Chapter Six
Jamie rose from his seat, but he wasn’t quick enough to stop Elise from fleeing the room. Curse it all! This meeting had not gone how he’d wanted it to. They were no closer to finding a solution to their problems, and now Elise knew about the damned marriage proposal!
He began to follow her, but Phillip stepped into his path. “My lord, I think if we strengthen the lookouts on the south coast at Smuggler’s Head and Cengarn Beach, we might be able to get earlier warning of such attacks. Here’s what I propose…”
His voice turned into a low drone which Jamie barely registered. It was all he could do not to growl at the man and shove him away. Why had the fool man brought up the issue of the marriage contract in front of Elise?
The rational part of him knew that Phillip was only doing his duty, but Jamie struggled with rationality where Elise MacFinnan was concerned. She’d filled his thoughts ever since that single evening they’d spent in each other’s company all those months ago.
Which was absurd. She was a spellweaver from the future who would be returning home soon.
And he was Lord of the Isles, and his people’s welfare came before all considerations—especially ones of the heart.
It was his duty to make a marriage alliance that would benefit his people—even if it made his heart a wasteland.
So why did the thought of this marriage alliance make him feel sick to his stomach?
And why did the thought of Elise MacFinnan send his skin tingling and his pulse racing?
“My laird?”
Jamie snapped his attention back to Phillip. His advisor was frowning at him, and Jamie realized he hadn’t been listening to a word he’d been saying. “What? Aye, do what ye think is best.”
Before Phillip could detain him with any further questions, he stepped around him to the door, hurried through the castle as quickly as decorum would allow, and went out into the bailey. He halted, looking around.
He spotted Elise sitting on the wall of the well in the center of the courtyard. She had her chin propped in one hand and was staring out to sea, lost in thought.
Taking a deep breath, he strode over. She looked up as his shadow fell across her and for a moment her expression was unguarded, open. He stuttered to a halt, shocked by the sorrow in her eyes. In the next instant, it was gone, replaced by a smile.
“Ah, so you managed to escape then?”
“Just about.” Why had she looked so sad? He didn’t want her to feel that way. If it were up to him, Elise MacFinnan would never feel sad. He forced humor into his voice. “Although it was a near thing. I’m sure Phillip would have kept me talking until Yuletide had I let him.”
She snorted and went back to staring at the sea.
Jamie lowered himself onto the wall beside her, resting his elbows on his knees.
For a time, neither spoke and Jamie ran through the words he wanted to say.
Trouble was, what he wanted to say and what he should say were entirely different things. Finally, he settled on a question.
“Why are ye sitting here, lass?”
She picked up some loose gravel and began tossing the pieces away one by one.
“When I came out here, a group of women were here by the well drawing up water. They were laughing and bantering with each other, having a great time. I thought I’d come over and join them.
But when they saw who I was, they babbled excuses, curtsied like I was a queen, and got out of here quicker than you can say, ‘MacFinnan spellweaver.’ Why is everyone afraid of me? ”
There was genuine hurt in her voice, and Jamie found himself wanting to reach out and pull her into his arms. It was all he could do to stop himself.
I’m not afraid of you, he wanted to say. Fear isn’t what I feel for you at all. I feel…
He squashed that thought before it could go any further.
“Ye are a spellweaver, lass,” he said softly. “In case ye havenae noticed, ye carry a certain reputation amongst my people. We’ve grown up on legends of these all-powerful women who could turn ye into a toad or call down fire from the sky if ye displeased them.”
Her eyebrows almost rose into her hairline. “Is that what the stories say? What a load of crap! I couldn’t turn anyone into a toad if I tried. If I could, there would be a few more toads and a few less ex-boyfriends wandering around my neighborhood, I can tell you!”
He snorted a laugh. “That may be, but all my people have to go on are the stories. Dinna fash, lass. They just need to get to know ye, that’s all. Then they’ll feel differently.”
Like I do, he thought.
She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Sorry. Ignore me. I’m wallowing. I’ve not exactly been much help since I arrived, have I?”
“Dinna doubt yer value, lass,” he replied, raising an eyebrow. “Ye’ve given my council a kick up the backside if naught else. And trust me, that was sorely needed.”
