Chapter Twenty-Three
“I don’t understand,” Shane’s father-in-law seethed. “You said you were married to someone else. What kind of game are you playing?”
“Father, please sit down and take some water,” Lindsay said.
“I’ll not sit down until someone tells me what is going on.”
“It’s simple enough to explain,” Lindsay said as Shane took another step closer to her. This he needed to hear.
“There was a misunderstanding. Shane and I thought we were marrying different people. Thought we were different people. I didn’t know he was the laird, and he didn’t know I was the woman he was to marry. At least that is what I am to assume.” She frowned but went on. “But we are married nonetheless, so the marriage contract has been fulfilled as you wished. Now we will simply move on as we were intended to do.” She stared right at him when she added, “There is no reason for an annulment.”
Christ. Lindsay knew Shane had offered to end his marriage to her in order to marry…well…her. But what must she have thought, hearing his plans to leave her?
“I can explain,” he tried, but she turned and went to Tory.
“I am ready to take over my duties with your assistance. Perhaps you can show me what room is available for my father during his visit.”
Tory looked at Shane, then back to her.
“Aye. This way.”
“Now that everything is sorted, I suggest we have a dram,” Wallace said. Though Shane thought one dram would surely not be enough.
…
Lindsay managed to keep her composure until they reached the top of the stairs, and then her shoulders slumped and she had to bite her lip to keep from breaking down into tears—something she refused to do in front of this woman who had most likely known the truth all along and hadn’t told her.
“I didn’t know,” Tory said.
“You didn’t know I was the laird’s daughter. So it was fine to be part of the deception to a common woman, just not one who would see to the castle? Is that it?” she snapped, unable to hide her anger.
Tory had the decency to look ashamed. “He said he was going to tell you the truth.”
“Well, he didn’t.”
“But you didn’t, either.”
That was true enough, but Lindsay wasn’t ready to concede her mistreatment.
“If we could see to the room for my father. He needs to rest after such a long day, and I’m afraid I wish to retire as well. I managed to find my room with the help of a maid, and my things have already been taken there.” She pointed to the room next to the laird’s chamber.
“You don’t wish to stay with—”
“Nay.” She definitely did not want to stay with Shane. The laird.
Tory nodded, and Lindsay followed the woman to a room two doors down from Lindsay’s new room. “This chamber is set up for guests. If anything else is needed, I can see it done.”
“This will do.” She nodded.
“It was much more impressive before Deirdre stole a number of items and then Shane had some other things sold off.” Tory frowned.
“The bed seems comfortable. That is all he requires during his stay.”
As if she’d called for him, her father arrived at the top of the stairs.
“I don’t know what the devil is going on, but this place is a right mess.”
“I’m sure we’ll set things to rights tomorrow. Please rest, and we’ll talk again in the morning.” Her father relented and went inside.
“I will have a maid sent to you to help you ready for bed,” Tory said.
“It seems a waste to have dressed just to change again, but I thought it was the only thing that would soothe my father.”
Tory nodded and hovered at the door as Lindsay went in her chamber. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry my brother planned to end his marriage to you. That must have been upsetting.”
Lindsay pressed her lips together and nodded.
“I hope in time you can forgive me for not saying something sooner. I’m looking forward to having a sister.” The woman smiled, and Lindsay felt her anger slip away. She imagined Tory was only doing what her brother ordered her to do. After all, he was the laird. Everyone must obey the laird.
Lindsay may be forced to obey him as well. She would do her duty as his wife and mistress of the castle, but as for the matters of her heart…that was over.
…
Shane went to the laird’s chamber and took a deep breath to steady himself before opening the door to find it…empty. Stepping back outside, he spotted Tory.
“Where is my wife?” he asked.
Tory pointed to the room next door. “She’s acquired Deirdre’s room and asked not to be disturbed for the night.”
“She is ordering everyone about already?” Had she known he was the laird all this time? He didn’t think so.
“Can you blame her for being angry? She went from being married to a man she thought cared for her to being cast aside by the laird.”
“But I wasn’t going to. I had come up with another plan.”
Tory sniffed. “Too little, too late, isn’t it.”
“You do understand how ridiculous this is? We’re both married to the people we were supposed to be married to. So no harm was done. I don’t see the issue here.”
Tory glared at him. “If you think that, you’re more foolish than I ever realized, brother.”
“I lied to her, but she lied to me as well. We were both wrong. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
His sister patted him on the shoulder in a pitying way. “I would not go at it like that if you hope to fix things.” He might have asked for her counsel, but she shook her head and left him there alone in the hall outside his wife’s chamber.
He raised his hand, ready to knock—maybe he’d demand she move into his chamber—but he hesitated. Perhaps his sister was right. She was a woman, after all. She would know better how women thought.
