Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
With Eilidh's help, it wasn't difficult for Anna to locate Marcus. He was tucked away in the first corner of the library she searched, and judging by the way he looked at her, he wasn't happy to be found.
"I'm quite sorry for interrupting you," Anna said, taking a step back to keep a respectable distance between them. "But I think the two of us need to talk."
"Ach, and I have a feelin' ye willnae leave me be until we have this conversation," Marcus grumbled, narrowing his eyes but staying where he was seated.
She took a moment to analyze his body language. It was clear that he wished to flee or was holding himself back from saying more.
"You're correct," she said when she'd looked her fill. "I've noticed that you don't like me. I've been doing my best to figure out why, but nothing makes sense. I haven't done anything to you. You made your disdain for me clear from the moment we met."
Marcus looked up at her, the sharpness in his eyes softening. He sighed and leaned forward, and she watched his throat bob as he swallowed hard.
"Aye, ye arenae wrong," he said, glancing at the wall before meeting her gaze once more. "But it's nae ye I'm angry about."
At his admission, she felt as if she could see all of the weight that he had been carrying quietly. His shoulders had a slight curve to them. There was an almost palpable sadness hanging off of him. It seemed a lot like heartbreak.
"Then help me understand," Anna said, her voice gentle. "If it isn't me, then what is it?"
Marcus frowned, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. After he collected himself, he said, "I'm not angry at ye. But I am angry that Hugh was able to marry the woman he pleased. When we moved to Castle McDonald, away from the village, I was forced to leave the woman I loved."
"Leave her?" Anna asked, tilting her head as her palm came to rest over her chest. "Why would you have to leave her? The village isn't too far away. Granted, the ride is quite dreadful."
A bitter laugh left Marcus's lips. Without humor, he said, "Me family… Hugh, me maither, Arianna… They were all against me bein' with her. I didnae have any choice but to leave her."
The emotion was so raw that it made Anna's heart clench in response. It wasn't a surprise that he had been so cold to her. Even though the vitriol was misdirected, it was to be expected.
He's hurting and doesn't know how to manage it.
"This must feel like a terrible betrayal," she said after a moment, keeping quiet as if afraid of startling him away, frightened of saying the wrong thing.
"You were told you couldn't marry whomever you pleased, and then your brother runs off and does precisely that.
I believe I'd be upset too if I were in your position. "
Anna's attempt at comfort seemed to work. Her brother-in-law looked up at her as if she were no longer the enemy. Still, he was guarded when he said, "I think that anyone would be upset if they were experiencin' these circumstances."
She let the words settle between them for a moment. There wasn't anything she could offer that didn't feel like an empty platitude. Instead, she just remained present, disallowing him from feeling the pain of his reality alone.
"She still lives in the village, doesn't she?" Anna asked when nearly a minute had passed. "It's not too far of a carriage ride."
He didn't respond immediately. It was as if he were digesting the interaction. It was hard to read what exactly was going through his mind, but it was obvious that he wasn't attempting to keep her away anymore.
"Aye, Helena still lives in the village," Marcus said finally, sitting up straighter and pulling his composure back into place.
"And nay, it's nae too far from here. I havenae been able to find the time to visit.
If I didnae ken any differently, I'd believe that everyone was conspirin' against lettin' me leave the castle. "
"Well," she said with a grin, bolstered now that she had an idea. "What if I'm able to find a reason for you to go to the village?"
"Is that so?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in a gesture that reminded Anna of his brother. "And how do ye propose that ye do that?"
She made a sound in the back of her throat as her forefinger came to rest on her chin. "I don't have anything on my mind at the moment, but that doesn't mean the opportunity won't arise."
"That's all well and good," he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "But how will ye ken that I willnae be needed for somethin' in the castle?"
The question gave her pause. She doubted there would be a circumstance where Hugh would allow another man to accompany her to the village. That would be improper. He did seem to be fairly flexible with her, though.
"I believe that if Hugh's taking me to the village, he'd bring you along if I asked," Anna said after a beat. "If he's insistent on why, perhaps we can say that you need to visit the tailor or some other menial task."
