His Secret Highland Bride

Chapter Seventeen

Shane quickly wrote a letter to his stepbrother and had their fastest rider summoned to deliver it immediately with the order to wait for a reply before returning.

In the missive, he told his brother to keep Deirdre at his holding until they could come to claim the items she’d taken. Which, after a thorough investigation, seemed to be everything the clan held of any value and that could be carted off.

“Alec, while we wait for word from Ronan, I need ye to go to the MacLeods on my behalf and explain the situation with the ship. Ask them if they can help us sell it to another party to make the money back.”

Alec didn’t move; instead, he stood there as if he were a giant carved from stone.

“What is it?” he asked when Alec said nothing.

“I canna go.” This was said as if Shane had grown horns and a tail.

“Why not? You are my right hand. You’re needed to go in my stead while I sort things out and go to the Grants to retrieve what she’s taken.”

Alec glared at him while Shane glared right back. It was another minute before Alec finally explained in a tone that made it clear he didn’t think it was something that needed explaining. “I’ve not been anywhere since I’ve been scarred. No one will want to deal with the devil himself.”

“This mark is who you are now, is that it? Because I’ll tell you true, I’ve been looking at your face for the last few days, and it is not so bothersome as you think.”

“But it is a shock to others.”

“Then they’ll be shocked and get over it as I have. I need you to take care of this, Alec. You will go to the MacLeods. Not because I am uncaring but because I care for you enough to force you to do something you don’t want to do so you see past these walls you’ve hidden behind. And most importantly, I’m sending you because I need you, and I know you will not let me down. Would you really fail at completing this important task because you’re afraid?”

“Very well. But if they send me away without hearing me, you’ll have no choice but to go anyway,” Alec blustered.

“If it comes to that, we’ll see it done together. But I think you will find this scar is not as big as you think.”

With a sound of disbelief, Alec left to prepare for his journey. In the meantime, Tory assisted Shane in listing the things Deirdre had taken with her.

“She took the bloody candlesticks from the library? What value could they be?” Shane complained to his sister.

“You’re probably remembering the old candlesticks, not the new silver ones Deirdre had made.”

“They hold a candle so you can see to read. Why must they have been made of silver?”

“They didn’t just hold one candle. They held a dozen.”

Shane slammed his fist on the desk. A silver fixture that could hold a dozen candles could not have been cheap. At the very least he would have been able to melt it down to make arrowheads for his warriors to hunt with.

“She’s also taken a number of books.”

Shane paused in his pacing and turned to his sister. “Books and very large candlesticks would be heavy. How did she carry them on a horse?”

Tory pressed her lips together and looked toward the ceiling.

“What are you not telling me, Tory?”

“The carriage she had made with the gold filigree is also gone. Along with four horses to pull it.”

“When I get my hands on the bloody woman, I may not be able to keep from choking the life from her. I can only hope Ronan will stop me before I do.”

Ronan knew his mother as well as the rest of them and would no doubt cheer Shane on in the choking rather than save him from being charged with murder.

“We have to find her.”

…

When Shane arrived later that evening in time for dinner, Lindsay couldn’t help but notice how tired he looked. And not the tired that comes from a day of hard physical labor, but more the exhaustion that comes with worrying over things with no answers.

She knew the difference because she’d spent the better part of the afternoon alone worrying about what would happen when her father arrived at the castle in a few weeks and found she’d never arrived to marry the laird. And new fear had swirled in to join the rest. If her father found her here, married to a soldier, would he or the MacPherson laird kill Shane so she’d be free to marry the laird as planned?

She hadn’t considered how marrying Shane had put him in danger. Staying here to be found put them both at risk. She now understood the weight of guilt Shane carried around for the mistake he’d made that endangered Maria. She couldn’t let anything happen to Shane, no matter the cost of her happiness.

“Is everything straightened out at the castle?” she asked while serving him the stew she’d made, noticing how her hands shook. She put a bit in a dish and set it on the floor for Tre.

“No. In fact, I must return tonight, but I wanted to see you. I’m sorry I’ve been absent. I have guards watching the house.”

She frowned, remembering the guards she’d already met.

“I made sure they were trustworthy. You are safe here—I promise. You know I wouldn’t risk leaving you if there was any question.”

She’d had guards with her when she’d lived at Riccarton, her father’s castle. She didn’t want that again. She liked her simple life. “What if we left here?” she suggested in what she hoped sounded casual rather than as if she’d been thinking about nothing else for most of the day.

“Left?”

“Aye. You and I could pack up our things and move on, away from here. Away from the danger of the men, away from the orders of a demanding laird.”

Shane laughed, though she didn’t think she’d said anything amusing. “Why do you think the laird is demanding?” he asked.

“He keeps you from me when you’d rather be here.”

The mirth left his eyes, and he nodded. “Aye. That he does.”

“We could leave this place and make our home somewhere else,” she repeated. She’d never thought to make the MacPherson lands her home anyway. She’d only changed her mind because of Shane. But Shane was her home now, not this place. Leaving would keep him safe.

Her cousin Meaghan had married a MacKenzie. They could go there and start a new life.

“I am a MacPherson,” he said as if she’d forgotten.

“Are you a MacPherson, or are you my husband?” She hated the challenge as soon as she’d spoken it. But it was true. He was being forced to choose between his duty to his laird and her. She selfishly wanted him to choose her, for she was willing to turn her back on her father and his plans for her so she could choose Shane.

He frowned and brushed his rough knuckles over her cheek.

“I’m sorry, lass. I can’t leave this place. It’s my home. I want it to be your home as well, and that of our children and their children. Running from something rarely solves anything. Most of the time, trouble finds you wherever you might go.”