He backed away and returned to his own room. He’d allow her the night to think while he would do the same. Things would be better in the morning.
…
It turned out he couldn’t have been more wrong.
The next morning, Shane found his wife’s chamber empty. He didn’t find her in the hall or in the kitchen, where Tory was seeing to the morning meal.
“I haven’t seen her yet today.”
“Am I to look for her or give her more time?” he asked.
“She will find you when she’s ready to talk to you.”
He nodded and grabbed a few meat pies and a flagon of ale before going to his study. He was already exhausted, and he hadn’t been up for even an hour yet. There was the matter of the Wallace laird and smoothing things over with him. The man must think him mad for his behavior.
As Shane had tossed and turned the night away, he’d worried over how to make things right with Lindsay. At some point he began to worry over Alec as well. What if he’d sent his brother to his death, having him deliver his message? He’d been careful not to word the missive as an accusation or a threat. Simply a request from one laird to another to have returned what was taken from him. But in doing so, had he doomed yet another person he cared about? Was he destined to make mistake after mistake until he lost everyone?
“What was I thinking?” he said to his empty study only a few seconds before someone knocked. “Enter,” he called, hoping it wasn’t the Wallace laird.
A tall lad with fiery red hair came into the room and nodded his respect. “I was told to come tell ye, your brother rides to the castle.”
Before the boy had the words out, Shane was on his feet and heading for the door, the youth chasing behind him to keep up. At least this was one worry he could put aside. He only needed to see Alec was well, and then he could better focus on the matter of his wife and how to repair the damage they’d done.
Shane was in the bailey when the gate was raised to allow Alec through. He’d gone five years without seeing him, but for whatever reason these last weeks had felt even longer. “Are ye well?” Shane asked as soon as the man slid down from his horse. When he turned, Shane saw clearly that nothing was well. Not only was his brother’s eye blackened and his jaw bruised, but his split lip was pulled into a tight line as tension rolled off him. “To my study.”
Whatever his brother needed to tell him, Shane knew it would be better to discuss it in private.
“What has happened?” Shane asked as soon as the door was shut behind him. Alec made his way to the bottle on the desk and poured a dram and then another.
“I thought I’d assumed the worst when I left here. I worried the MacColls would take your message as a threat, but I never considered how horribly wrong it could go.”
Shane’s stomach dropped. “Do you mean to torment me?” he asked, taking the bottle from Alec before he poured himself a third drink. He’d do no good to Shane if he were too drunk to deliver the message. “Tell me what has happened.”
“Deirdre happened. I didn’t really believe in witches until now, for she couldn’t have such luck. It must have been a spell.” He shook his head, and Shane didn’t stop him as he retrieved the bottle and downed a third glass.
“They hurt ye?” Shane asked.
Alec shook his head. “I’m fine. Or I will be. Although only for a little while, it seems.” He held up his arms and let them fall to his sides.
“She must have been biding her time, waiting for an opportunity to escape. No sooner did I arrive at Collier Castle, greet the laird, and deliver your message, but a maid came running into the laird’s study to report someone had run off with Deirdre and the lot of their money.”
“And there you sat,” Shane whispered, knowing how it would have looked to the MacColls.
Alec nodded. “They called me a distraction and took to trying to get me to confess that it was the true reason I’d come. To distract them while other MacPhersons came in and took what belonged to him. Namely, his coin and his wife—aye, Deirdre has married another laird. It seems she has the knack for it.”
Shane poured a dram of whisky for himself. He didn’t think he’d make it through the rest of this tale without a bit of fortification.
“When I refused to tell them what they wanted to hear, they locked me up for a few days and tried again. When I still didn’t confess, they planned to take me back to the dungeon, but I overpowered the guards and escaped.”
“And they think we’ve stolen their money and kidnapped the laird’s wife?” Shane said, knowing he had the right of it but hoping for anything he had misunderstood.
“Aye. And I don’t have to tell you they’re planning an attack on Cluny. I would wager we only have a day or two to prepare before they arrive.”
“Bloody hell.” Shane ran a hand through his hair and tugged at the longish locks.
He’d known it was a risk but thought he had the law on his side. With the way things stood, he couldn’t reach out to the king to decide the matter, for the man could very well believe the MacColls and side with them.
A knock at the door disrupted Shane’s pacing, and the Wallace laird came in after Shane bid him enter.
“What is this?” Alec asked.
“This is Donald Wallace. He came to see me wed to his daughter as our father agreed.”
“Bloody hell,” his brother whispered. “And you’re married to your Lindsay in the village.”
“Nay, I’m married to Lindsay, this man’s daughter. They are the same.” Shane might have laughed at the absurdity if he could scrape together even a shred of humor under the laird’s irritated gaze.
“Christ,” Alec whispered. “I think I may have preferred to stay in the dungeon at Collier.”