In Bed with a Highlander (McCabe Trilogy #1)(45)

“My time is too valuable to spend scouring the keep every time you decide you need to have a private word with one of the women,” Ewan declared. “From now on, you’ll either have the escort of one of my brothers or my commanders. If you persist in your actions, you’ll be confined to your chamber. Is that understood?”

Caelen didn’t look any more pleased with Ewan’s dictate than she was. It was apparent he was appalled by the duty Ewan had charged him with.

“I said, is that understood?”

Mairin reluctantly nodded.

Ewan turned and pointed at Caelen. “You stay with Mairin. I have immediate matters to attend to.”

The annoyed look on Caelen’s face didn’t sit well with Mairin, so she stuck out her tongue at him as Ewan strode away in the direction of the courtyard.

Caelen crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Mairin. “Perhaps it would be best if you return to the hall for the noon meal.”

“Oh, but I’m not hungry anymore,” Mairin said cheerfully. “Maddie was kind enough to provide me with a bowl of delicious rabbit stew.”

Caelen scowled. “Then perhaps you should go up to your chamber and take a nap. A long nap.”

“Mairin! Mairin!”

Mairin turned in the direction of Crispen’s voice to see him running toward her with three other children trailing him.

“Mairin, come play with us,” Crispen said, tugging at her hand. “We’re having races and we need you to judge.”

She smiled and allowith.

Caelen sighed loudly and lengthened his stride to keep up with them, but Mairin didn’t pay him any attention. If he must watch over her at every turn, she would do her best to pretend he wasn’t there.

She laughed softly at the idea of pretending a man of Caelen’s size could possibly be overlooked. He was as fierce and as muscled as any of Ewan’s warriors, and he loomed over her like a giant tree.

Nay, she wouldn’t be successful in pretending he wasn’t following her, but she could ignore him at least.

A peek at his harried expression made unwanted guilt surge inside her chest. She frowned. She didn’t want to feel guilty. Not for wanting a bit of freedom now that she was away from the abbey.

But still, the guilt grew until she was wringing her hands in front of her as she followed Crispen and the other children to an area adjacent to the keep.

She stopped abruptly and whirled around, causing Caelen to nearly run into her. “I’ve decided to cooperate and allow you to escort me about the keep.”

Caelen merely raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “You expect me to believe you’re going to meekly submit to Ewan’s wishes?”

She shook her head mournfully. “I’ve been unfair. I offer my apologies. It isn’t your fault your laird is unreasonable. Nay, the fault lies with him. You’re only doing your duty. I should endeavor to make it easier and not harder for you. I’m well aware of the burden he has given you.”

If she expected him to refute the idea that she was a burden, she was sorely disappointed. He merely gazed at her with a bored expression.

“At any rate, I give my word that I won’t resort to trickery again,” she said solemnly.

She turned back to the children who were arguing over who got to race first. She waded into the fray, laughing and fending off overeager hands.

An hour later, she was exhausted. Who knew children could drain the life right out of a body? Mairin stopped in her pursuit of Crispen and bent over as she gasped for air in a decidedly unladylike fashion.

The screaming children surrounded her and she turned to find Caelen surveying the goings-on with something that looked very much like a grimace.

“I should make you chase them,” she called. “You’re supposed to be guarding me.”

“Guarding, not herding children,” came Caelen’s terse reply.

“I think we should attack him,” Mairin muttered.

“Oh, let’s do!” Crispen whispered.

“Aye, aye!” the children surrounding them chanted.

Mairin smiled as the evil thought coalesced. The image of the warrior on the ground begging for mercy would be a sight to behold.

“All right,” she whispered back. “But we must be stealthy about it.”

“Like warriors!” Robbie exclaimed.

“Aye, like warriors. Like your fathers,” she added.

The boys puffed out their chests, but the few girls who had assembled looked disgruntled.

“What about us, Mairin?” Gretchen, a girl of eight years, asked. “Girls can be warriors, too.”

“Nay, they can’t!” Crispen said in an appalled voice. “Fighting is for men. Girls are to be protected. My papa said so.”

The looks in the girls’ eyes were murderous, so to prevent a civil war among the children, Mairin gathered them all close. “Aye, girls can be warriors, too, Gretchen. Here’s what we must do.”

The huddled together and she whispered her instructions.

The boys weren’t happy with their role in the attack. The girls were delighted with theirs. After a quick recounting of their instructions, the girls broke away and skipped toward the keep. As soon as they were past Caelen, they halted and turned back to sneak up on him from behind. Caelen was too distracted by the crowd of rowdy boys approaching him from the front.