"He willnae give anyone else an ounce of regard—or respect. And letters are a waste of time. I’ve tried writing to him before. He just ignores the messages. If I take the unprecedented step of bearding him in his den, it might shock him into changing his mind."
"Or it might give him the chance to get out his claymore and cut off your head. I dinnae want to be a widow. I've only just come to terms with being a wife."
"Mackinnon, I wouldnae give a farthing for your chances in the Drummond camp," Duff said. "Let me go. If someone sticks a dirk between my ribs, the clan only loses a one-eyed wreck."
"And a loyal friend, no’ to mention the best strategic brain in Achnasheen." Callum summoned a smile and clapped his friend on the back. "No, this is something only I can do."
Callum's doggedness shouldn't come as any surprise. Hadn’t Mhairi slammed herself against his obduracy over and over again when he'd first stolen her?
But she hadn't cared for him then. She hadn't laughed and quarreled with him. She hadn't wed him. She hadn't welcomed him into her body.
The great, gallant loon acted as if he was immortal, as though the rest of the world shared his calm good sense. When she was agonizingly aware of how easy it would be for her father to snuff out the bright flame of his life.
Mhairi stared in a fury of frustration across to where he stood, straight and strong and sure of himself. She rose and marched up to her husband. "If you're going, so am I."
"What the devil idiocy is this?" It was Callum's turn to respond with baffled outrage. "Of course ye cannae come, mo chridhe."
"Why?" she asked with a sweet reasonableness that she knew cut him on the raw. She meant it to.
"Because the minute your father gets within ten feet of ye, he'll snatch you back to Bruard."
"That would at least prevent bloodshed."
Callum grabbed her arms. She suspected he was an inch from giving her a good shake. Well, welcome to how I've been feeling for the last half hour, my braw laddie.
"I'm no’ giving ye up." His voice lowered to a whisper for her ears alone. "I cannae live without ye, lassie. Dinnae ask me to."
"Do ye think I want to live without you?"
The question lashed at him like a whip. She blushed as she realized Duff and Brian observed them with undisguised interest.
Straightening, she pulled away from Callum. "You're no’ going alone into my father's camp. If I'm there, I may be able to blunt the Drummond’s anger. At the very least I can counter whatever reports John has taken back about my mistreatment. It's pretty clear from Da’s letter that he thinks ye forced me into marrying you."
The message from the Drummond camp had seethed with violent language and bitter insults. Many men would have considered it a killing matter. Mhairi had cause yet again to be grateful for her husband’s equable temper.
"I'm no’ taking ye, Mhairi," Callum said in a hard voice.
She narrowed her eyes on him, although she maintained her tone of gentle persuasion. "How do ye intend to stop me, sir?"
As if the words were written on the air in flame, she saw him consider saying he'd lock her up again. She braced for the threat, and wondered what she'd do if he made it. He must know that if he imprisoned her, he'd shatter every ounce of trust they’d built up after their difficult beginning.
Callum sighed with frustration and ran his hand through his hair. Relief flooded her as she sucked in a shaky breath. She won that small battle at least, and it boded well for their future. Physically he was stronger than she was, but at that moment, she believed he'd never again turn that strength against her.
"She's right, Mackinnon," Brian said. "I saw the Drummond with her. He worships the ground the lady walks on. I never saw him refuse her anything."
Callum raised a mocking eyebrow. "It's clear she's had her own way all her life."
He was angry, Mhairi could see. She didn't like it, but she’d cope. She couldn't let him venture into that lions’ den with no protection but his honorable heart.
"If my father sees I'm unharmed and happy to be your wife, he might relent."
"He might decide he wants to kill ye as well," Callum snapped.
"Och, I’m no’ pretending that he willnae be furious about our marriage, but he'll forgive me."
"A plea for an end to the feud from your lady might offer the Drummond a chance to withdraw without sacrificing his pride. Once he thinks about it, he willnae want to bombard a castle that houses his only child, Mackinnon," Duff said. "If ye corner him and give him nae way out without stepping down, who kens what he'll do?"
Mhairi held one hand out in appeal. She prayed this wasn't blind optimism speaking. "He's old and stubborn and he has nae reason to love the Mackinnons, but he loves me. If I'm there with you, he might put his affection for his daughter above his hatred for ye."