Chapter Twenty-Six
The next day brought dreary rain pit-pattering against the little leaded windows of the cottage, along with urgent banging on the door at an ungodly hour.
Instead of an indulgent morning, pressing her eager flesh against Cullen’s, Lowri was forced to open the door to a red-faced Connie.
She barged in, saw Cullen abed, shirtless, and smirked.
‘You’d best rouse yourself. A ship just rounded the headland. She’s fighting an offshore wind and a huge swell, but she’ll dock at Larne by noon, I reckon. Could be from Cork, and you did ask me to keep a lookout.’
Cullen cursed and reached for his clothes.
‘Are you going to Larne?’ said Lowri. ‘What do you hope to achieve? Briony has chosen Butcher.’
‘Butcher?’ said Connie with raised eyebrows.
‘Aye. Briony has been seeing him behind our backs these last weeks, and she ran off with him yesterday.’
‘Foolish, ungrateful lass. Well, this Donald fellow will not take miss high and mighty now she has been sullied by that filthy swine,’ said Connie. ‘Though there’s ways of pretending to be innocent in the marriage bed, when you are not.’
‘Are there?’ said Lowri to Connie, glancing at Cullen.
He just shrugged and said, ‘I don’t know much about that, but we have to go and meet Donald, seeing as he’s sailed all the way up from Cork on account of our letter.’
‘Cullen, he might not be on that ship,’ said Lowri.
‘Well, I dearly hope he is, for I want done with that lass, and this mess.’
His tone was snappy, and Lowri tried not to think it was because he held some lingering jealousy that a lass as lovely as Briony had chosen Butcher.
‘If I were you, I’d stay well out of it,’ said Connie.
‘That lass is nought but trouble, and I don’t trust that pretty face one inch.
Mark my words, there’s nought but mischief in going to Larne, and you’d do better staying abed and getting up to other kinds of mischief.
’ Connie walked out, tutting her disapproval.
Cullen took Lowri in his arms. ‘I would love to stay in bed with you, but I’ll go and saddle the horses. We must get this behind us, my love.’
Lowri watched him go. Her heart leapt at his words.
‘My love,’ he’d said. She hoped it was not because of the delicious, wicked things her body had done to his last night, for Lowri had already fallen hard for Cullen Macaulay.
He had her heart and loyalty, and she had become his slave, something she never wanted to be.
***
The wind battered the shoreline, snatching Cullen’s breath from his lungs as he and Lowri reached the ship in the harbour. Two men were disembarking. One was stocky and well-dressed, the other, squat and dishevelled, and bearing the weary resignation of a servant.
The stocky one looked a little green about the gills as he surveyed his surroundings in dismay.
He had icy blue eyes, startling in his pallid face, and a paunch overhanging his braies.
His brown hair was raked over a balding head, and the wind took it, flapping it over his face.
He smoothed it back down as they approached, and Cullen’s mood sank.
This man would never set a young woman’s heart on fire like the dark, sensual Butcher.
‘Are you Donald Drummond?’ said Cullen.
‘Who is asking?’ The man looked down his nose at him.
‘My name is Cullen Macaulay, and this is my wife, Lowri. We sent word of Briony’s rescue.’
Drummond looked from Cullen to Lowri, eyes lingering on her disapprovingly. ‘She has been staying with you?’ he said.
‘Aye.’
‘And where is Briony?’
‘She will be along presently,’ said Lowri, but the man seemed not to hear her. Instead, he snapped at his servant, ‘Murphy, go and see if you can find us decent lodgings. I’ll not meet my bride out here in this infernal wind.’
‘This place does not offer much, according to the Captain,’ said the servant, eyeing them suspiciously. ‘Perhaps the ship is a better place to stay, Master.’
‘I’d scoop out my own innards before getting back on that floating cesspit.’
‘There is an inn next to the church, up that hill,’ said Cullen, pointing.
Drummond clicked his fingers and waved a hand, and Murphy jumped to his master’s command and hurried off towards the inn.
‘It is a simple place, but decent, and clean enough,’ offered Cullen.
‘I very much doubt that,’ said Donald Drummond, as if he were in dire peril from catching a pestilence from such a place. ‘I thank you for your service to Briony. She was lucky, you were there when the ship went down,’ he added, narrowing his eyes.
Cullen felt more under suspicion than thanked.
‘I suppose you will want a reward for rescuing my betrothed,’ continued the arrogant oaf.
Cullen gave the man an icy smile. ‘No. My reward is to send her on her way with my best wishes for her health and happiness.’
‘And not a moment too soon. I have grave misgivings about my betrothed living in such a wild place.’ Drummond shuddered. ‘The harm that might have come to her.’
‘Harm?’ said Cullen, stepping closer, looming over Donald.
The man took a step back and sputtered, ‘I am sure you kept her safe, Macaulay. Now, my betrothed will be eager to meet me and be taken to a place of safety. So can we get on?’
‘I can go and find Briony and bring her to the inn,’ offered Lowri.
‘Find her?’ Drummond looked Lowri over insolently. Her hair was wild, and her dress muddied from the ride, but still, she looked gorgeous to Cullen. Not so to Drummond, who waved a hand to dismiss Lowri as if she were an annoying gnat.
He turned to Cullen. ‘I would hope that my bride is easily located and not scampering about the countryside, running wild, whilst in your care.’
‘Cullen has protected Briony since he pulled her from the wreck. He saved her life,’ said Lowri.
Donald ignored her, which raised Cullen’s ire.
