Chapter 25
Nora peered out of the carriage window, watching MacCrimmon Keep fade into the distance.
Their departure had been as rushed as one might expect. Helena and Hunter did not want them to go. Helena had tried, and failed, to tempt them to stay for one more night with food, comfort, and sympathy. Hunter warned them about the dangers on the road and that most of the daylight had gone.
Creighton remained resolute. They were going home, he said, and stuck to it.
“Ye must visit us soon, though,” Creighton added, laying a hand on his cousin’s shoulder.
“Ye and Aunt Helena. This is nothin’ personal; I just want us to get home soon.
With Dallas gone…” he paused, face darkening.
“I will have a lot of things to manage. A lot of explainin’ to do.
And I will need to discover just how deep his treachery goes. ”
Hunter nodded understandingly. “Aye, cousin. That makes sense. Send a message back to us, so we ken ye have arrived home safe.”
Now, as Nora peered out of the window, she could see Helena and Hunter standing side by side in the keep gates, waving. She noticed they left space between them, as if making room for a third person.
Skye, she thought, conjuring up an image of the woman who was to go home with Laird Bryden. She wondered briefly how they got along.
Probably better than Creighton and me, she thought sourly, falling back into her seat. They had a long journey ahead of them. Laurie was asleep, huddled up against her nurse, who was also asleep.
Margaret sat stiffly in the corner of the carriage. She had already said that she was used to walking and riding everywhere, and carriages were new to her.
How long will she stay, I wonder? Nora thought, shifting. I should nae try to hang on to her so tightly. It will only make her wriggle away.
As if reading her sister’s thoughts, Margaret smiled wryly.
“Daenae worry, Nora,” she murmured, her voice low so as not to wake Laurie. “I willnae disappear like that again. I… I should nae have done that. I regret it. If I hadnae disappeared so suddenly, ye would never have been here, would ye?”
Nora swallowed. “Nay. I would nae. But let’s nae concern ourselves with maybes and what-ifs. We are here now, and that’s all there is to it.”
Margaret nodded, seeming relieved. Perhaps she’d expected her sister to blame her more. Or perhaps she was blaming herself.
Wordlessly, Nora reached forward, taking her sister’s hand. She squeezed briefly and smiled.
“Whatever happens from now on, nay matter where ye go, I will be here. I will support ye. No more holdin’ ye back, nay more makin’ ye stay in a place that’s too small for ye. The next time ye choose to stay somewhere, it’ll be yer choice.”
Margaret swallowed thickly, moisture glittering in her eyes. “Thank ye, Nora. Thank ye.”
They fell silent after that. Laurie and her nurse slept on, and neither Nora nor Margaret felt inclined to break the silence. The journey spooled out behind them. Occasionally, a shape would move past the window, in the form of a man on horseback. Nora never meant to look, but she always did.
Creighton rode beside them, just as he had on the way here. Straight-backed and grim-faced, he sat squarely in the saddle, chin lifted high. His gaze, fixed somewhere distant, never once strayed to Nora, even though he must have felt the prick of her gaze on him.
What was it he’d said, in response to Dallas’ comment?
‘Daenae speak of her,’ echoed Creighton’s voice in her head.
Dallas responded derisively. ‘Why should I nae? Ye will nae marry her.’
Nora bit her lip, dragging her gaze away from the window and turning it onto the dark carriage interior. Everybody knew that the betrothal would not end in marriage. Nora had been told that herself, more times than she could recall.
So why am I here, thinkin’ that somethin’ might be different? Why did I let him kiss me, touch me? Why did I dream…
She broke off the thought, not able to even make herself say in her head what it was that she had dreamed about.
In the back of her mind, Creighton’s voice echoed in response to Dallas’ heartless comment.
‘Nay, but that does nae mean ye can speak of her so rashly.’
He admitted it, then. Aloud. That he was never going to marry Nora, that it was out of the question.
How could I have been so foolish?
Closing her eyes, Nora leaned back against the seat. If luck was on her side, she would be able to sleep on the way back to the keep. If not, she would just have to keep her eyes closed and wait.
Messengers had been sent ahead, and the keep was ready. Some of the councilors, including Marcus, waited ashen-faced at the door.
The rumbling of the carriage wheels across cobblestones jerked Laurie awake. She sat up, rubbing her eyes.
“Are we home yet?” she mumbled.
