, and the more ye'll be chemin' us all at risk. Ye say ye dinnae want Rollo as yer laird, but ye're going the right way about chemin' it happen," he protested, banging his fists on the table and making it shake out of sheer frustration. The councilmen looked alarmed by his angry outburst, but Odhrán sensed he had failed to convince them.

"'Tis nae enough, me laird, I'm sorry, but we all agree on this," the man insisted, spiking Odhrán's ire even more. "We need justification tae show we're nae dishonorable dogs that attack their own family on a whim." He did not add, ‘like yer faither,' but he might as well have done. To know what they were all thinking made Odhrán even more furious. In the few months he had been laird, had he not busted his guts to improve the relations with their neighbors, which his father had poisoned? And this was his thanks!

"Aye, we must have that proof!" the same councilman put in, adding insult to injury.

"Ach, damn ye! All right, but while ye dally with our lives, I'm callin' all our men in from the borders. I want every fighting' man here in the castle, fer when I get ye yer precious proof. And when I dae, ye'll see how Rollo's been playin' us all," he declared furiously. "Until then, this meetin's over."

He stalked out of the chamber boiling with rage at their refusal to support him. He had no idea how to get the proof they demanded, and he knew he needed to calm down to think properly. His thoughts immediately turned to Maddison. He craved her soothing effect on his troubled soul, so he decided to go and find her and go with her to see Tadgh.

He wanted to check up on his friend's recovery. Plus, Liam would likely be with his brother. Even if Tadgh was not well enough to speak on the matter with the council himself, Liam would. Odhrán urgently wanted to be among friends and discuss how to satisfy his advisors. After that, he would take time off to spend with his wife and forget his problems for a while, hopefully, in her arms.

Guessing she would be helping with the wounded, he went straight to the great hall. There he found her, serving tea to those who could drink it and comforting them with kind words. His anger began to drain away, and he felt immediately better when he saw how her face lit up on seeing him. In truth, each time they had been together these last few days, he half expected her to revert to her former hatred of him at any moment. She could not know how much her little signs of affection meant to him. He smiled back at her and waited, watching her while she finished what she was doing and came over to him.

Even swamped in her apron, wearing a plain, dark dress, with her hair tied up in a scarf, she was beautiful. His heart clenched to see she was wearing the sapphire ring, for it was proof that she really had come to care for him. It was such an amazing feeling that he felt selfish for wanting more, for wanting her to say she loved him.

"There ye are," she said, laying her small hand on his arm and planting a sweet kiss on his mouth. "Are ye all right? I've been worried all day about yer head. Ye should nae have gone out like that without wakin' me," she chided gently.

"Ye were sleeepin' so peacefully, I didnae have the heart tae wake ye, and I had tae see tae me duties after the battle," he told her. "But I'm feelin' fine… now I've seen ye," he added, meaning it but also for the added pleasure of seeing her smile and blush.

"Nay more dizziness?" she asked, scrutinizing him closely.

"Nay, but me head's a bit sore still," he admitted. "Especially after dealin' with the bloody council."

Her face fell. "They still willnae believe 'tis Rollo who's the enemy, I take it." He was touched that she seemed to care so much.

"Correct." He looked around the peaceful room. "Are ye still busy? Can ye come with me tae see Tadgh?"

"Aye, of course, I'd love tae." She went and spoke briefly to Kate, to tell her she was leaving and then took off her apron and joined him. "Kate says Alana's already upstairs checkin' on Tadgh," she told him, taking his arm without prompting and going with him out of the hall.

When they arrived at the brothers' chambers, it appeared that Alana had just redressed Tadgh's wound, for she was clearing away the things she had been using. Tadgh was laying under the covers, propped up by pillows. The warrior appeared drowsy, but there was color in his cheeks once more, and he acknowledged them both with a crooked smile before his eyelids drooped tiredly.

Liam had been sitting in a chair next to the bed, but when Odhrán and Maddison entered, he stood up.

"I wondered when ye'd show yer face," he said to Odhrán by way of greeting, his battle-worn face splitting into a huge grin.

"I would have come before, but I've been tied up with the council," Odhrán murmured, letting go of Maddison's hand long enough to embrace his faithful captain. The pair leaned into each other, laughing and slapping each other's backs heartily. When they had done, Maddison too embraced Liam. The big man looked surprised, but when Odhrán grinned at him, he returned the hug with enthusiasm.

"'Tis wonderful news indeed," Maddison said, smiling brightly "There, Odhrán, did I nae tell ye Alana would work her magic on him?" She put her hand in his again, as if that was where it belonged. The small gesture pierced Odhrán's heart all over again.

"So, how are ye feelin'?" he asked Tadgh.

"Och, I've felt better," Tadgh replied. "If it wasnae fer all of ye, I'd likely be dead by now."

