Chapter Eighteen
Despite Shane’s warning not to go into the village alone, Lindsay needed to get a few things, as well as get out of the cottage for a bit. And since he was gone again up to the castle for the rest of the day, she would have to see to the errands herself.
She didn’t begrudge his work at the castle, but she did miss him through the day. As she walked through the woods toward the village alone, she spotted one of the guards he’d set to watching her. She glanced down at her faithful companion. Tre wasn’t very big, but she would surely defend Lindsay if these guards proved disloyal to her husband.
Her heart calmed when she broke through the trees and entered the village. However, her worries shifted from running into the MacPherson soldiers alone in the woods to running into someone who may be looking for her from the castle.
She brushed it off and went about her errands. It was a beautiful day, and everyone in the village seemed lightened by the sunshine and blue skies. She shared a smile with everyone she met and was surprised to find most of the people offered a smile in return. She’d thought the village to be filled with miserable people like her uncle. When she’d been out before, no one had paid her any attention. But perhaps they all had their weights to carry and some days the load felt more manageable than others.
As she was looking through bundles of yarn, she felt someone watching her. Glancing around, she spotted a young woman who looked away as soon as their gazes connected. The woman was wearing a simple but well-made gown. Something a maid at the castle might wear. As Lindsay moved, the woman followed. Lindsay’s chest pounded. Had she been found? What could she do? Run? That meant leaving Shane behind, since he’d refused to leave this place.
She thought of her cousin with the MacKenzies, and the refuge didn’t feel as freeing as it had before. She didn’t want to have to leave her husband. Moving along to the next stand, Lindsay waited a few moments and then turned quickly, finding the woman watching her yet again. Rather than continue playing this game, Lindsay marched up to the smaller woman and raised her brows. “Why are you following me?” she asked directly, crossing her arms to keep her hands from shaking. It was better to know if she’d been found out than worry herself to death over it.
“Who are you?” the other woman asked.
“Who am I? You are following me. Who are you?” It seemed this woman’s stubbornness matched Lindsay’s own, but eventually, after they stared at each other for a few seconds, the other woman relented.
“I am the laird’s sister.”
Lindsay was surprised by this. Someone from the castle following her around surely meant they had learned who she was and planned to tell the new laird his bride was living secretly in a cottage with her new husband.
“I am Lindsay MacPherson,” she answered, hoping that by using her new surname she could throw the other woman off the trail.
“A MacPherson?” The woman looked her up and down. “I do not know of you. You must have married a MacPherson.”
“Aye. Shane MacPherson. I was a…a Cameron before I married.”
The woman’s eyes grew large. She knew the Camerons were not well liked by the MacPhersons, but that wasn’t the cause of the woman’s shock.
“You’re married to Shane MacPherson?” She nearly choked on the question.
Pity for this girl made Lindsay back down. It was clear this woman knew Shane and was upset to hear he had married. Had she been in love with him and wanted him for herself?
“I am. For several weeks now.”
“I see. Well, then. I wish you every happiness.” She turned and sped off toward the men who were clearly guarding her.
When Lindsay arrived home, she found Shane rushing from the cottage. When he spotted her walking up the path, he relaxed for a moment before coming toward her, irritation clear on his handsome face.
“What are you doing walking about? I told you to stay in the cottage.”
“I only needed some yarn and a bit of cheese. Besides, your guards did not let me out of their sight. Neither did this formidable warrior,” she said as she dropped a bit of cheese for Tre.
“What could she do? Bark the person to death?” He leaned down to pet the little dog.
She smiled but shook her head. “The only danger today was from a woman watching me in the village.”
“A woman?”
“Aye. The laird’s sister was following me.” She watched his face as she shared this news, but he didn’t hide his surprise. “You know her.”
“Aye,” he said slowly, still watching her carefully.
“I think the lass cares for you a great deal and was unhappy to hear of your marriage to me. Whatever she may have been to you, you should have told her. Tender hearts break easily. It’s better to be honest.” What a shrew she was to accuse him of dishonesty when she was living a life not her own.
“Aye. I should have told her I was wed.” Tilting his head, he continued. “Is that all she said?”
“She ran off upset before I had the chance to speak to her. I didn’t even catch her name.”
“Her name is Tory. If you were to see her again.” He gave a nod and looked off toward the castle. “She’s family.”
Lindsay nodded, happy that he shared this information with her. “You may need to apologize to her.”
“Yes. I believe I do. I’ll see to it first thing tomorrow, when I return to the castle.”
“What are you doing home so early? I wasn’t expecting you until later this evening.” She was more than happy to see him. But if he was only there for the nooning, she didn’t want to get her hopes up.
“I needed some time away from the books. And I wanted to spend the day with you. A reward for keeping my sanity after the mess the books are in.”
She pulled him into her arms, and he leaned down to kiss her hair. And then her neck.
“I thought we’d spend the day by the river.” He kissed her lips and then pulled back slightly. “But now I only wish to see the inside of the cottage until it’s dark.”
She smiled and dashed toward the cottage with him quick behind her. Being chased was quite fun, but not as much as being caught. Their laughter soon turned to gasps and sighs as they made love.
As he’d said, it was dark before they were finally sated enough to see to their dinner. They put together a quick meal of apples, cheese, and bread, but rather than eat at the table, they lounged in bed and took turns feeding each other. He even used her stomach to hold his sliced apple, and she giggled when he took a bite of juicy fruit, allowing his tongue to linger on her heated skin.
Since she was sticky, he suggested they bathe together in the chilly river. Goose flesh pebbled her skin until he pulled her close to his hot body.
