Part 48 (1/2)

”Nay.”

”Vincent?”

The elder didn't answer. ”Someone wake him up,” Graham ordered.

”I'm awake. I'm just not finished considering this matter.”

Everyone patiently waited. A good five minutes pa.s.sed in silence. The tension in the hall increased tenfold. Judith edged closer to Iain until her arm touched his. He was rigid with anger and she wanted him to know he had her support. She almost smiled over her own behavior. She didn't even know what the issue was about, yet she was ready to stand with Iain.

She didn't like seeing him upset. She took hold of his hand. He didn't look down at her, but he did give her fingers a little squeeze.

Since everyone was staring at Vincent, she did the same. She thought the elder might have gone back to sleep. It was difficult to tell. His bushy eyebrows hid his eyes from his audience, and he was hunched over the table with his head down.

He finally looked up. ”You have my support, Iain.”

”I count three against, and with our laird, three in favor,” Graham announced.

”What in thunder do we do now?” Owen rasped out.

”We've never faced this dilemma before,” Gelfrid interjected. ”But a tie's a tie.”

”We'll wait to decide this alliance,” Graham announced. He paused until each member of the council had nodded his agreement, then turned to Iain. ”You might as well get on with it, son.”

Iain immediately turned to Judith. He was suddenly feeling very ill at ease.

This meeting hadn't turned out the way he had thought it would. He fully expected everyone but Graham to vote against the alliance. The discussion shouldn't have taken up so much time, and he'd planned to have a good five minutes alone with Judith before the priest arrived. Surely it wouldn't take him longer than that to tell her what he wanted her to do.

He hated the fact that he had an audience. Brod.i.c.k, true to his impatient nature, blurted out, ”Judith, you aren't going back to England. Not now. Not ever. Iain isn't going to take you home.”

The warrior sounded quite cheerful when he gave her his news. She turned her gaze to him. ”He isn't? Then who will take me back?”

”No one,” Brod.i.c.k answered.

Iain took hold of both her hands and squeezed to get her attention. Then he took a deep breath. Even with his men watching, he wanted the words to be right, his declaration to be one she would always remember. It was a d.a.m.ned awkward undertaking, trying to think of loving words, and he had absolutely no experience in this area, but he was still determined not to muck it up.

The moment needed to be perfect for her. ”Judith,” he began.

”Yes, Iain?”

”I'm keeping you.”

Chapter 10.

”You can't just... keep me.”

”Aye, he can, la.s.s,” Alex cheerfully explained.

”He's laird,” Graham reminded her. ”He can do anything he's wanting to do.”