The slightest hint of a smile revealed itself when Marcus said, "Ye're goin' to help me fool me brother?"
She chuckled softly and murmured, "I suppose that's what I'm offering, isn't it?"
With a laugh of his own, he replied, "Perhaps I was too quick to judge ye, Anna. Ye're full of surprises."
His acceptance washed over her in a tidal wave. The smile on her face only grew wider. She hadn't expected gaining a sibling to feel like this. It was as if she were excited to get into trouble with him.
Before she could voice the thought, a rumbling voice said from behind her, "I wondered where ye'd gotten to, Anna. The council is ready to meet ye."
Finding Anna speaking to Marcus was a surprise. Hugh was sure that the two would avoid each other. His brother seemed unable to be kind, and his wife seemed keen on avoiding conflict.
"What are ye doin' here?" he asked Marcus when the two didn't immediately respond.
"We're makin' up," Marcus replied easily before standing. "Ye said that the council wanted to meet her. They arenae bein' difficult, are they?"
"I'm sure they will be," Hugh said, sighing as he rubbed the stubble on his jaw. "Callum was quite pushy about it."
"I suppose it can't be helped," Anna said, rolling her shoulders back.
She seemed to be projecting a confidence she didn't truly feel. Whatever she'd discussed with his mother must have been more helpful than Hugh had anticipated. He'd have to speak to Eilidh when he could to thank her for helping her.
We'll see if it's enough to carry her through meetin' with the council. That'll be the real test.
"Aye," Hugh said, gesturing for her to follow. "Just do yer best. They've already made up their minds about ye. There's nae a thing they can do to ye."
As he led her to the door, Marcus said, "I'll come with ye. Best ye have someone else on yer side."
Hugh's gaze snapped to his brother. Clearly, he hadn't been lying when he'd reported that the two had made up. When he had more time, Hugh would investigate what had prompted the change. For now, it seemed that all of them were focused on mentally fortifying themselves for the meeting.
As soon as he opened the door for the three of them, the members of the council went silent. All eyes turned to them, and Anna stiffened at Hugh's side. From the looks of it, the meeting was going to be more of a headache than he thought it would be.
"Ye're here too," Callum said, his gaze drifting from Hugh to Anna before landing on Marcus. "We didnae need yer presence."
"I ken," Marcus said as he pulled out a chair for Anna. "But I will stay."
"Hugh—" Callum began.
"Nay, Callum," Hugh interjected, sitting on the other side of Anna. "I'd like Marcus to join us."
Callum narrowed his eyes but said nothing more. He seemed to realize Hugh had been lenient yesterday and that any further dissent would bring corrective action. Hugh didn't need to say a word for Callum to understand.
Despite everyone being present, the council members still took their time settling into their seats. Hugh watched as they stiffly exchanged looks. Whatever they had planned, he was sure it wouldn't be pleasant for any of them.
"Lady Anna Murray," Aaron began, his eyes landing firmly on her. "Or should I say Lady Anna Mullen since ye're already wed to Laird McDonald."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, smiling.
"I wish we could say the same for ye," the short, red-faced member said.
"If it had been under different circumstances," Callum cut in before anyone else could pile on, "I'm sure that we'd be just as pleased to meet ye. Since we werenae able to speak with ye prior to yer marriage, we need to get to ken ye now."
"I understand," she replied, the edges of her facade already cracking.
The diminished look in her eye made Hugh want to strike each man down. He understood that they were angry, but Anna hadn't done anything wrong. The interrogation should have concluded yesterday. It shouldn't extend to her.
I must let them ask some questions, though. If I daenae play along with them, they'll make everyone's life much harder.
"We need to inquire about the nature of yer relationship with the Laird," Callum said, leaning forward.
Hugh realized instantly that he was aiming to expose the letter. It was a low blow, and Hugh realized it was meant to highlight his own recklessness. Even so, revealing the missive that began it all would undoubtedly hurt Anna more. He didn't get a chance to speak, though.
"It was a case of mistaken identity," she said, repeating the lie Hugh had told his mother when they arrived. "I hadn't anticipated Hugh being the recipient of my letter."