“How are you so warm in this frigid water?” she asked.
“Thinking of what I plan to do to you when I carry you over to the plaid has me overheated.”
“You should carry me out of the water before I turn to ice.”
He did as she asked, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as he held on to her arse to keep her secured to his body. Her wet skin heated, and as he slid inside, she welcomed him with a long moan.
It seemed they couldn’t get enough of each other. This new activity had claimed her every thought when he was away and their every moment when he was there.
She couldn’t be happier.
…
On the way up to the castle the next day, Shane frowned despite the sunny morning. He’d been careful not to lie to Lindsay, but he’d never corrected any of her assumptions or been honest about who he was.
She had no reason to think he was the laird of the MacPhersons. At this point, he’d dragged out the deception so long he doubted she would believe him when he did tell her the truth. Would she be happy to live in the castle and be the lady of the clan, or would she be angry with the burden he’d placed on her?
He had other things to worry about today, like making sure the clan was worthy of a lady such as his Lindsay. He was only in the castle a few minutes before his sister entered the study. She stood by the door, arms crossed tightly across her chest and her foot tapping.
“Good morning to you, sister,” he said to put off the tongue-lashing she was sure to give him.
“Don’t call me your sister when it is clear you do not think of me as family,” she snapped.
Folding his hands on the desk, he nodded toward the chair sitting to the side. “Won’t you have a seat so we can discuss this?”
“Nay. I don’t need a seat. I need the truth. You are married?”
“Aye. You met my wife in the village yesterday, as I understand it.”
“Why did you not tell me? Why does she refuse to live in the castle?” she asked.
Shane was equally relieved and irritated that the truth hadn’t come out. It would have taken the decision out of his hands. Lindsay would know the truth even then. But however it had come about, his ruse had remained intact despite his sister meeting his wife. He decided to tell his sister the truth, and not just because it would be near impossible to keep two women in the dark regarding his deception.
“She doesn’t refuse to live in the castle. She doesn’t know it is an option to do so.”
“She doesn’t realize the lady of the clan gets to sleep in an elaborate room in the castle?”
“She doesn’t know she is the lady of the clan. She doesn’t know I am the laird. When we met, I was simply a soldier returned from years at war. And she cared for me as that. I have no wish for her to know I misled her, even if I also wish she knew the truth. I can’t be certain she would be happy to learn who I am.”
“You mean you don’t think she will be happy to find out you’ve lied to her?” Tory clarified.
“I’ve not lied. Not exactly. I’ve just not elaborated the facts.”
She snorted in a very unladylike way. “You men are nothing more than cowards. You hide away to keep from telling women the truth, even if they would be much better off if you would just come out with it so they might lick their wounds and move on.”
Shane may not have been a scholar when it came to understanding women’s thoughts, but he was certain his sister was no longer speaking of the situation with he and Lindsay. Rather than pick at that wound, he held out his arms, because he needed to tell her something else she wasn’t going to like.
“There is more.”
“More? More than you having a wife? What, do you have two wives?”
“Actually, yes.”
Shane worried Tory might faint, such was her surprise. He went on. “That is, not at the same time. But I had a wife before Lindsay. Her name was Maria DeLuna. We married in Spain, where she was from. She was killed.” His voice dipped on the last word, but he managed to explain what happened to his first wife. Lindsay had been right when she’d told him it would be easier to remember Maria without the guilt getting in the way.
He smiled even as his sister shook her head.
“And you never mentioned a wife in any of your letters home.”
“There were not so many letters, and I couldn’t speak of her for some time after she died.”
Tory nodded, but her anger had faded. “And you have remarried this Lindsay? A Cameron?”
“I was being forced into a marriage Father had agreed to. Call me stubborn, but I didn’t want to make an alliance that would only put more jewels around Deirdre’s neck. I wed Lindsay to offer her protection after her uncle had mistreated her, and I do not regret it.”
“You’re scared to tell her.” Tory’s eyebrow lifted in that smug way she had when she knew she was right about something.
“Aye. I’m terrified she will not want the burden of being the lady of the MacPhersons. And I’m worried she will not look at me as she does now. As nothing more than a man she has come to care for. Not a laird. Just a man.”
“You want her to want you for who you are, not what you are.”
“Aye.” He was surprised that his sister understood so well. But she was grown. He imagined her lack of company wore on her.
“I can see why you would want that. I’m the daughter and now sister of a laird. I’ve always expected to be married off as chattel.”
“Well, I will not be marrying you off anytime soon,” he assured her.
She laughed and shook her head. “Only because you don’t have the coin for the dowry.”
His lip pulled up on the side. “That might be part of it, but I would at least see you happy.”
“Well, I thank you for that. I’ve never been so relieved not to have a dowry. It means the men only looking for coin will move on.”
He let out a breath and nodded.
“Aye. I wish I could move on. Unfortunately, there is the matter of the dowry for the Wallaces’ daughter. It has been paid and already spent. I have nothing with which to repay the laird, since Deirdre ran off with every cent we had. If they come to claim recompense, I have nothing but the castle in which we stand. If he declares war… I will have no choice but to have my marriage to Lindsay annulled so I can marry the Wallace lass as planned to save the clan.” He let out a breath, feeling exhausted for having finally spoken his fears out loud. “I do not think I can do it.”
“Then we must find a way to keep that from being the only option.”
But as he was hugging his sister and hoping for a way to keep his wife, a lad tapped on the door, calling their attention to him.
“Riders approach. It looks to be Alec and his men.”
“Lord, I hope our brother brings good news.”