He put a hand on her arm. ‘Lass, go and fetch Briony and bring her to the inn. You know where she’ll be.
’ He did not say ‘the tavern’ as that would have sent the awful Donald Drummond into a spasm of disgust, though he longed to humble the ignorant bastard.
***
The wind sent waves crashing against the shore, sending spray up the beach, but the handsome couple staring out to sea did not seem to notice it.
Butcher had his arm around Briony’s waist, and she rested her head against his shoulder.
To any casual observer, they seemed like a couple in love, and maybe they were.
When Lowri called out, they turned around. Locking eyes, Butcher threw his arm over Briony’s neck and casually slid his hand down her bodice and squeezed her breast, making her flinch a little.
‘Cold hands to go with his cold heart,’ thought Lowri.
‘Good morning to you, Mistress Macaulay. Is it not a braw day?’ said the villain.
‘I’ve no wish to exchange pleasantries with you, Butcher.’ She turned to the lass, and a beat of fear struck Lowri’s heart at the look in Briony’s eyes. ‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I would speak to you.’
Butcher smirked. ‘She needed some air after being cooped up in my chamber for so long, but anything you wish to say to her, you may say to me.’ Butcher squeezed Briony’s breast again. ‘Isn’t that right, my little dove?’
Briony gave him a tight little smile. ‘Of course,’ she said.
The lass sported a new dress, red, gaudy and cut perilously low in the bodice.
Lowri was no prude, but Briony looked positively indecent.
It seemed Butcher’s corruption struck fast, for Briony had been in his bed but a day, and she had already lost her youthful bloom.
In fact, she looked positively feral. Yet the lass did not seem too perturbed by her fall from grace.
‘See how happy I am to be out of your clutches. Don’t we look well together?’ said Briony, with a hard edge to her voice.
Lowri was not inclined to be kind. ‘You look like what you are - a villain’s whore.’
Briony’s hands fisted, and she snarled, ‘Is that so? Shall I come over there and teach you a lesson in manners.’
‘Steady, lass,’ murmured Butcher, holding her back. ‘What is your business here, spitting your bitterness, Lowri? Did Cullen send you?’
‘I came to tell Briony that her betrothed has arrived.’ Lowri nodded towards the dock. ‘That ship down there brought Donald Drummond here to claim his bride.’
Briony cast desperate eyes at the ship. ‘You lie. Donald has not bothered himself to come for me all these weeks.’
‘He had a fever which prevented travel. But he is here now, and eager to meet you.’
‘And what is he like? Have you met him?’ cried Briony
Butcher’s hand tightened on her breast. ‘I am sure he is a soft, withered old man,’ he said smoothly.
‘Aye, stooped and shuffling, a repulsive flop of a man,’ laughed Briony.
But her laugh seemed hollow, and she was looking at Lowri with sharp interest. She wanted to know what kind of man she had rejected. Was the lass sizing up her choices?
Butcher let his eyes wander over Lowri from top to bottom in a lazy, greedy way. Then he turned Briony’s mouth to his and kissed her hard, but he kept his eyes open on Lowri while he did it. Lowri bit down on her temper. She would not react to Butcher baiting her.
When he broke his kiss, Butcher patted Briony on her bottom and stalked off. ‘I have business to attend to, so I will let you lasses gossip. No doubt, you have much to tell about this Donald fellow.’
If Butcher felt any jealousy about Briony’s betrothed, he did not show it. Or was he so confident in his appeal that he did not care? Donald may be the most handsome man on earth, but Butcher thought his charms were greater than anyone’s.
Briony kept her eyes on Butcher until he was out of sight and then grabbed onto Lowri. ‘Is Donald really here? What is he like?’
Lowri struggled to hide her contempt. ‘He is quite respectable and well-bred, rich-looking and softly spoken.’
He’s an arrogant, fussy prig with a cold heart.
‘Is he handsome?’
Absolutely not. You will hate him on sight.
Lowri bit her lip and choked down the truth. Briony was too much of a child to hear it. ‘He is not ill-favoured in looks. He is a little older than I thought, but presentable enough.’
‘Is he kind?’
‘I cannot speak to that.’
‘But you must speak to it. I have to know if he is kind, because, you see, Flint is not.’ Briony’s wide eyes darted about, fearful, looking for Butcher. ‘Forgive my insolence just now. I could not say anything in front of Flint. I must go from this place. He has…well, he is rough and cruel.’
‘What has he done, Briony?’
Tears filled her big blue eyes, and her expression said it all.
‘He forced me into it. I was not ready, I said. But he just…oh, Lowri, it hurt so much. I should never have left you and Cullen. I met Flint on the beach, and he was so handsome, so charming. I admit I have been a fool to go away with him, but I never expected that horrible act.’ She trailed off, swallowing hard, her chest fluttering like the wings of a bird caught in a cage.
‘What happens between a man and a woman is unspeakable. I cannot do it again, ever.’
Lowri took hold of her hands. ‘If you wed either Butcher or Donald, you will have to.’
‘Wed. To Flint! Now that devil has had me, I don’t think he will want to wed me.’
‘He is after your fortune. Of course, he will.’
Briony’s hands curled into tight fists. She put both knuckles to her forehead, pressing hard, as if her skull were a nut to crack. ‘I have made a terrible mistake. I must make amends.’ She paced, staring out to sea and muttering to herself. Lowri feared she had lost her wits.
‘I can do this, put this right. I will meet Donald and make him take me away on the next tide before Flint comes back. But first, I must get out of this infernal thing,’ she cried, rushing off while tearing at the horrid red dress.