Chapter 16
16
One Week Later
Gretna stood on the stairs outside the keep as she watched the other warriors climb on their horses, flanked by her own guards. When James had informed her last evening that he wanted her to see him off for their hunt, she had almost balked at the idea. But it hadn’t taken her long to know that she had to play a part and since the entire McCellan clan now knew she was meant to wed their future laird, they would expect for his intended to see him off and wish him a safe journey.
“Safe” was not the word that Gretna would have chosen to tell James at all. In fact, she hoped he fell off his horse or got gored by some forest animal, suffering the way he had made others suffer.
The last week had been a bit quiet to her surprise. While she joined the men for meals, they left her alone. Twice this week she had been forced to meet with the housekeeper to plan the details for a wedding that wasn’t going to happen. Gretna had fawned over the details, tittering with childlike laughter as others joined in and talked about her wedding gown and the wedding night. She played the part of the blushing bride to a hilt, so much that her cheeks hurt from all the smiling she had done.
James seemed placated with the notion that she was willing to move forward with his plans and Gretna had decided that if she could keep him away from her, then she would pretend to be happy for now.
This wasn’t the easiest thing to do. Inside, she was miserable, finding herself looking out of the windows of the keep for any sign that someone was coming to save her from this fate. It seemed that no one else was bothered by the fact that she was faking her happiness and if they looked closer at Gretna, it would be all over her face that she was. Nothing about this clan or her intended could make her happy.
There was only one person that could do so and he was nowhere to be found.
Each evening, after Gretna retired to her chamber, she looked at the note that Remy left her and allowed herself to dream about him, about the conversations he was having with her brother and the plans they were making. It was the only bit of hope she had to cling to, the one that kept her from refusing to rise from her bed.
Like this morning.
The laird made his way out first, a long sword strapped to his side and a wide smile on his lips. “Och, look how lovely ye look,” he said, taking her hand and pressing his lips to her knuckles. Gretna gave him a warm smile. The laird had been unfailingly polite to her and she harbored no ill will toward him. In fact, she hated that he would be broken by whatever plan Remy had come up with. Clearly, his clan favored him.
“Thank ye, mah Laird,” she said, ducking her head as he released her hand. “I wish ye safety on yer journey.”
He winked at her. “Mah son is a lucky bastard. I have half a notion tae lock him in the dungeon and take ye for mahself.”
If she wasn’t pining for another, Gretna might have allowed him to do just that. “Yer too kind.”
“Kind is not the word that he’s used tae,” James drawled as the laird stepped back, taking Gretna’s hand in his. “And I would never allow him tae take mah place at yer side, Gretna.”
She maintained her smile, but inside Gretna wanted to push him down the stairs. “Of course, not. I know that ye canna wait tae wed, mah James.”
“Eager are ye?” the laird chuckled, slapping his son on the back. “I donna blame ye. Say yer goodbyes, James. We have much tae hunt.”
The laird wandered off and James kissed her knuckles, his eyes hard as he met her gaze. “Donna get into trouble while I am gone, mah dear bride.”
“Donna get yerself killed,” she countered sweetly. “Tis would be a shame tae mourn yer death.”
His grin was quick. “Wouldna that be convenient for ye?” he yanked her forward and pressed his lips to hers. “I shall think of ye every moment of the day.”
Gretna pressed her hands to his chest, ignoring the snickering around her, and gave him a light shove, hoping it looked more playful than anything else. Truthfully, she, dearly, wished to push him down the stairs “Good luck, mah love.”
He winked at her before moving down the stairs, mounting his horse, and riding behind his da. Gretna didn’t breathe fully until they were out of sight, gathering her hands in her skirts and walking back into the keep.
Since she had been named James’ intended, almost everyone in the keep stayed out of her way. The maids made themselves scarce when she made an appearance. Gretna wanted to find out if they knew of any ways she could aid her in getting away from this place, but it was clear that they wanted no part in helping her.
At least she still had the guards with her, Remy’s most trusted circle. Gretna was grateful that she wasn’t alone in this keep.
