Free Brenda Joyce by A Rose in the Storm Page A

have never had to defend a castle before. I have never had to engage in battle, and I have never been in the midst of a siege. And I have never had to make so many decisions, decisions that should have been made by men.” Tears filled her eyes. She welcomed them. “I have never been so frightened! The last thing I would ever wish is to command a keep against a siege, much less against the Wolf of Lochaber!”
    “Ye refused to surrender,” he said softly, a potent reminder of her sins.
    “I was foolish, but then, I am a woman.”
    He slowly shook his head. “Dinna think to outwit me, lady, when we both ken yer no fool.”
    “My choice was a foolish one!”
    “And ye will pay the price for the choice ye made. Only a fool would allow his enemy to live to fight another day—they hang tomorrow at noon.”
    She had lost. His mind was made up. She began to shake, her fury erupting. “Damn you!”
    “Have a care,” he warned.
    “No,” she said, tears falling. “I will not have a care, you have stolen my castle from me, mine, and now, you will execute my people, mine! ”
    “I have defeated ye, Lady Margaret, fairly, in battle. The spoils are mine. ”
    “There is nothing fair about my having been attacked so rudely, by the mighty Wolf of Lochaber!” She knew she should not be shouting at him, but she could not stop now. “You may have won the day, Wolf. But this is my castle. This is MacDougall land. No matter what happened today, this will always be MacDougall land!”
    “War changes everything.”
    “I will never let you keep this place!”
    His eyes widened. “What do ye say?”
    She knew she should become quiet. She knew she must control her rage. She must not cry in front of him. But could not stop herself from doing any of those things. “If no one comes to fight you, MacDonald, then I will fight you!”
    “But ye have already fought—and lost.”
    “Yes, I have fought—and I have lost. But I have learned a great deal. The next time, I will be prepared. And there will be a next time.”
    “Ye dare to threaten me?”
    “I make a vow—to defeat you!” And she was so exhausted and so overcome, that shouting at him now caused her knees to buckle. And then the floor tilted wildly, the hall spun...
    And then there was only darkness.

CHAPTER FOUR
    T HE FIRST THING Margaret saw when she opened her eyes was Peg, who sat by her hip on the bed, holding her hand tightly. The next thing she saw was Alexander MacDonald, who stood in the doorway of the chamber, staring at her, his face hard and set. As she blinked, realizing she had fainted and been carried into a bedchamber, he turned and strode away.
    She trembled, so exhausted she sank back down into the pillows, instead of attempting to get up.
    “Ye swooned! Ye never swoon,” Peg cried. “Ye have fought a war today, as if ye were a man, but yer a lady!”
    Margaret felt tears of exhaustion and despair arise. He was gone, so she did not need to hide them. “Oh, Peg, what are we going to do? He will hang Malcolm and the others at noon tomorrow!” And their deaths would be her fault.
    Peg, who was so loquacious, now simply sat there. Her face remained pale with distress.
    Margaret realized that something of great significance was on her mind, and she sat up. “What is it?”
    Peg shook her head, as if in denial. “Ye fought him earlier with arrows and swords, but just now, ye fought him with words, Margaret, and that will not serve yer cause.”
    “He has attacked and taken my castle. Many of my men have died. I could hardly sing him songs and serve him sweetmeats.”
    Peg rolled her eyes. “Fer such a clever lady, yer such a fool!”
    “What does that mean?”
    “It means that he has been looking at ye all night long as if yer a tasty morsel and he’s truly a wolf. He wants ye.”
    Margaret stared, shocked. “What are you trying to say?”
    “If ye pleased him, lady, he would probably go to London and back for ye—or even Rome!”
    Her heart