Chapter 12
C aroline was overwhelmed by emotion when she embraced her sisters. She closed her eyes and buried herself in their embraces as she checked them over.
“Are ye well? Hae ye been hurt?” she asked.
“I want tae ask ye the same thing,” Nessa said.
They assured each other that they were fine. Caroline glanced awkwardly at the door.
“I cannae stay here for long, but I wanted ye tae know that I am well, and that I will nae let anything happen tae ye,” she promised.
“But what about ye? What happened last night? Did he come tae ye?” Tara inquired, her voice hitching and her eyes widening in fear.
Caroline lifted her head proudly. “I am handling Laird Knox. He wants many things from me, but he may find that having me as a bride is more troublesome than he thinks. I am nae gaeing tae let him hae everything as easily as he would like. I am still a Gilmour, and I will nae sacrifice my clan. But ye must be strong. He is gaeing tae make things difficult for ye. I will dae all I can tae make things better for ye. But please cease yer bickering. I know that ye can get on each other’s nerves, but while we’re here it’s important that we all work taegether, even if we are separate.”
“But I’m scared. I dinnae like tae think of ye with him all the time.” Tara squeezed Caroline’s hand in a tender gesture.
“I know, but Nessa will keep ye safe.” Caroline turned to Nessa, giving her a meaningful stare. Nessa pinched her lips together and nodded. “And Nessa, dinnae discount Tara’s ideas. She is a clever lass, and she just might come up with a way out of this.”
“I will nae,” Nessa replied. This may have been a harrowing situation, but at least it had brought Nessa and Tara closer together.
The guard outside cleared his throat and gave Caroline a look of warning. Caroline hugged them tightly again.
“I will free ye soon. Dinnae dae anything rash, and dinnae worry about me,” she whispered.
Nessa and Tara cried out to her and Caroline hated turning her back on them, but it was necessary. She held the emotion inside her tightly, not wishing to reveal her anguish to anyone else.
“Ye may take me back tae my room,” she said, and the guard seemed relieved.
Caroline was not about to push the limits of her authority just yet. She wanted to see how Ryan reacted first, because she was certain he would hear about this. She couldn’t imagine anything happening in this Keep without him knowing about it.
When she returned to her room, she felt becalmed after having seen Nessa and Tara. They were fed and unharmed, so at least Ryan was keeping his word in this respect. But in order to give them more freedom, she was going to have to sacrifice more of herself.
She ran her fingers across her exposed chest and wondered at what point Ryan was going to take his marital rights. Fear coiled within, but there was a shadow of curiosity as well, and this feeling both shamed her and burned as fiercely as the fire in the hearth.
The day was slow. Caroline had no way to mark the passage of time other than taking note of when the meals were delivered. She didn’t even have a book to read, and the windowless walls were maddening. She closed her eyes and thought about the land she had witnessed the previous day. Her imagination was so powerful that she could almost feel the wind against her skin.
Her thoughts were broken when Ryan returned to her. She had come to recognize his gait by now. Thunderous footsteps made her heart tremble. He walked in wearing that usual arrogant look, his eyes filled with intent. He could take anything from her whenever he liked. Was he just toying with her to make the moment he did even worse, or was there an element of good in him that prevented him from crossing this moral line? She wasn’t sure she would ever know the truth.
“I heard about yer little walk taeday. Very clever of ye,” he said, wagging his finger in the air.
“I wanted tae see my sisters. I am the lady of the clan, am I nae?”
“Of course ye are, and it’s rare that anything should take me by surprise. I hae spoken with my guards and made sure that they understand ye are nae tae be given tae much liberty. I cannae hae ye thinking that ye are a free woman now, can I?”
“I dinnae care about me. I care about my sisters. I hae given ye what ye wanted, there’s nae reason for ye tae keep them captive. I can hardly marry ye over and over again. They deserve their lives,” Caroline spoke with emotion.
Her words were impassioned, and this time she was not sitting on the bed. Instead, she was standing beside the fire, hoping to show him that she was not going to cower before him. Ryan remained silent for a few moments.
“There is still a reason, lass. There is still the matter of the heir.”
Caroline shook with tension and then barked a laugh. “I am never gaeing tae give ye an heir, for as much as I can help it. I will never give ye the means tae take my clan.”
“I already hae the means, but an heir would prevent anyone else from waging attacks and pressing their claims. I’m sure ye hae all manner of greedy cousins who would want it for themselves. Of course, if they want tae attack, then sae be it, but there will be enough unrest already.”
