Highland Warrior (Campbell Trilogy #1)(20)
“Hush, child,” her father said harshly. “Have care for what you say. Jamie Campbell is not just a hired thug or Argyll’s strong arm. He’s far more dangerous: a man of great physical strength coupled with cunning political acumen. He is a powerful and influential man in his own right. And a dangerous man to cross.” He gave her a long look. “He has spoken to me about you.”
Caitrina’s cheeks flamed at the man’s arrogance. “He had no cause. I told him as much not half an hour ago.”
“Well, whatever you said did not dissuade him.”
“But I’m sure you did.”
When he didn’t say anything, her eyes widened. “You can’t seriously expect me to consider him,” she said, aghast.
“Aye, lass, I do.” He cut off her protest. “I did not say wed him, but consider him.”
“But he’s a Campbell.”
“Aye, and Campbells are no friends of ours. But I can’t ignore the benefit of an alliance with such a powerful man. It would be an end to the feuding.”
She didn’t miss the twinge of anxiousness in her father’s voice. Again, Jamie’s words came back to her, and the squeezing in her chest grew a little tighter. The feuding was taking its toll. How could she have been so unaware of what was going on around her? Her father didn’t want her to see, but that was no excuse. “Has it been so very bad, Father?”
He pulled her against him and stroked her hair. “Ah, lass, it’s nothing for you to worry about. I’d never force you to wed a Campbell, but I want you to consider him. Make your own judgment of the man.”
“But—”
He staved off her protest. “That is all I ask. Jamie Campbell is a fierce warrior and a hard man, but not cruel. Despite what you may have heard, he is not a monster. Even though we might not like it, he acts within the law. I can’t like the man, but he has always been fair in our dealings.” His gaze softened. “He’s not the man I would have chosen for you, but there would be much benefit to our clan. As his wife, none could ever harm you. And there are some things—” He stopped and sighed, the deep sound of a man burdened with the heavy weight of responsibility. “There may come a time when we are in need of his friendship.”
Duty. She heard the unspoken admonition, and it felt like a betrayal. Why was her father doing this? He hated Campbells as much as she did. Why did she get the feeling that he wasn’t telling her something . . . something important?
“It is time for you to wed, Caitrina. If not to Campbell, then to someone else.”
He meant it. Caitrina felt an acute moment of panic, lost in the uncertainty of the future that had just been thrust upon her. Where she would be ripped away from everything she knew and loved. She remembered that horrible emptiness when her mother died, but then there had been her father and brothers to fill the sense of loss. Without them . . .
“I know you think so, but I’m not ready, Father. I can’t bear the thought of leaving you and my brothers.” Life at Ascog with her family was all she had ever known. It would be like tearing her heart in two to be forced from them.
He brought her into his arms again, and for a moment she thought he would relent. But her time, it seemed, had run out.
“And it will cause me great pain to see you go, my love. But go you must.”
Caitrina nodded, tears streaming down her face. The ache in her heart was unbearable.
She wished she’d never set eyes on Jamie Campbell. This was all his fault.
Chapter 6
No matter how much she cajoled, her father would not be swayed. The knowledge that she soon must wed was like an ax hanging over Caitrina’s head. It tainted her enjoyment of the next few days and forced her to look at each prospective suitor with eyes that were, if not exactly open, then not exactly closed, either. It also forced her to acknowledge that compared with the boring, fawning attentions of the other men, Jamie Campbell’s confident command stood out. He stood out. Not just for his handsome face and impressive build, but for the aura of power and authority that emanated from him. But whether by intent or effect, she also noticed that it served to keep him distant from the rest. He was one of them, but apart.
Why it should bother her that he was alone, she didn’t know. But it did.
As much as she wanted to ignore him, wanted to hate him, something about the man drew her. Throughout the week, she found herself watching him and his interactions with the other Highlanders. For the most part, he kept to himself or with the handful of guardsmen he’d brought with him, though occasionally she would see him speaking with the various chiefs. She supposed it wasn’t surprising; as his cousin’s right-hand man, he would have had dealings with most of the Highland elite. But the guardsmen and lower-ranking men of the clan tended to avoid him, looking at him with a mixture of fear and hatred—particularly the Murrays and the Lamonts, who were both allies of the outlawed MacGregors.
Despite Jamie’s admonition, she knew not all MacGregors were thieves and brigands. Many, including Alasdair MacGregor and his close relations, had dined in this very hall before they were proscribed. Her father disapproved of their wild ways but sympathized with their plight. Blame for which many in the hall obviously put on Jamie and his cousin.
Quite a few times, she noticed Jamie standing with Rory and Alex MacLeod. The three men presented an impressive picture: tall, broad-shouldered, well-muscled, and uncommonly handsome. Jamie had the height of Rory MacLeod but was slightly leaner in build—more like Alex MacLeod, who stood a few inches shorter than the other two, albeit still well over six feet. She sensed a history among the three men that was different from the rest. Over the course of the week, she’d noticed a distinct warming among them. She’d even caught Jamie laughing once or twice. Perhaps it was because he usually held himself so apart, but the effect was devastating, providing a glimpse into an entirely different side of him—an approachable side.