“Aye, we are,” Nora promised, reaching forward to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Straight to bed for ye, I think.”
Lights glowed in the courtyard. Braziers flared, lanterns swung from upraised fists.
“Is nobody in bed?” Nora mumbled, swinging open the door and climbing down.
She’d lost track of time, but the moon shone brightly in the sky, drifting in and out of clouds.
With all the light in the courtyard, buttery-yellow flames cast an orange glow, and Nora’s night vision was useless.
She blinked owlishly around as people moved past her, talking and murmuring.
No one seemed to really notice Nora; they were all focused on Laurie, who blinked sleepily at everyone.
With her nurse’s arm around her, Laurie was hurried off into the castle itself.
Nora went to follow, but a large, warm hand settled on her shoulder.
“Let her be,” came Creighton’s deep voice in her ear. “Her nurse will give her a bath and put her straight to bed. She’d had a difficult day, and I imagine this will be somethin’ which haunts her for a while.”
Nora shivered. “Nay bairn of her age should be haunted by anythin’.”
Margaret appeared wordlessly at her side. Creighton glanced at her, eyebrows flickering.
“This must be yer sister, then.”
“Me name is Margaret,” she introduced herself boldly, lifting up her chin and looking him dead in the eyes. “I understand that ye plan to marry me sister. I hope ye ken that ye will have to ask me blessin’ for that.”
Creighton gave a snort of laughter, his eyes crinkling up at the corners. “What a firebrand! It’s clear that she is yer sister, Nora. There’s nay doubt about that.”
Before they could speak further, Theo and Andrew came hustling over.
“Me father wishes to speak to ye, me Laird,” Theo said, wincing. “Is it true? Is Dallas dead?”
“Was he really the one who tried to poison Laurie?” Andrew chipped in, clutching at his cross. “I cannae believe it of him. Who would want to hurt that wee lass?”
Creighton held up his hands. “Enough, lads. Today has been…” he faltered, tightening his jaw. “Today has been quite a day. For now, we have a guest. This is Margaret, Lady Nora’s sister.”
Theo and Andrew’s gazes swiveled toward Margaret, who bore their stares without a blink.
“Oh,” Andrew spoke first. “It is ye. How did ye find her, Lady Nora?”
“Ye ken me?” Margaret interrupted, before Nora could speak. She took a step forward, frowning, and Andrew paled. “We havenae met.”
“We did. Briefly, at yer stall. Ye were sellin’ fabrics, and I asked ye somethin’ about buttons…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “It doesnae matter. I did nae think ye would remember me.”
“But ye remember me?” Margaret responded, quirking her eyebrow. “Interestin’.”
Andrew reddened almost as intensely as he’d paled.
“Let’s find a place for Margaret to stay,” Creighton interrupted. “Theo, tell Marcus that I will meet him and the others in the council rooms shortly. Andrew, take charge of Margaret. Nora, come with me. We need to talk.”
And just like that, the orders were given. Theo trotted off obediently, and Andrew and Margaret trailed off together. That left Nora and Creighton alone, in the middle of the busy courtyard.
Not quite so busy now, however. The carriage had been led away, and the soldiers and horses were beginning to disperse.
The rest of the people, servants mostly, seemed to have remembered that it was the middle of the night and nothing exciting was happening.
With no new gossip to enjoy, they began to trail away, talking in low voices to each other.
“We have nae talked about what happened today,” Creighton said, speaking first.
Nora tightened her jaw. “There is nae much to discuss.”
“Nae much to discuss? Dallas died today. He almost killed Laurie. In fact, if we’d been a moment later…”
“He hesitated,” Nora interrupted, shaking her head. “He could have thrown her off that cliff straight away, but he delayed. I daenae believe he wanted to kill her. He was fond of Laurie, I think.”
Creighton scoffed. “Ye are sayin’ that she was in nay danger, then?”
“I’m nae sayin’ that. I believe that he believed that he had no choice.”
Creighton mulled this over and gave a shrug. “I think ye are right. It does nae matter now. He’s dead, and…” he paused, swallowing. “I cannae believe that he’s dead. I cannae believe that I killed him. I’ve ken that man since I was a bairn.”
Nora glanced away, twisting her fingers together. “I’m sorry.”
“I think that he meant to kill ye, too. He’d gone mad.”
“Aye, I think so.”