"That was a damn fool thing ye did, takin' that knife that was meant for me."

"Nay, I only did what any friend would dae," the warrior said modestly, shaking his head. "I'd dae it again in an instant."

"He would as well, the dummart," Alana put in, making them all laugh, though Tadgh winced and tried not to.

"I'll never be able tae repay ye, Tadgh, but I suppose I'll have tae think up some way tae thank ye properly for what ye did," Odhrán told him.

"I'm sure I can come up with some suggestions for that," Liam joked, waggling his eyebrows comically and eliciting more laughter. "Now, tell us, Odhrán, how did things go with the council. Did ye manage tae persuade them tae give us an army?" he asked, turning serious.

"Nay," Odhrán said and briefly explained he was still at square one on that score. "We've nae prisoners tae interrogate. All the attackers who were nae dead or mortally wounded vanished intae the hills, and I've nae idea how else tae get this proof the council wants. Any ideas?"

"Naethin' springs tae mind," Liam said, turning serious. "If our scouts cannae come up with cheming', and we cannae think of a way tae get Rollo tae show himself, I canna think of cheming'," he admitted ruefully. "Tadgh?"

Tadgh shook his head. "Nay, nae unless ye can send someone tae find that fellow who I tracked down before and get more information out of him," he said.

"I have a feelin' we're exactly where Rollo wants us tae be," Odhrán admitted, hating the uncertainty. "It's like we just have tae wait and see what the bastard does next and hope he'll slip up.'"

"Aye. 'Tis nae a pleasant feelin'," Liam agreed.

"Well, I've given the order for all the men on the borders tae come back in. I want all hands at the ready in case Rollo tries tae attack us again. That's all I can think of fer now."

Since Tadgh seemed to be tiring, Odhrán decided to leave them in peace. Before leaving, he said to Alana gratefully, "I cannae thank ye enough fer all ye've done fer Tadgh and for all the rest of the wounded, Alana. I truly dinnae ken what we'd dae without ye," Odhrán told the healer, who was now sitting on the opposite side of the bed to Liam.

"Thank ye, me laird, but that's me job," she said, looking pleased, nonetheless. She jerked her thumb at Tadgh and added, "Besides, someone's got tae save this fool from himself." She took Tadgh's hand, and Odhrán looked at him. The wounded warrior lifted an eyelid and surreptitiously winked at him. Odhrán grinned back, laughing inwardly at Tadgh's cheek, while at the same time being pleased to see the pair so close. He hoped things would work out for them, as they seemed to be for him and Maddison.

"All right, we'll leave ye in good hands then," he said at last, taking Maddison's hand and heading for the door.

"Aye, sleep well, Tadgh," she said as they bid Alana and Liam goodbye for the moment and went out into the hall together.

Maddison wanted to change her dress, so they headed to their chambers, arm in arm. On the way, they compared notes on Tadgh's progress and his and Alana's growing closeness. They agreed it was a good thing. Odhrán was therefore surprised when Maddison suddenly changed the subject.

"Odhrán, d'ye think ye could teach me tae fight?" She looked up at him enquiringly.

"Are ye serious?" he asked, somewhat incredulous.

"Aye, of course. I wouldnae ask if I wasnae. Is it such a ridiculous notion?" She gave a small, charming pout of pretend umbrage that warmed his heart.

He laughed and shook his head. "Aye, it is a bit, although ye're probably fierce enough tae make a good fighter."

"Och, d'ye really think so?" she asked, apparently pleased by the comment.

"Well, ye certainly ken how tae hold yer own in an argument. Ye have a tongue as sharp as me dirk at times, I'll give ye that much."

She slapped him on the arm. "That's nae gonnae save me if someone tries tae kidnap me, is it?"

"But Maddy, ye dinnae need tae learn how tae fight. Ye've got me tae dae that fer ye," he assured her, his masculinity bristling a little.

"Aye, I ken that, but what if ye're nae there? Like at the cottage yesterday. What if I'm alone and someone jumps me again? I've nay idea how tae defend mesel'," she told him. "I dinnae want tae be a powerless victim of men all the time, nae in control of me own life. I cannae always depend on ye tae be there tae save me."

Odhrán felt a twinge of guilt on that score as he thought about it—he was surely one of those men. But he considered her words carefully. On the one hand, it went against the grain of his manly protective instincts to think that he might not always be able to safeguard her. On the other, he intimately understood what she meant when she said she did not want to be a powerless victim of men. This was a chance to give her some power back. He figured he owed it to her.

"All right, I'll teach ye," he said at last, to be rewarded by a brilliant smile and a kiss on the cheek. To see her happy made him happy too.

"Thank ye. I'll feel so much better. And I ken I'll have the best teacher," she told him as they went into their chambers.