Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
Isla was sitting beside Iain in the Great Hall at dinner time.
Iain was at the head, and the clan elders were placed around the table, while Laird Sinclaιr paced, forming a steeple with his hands.
His empty chair was not the most prominent in the room, but he had a way of making himself the focus.
He most often paced behind Iain, unable to stop himself from being near the high seat.
“Given what’s happened across the Highlands I can think of nae good reason tae delay the wedding. We hae all lost sae much recently. We deserve some happy news, and it gives me great pride tae think of my daughter wearing Anderson colors and representing this great clan,” Laird Sinclair said.
Iain smiled. “I appreciate yer words, my Laird, and of course I will nae refuse such a proposal, but ye flatter us. I would nae call us great, nae compared tae the four who formed the Pact.”
“Ah, that is recent history my young friend.”
Laird Sinclair came to stand directly behind Iain and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Yer clan hae some of the finest warriors. For too long the four of us were embroiled in war. I tried tae make them all see sense and I hae tae defend our clan when it was required, but I see the folly of my ways. I should hae approached ye a long time ago. The Highlands require a greater vision than what the four clans can provide, and I ken ye are the man tae provide that vision. With our alliance I’m sure the other Lairds, young and old, will seek tae be in yer good graces and the Highlands shall be yers. ”
Iain’s eyes shone with the high praise. Laird Sinclair’s eyes shone with ambition, for he was so close to enacting his scheme.
Isla swallowed a lump in her throat. Her hands rested in her lap.
She decided to remain quiet, knowing that it would not do well to offer contrasting opinions to her father publicly.
He was held in high esteem by Iain and the clan elders, and she did not wish to put Iain in a position where he was forced to side with either her or her father.
Instead, she wanted to gently influence him in private, away from her father where he could not counter her words and where Iain would not have to be concerned about his pride.
But still, it left her agitated and her heel tapped the floor repeatedly.
She had told Gavin that Iain was a good man and that was true.
In many ways he was too good. Without a cynical bone in his body he did not suspect that her father was acting in his own self-interest. Iain believed all the words and did not sense that Laird Sinclair wanted the Highlands all for himself.
Iain was not an ally, he was just a pawn, like everyone else in Laird Sinclair’s life.
While her father spoke, Isla thought about Gavin.
Would running actually do Iain a favor?
If there was no chance of a marriage then her father would not have a hold on him and would not be able to gain any official footing within the Anderson Clan.
However, given the way Laird Sinclair could manipulate the truth he would likely say that Isla had been kidnapped.
Iain wouldn’t hesitate to come after her, and it would end up accelerating the war she wanted to avoid.
More than that, it would bring Gavin and Iain into direct conflict, and she certainly didn’t want that.
Isla rubbed her forehead as she thought about all these things. So many plans swirled in her head, and as she played out the consequences it became clear to her that the only thing she could do was remain with Iain.
“Are ye nae feeling well, Isla?” Iain asked, leaning towards her with a look of concern upon his face.
Before Isla could reply, Laird Sinclair was already speaking.
“My daughter hae never hae the patience for these meetings,” he chuckled, and the men all chuckled with him.
“I ken she hae a distaste for war, but sometimes ‘tis necessary. I dae hope that all the other clans see sense and agree tae peace. Unfortunately, I hae dealt with them all my life and experience hae taught me that they are too selfish. They want the Highlands for themselves. Even my own son hae been turned against me.”
Laird Sinclair bowed his head and for a moment even Isla was fooled that he genuinely felt sorrow.
But she knew better. This was all a performance for the benefit of his new allies, to present himself as a broken man and one who had suffered a great injustice at the hands of the other clans.
The one who had brokered peace and seen that peace shattered.
Of course, none of them realized that the peace had been shattered by his own hands.
Iain stood up and turned to Laird Sinclair.
“I ken ye hae lost much, but I swear that ye shall never lose yer daughter. I will protect her with my life and I shall endeavor tae bring peace tae the Highlands. I am nae afraid of fighting for what’s right, and it seems tae me these other clans need reminding of what is truly important in the world.
