“Careful now,” Darach cautioned. “Ye’d rather nae make yerself my enemy,my lady.”
“I’ve nae intention tae be anything tae ye,my laird.” She shrugged.
Darach chuckled lightly. She was a brave lass. No man could act so brazenly around him. That was one of the reasons he’d convinced the Northmen to join his cause. Lairds and knights had trembled in his presence when he visited them in their keeps, but Jane MacThomas was devoid of fear.
“I think ye might hate me less if ye give yerself the chance tae ken me.”
Jane pursed her lips as if to argue but managed to restrain herself. “I dinnae think we’ll have that chance, my laird.”
Darach nodded. “I dinnae think so too, but I’d be foolish tae test fate’s cruel sense of humor by nae getting to ken ye.”
She turned, muttering something under her breath he didn’t catch. Before he could react, a loud crash came from the hallway. Darach shot up, his eyes narrowing at the door. He felt the lass quickly jump to her feet too, and he could barely believe what his eyes saw.
“Step away from my daughter!” Keith MacThomas bellowed as he dashed into the great hall with Aileen and a few guards who were restraining Kenn.
Darach was shocked to see his friend held tightly by MacThomas’s men, and he stepped forward involuntarily. Keith MacThomas responded swiftly by raising his sword and pointing it at Darach.
“Yer men dinnae ken how to act as proper guests, Darach Robertson. Ye will answer my questions in all haste.”
Darach started. He stood still with his legs wide apart and one hand on the hilt of his sword as he waited for MacThomas to speak again.
“‘Twas admirable that ye managed tae trick me with yer brother's departure and send yer man intae my study. What were ye hoping to find?”
“I dinnae understand yer words, MacThomas. Speak plainly,” Darach spoke softly, shaking his head.
“My lass found yer man rifling through my study. What have ye tae say tae that?”
Darach thumped his fist onto the table. “This is an insult! ‘Tis rubbish. Our sojourn intae yer keep doesnae mean ye can insult me or my advisor. I suffer nae patience for fibs like these. My men are no spies, MacThomas. Yer daughter lies.”
One of the guards snarled and started for Darach, but he was ready. He swiftly stepped out of the man's way, grasped his fleshy neck, and slammed his back into the table.
Three more guards rushed at him with their swords, and he swiftly readied himself to face them.
It seemed that Jane would indeed not have the chance to get to know him.
CHAPTERTHREE
Jane was no stranger to swordfights. She’d made an arrangement with one of her father’s soldiers and trained in the use of weapons. She was no stranger to bloodshed either, but when Darach Robertson’s figure dropped low to fend off the three guards circling him, she felt her heart race.
He was a big man—a big, imposing,dangerousman. His long hair flew around his face as he uncurled himself from his crouch with the movement of an experienced warrior. He hopped around the three guards, not letting them close him down, before attacking mercilessly.
Jane’s breath caught in her throat as he launched himself at the trio, finding herself worried for his safety.
It became clear that she needn’t worry. She watched in shock as Darach rolled away from the men’s attacks with a kind of brutal grace, the swords flashing and clanging in the hall.
One of the three guards dropped, lying still. On the other side of the fight, Jane could hear Aileen whimpering, recoiling from the bleeding man at her feet. Darach dodged the second guard's lunge, sweeping out a leg to kick viciously at his calf. Jane watched with the rest of the people in the hall as the guard fell, armor clanging at her father’s feet.
Darach attacked the third guard quickly, hammering the hilt of his sword against his temple and watching him collapse with a loud thud. The hall went silent, except for the sound of groaning on the floor.
Jane had never seen anyone fight like this. She was sure most of the people in the hall had never seen it too, as they stared at the laird in fear.
“Is that all ye have got, MacThomas? Because I’d rather bleed tae death on this floor than have ye insult my loyal friend with yer mistruths.”
“Ye dare accuse my daughter of lies under my roof, Robertson?” her father asked, pointing his sword at Darach again. A roar thundered from the rest of the guards, and most of them made a move to draw their weapons and attack.
“Silence!”
Jane saw the relief on some of the guard’s faces as her father reprimanded them. Most of them didn’t want to step up to face Laird Robertson, but they were loyal guards who would gladly prove said loyalty if needed.