She gave a wan smile. “I have to admit, that meeting was…interesting.”
Jamie winced inwardly. Anger at Phillip surged inside him again. Why did the bloody man have to open his big mouth? “Listen,” he started awkwardly. “About this marriage contract—”
“You don’t have to explain,” Elise cut in quickly. “You don’t owe me any explanations.”
“I do. And I want to explain.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair.
Oh, hell. He was no good at this. “It’s a strategic alliance only.
I’ve never even met the woman and I’ve not agreed to anything, but if I do, King James will send us ships to fight off the pirates.
” He was trying to justify himself. He was trying to make her understand that it wasn’t his choice.
That he didn’t want to marry Margaret of Concressault. That he wanted to—
Elise turned to face him. Sunlight was streaming down from a break in the clouds, making her dark hair gleam as her plait fell over one shoulder.
Her gaze was deep and penetrating, and it sent a thrill right through him.
That unguarded look was there again. For a moment, he saw the hurt in her eyes.
Then she turned to stare out to sea. “It sounds like a good deal. Will…will you take it?”
No, he wanted to say. Never. But she deserved the truth. “I…dinna know. Half my council supports it; the other half hates the idea. Politics is never simple. A path littered with quicksand. If I make the wrong step, we all might drown.”
She snorted softly. “Yep. That hasn’t changed, even in my century. I suppose I should offer you my congratulations.”
He looked at her sharply and gave a savage shake of his head. “Nay. Dinna. I dinna wish to hear such things. Not from ye.”
He didn’t know what existed between himself and the MacFinnan spellweaver, but he knew that whatever it was, he couldn’t allow it to grow. Better that she found out about his possible marriage now, before either of them could get in too deeply.
Out at sea, clouds were gathering along the horizon, dark and threatening. Dark clouds for his dark mood. He snorted under his breath and shook his head. Wasn’t that the story of his life?
Beside him, Elise took a deep breath and then swiveled to face him. “Right,” she said, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin. “If I’m going to stand any chance of helping you against these attacks, I think it’s high time you tell me exactly what’s been going on.”
There was a determined expression on her smooth features, but two spots of color shone on her cheeks and the set of her jaw was a little too tight. He longed to reach out and smooth away that tension, to run the tips of his fingers along her jawline and feel her silky hair against his skin.
He sighed. “All right. It all started about a year ago.”
*
Elise listened as Jamie began to outline the problems facing Islay. Pirate attacks at sea. Blockades of their shipping lanes. Disruption to trade and the bringing in of supplies.
Her stomach sank as she listened. This was far beyond her skills.
She’d been excited when she first arrived here, hungry for a new adventure. But that excitement had quickly evaporated. The locals were frightened of her. She didn’t know how to stop these pirates.
And Jamie was getting married.
Could things be any worse?
Finally, Jamie finished his tale. He fell silent, and for a long time neither of them spoke.
Elise tried to digest all he’d told her.
She felt adrift and useless. Was this how Jenna and Rose had felt when they’d first been recruited by Lir?
Had they felt as far out of their depths as Elise did right now?
Probably not. Her elder sister and niece were both far more accomplished with their powers than she was.
No doubt they’d both understood the problem immediately and known what to do about it.
“Are ye all right, lass?” Jamie asked softly.
All right? she wanted to say. Am I all right? Of course I’m not! I’m hundreds of years away from home and I’ve no idea what I’m doing! And you…you belong to someone else. No, of course I’m not all right.
She tapped the side of her temple and forced a smile.
“Just thinking it through. It’s a lot to take in.
” She chewed her lip. “I think,” she said slowly, “you might have been sent the wrong MacFinnan spellweaver. You need Rose or Jenna. Or possibly both. Can you send word to Barra and Skye and get them over here? They’ll know what to do. ”
Jamie said nothing. His clear green eyes fixed on her. “If they were the ones we needed, do ye not think Lir would have brought them?”
Elise frowned. Perhaps. But even goddesses could make mistakes.
Jamie continued. “And contacting yer sister and niece would be dangerous even if I wanted to. Ships moving between the isles have also been targets of the pirates. Should yer sister and niece make the attempt to come here, I fear they would become targets themselves. Whoever is behind this seems determined to keep Islay cut off.”