Without the laird, James, or the other warriors in the great hall, everything was eerily silent. If their hunts were anything like her brother’s, she surmised they would be gone for hours, which would give her time to pilfer through the laird’s study. The thought had come to her this morn as she was getting ready, knowing that if James or his father were planning something more than just aligning the two clans together, she would find correspondence in the laird’s study. After all, it was where her brother kept all of his important documents.
All Gretna needed was one thing, one thing she could hold over James’ head and get her out of this marriage.
Turning to the guards that were forever by her side, she gave them a warm smile. “I think I will walk aboot the keep for a few moments.”
“We are tae stay with ye,” one spoke, not budging from his spot. “Captain’s orders.”
“And I appreciate ye wanting tae protect mah,” she said easily. “But I need a moment. Besides, the laird and mah intended are gone. I am in no danger now.” It wasn’t exactly the truth. Gretna didn’t know how loyal the maids were to their laird or his son, but she also knew that James wanted to wed her and she doubted that they would go against his wishes. “Please,” she added when she saw the indecision in their eyes. “Surely ye wish tae move outside for some fresh air.”
“Alright,” he finally said. “A few moments alone, nothing more. I prefer tae keep mah head.”
Gretna gave him a grateful smile. “I will be fine. A few moments.”
He nodded and motioned to the others to walk away toward the front doors of the great hall, moving outdoors and leaving Gretna alone. She knew they would not be gone for more than a few moments, but that was all she needed.
Walking down the hallway, Gretna peered around the corner, finding the study empty. The fire was banked, but there was enough light coming through the windows that she didn’t have to light a candle as she entered, shutting the door quietly behind her. Unlike Ian, the laird kept his study tidy, just as Gretna preferred.
What surprised her was the leather-bound books that lined the wall. She didn’t think the McCellan Laird to be so intrigued by books.
Shaking that particular thought off her mind, Gretna moved behind the large table that served as the laird’s desk and sat in the worn chair, looking at the stack of rolled parchments before her. Some of the seals she recognized from other clans, having seen them in her own brother’s study. Gretna bit the inside of her cheek and unrolled a few of them that had their seals already broken, finding correspondence that was mundane and not at all helpful. Most were from the clans that bordered the McCellan land, a response from what looked like taxes being levied on the use of the road that ran through the clan land. She had never heard of such a thing before, but if that was what Laird McCellan was doing, then it made sense that his coffers were plentiful. After all, James had threatened to cut off the route, and doing so would cripple not only the Wallace clan but countless others.
Rolling the parchment back up, Gretna moved on to the next, skimming the document with disdain. The laird might not be as conniving as his son, but he was greedy and horribly so. While her brother only wished for peace with his surrounding clans, the laird wanted much more than that.
It sickened her.
Disgusted, she forced herself to continue to read the rest, slumping back against the chair when she finished the last one. There was nothing. The only thing she had learned was that the laird was a greedy Scot, nothing that she could use to get out of this marriage.
Tears sprang to her eyes, but Gretna sniffed them away. She was not going to let her hopes down just yet. Remy was due back at any moment and he would get her out of this marriage.
But what if he had gotten back to their clan and changed his mind about her, about them? Remy had made no promises other than he would be back for her, but when he did, what would it mean? Did he have feelings for her? Gretna hoped so. She hoped that he felt the same burning need inside him as she did whenever he touched her. Her cheeks heated as she thought about his words before he left, how he thought of her touching his member again. His words had been flowery, making her body ache for him, but it wasn’t that of love.
Could Remy love her?
Gretna shook herself out of her thoughts. Once Remy came back, there would be plenty of time to discuss their feelings for each other. Right now she had to find something, anything that would allow her the future she had always wished for.
Pushing herself out of the chair, Gretna arranged everything the way that she had found it so that the laird wouldn’t suspect that anyone had been in his study. When she felt that everything was just as it should be, Gretna moved to leave the study, only to have the door open suddenly.
Gretna froze as Trista, the maid who spilled the wine on her the very first night entered the study, her steps faltering as she saw Gretna.
“Wot are ye doing in here?” she asked, looking around. “Ye shouldna be in here.”
“I,” Gretna started, trying to find the words that would explain why she was there. There was no good explanation of course. She wasn’t wed to James yet nor had the laird given her permission to freely enter his private domain. What she had to do was keep the maid from telling the laird that Gretna had been in there.
She needed to have Trista on her side.