The Campbell Trilogy Read online

  Of course, he’d thought to look for her at Toward Castle, but her uncle had adamantly denied knowledge of her whereabouts until faced with proof he couldn’t ignore, courtesy of the spies Jamie had thought to keep watch on the place. But negotiations with the Lamont of Toward had dragged on for too long, and Jamie’s patience was at an end.

  The short ten-mile ride from Dunoon seemed interminable.

  Horse and man crested the brae of Buachailean, the hill that lay just north of the castle. Reining in his mount, he paused, appraising the castle and surrounding area before riding in alone. He was expected, but it never hurt to be cautious.

  Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. A group of fishermen were returning a skiff to the docks, sheep were grazing on the hills, a group of young lads were playing shinty on the moors, villagers passed back and forth through the castle gates unheeded. A solitary serving woman wandered along the beach, collecting shells.

  His gaze snapped back to the woman, catching a glimpse of long strands of black curls tossed around her face by the wind. His heart hammered in his chest. Squinting into the bright sunlight, he was unable to make out her features from this distance, but deep in his gut he knew who it was.

  The lass was no serving woman.

  Jamie’s long wait was over. He’d found Caitrina Lamont.

  Caitrina lifted two corners of her wool arisaidh together, forming a makeshift basket out of the wool, and placed another shell in the fold. Perhaps she’d make a necklace for Una? The little girl loved to pretend that she was one of the Maighdean na Tuinne. Caitrina had long stopped believing in mermaids, but watching Una lightened her heart. She admired the child’s ability to laugh and play, even though it was clear that Una—like the rest of her clan who’d come with her to Toward—desperately missed her home.

  Caitrina sighed, knowing Mor was right. She couldn’t hide forever. As much as Toward had become her refuge, it had also become a place to hide. She needed to find a way to return Ascog to her clan, and she couldn’t do that by remaining at Toward Castle with her kin.

  For a young woman without resources, there was only one thing she could do: She must find a powerful husband to help her win back her home.

  A wistful smile played upon her lips. Strange that she could think of marriage without a flicker of emotion, when only a few months ago the very mention of finding a husband had roused such fervent response. She’d avoided marriage because she couldn’t imagine leaving her family. She’d just never expected them to leave her. Her chest squeezed and she closed her eyes for a minute, taking a steadying breath.

  Her throat thickened as she knelt in the sand, cradling the shells in her lap, and began to dig. When she’d made a small hole about a foot deep, she carefully unbound the swatch of plaid from around her wrist. The muted browns and oranges were faded and the edges frayed, but the plaid was unmistakably that of her father’s breacan feile. Her chest tightened as she slid her fingers over the soft wool plaid and then brought it to her cheek.

  A few days after the attack, while Caitrina was still unconscious, a few of the servants had snuck back to see what remained of the castle and to see to the burying of the dead. The fire had made it unnecessary. In the ashes, they’d found a few items that had escaped the Campbells, including the badge and scrap of plaid.

  No longer able to hold back the tears, she folded the fabric in a neat square and set it at the bottom of the hole, then covered it with sand. It was the burial denied her by the fire, her injuries, and the need to seek safety. For the first time since she’d recovered and realized that her family had been killed, the emotion poured out of her and she gave over to the powerful storm of grief.

  When the deluge abated, she dried her eyes and, cradling the shells against her, rose to her feet, feeling oddly stronger. The life she’d had before was gone forever; it was time to look to the future—one that she would rebuild for her clan. They were her responsibility. And she’d be damned if she’d let the Campbells win. One way or another, justice would be done.

  Hearing the muffled sound of hooves in the sand, she looked up to see a man approaching. At first she thought it was one of her uncle’s guardsmen and lifted her hand in greeting.

  She tilted her head. There was something familiar …

  The blood drained from her face, and the carefully gathered shells scattered at her feet, forgotten.

  No.

  But it was him. She recognized the broad shoulders, the dark brown hair laced with strands of red gold, the hard, fiercely handsome face, and the cool, slate blue eyes that gazed at her with such intensity. The wide mouth she’d kissed with such hunger. And there was that air of confident command that she’d never seen replicated in another man—of absolute power and authority.

  Jamie Campbell had found her.

  The ache in her chest was unbearable as memories of the attack and the pleasure they had shared collided. Touching him. Tasting him. The intimacy of the moment when she’d shattered in his arms.

  And his retribution for refusing him.

  She’d known the kind of man he was but had been foolish enough to succumb to his masculine allure. Even now, when she should feel nothing but revulsion, she felt an unmistakable pull.

  It hurt to look at him. How could something so beautiful be so black? Could she really have thought he was anything but a cold, ruthless enforcer?

  Their eyes met. Emotion cut through her like a jagged knife as she gazed into the piercing blue eyes of the man who’d destroyed everything she’d loved.

  The memories came back to her in pieces. His face. The fire.

  Unconsciously, she took a step back. Her voice shook with emotion. “Stay away from me.”

  The look on Caitrina’s face cut Jamie to the quick. He’d wanted to see her so badly, and here she was, finally, but with fear in her eyes. After months of searching for her, of wanting to make sure she was safe and protected, it was a surprisingly sharp blow. He hated that she would think the worst of him, though what else should he have expected? It would be too much to hope that she’d remember his part in her rescue and in putting an end to the battle.

  After sliding from his mount, he approached her cautiously. “I mean you no harm, lass.”

  She shrank back, and it felt as if he’d been socked in the stomach.

  “God, how can you say that?” she cried. “After what you’ve done?” She put her hand up as if to stop him and took another step back. “Stay away from me. D-Don’t come any closer.”

  He halted, but he was close enough to see her tearstained face and the other transformations wrought by tragedy. She looked wan and tired and much thinner than he remembered. Her luminous eyes seemed to dominate her face, but there was a hard edge to her gaze that hadn’t been there before—of wariness and distrust. The spirited, brazen girl who’d challenged him without thought was gone, and in her place was a forlorn young woman of heart-wrenching fragility.

  He ached to hold her in his arms and wipe away the hurt, feeling an overwhelming urge to protect her and ensure that nothing ever harmed her again.

  “I only wish to speak with you,” he said gently. “Nothing more.”

  “How can you think I’d ever want to lay eyes upon you, let alone speak with you again?”

  He looked into her eyes. “I had nothing to do with what happened to your clan, Caitrina. That is why I am here: to explain.”

  “You were there.” She emphasized the last word with damning finality. “I saw you. Do you deny it?”

  He shook his head. “Nay. I came as soon as I could, hoping to prevent a battle. But I was too late.”

  “You expect me to believe that?” she said, scorn dripping from her voice.

  Her anger was a relief. She was undeniably fragile, but not broken. He hoped like hell that he would never have to see fear in her eyes again.

  “After what you said when you left?” she continued. “Should I believe it wasn’t a threat when you told me I would regret refusing you? You told me I knew