Keith’s hand immediately went to his sword again, while Sabrina’s fingers tightened on her reins. Evidently Niall had trusted her so little that he had to follow her.
Slowing to a walk, he urged his mount forward, till he was abreast of her. With a whimper of welcome, Rab fawned at his feet, but Niall appeared not to notice. His jaw was clenched savagely, while his eyes burned a fury like blue fire as he stared down at Keith Buchanan. “You have a death wish, I see. You should have heeded my warning.”
“And what warning was that?” Keith returned, his scornful tone taunting.
“I told you to keep away from my wife. Clearly I shall have to teach you a lesson in prudence.”
“Ye may try,” he spat, drawing his sword from its scabbard.
“No!” Sabrina cried as Niall swung down from his horse. “Stop it! Please!”
When neither man paid her any mind, she drove her mount forward, positioning herself between them. “Please…this is absurd. There is no justification for bloodshed.”
“Sabrina, move away!” Niall demanded.
“Aye, milady,” Keith agreed. “This isna yer battle.”
“Of course it is!” She gazed down at Keith imploringly, knowing he would be easier to reason with than her husband. “Mr. Buchanan, please…this meeting was obviously a mistake. I should never have come. Please will you not go?”
His narrowed gaze shifted from Niall to her.
“Please,” she pleaded. “It would be better if you left.”
“I dinna like to leave ye alone with him.”
“I’ll be all right. Please…just go.”
His jaw clenching, Keith went to his horse. Sheathing his sword, he swung himself up into the saddle and rode stiffly away, only once glancing back.
When he was gone, the resultant silence was deafening. It was so quiet Sabrina could hear the gentle lap of water on the shore of the loch.
Niall glanced darkly up at her. “A pity your craven admirer lacks the courage to stay and fight.”
“It isn’t craven to refuse to argue with a madman,” Sabrina replied through gritted teeth. “What do you mean, following me here like a wretched spy?”
Niall sheathed his blade. “I thought to interrupt a lover’s tryst.”
“A lover’s tryst!”
His blue eyes hardened. “I warned you to keep away from our foes. Apparently you cannot be trusted.”
Sabrina’s temper rose again precipitously. It was the outside of enough that he should accuse her of infidelity without the slightest justification. “Apparently your frequent sojourns in the stews of debauchery have rendered you incapable of objective judgment. Well, you can take your base suspicions and…and swallow them!”
Sh
e drew back on the reins, intending to turn her horse and ride away, but Niall moved sharply to her side and reached up for her. Pulling Sabrina from her horse, he set her on her feet none too gently. “Listen hard, lass. I’ll not have my commands thwarted.”
“You do not rule me, sirrah!”
“I do indeed rule you, madam, as your husband and chief! ’Tis high time you accepted that.”
“Go to the devil!”
He swore an expletive, his brogue deepening as he retorted, “You’ll no’ take one of our enemies as lover, do you ken me?”
Sabrina clenched her teeth. “Perfectly, my lord! Should I decide to take a lover, I shall be certain to choose one from among our allies.”
His irises grew black as he stared down at her, dark emotion streaking through them like lightning in a stormy sky. Sabrina had never seen him so angry. It was recklessness itself to defy him when he was in such a mood, and yet her own mood matched his for explosiveness.