She let out a breath, unwilling to continue this argument, mostly because her husband was right. If they fled, her father would search for her. And he’d only grow angrier for having to track her down and drag her back to do her duty. She was destined to lose this battle. But she feared in losing the battle she would also lose Shane.

Late that night, as Shane slipped into their bed and fell straight to sleep, she decided her fate was sealed. When the time came, she’d do what she needed to protect Shane. And until that moment, she would allow herself to love him with all her heart. During the darkest days, she’d be able to look back on her time with this man and remember the joy she’d felt being his wife.

…

Shane was in the bailey the next morning, leading his men in their drills, when the guard on the gate yelled that a rider approached the castle. Knowing it couldn’t yet be Alec, Shane wasn’t surprised to see the messenger he’d sent to Strathspey, the Grant keep. As soon as the lad dropped from his horse to his feet, he had the missive pulled from his sporran and thrust into Shane’s waiting hands.

Shane would have wagons readied immediately to go retrieve the items from the Grants. Hopefully the money was not all spent. What they did with Deirdre, Shane didn’t care. He only wanted what belonged to his clan so he could repay the dowry to the Wallace laird. But as his eyes traveled over the letter, he found his mouth falling open in surprise.

“Deirdre isn’t with the Grants. Ronan hasn’t seen her.”

Tory, who’d come out of the castle, sent the messenger into the kitchens for food and drink, then turned to Shane. “Where could she have gone?” she asked as she shook her head.

“The woman is as slippery as a serpent. I should have known she wouldn’t have gone where we expected. She no doubt found a sunny rock to slither beneath.”

He tapped the useless letter against his thigh a few times as he thought over his next step. He noticed the stable at the far end of the bailey and headed in that direction. Inside the building, he breathed in the sweet scent of leather and horses as he looked about for the stablemaster. “You there.”

“Aye?” the man said, looking Shane over before awareness struck. “My laird.” The man bowed. It’d been some time since he’d been at the castle, and no formal announcement had yet been made that he had returned.

Shane had no time for such things. In fact, he didn’t like that the man had recognized him, but he realized it was bound to get out at some point whether he wanted it to or not. He would need to deal with that soon, but for now he had more pressing problems to see to.

“Lady MacPherson left the castle in her carriage. She must’ve had a driver and mayhap a few outriders?”

“She’s a charmer, that one.” The older man rolled his eyes, as if she didn’t tempt him.

Shane nodded. It wouldn’t have been difficult for his stepmother to have flirted her way out of the castle with a full contingent of riders—such was her way, with a smile and a twinkling eye. At least to the right men.

“One of them must have sent word as to where they were going. Or known ahead where their family could send for them?”

The stablemaster rubbed a hand over his thick, gray beard and called out to a gangly boy who came running.

“The laird is asking where his mother has gone. Did ye hear them say?” He turned back to Shane, his shoulders straight with pride. “This is Luke, my grandson. A quiet boy goes unnoticed as he does his duties. If anyone heard, it would be him.”

“I’m sorry, but I heard some of the men asking the lady, and she only laughed and told them they would find out soon enough. I don’t know why they would have agreed to go with her. But it was as if the lady was fairy and cast a spell over the men. They were that eager to do her bidding.”

A young boy wouldn’t have seen the allure of a beautiful woman’s smile.

“Thank ye both. If you hear anything from the men that escorted her, please let me know right away.”

Tory met Shane as he returned to his study. “I checked with the women in the kitchens to see if they knew where she’d gone. Of course, Deirdre didn’t deign to enter the kitchens except to give orders or complaints, so she had no friends there in whom she might have confided.” Tory shook her head. “I will say the women were pleased to learn the lady of the castle is no longer in residence.”

“They’ll not be so happy when we run out of food for them to prepare.”

“Is it so dire, brother?” Tory asked. Her green eyes—so much like his—grew wide with worry. He didn’t wish to trouble his sister, but he’d not lie to her. He was already keeping enough secrets already.

“It will become dire if we don’t make reparations for the dowry Deirdre has already spent.”

“You don’t plan to marry the Wallace lass?”

“Nay. I can’t.” He didn’t go into the details as to why he couldn’t. Fortunately, Tory didn’t push him. He imagined, being the daughter of a laird herself, she wasn’t in agreement with such an arrangement if it was not wanted.

“I’ll ask others. Someone must have heard.”

“Not if she never spoke it.”

“True.”

Deirdre did not get to where she was by being reckless. She would’ve planned every detail of her escape so no one would find her. Any information they might come across would probably be false to throw them off her trail. The witch was diabolical in getting what she wanted.

“I am going for my bed.” And my wife. “I’ll return in the morning,” he said when no other ideas had come to him.

“Brother?”

Shane stopped to wait for her to continue.

“Alec mentioned there was a woman in your bed when he arrived the other morning.”

Shane’s brows went up. “Our brother speaks of such things to his sister? It’s not proper.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I heard him mention it to Roger, who commented she must be the reason you’ve not sought the comfort of your role here in the castle.”

“The men of this clan gossip like old women.” He felt as if there was a hand gripping him tightly around the neck. This world and the one he’d built in the cottage with Lindsay were in danger of colliding. And the risk grew each day.

“Is it true?” Tory pushed when Shane didn’t respond.

“Is what true?”

“Do you care for her? I know men seek a woman’s company, but the way I understand it, it is only for a night, and then they move on. It sounded as if this one might be more than a dalliance.”

“You’re not to know of such things, Tory. And I’ll not speak of it with you. If you wish to discuss such improper things, I’ll bid ye to take it up with Roger. He seems to have an opinion to share on the topic.”

With a sigh that spoke of her intense irritation, she turned on her heel and left. He’d been spared for now, but it wouldn’t be long before he’d be forced to answer her questions.

Until then, he’d keep his wife to himself.