dropped me too hard.’
Caird’s grip on her arm tightened.
‘Ow! Let go! Something’s wrong with my—’ She stopped trying to prise his fingers loose. There was only one of Caird’s hands. She glanced up. There was only one of Caird. Nothing was wrong with her eyesight. She stared downstairs again.
There were still two identical men and as fine as any she had ever seen. They were not quite as tall as Caird or Malcolm, but they were broad. What was it with these men? If she knew men here were fair of feature and broad of shoulder, she would have left Buchanan land long ago. Of course, if she had, she’d be no better off than her giggling sisters.
Malcolm quickly sheathed the dagger under his cloak and took the remaining steps downstairs. Mairead couldn’t hear Malcolm’s whispered words, but both men laughed.
Mairead felt a hysterical bubble in her throat. She had been worried about retrieving the dagger from one man, now there were four. Her nightmare had just got worse.
‘Caird! You’re standing fairly well despite the drink.’
‘Camron, Hamilton.’ Caird nodded to each man. She didn’t know how he could tell them apart. ‘I stand as much as ever I did.’
‘Slept in a bit though, didn’t you?’ Camron said. ‘Looking a bit flushed, too, I see.’
‘Never bet a Graham on drinking.’ Hamilton laughed. ‘Our mother’s milk is stronger than any ale made.’
Camron peered around Caird’s shoulder and raised his eyebrows. ‘But it looks like the ale got our silent cousin’s words a-going again.’
Hamilton elbowed Camron as his eyes alighted on Mairead. ‘Ha! Who’s this?’
‘She’s Caird’s,’ Malcolm said. ‘He may have shared his drink, but he won’t share her.’
‘Two not enough for you, Malcolm?’ Camron said.
Malcolm grinned. ‘Such a bonny lass, I couldn’t help but ask.’
‘Looks like Caird did share something, though,’ Hamilton said. ‘His clothes.’
Caird cursed.
Mairead gasped and quickly moved behind him. She had fled the room wearing her ripped gown and Caird’s tunic. She wasn’t decent to be around her own family, let alone complete strangers.
‘Bit rough of you, cousin, if her clothes are torn,’ Camron said, all joviality gone from his voice.
‘Are you hurt, lass?’ Hamilton asked, his hand reaching to his hip where a knife was kept.
She couldn’t tell him. If she did, there’d be a fight and Malcolm still had her dagger! But what could she say to them?
‘Nae, I’m—’
‘Too intent on my brother to remember her surroundings,’ Malcolm interjected. ‘I was just coming down the stairs to stop them when you arrived.’
Camron looked at Caird’s hand wrapped around her arm. ‘His grip is too tight.’
Caird did not release her. ‘She slipped,’ he said as if that would satisfy his cousins.
Could the man not even come up with a little lie to get them out of trouble?
‘On the stairs,’ she added, and peered around Caird to give his cousins a smile. ‘Silly of me. So kind of you to block our way and stop me from showing myself to all of Scotland.’
Camron released his eyes from Caird’s. ‘Our pleasure, lass, if that’s the truth of it all.’
Why would the truth be important now? ‘Other than shamed to supper, I’m unharmed.’ She patted Caird on his bare shoulder and felt him stiffen. What did she care if he didn’t want her touching him? She was getting them out of trouble. Lowering her voice, she added, ‘Cannot think of what it was that distracted me is all.’
Hamilton gave a short chuckle, but Camron didn’t look convinced.
‘And you forgot her state of undress?’ Camron said to Caird.
‘Aye,’ Caird replied.
Camron frowned even more. Hamilton, sensing his brother’s displeasure, lost his laugh.
Caird wasn’t helping their cause at all and she wanted to kick him. Certainly his glowering expression wouldn’t convince them that he enjoyed her presence.
She draped herself more heavily against Caird. If possible she felt him stiffen even further. ‘Must have been that wee bit of ale being poured,’ she added.
‘Hah! I knew it!’ Hamilton laughed and hit Camron in the chest with the back of his hand. ‘Caird never could hold his drink.’
Camron’s expression eased and his grin returned. ‘But Colquhouns can hold their women.’
‘Ah, she is a bonny lass, cousin,’ Hamilton said. ‘Where’d you find her?’
‘In my room,’ Caird replied.
Hamilton’s eyebrows rose. ‘Nae wonder you wanted to stay here and not hurry to the keep. Of course, if you had hurried, you’d have had—’
Malcolm moved forward, ‘Well, cousins, we should set off for your home. When do the games begin?’
‘Tomorrow. It’s why we were coming to fetch you,’ Camron replied. ‘We’ll be late for the start and John owes me some pride.’
‘Help me saddle our horses while my brother finds a gown and pays our bills,’ Malcolm said.
‘He’ll be paying mine as well,’ Camron said.
‘Mine, too,’ Hamilton added. ‘And I drank a wee bit more after you left, cousin.’
‘Nothing more than a flagon or two,’ Camron added.
‘Or three or four.’
‘Ah, to have such rich, generous cousins,’ Camron said.
‘Aye, does a belly and a coffer good.’
Caird huffed, reached into his pouch still carrying the gem and pulled out several coins. Malcolm bounded up the stairs to take them. ‘You get a gown,’ Caird said. ‘We’ll wait.’
Malcolm dropped the money into his own pouch, making the coins chime and clank.
Hamilton sighed dramatically. ‘That is too much money by far.’
Malcolm took the steps down to slap Hamilton on the shoulder. ‘There’ll be time to remedy that at the games.’
Caird waited until the three other men were out of sight before he pulled her into the room and closed the door.
Rubbing her arm, she stumbled to the window.
Caird