“There already hae been, and I will show ye just how resistant the Gilmour Clan can be. I am nae gaeing tae give ye what ye want, nae as long as my sisters are suffering.”
Ryan moved with alarming speed. He suddenly took hold of her arms and drove her against the far wall. The impact cut the breath from her lungs and her body was pressed against his. His grip was like iron and his eyes blazed with fury. He was so strong that he lifted her off the ground without struggling. Her feet dangled and kicked out, but they had no effect on him.
She was utterly helpless, and his brutal power made a mockery of her resistant pleas. If he wanted it, then he could have it, and there was nothing she could do to stop him. He growled in a low voice, putting his lips right next to her ear so that his words rolled directly into her mind.
“I am eager tae see how long it will take ye tae crawl tae me in bed. Eventually ye will nae resist yer urges because ye are in the presence of a real man now, nae some Gilmour whelp. Ye want me, ye want yer clan back, and ye want yer sisters safe. Let’s see how far ye are willing tae gae tae ensure all of things, my lady,” these last two words dripped with mockery.
Caroline glared at him, her cheeks turning flushed.
“I will nae touch ye until my sisters are freed from that room.”
Ryan backed away and loosened his grip. Caroline staggered as her feet landed on the floor.
“Consider it done,” he replied with a devilish smile, and then left her alone once again.
Gasping for breath, not knowing if he meant it or if he was just toying with her emotions, she staggered to the bed and collapsed. She hated herself for feeling so hot and bothered. There was something about him that got under her skin, as though there was a serpent that writhed within her. And the moment he had spoken about her desires, she realized that some deep, primal part of her was responding to him. Was it just because she was his wife now that she thought she ought to give herself to him? Or was there something deeper, was there something seductive about his power that played havoc with her mind? She clutched the sheets in her fists and wailed with anguish, fearing that she would never know peace again.
Caroline was at least able to sleep that evening, and when she awoke, it was with a clearer head. Ryan had made it clear that he could do whatever he wanted because there were too many things she needed. He had all the leverage and could afford to be as patient as he wished because if she didn’t come to him, then he could just throw her into bed and have his way with her.
She needed something to use as a weapon against him, something that would surprise him. So far, he had been one step ahead of her in every respect. However, if she could surprise him, then perhaps the tables could be turned.
After breakfast was served to her, Caroline insisted that she leave the room again. This time, the guard did not put up as much of a fight. She walked around the Keep and, if she ignored the guard’s presence, then she could pretend that she was a free woman. However, to gain some understanding of the Keep, she asked a clever question to the guard.
“Sae that I dae nae get both of us in trouble, which areas of the castle are off limits tae me? I would hate tae mistakenly wander intae the wrong part and earn the wrath of the Laird?” she asked.
She could see in the guard’s eyes the fear that came with this suggestion. He listed a number of locations, one of which was the Laird’s study. Once Caroline heard this, she asked for the particular location, just to ensure that she did not intrude on the Laird’s domain, of course.
All that was left was to find a way to sneak into the study.
She was given the opportunity after lunch, when there was something of a disturbance near the kitchen. From what she could discern, a dog had gotten into the larder and was slobbering over all the meat. The kitchen staff ran out into the corridor and begged the guard for help. The guard was caught between helping the chef and guarding Caroline.
Caroline rolled her eyes and promised that she wasn’t going to go anywhere, but, of course, took off as soon as the guard was out of sight. She stepped nimbly through the castle, keeping to the shadows wherever possible and doing her best to avoid detection. Her heart raced the entire time, and sweat beaded on her temples. She wasn’t concerned so much for her own safety as she was for Nessa and Tara. Ryan knew that her sisters were her vulnerability. If he wanted to punish her, then he would likely do that by harming them rather than her directly.
However, she believed the advantages gained by investigating his study were worth the risk. She hoped Nessa and Tara would feel the same way.
She made her way into his study and began rifling through his drawers and letters until a familiar name caught her eye. Ryan had received a letter from Laird MacLeod, who had been a friend of Caroline’s father. She had even met the man on a few occasions and knew him to be a trustworthy sort. It rankled her that he had been in correspondence with Ryan, although her fears were allayed when she read the letter.
I’m afraid that I will not allow my clan to be drawn into a conflict between your clans. You may claim that you seek peace, but I fear you are not being truthful. You have made no secret of the enmity you feel towards the Gilmour Clan. And these accusations of yours are nothing but an attempt to stir up trouble. Do you truly expect me to believe that one brother poisoned another?
