Page 59 of Captured by a Laird
“We weren’t,” Robbie said.
“By luck,” David said. “I ordered ye to stay here.”
“With the bairns and old men,” Robbie said.
“Keep your voice down,” David ordered.
They had reached the stables, where a couple of young lads were waiting to take their horses.
“Give them a good brushing and extra feed, lads. We pushed them hard,” David said, patting his horse’s neck. “If ye notice any sign of lameness, be sure to come find me.”
“If ye don’t need me, laird,” Brian said, “I’ll be off to find my bed.”
Brian was covered in mud and looked as tired as David felt.
“I’m grateful ye were with us,” David said, resting his hand on Brian’s shoulder. “You’re a good man.”
Brian’s eyes shone. “’Tis an honor to serve ye, laird.”
David was anxious to see Alison and set matters aright with her. Leaving her upset had nagged at him from the moment he left. But before he sought her out, he needed to soak off the mud and his irritation with his brother in a steaming tub.
Robbie should know to leave well enough alone, yet no sooner were they out of the stable than he picked up their conversation.
“I did as well as Brian,” Robbie said.
“Brian did not disobey my orders.”Nor did he lead thirty Blackadder warriors to us.
A number of men had come out of the keep to greet them. David gave them a warning look to keep their distance.
“I am your laird,” David said, “and ye will follow my orders, same as any Hume.”
“Even when you’re wrong?”
“Aye,” David said without breaking his stride. His patience was too thin to have this conversation now with his brother.
“Ye ought to treat me like a man.”
“A man must follow orders for the safety of all.” David stopped and turned to face his brother. “I warned ye that next time ye disobeyed me I would punish ye, as I would any other man.”
“So punish me,” Robbie said, glaring back at him.
He suspected Robbie had forgotten that the usual punishment for disobeying an order was a lashing. If Robbie would just keep his mouth shut, David could still avoid imposing it.
“I will punish ye, but right now I’m tired and I’m starving,” he said. “If ye have even a wee bit of sense in that thick head of yours, you’ll stay out of my sight until I call for ye.”
David turned his back on his brother and started up the steps of the keep.
“What must I do to make ye see that I’m not a bairn anymore?” Robbie called after him.
Barely holding his temper in check, David ignored him and kept walking.
The familiarswooshof a sword being drawn from its scabbard stopped him in his tracks. He prayed to God he was mistaken and that Robbie had not done what he thought he had.
“Let me fight you!” Robbie said behind him.
Damn it to hell.Slowly, David turned around. His brother had indeed drawn his sword on his laird and chieftain, a grave offense. Several of their clansmen rushed toward Robbie to disarm him. David put his hand up to stop them without taking his eyes off his brother.
“Chieftain or no, pulling a sword on me is a mistake,” David told him. “No man has done that in many years and walked away.”
