“Are ye just goin' to stand there? I thought there was a castle to be gettin' to.”
Keegan breathed, justbreathed. It took a feat of strength he wasn’t sure he could manage to keep himself from bending the woman over his knee. Pinching his eyes closed for just a moment, the laird steeled himself and hopped aboard his horse. Thankfully, the only items he would be leaving behind in the hut were a pot and a cloth.
Because there was no way in hell that he was getting down to fetch them.
Closing in on Castle Brahanne was quite possibly the bonniest sight Keegan had had in days. The massive, proud structure satagainst the horizon like a welcome beacon, and a thread of the tension that had stitched its way through him loosened.
“It’s gorgeous. The grounds and the courtyard…they’re so well cared for.”
Willow’s voice was soft as they rode closer, and a swell of pride touched Keegan’s chest. He had been raised by his parents to believe that a castle was a fortress, but it was also a home, and it served both him and his people to treat it as such.
“Wait till ye see the inside, lass.”
He could not keep the smile from his face, and Keegan hurried the horse onward so that they would reach his home all the faster. People bustled around in the center beyond the walls, trades and tasks being carried out as promptly as ever, even though he’d been absent these past few days.
Pulling the horse up to a stall at the stables just within the wall, Keegan dismounted and then quickly helped Willow to the ground. While he didn’t intend on mistreating the woman, he was careful to avoid looking overly kind. This was the enemy, after all, and he wanted to be sure that all of Brahanne Castle understood that.
“Keep up, McCallum,” Keegan ordered, directing Willow toward the main entrance.
It didn’t take them long to reach the massive double doors that stood at the front of the castle, and Keegan pushed them open with two hands as he entered, heading directly toward the Great Hall. He heard Willow’s hurried steps behind him, but Keegan would not allow himself to turn around just yet.
Inside the large stone room, the laird noticed happily that all of his men had arrived safely since their parting ways. Damon stood at the far end of the room with his group of most trusted warriors, and Keegan strode toward him, raising an arm to clasp with his brother as soon as he was close.
“Och, ye’ve finally made it back. I will admit ye had me a bit worried, Brother.”
Keegan shook his head. “A slight problem the first evenin', but nae a thing I couldnae handle.”
“It is good to have ye back, me laird. I’ve been checkin' in with our scouts regularly. Still nay such word about yer sister, I’m afraid.”
He swallowed hard at Rodrick’s words, both because it wasn’t good news to hear that his men still hadn’t found anything out about Melissa and because he distinctly noticed his title spilling from the man’s lips. The cat was certainly out of the bag now.
Finally turning to regard his prisoner, Keegan watched Willow rake her stare across the whole of the Great Hall, looking for someone else that Rodrick might be speaking to. He suckeda deep breath, turning back to his man-at-arms—the actual person who held that title—and nodded at him.
“Understood, Rodrick. Please keep to it. I want any word of Melissa’s status to be delivered directly to me or Damon.”
“Ye unbelievable?—”
But Willow’s mutterings cut short as she remembered herself, and Keegan glanced back at her over his shoulder just long enough to make out the infuriated expression she wore, her skin flushing bright pink.
“There is still much to discuss, me laird. I would verra much like to have yer ear for a moment.”
Smiling easily at Rodrick, Keegan nodded but held up a hand. “Of course. I will see our ‘guest’ to her chambers at once, however. I shall find ye afterward. Damon, please be sure that the men are tended to.”
“Brother,” Damon offered with a nod.
“Of course,” Rodrick bowed his head, clapping his hand on Keegan’s shoulder, “me laird. It is good to have ye home.”
“Thank ye, Rodrick.”
With that, Keegan turned on his heel, heading out of the Great Hall toward the staircase that led to his room. There were several unoccupied chambers near there, and he was keen on having Willow within earshot.
“Right this way, me lady. We’ll have ye set up for yer stay within Castle Brahanne shortly.”
Willow glared daggers at him as he escorted her down the long hallways of the castle, their steps echoing off the stones. It wasn’t far past first light, but with the way this day was going, Keegan was quite ready for it to be over at once, especially as it meant spending the night back within the comfort of his bed chambers.
Away from Willow Flanagan.
8