We will bring a lasting peace tae the Highlands, and I’m proud tae hae ye by my side. ”
Iain clasped Laird Sinclair’s hand, shaking it firmly. A ripple of applause ran around the table. Isla dipped her head, not wishing anyone to see the look of revulsion that crept across her face.
The meeting drew to a close. Isla gathered her cloak and motioned to leave the Hall. Iain skipped to catch up with her.
“Isla, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sure ‘tis naething. I probably just need some rest. I shall take some time tae myself and I’m sure that I’ll feel better later,” she replied, offering him a reassuring smile.
“As ye wish. Shall I send a healer tae ye?”
“Nae, that will nae be necessary.”
“I hope that ye are nae feeling this way at the prospect of bringing the marriage forward,” he said with a nervous laugh.
Isla gnawed on her lower lip. “Of course nae. I look forward tae bringing our clans taegether. Da is right. We could all use something tae celebrate in such dark times. I’m proud tae think that our marriage could bring hope and joy tae sae many.”
Iain breathed with relief. He took Isla’s cloak from her arms and noticed that the stitching had come loose.
“What happened here?” he asked, pinching the loose bit of tartan.
Isla shuddered inside.
A man I love—loved—took me in his arms and gave me a kiss from which I am still reeling. A kiss I might never forget. And he asked me to leave you and I’m considering it and the only thing that is stopping me is thinking about others.
The thought flashed through her mind, but of course she did not utter this out loud.
“I must hae caught it on something. I shall hae it mended soon.”
“I hope sae. ‘Tis fortunate I am nae a suspicious man, otherwise I might think this is an ill omen,” he chuckled.
They finally reached her chamber. Isla’s gaze was furtive, always searching for Gavin. She hoped he wouldn’t be so stupid as to be hovering nearby, but she couldn’t put it past him. She turned to Iain and took her riding cloak back, looking into his soft eyes.
“Iain, naething will stop this wedding. I want tae marry ye. This will nae only be the best thing for the Highlands but the best thing for ourselves as well.”
She smiled sweetly. Iain returned the gesture and raised his hand, stroking her cheek.
“I will never tire of hearing that,” he said, then leaned in and kissed her cheek.
Unlike Gavin, his kiss was soft and tentative, almost a mere brush. It was a gentle breeze compared to a passionate storm. It was pleasant, but Isla did not feel the same inferno inside, nor did her knees tremble. She felt guilty for being torn between the two men, one by desire, one by duty.
Iain pulled away with a dazed smile on his face. She exhaled deeply, acting as she had when Gavin had kissed her.
“Get some rest. I will see ye soon. I would like tae talk more about our future taegether.”
“As dae I,” Isla whispered, before disappearing to her room.
When she closed the door she pressed herself against it, taking a deep breath. Then, she looked around her room but was not sure how she felt when she did not see a flower waiting for her there.
It occurred to her that she might have seen Gavin for the last time, and she wasn’t entirely prepared for it.
There was a knock at the door in the middle of the night.
Isla froze, waking up, fearing that it might be Gavin, although he would have probably barged into the room without a second thought.
“I am resting. Who’s there?” she called out.
The door opened and her father’s silhouette appeared. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.
“I hae been waiting for news. Where is the MacLaren boy?” he snapped, not waiting to get to the heart of the matter.
Isla stood, putting her robe around her nightdress. She wore an airy look.
“I hae nae been feeling myself. Iain thought it best that I rest and am nae one tae argue with my betrothed. And given that the wedding hae been moved up, I hae nae hae time tae look for a ghost. I hae been too busy preparing for the ceremony.”
Her father came into the middle of the room and placed his hands on his hips.
“I dinnae believe ye, Isla. Dinnae delay in this matter because it will only make things worse for ye. All I need tae dae is send word tae one of my people and ye will never see yer Ma again.”
Isla closed her eyes for a long blink and exhaled deeply. Emotions swirled within her and they demanded to be unleashed, but she resisted this calling. She needed to remain calm, to try to act aloof, to make her father wonder what she was planning.