Silence filled the space between them. Nora kept her gaze elsewhere, though she could feel Creighton’s eyes on her. Heat rose in her chest, that longing tangled deep inside her. She was reminded again of hooks, some buried in her flesh and others into his, pulling them closer.
It’ll hurt to pull those hooks free, but pull them free I must, she thought woodenly.
With this thought in mind, Nora glanced up at him, meeting his eyes squarely. A faint line etched itself into the skin between Creighton’s brows. Just like before, she felt compelled to reach up and touch that line, smoothing it away.
Once again, she restrained herself, twisting her fingers into her skirts.
“I thought he would kill ye,” Creighton whispered.
“When ye went over to check on Laurie, I could see it playin’ out in me head.
Him pushin’ ye over the edge, or swingin’ that sword toward ye.
I saw ye die in me head, a thousand times, and me helpless to do a thing.
Oh, I would have avenged ye, I would have avenged Laurie.
But it would be a weak revenge, with both of ye dead. ”
“But I am nae dead.”
“Nay,” he breathed, reaching out for her. “Ye are alive. We both are.”
Nora ducked back before she could think twice, out of reach of his warm palms and careful fingertips.
No. Letting him touch her would be a mistake. His touch would fill her with that warmth, that curdling desire to touch and be touched. The desire to have him.
And that desire would do her no good now. So, distance was the answer.
Creighton paused, surprised, his hands still outstretched toward her. Swallowing, he let them drop.
“Ye are angry with me,” he said neutrally. “I wish ye would tell me what I have done.”
Swallowing, Nora met his eye. “I am nae angry with ye.”
“I’m nae sure I believe ye.”
She bit her lip. “I am nae angry. But Creighton, this has gone far enough, daenae ye think?”
“I daenae understand.”
She held out her arms. “I am a laughingstock. Everybody kens that ye daenae care for me, and that ye will nae marry me. Dallas kent it. And perhaps he is right about ye securin’ an heir.
Laurie is a bairn, she cannae rule if anythin’ happens to ye.
Ye need a proper bride, and that willnae be me.
I ought to get out of yer way, so ye can start to look in earnest.”
“I have nay intention of marryin’,” Creighton responded, almost reflexively.
Nora gave a tight, grim smile and glanced away.
“So ye keep sayin’. Well, Creighton, yer life is yer own. I willnae tell ye how to live yer life, just as ye wouldnae tell me how to live mine. Daenae worry, this willnae affect the treaty. I wouldnae let that happen. But from now on, I think that we should stay away from each other.”
Creighton rocked back on his heels. “What?”
She shrugged, trying to ignore the tearing sensation in her chest. “I think that ye heard me perfectly well. This is a large keep, and there’s nay reason why we should see each other.
I’ll stay out of yer way if ye stay out of mine.
We’ll serve out our time, and I’ll leave, and that will be the end of it. ”
“The end of what?”
She gave a bitter laugh. “See? Ye daenae even ken what there is between us. Perhaps ye are right, and there’s nothin’. I… I daenae understand ye, Creighton.”
His gaze flickered. “There’s nothin’ to understand.”
She shrugged again, dropping her gaze. “I have a habit of pryin’ too deeply into the affairs of others.
I do it with me sister, tryin’ to control her when this is her life, nae mine.
I listen at doors, even though I ken I’ll hear nothin’ to me own benefit.
I have a nasty habit of thinkin’ that I can change the way the world is if I only try hard enough.
But that’s foolish talk, is it nae? The world cannae be changed by one person.
One person cannae even change another, nay matter how much they might want to. ”
He stayed silent, as if waiting for her to continue, and Nora scrambled for more words. Her tired brain refused to supply anything more, so she repeated herself.
“It’s time for us to part ways. I’ve had enough. I’m tired, I’m so tired.”
“Ye daenae mean that.”
“I do, Creighton. This has gone far enough.”
It has already gone too far for me. I think perhaps I’m lost already.
No need to think of that now. No need to let him guess it. Lifting her chin, Nora met Creighton’s eyes squarely and even managed a weak smile.
“I think that this is where we go our separate ways,” she stated. “It’s for the best.”
He watched her, his face giving away nothing. His eyes flickered, however, and a muscle ticked in his jaw.
“Very well,” he said at last. “If this is what ye want.”
Nora swallowed past a lump in her throat, and forced herself to continue meeting his eyes.
“Aye,” she whispered. “It is.”