I know both men, and while I have always found Gorram to be odd, I have never sensed murderous intent from him, nor did Malcolm ever confide in me any concerns about his brother. If you persist with these lies, then nobody is ever going to take you seriously. It is beneath you. Your father would never have approved of behavior such as this.
For the sake of peace I will not go to Gorram with this, but if you continue I would not be surprised if he responds with force to defend himself. However, I fear that this is exactly the outcome you want. I would urge you to reconsider. We do not need to plunge the Highlands into conflict yet again. Has there not been enough of that in the past?
Caroline’s head was reeling as she read these words. She had to read them three times more just to make sure that they weren’t a trick of the mind. Could it be true? She had never thought of this as a possibility. Would her uncle have moved against her father like this? The thought of it made her sick, and she dismissed it swiftly.
Laird MacLeod was right, this was probably just Ryan’s way of sowing discord and trying to take advantage of the tragedy. But at least she knew that Laird MacLeod wasn’t falling for it. If she could escape, then she could find safe haven in his lands. Perhaps she could even find a way to send him a letter. Surely if he knew that Ryan was holding them hostage, then he would be summoned to act? Even if he just put pressure on Ryan, it might be enough to set them free.
She searched for parchment and ink, but before she could compose a letter, the door burst open, and her husband was glowering at her, bristling with all kinds of raging energy.
“I thought I was being kind in giving ye the chance tae leave yer room, but I see now that it was misplaced. I knew there was something shifty about ye. I hae never trusted a Gilmour, and I never will. At the first opportunity, ye come here tae search through my things,” he accused her in a scathing tone.
“It was nae my fault! I-I got lost. The guard abandoned me.”
Ryan drew his hand across his chin. “That was a test, lass. Dae ye really think there would be such a commotion from a dog getting intae the kitchen? I wanted tae see if ye would behave yerself, but then ye came here. I knew it all along. This hae all been a ploy. Ye are spying for yer uncle,” as the words left Ryan’s mouth, Caroline shook her head.
“Nae,” she gasped.
“Oh aye, and it was clever of ye tae try tae pretend that ye were running from him. For a moment, I almost considered believing ye. He thinks he is cunning, sending ye three here. I’m sure he dinnae believe that anyone would consider ye spies, which makes ye perfect for the job. But I am nae just anyone.”
“I would never work for him! The whole reason I’m here is because I ran from him! He was gaeing tae marry me!”
Ryan laughed at this. “Aye, and look at how well that hae worked out for him? Now ye are mine. I bet he dinnae think I would gae tae these lengths. He hae made his move and he hae been truly outplayed. This gambit hae lost him his clan, and the only thing left is tae see the look on his face.”
Caroline twisted her face in confusion. Did he truly believe this? Was his mind so twisted with paranoia that he saw enemies everywhere? Her thoughts returned to the letter. She needed to know whether what he believed was true or not.
“Is there any proof that my uncle poisoned my Da?” she asked, her voice cracking on emotion.
Ryan pursed his lips as he stared at her. He came towards her and snatched the letter out of her hand.
“I bet ye would love tae know that, but dae ye honestly think I’m gaeing tae tell ye? What reason dae I hae tae trust ye? For all I know, ye delivered the poison tae yer Da yerself.”
“I would never dae that. I loved him.” Caroline glared at Ryan. “I will endure many indignities from ye, husband ,” she spat the word, “but I shall nae hae this aspect of my character besmirched. I loved Da, and I would never hae killed him. If ye know of a plot against him then ye must tell me because I…” she trialed away, struggling for words.
“Because ye what? Will take revenge against yer uncle? Dinnae ye fear about that, lass, I hae the matter well in hand. Oh, and there’s another matter of which I want tae make ye aware,” he gestured for her to leave the study.
She had no choice but to obey, albeit sullenly. Flanked by guards, Ryan led her through the castle to a long hallway. At the end of which, she could see Nessa and Tara being escorted to a new room. They were too far away, so they did not catch a glimpse of her. He had done as she asked. Tension simmered within her heart. She was determined to know the truth, even if it meant that she would have to win his trust somehow, although she wasn’t sure this was possible given his suspicious nature.
Then she met his dark gaze.
“I will see ye taenight, my lady,” he whispered, brushing the small of her back with his hand, hinting at the promise she had made him earlier, only to touch him once her sisters had been freed from their room.
Her throat ran dry as the heat from his touch lingered, and a tingling sensation ran all the way through her body.
It was sheer torture.