Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

T he entire council had gathered in Domnhall’s study, waiting for them, and the moment the three of them walked inside, all eyes turned to look at them expectantly. Domnhall circled his desk, but he did not sit, choosing to stand instead like everyone else.

“Ye must all ken why we are here,” Domnhall said. “So, the question is, what shall we dae?”

“I think we should go ahead with the plan,” Hugo said. “Ellair will take the documents to the king and then we will wait for his decision to see how to continue.”

It was a plan they had come up with the moment Hugo had returned from Castle Chattan. Ellair was a man who could be trusted and if they were going to send the papers to the king, then they had to make sure the one who took them there could also avoid any suspicion to arise among Chattan men. Though Niall and Finnian knew Ellair, Hugo doubted they would suspect he had an agenda if their men reported his departure from the castle, especially if he left alone.

It was risky, sending him without anyone to have his back, but it was a risk they had to take. If he was going to be seen leaving the MacAuley lands, then it was better to be seen alone.

“Will we have the time fer this?” Domnhall asked. “What if the Chattans plan tae attack before Ellair makes it tae the king? What if the king doesnae believe us?”

“That might be a risk we must take, me laird,” said one of the Chieftains. “It wouldnae be wise tae attack Clan Chattan before they even breach our borders.”

Hugo glanced between the Chieftain and Domnhall, watching his friend as he considered his options. Hugo, too, thought they should wait. It was better to be prudent and patient, to see how the events would unfold before they acted rashly, but it wasn’t always easy to convince Domnhall that caution was the best route forward. His clan was powerful, after all, and he wanted to protect those he loved more than anything. To him, a direct attack was often the best option.

Under any other circumstances, Hugo may have agreed with him, but this was a particularly delicate situation, he thought. They knew little about Finnian’s and Niall’s plans. Only a few weeks prior, they had all been convinced that they were innocent men, only to find out just how much they had been hiding from them.

“Nae one else can ken about this,” Domnhall said. “It is imperative that it stays among us.”

There was a chorus of assent around the room, everyone in the council agreeing to keep the plan private. Though Hugo doubted there were any informants in the castle, he understood why it had to be kept a secret. They could never be certain that whoever was listening in on their conversations wasn’t sent there by the enemy.

“Very well,” said Hugo, bringing the short meeting to a close. “Ellair, you will leave immediately to deliver the documents. The rest of us will work on a strategy in case of an attack.”

Once again, there were murmurs of agreement around the room and the men dedicated themselves to their tasks. Hugo handed the documents to Ellair, who took them and departed immediately, as the rest of them sat down to talk strategy and war plans.

It would be a long day, Hugo knew. When he had first been summoned, he had hoped to see Abigail afterwards, but now he didn’t know if he would have the chance. He had promised her to tell her as much as he could, and he knew she would be furious with him if he went back on his word, but he had no other option but to stay there and prepare for the war that was coming.

When it was all over, he would have to make it up to her, if he still could.

Abigail sat in the drawing room, her legs drawn up onto the couch, her arms wrapped around her knees as she stared out of the window. Her anger was still threatening to bubble over and she had had half a mind to march up to Domnhall’s study and at least eavesdrop if they didn’t allow her inside. Instead she sat where she was, waiting for Billie.

When she heard footsteps approach, she turned to look at the doorway, but instead of Billie, there was a guard there, a young man she instantly recognized as the one with whom she had flirted the last time she had been there.

“Cameron!” Abigail called, springing up from the couch to meet him halfway across the room. It had been a long while since she had last seen him, but he was still just as handsome, with his dark hair and bright eyes that shone under the light of the sun.

And yet, despite it all, Abigail felt none of that rush of desire she had when she had first met him. Though she was glad to see him, she was surprised to find that she didn’t want him anymore.

In fact, when she thought about it more carefully, she hadn’t been attracted to a man other than Hugo for a while. The realization startled her, as she had always had a few men in whom she was interested. Now there was only one, and she didn’t even know if that one man even wanted her in the same way.

“Me lady,” Cameron said, bowing to her. “I came tae tell ye that the Lady MacAuley willnae be able tae meet with ye at the moment. She had tae meet the laird.”

“Ach, Cameron, ye ken ye dinnae have tae be so formal with me,” Abigail assured him.

Instantly, his demeanor changed and he bridged the gap between them, pulling her into his arms and even lifting her off the ground to spin her around once.

Only a few weeks prior, Abigail’s heart would have exploded with glee and desire at this gesture. Now she could only smile softly at him, patting his shoulder gently as he put her down once again.

“Ye must forgive me,” she said. “Ye’re very dear tae me still, but… there is another.”

“Ach…” There was a hint of disappointment in Cameron’s tone, but Abigail was certain he was trying his best not to show it. He nodded slowly and took a step back, putting some respectful distance between them. “Is it Mr. Buchanan?”

Abigail parted her lips as if to speak but no sound came out. She frowned and tilted her head to the side, her fingers twisting around the hem of her sleeve. “How dae ye ken?”

“Well, people talk around the castle,” Cameron said. “The servants more so than anyone. It is nae much o’ a secret, I am afraid.”

So everyone here kens I am involved with Hugo now.