"The late Laird McDonald didnae have any engagements that we were aware of," Aaron said, keeping his frustration in check.
They're all coverin' their arses with this calm presentation.
"He's correct," Callum said, holding himself as if he were the authority in the room. "We daenae ken about any engagements he had. How do ye explain that?"
Hugh practically growled as he asked, "How do ye expect her to ken what the last Laird was doin'? I believe yer ignorance is more concernin' than hers."
"We're havin' this discussion because ye got married without seekin' our advice," Callum said, a dangerous edge to his voice. "I believe that anyone's capable of hidin' things. Ye've done it. Why wouldnae yer predecessor do the same?"
Lacking a proper response, Hugh groaned. "Ye think I didnae ask her?"
"I—" Anna began before she was promptly spoken over.
"We're nae askin' ye, Hugh," Callum replied, speaking to him as though he were a petulant child. "We need to hear what happened from yer wife. We need to ken if she's worthy of bein' our Lady."
Marcus scoffed, saying, "It's a little late for that, daenae ye think?"
"There are steps that can be taken to protect the clan," Aaron said. "We need to ken if we have to put the precautions in place."
"Ach, ye cannae be serious," Marcus said, his passion surprising Hugh. "Ye're goin' to ask her about a past we cannae verify? Why daenae ye get to ken her? The staff seems to be enamored with the lass!"
He did say he'd try to help me win them over. I just didnae expect him to be so vehement about it.
"Nae only that," Hugh added, cutting in before anyone else could. "But the villagers we met on the way to the castle adored her. They demanded that I bring her back soon so she can greet them properly."
There was a tense silence. In his chair, Marcus sat up a little taller. Anna seemed to hold her thoughts closer to her chest. The council was decidedly quiet, almost as if they hadn't been expecting this kind of pushback.
"Ye didnae tell us that ye had already introduced her to the village," Callum said slowly.
"I didnae get the chance to speak when we met yesterday," Hugh said. "And that shouldnae influence this conversation."
The observation rippled through the council. They shifted, none of them able to provide a proper response. Hugh realized that they were going to leverage that bit of information to try to sway public opinion. It was a dirty trick that they clearly weren't ready to have discovered.
But with nay proof, I cannae do anythin'.
"Ye're right," Callum said through gritted teeth, the first of the council to recover.
"And if the villagers already approve of her, then much of this meetin' doesnae matter.
There are still more things that we need to discuss.
We will take their opinions into consideration, but they daenae understand the intricacies of what happens here. "
"I'll be sure to tell them that," Hugh said as he rose from his chair, signaling for Marcus and Anna to do the same. "But I think this introduction has served its purpose."
Hugh led the three of them out of the room before Callum or Aaron or anyone else was able to interject. None of them spoke as they walked through the corridors. They didn't stop until they were in the atrium.
"I wish I could tell ye that they aren't always like that," he said, stepping in front of Anna. "But they've been a bit… tense lately."
She gave him a half-hearted smile before her mouth contorted into a frown once more. Softly, she said, "I'm sorry that I couldn't convince them on my own. I…"
"Ye daenae need to apologize," Hugh said. "They should be apologizin' to ye." He paused, waiting for her to nod in agreement. "How about we get to the village? We can get ye new clothes and visit with the villagers ye didnae get to meet."
"That sounds nice," she said after a moment. "And perhaps Marcus can come as well."
Hugh's eyes narrowed, a wave of suspicion surging through him. Even without Callum's accusation, Marcus's behavior was strange. The fact that his wife was now requesting his brother accompany them…
He shook his head before that thread of thinking could go too far. He felt as if he might be dangerously close to admitting he was jealous. "The two of ye appear quite close all of a sudden."
"I've always wanted a brother," Anna said so sincerely that he had no choice but to believe her. "And I think it may be nice to bring him with us."
As Hugh pinched the bridge of his nose, she came closer, putting a hand upon his forearm. With a sigh, Hugh glanced at his brother and said, "I suppose it willnae hurt if Marcus comes along."