“Ye are becoming paranoid, Da. I hae already told ye that I hae nae idea where Gavin is. If he hae any sense then he will be far away from here. I am only concerned with the future of the Highlands, as are ye. I want tae get married and usher in a new era for us all.”
Laird Sinclair closed the distance between them and loomed over the bed. He thrust a finger into the air.
“Dinnae try tae play games with me, lass. I brought ye intae this world and I can take ye out just as well. Dinnae think ye can make a fool of me. I ken Gavin will come tae ye eventually. Dae as I say, as is yer place.”
He spoke these words as though being callous came so naturally to him that he didn’t need to try to think of an insult. At the mention of this, Isla’s attempt to keep control of her emotions failed. She pushed herself to her feet and arched her head back, staring at him.
“I ken ye think ye hae won Iain over, but he loves me and if he should find out that ye treat me like this he will nae stand for it. I will be his wife, nae yer daughter, and ye will hae nae control over me.”
Darkness settled over her father’s eyes. They narrowed and his lips formed a thin line.
A hand came out of nowhere.
The movement flashed in the corner of her eyes and then the impact stung against her cheek. Her head twisted to the side. A scream borne from the cocktail of pain and shock leaped from her lips, but before she could respond the other hand came up and grabbed a fistful of hair.
He wrenched it and agony spread across her scalp, as though a hundred needles were being thrust into her skin.
He yanked hard enough to bring her to her knees. Tears filled her eyes and she flailed with her arms, but she could not break free of his grip. Her father leaned down and snarled into her ear.
“Dae ye honestly think that Iain values yer ideas? He only cares about the way ye look. In time he will become bored of ye, as is the way with all women when their looks fade. Ye are naething but a tool for my ambition, and through ye I shall rule him, and through him I shall rule this country. There is much I can teach him. He seeks my guidance and I will show him how tae rule and how tae treat his woman.”
He punctuated these words by twisting his wrist. The hair pulled at her scalp again. Isla closed her eyes, having never felt any pain like this. Her screams were silent and it felt as though he was moments away from ripping the flesh from her skull.
“If I am willing tae treat ye like this, imagine what I will dae tae yer Ma. Ye are my blood, and she is just the woman I married. I will hae her eyes gouged out. I will make her weep blood. I will pull out her fingernails and then break every bone in her body. I will wrench out her teeth, cut off her ears. Think of the worst thing that ye can imagine and ken that I will dae something even more depraved. I burned my own ancestral home for the sake of power. Ye ken there are nae limits tae what I will dae.”
He tightened his grip and then shoved her to the floor. Her hair fell over her face. Pain radiated across her scalp, while her heart shuddered.
“In fact, I think I might send someone tae remind her that I am still thinking of her. And it might be wise tae remind ye that I can fulfill my threats. Perhaps if ye see a piece of her body it will convince ye tae behave.”
Isla’s heart cracked. Her mother had been through so much already, and now that Isla was aware of her father’s true depravity she could only imagine the horrors that her mother had survived during the course of their marriage.
Isla had tended to her mother while she had ailed, and she could not bring herself to let him hurt her again.
Even if it meant sacrificing Gavin.
But she’d told him to leave. She’d warned him. What else could she do?
“Dinnae hurt her. Please,” Isla said.
“Then tell me something I can use,” her father rasped.
“The stables. He will be there. The dawn after taeday.”
The best lies were the ones that were mixed in with the truth. It might not be enough to save him. It might not be enough to save her mother, but at least it gave her time.
“Ye are lucky ye can still serve a purpose,” he said, and marched out of the room.
After he closed the door, she heard a key turn in a lock. She was a prisoner again.
Isla dragged herself to the bed and curled into a ball. She put her hands on her head, trying to massage the pain away from her scalp. Choking sobs were buried in the pillow, which soon became wet with hot, helpless tears.
It seemed hopeless to try to save the people she loved. She thought of her mother being taken from her refuge in Stormhaven, only to be plunged back into horror where her pain and torment would be worse than they had ever been before.
And Gavin…
Laird Sinclair would likely make a display of him, dragging him through the clan in chains and then… Oh, the horrors became too intense to imagine, and there was nobody to whom she could turn.