It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, Abigail supposed. She doubted it would matter at all to those who lived in the castle.

“I see. Well, I dae consider ye a very good friend, Cameron,” Abigail said, smiling at him. “An’ I’m so glad tae see ye again. I have kept all yer letters.”

“I have kept yers, too,” Cameron said, before hesitating for a moment. “Ye seem happy. I’m very glad.”

Abigail didn’t know if happy was the term she would use to describe what she was feeling. Conflicted, maybe, or fearful for the future would be more accurate terms. Still, a part of her was happy, indeed, to have found Hugo.

Before Cameron left, Abigail pulled him into another hug, holding him tightly. “It was good tae see ye.”

“The same fer me, me lady,” said Cameron.

Abigail turned to watch him leave the room, only to see Hugo enter, red-faced, with his fists clenched tightly against his sides.

“What was that?” he demanded, much to Abigail’s confusion.

“I dinnae ken what ye mean,” she said. “What was what?”

Hugo said nothing, his lips pressed into a thin, tight line. Briefly, he turned to glare at Cameron’s retreating back, before shifting his furious gaze back to Abigail. Still, he didn’t speak. He only stared at her, breathing heavily as he tried to control his anger.

“Will ye nae speak?” Abigail asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “If ye dinnae wish tae speak, then perhaps ye can leave. I have nae desire tae spend me afternoon starin’ at ye in silence.”

“You know very well what I mean,” Hugo said, pointing an accusatory finger at the space where Cameron had been. Now he was long gone, but Abigail didn’t know if Hugo had even noticed. “What were you doing with him? I saw you. I saw you hugging and I know precisely what you were doing with him when you last saw him.”

Abigail rolled her eyes at Hugo, in disbelief that he could actually be so dense, but then realization hit her. He was jealous. Perhaps Abigail didn’t know what was happening between them, but Hugo was jealous and that had to mean something.

Unless he is simply a possessive man. Perhaps that is all there is.

“Ye’re jealous o’ Cameron,” Abigail said, and it was not a question, but Hugo still scoffed at her, shaking his head.

“Me? Jealous of Cameron?” Hugo asked. “Please! Why would I be jealous of him?”

Abigail didn’t know what it was about Cameron that had everyone in the castle turning against him like this. First, it had been Domnhall, who had thought that he was trying to flirt with Billie when in reality, he had been flirting with Abigail all along. Back then, it had been Hugo who had insisted Domnhall was being unreasonable, but now it seemed Hugo had taken over that role.

“Ye are jealous,” Abigail said. “Why else would ye be so angry about a mere embrace? Admit it, ye’re jealous o’ Cameron.”

“I’m not jealous!” Hugo insisted, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “It doesn’t matter to me what you do and with whom.”

His words sent a chill down Abigail’s spine. She froze on the spot, a lump forming in her throat even as she tried to fight it, and tears threatened to spill out of her eyes—tears she quickly blinked away, as she didn’t want Hugo to see them.

She had expected it to hurt—the rejection. She had expected the pain and yet it was so much more than she could have ever imagined, the chill from his words spreading through her and infecting her heart. All she could think about was that Hugo didn’t care. If he didn’t care, then it could only mean that she didn’t matter to him at all. She was nothing but a way for him to pass the time, or perhaps a way to vent out some of his frustrations with Niall and Finnian.

Despite her best efforts to hide it, Hugo must have seen the pain etched on her features as he sighed and took a step towards her, only to stop when Abigail moved back to avoid him.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I… I don’t mean that. You know I don’t mean that.”

“Actually, I dinnae,” Abigail said. “Ye’re the one who insists ye’re nae jealous. Ye’re the one who said ye dinnae care.”

“I care!” Hugo shouted, his voice echoing around the drawing room. Cursing under his breath, he began to pace in a circle, walking back and forth a few times before he came to a halt in front of her once more. This time, his gaze was raw and open, unlike anything Abigail had seen on him before. “I care. I care too much! All I can think about is you! All I want is you, Abigail. And when I saw ye with Cameron I thought you must still like him. How could you think I don’t care? I told you, I’m in love with you. I love you and I’m jealous and I want you all for myself.”

For a few moments, Abigail didn’t know what to say. Hugo’s voice still rang in her ears, his outburst so loud that she feared half of the castle had heard it. Once she had regained her wits, though, she huffed, her chin jutting out indignantly.

“Well! I love ye too!” she shouted, just as angrily. “An’ I dinnae appreciate that ye would think I would look at another man when I’ve told ye I love ye! Dae ye ken how difficult it’s been fer me? Every day, I’ve been wonderin’ if ye wish tae be with me or if this was all a… a trivial thing fer ye! An’ then ye tell me ye dinnae care!”

“I care!”

“I care too!”

Both of them breathing heavily, Abigail and Hugo only stared at each other, chests heaving, the fight quickly draining out of them. And then, as if they could read each other’s mind, they both fell into each other’s arms and shared a desperate kiss, holding tightly onto each other.

It was all the confirmation Abigail needed. No words could have matched the relief of that kiss, the certainty it gave her that Hugo loved her just as much as she loved him and that none of this was a game to him.