Chapter 6
She is just a woman.
That was what William told himself for the umpteenth time as he tossed and turned in bed, hoping sleep would come and distract him from the thoughts of a certain minx that had made herself a thorn in his side.
It didn’t help that every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face, how she had looked earlier that night, her pale skin flushed, her lips parted, her eyes reflecting his hunger.
She was dangerous; he had known it the moment he had met her. No woman in her right mind would have agreed to marry his beast of an uncle, especially with the rumors circulating about him.
When William had learned that his uncle had married a young lass, he had assumed that she was either stupid, conniving, or recklessly bold to think she might escape his uncle’s cruelty.
He didn’t know when it had started, but he had pictured her as an ugly lass who had married his uncle as a last resort. He had not expected that his uncle’s widow was a ravishing redhead who had a personality as bright and fiery as her hair.
Even this evening, he had struggled with the urge to bury his hands in her hair and devour her lips. But she was his uncle’s widow, and no matter how much he detested the man, it went against his honor to ravish her when she had once belonged to him.
Under normal circumstances, he would have found her unattractive in those ugly dresses. But no color, no matter how boring, could dull the vibrancy of her hair and the freckles that invited him for a taste.
The woman was a witch. He had never met anyone so capable of stirring his anger and then lust in the space of a few minutes. She made him feel uncontrollable, wild, and untamed. She had accused him of being a beast.
Ha! She had no idea how much restraint it had taken him to refrain from devouring her whole. He could show her just how beastly he could be when he spread her hair across—
A thud at the corner had him immediately on high alert. Someone else was in his room. Just how distracted had he been that he had not realized it until now?
Sliding his fingers under his pillow, he grabbed the hilt of his sgian-dubh and waited for the intruder to strike while pretending to still be asleep.
The intruder did not disappoint. In the next moment, he approached the bed.
William rolled to the opposite end of the bed, right when a broadsword landed where his head had been. He jumped off the bed and snatched his sword from the floor.
“Who sent ye?” he asked.
The intruder remained in the shadows.
From what little William could see, the man was about the same height as him and had muscular arms.
Even he had to admit that this assassin was a worthy opponent. Whoever had chosen him for this mission had been quite diligent.
William leapt over the bed and swung his sword. The assassin, however, was well-trained.
For the first time in years, William feared for his life. The man turned everything around him into a weapon: the curtains, the bedsheets, the bedside table. He even managed to nick William a few times on his arm and upper thigh.
While the injuries were not fatal, they slowed William down. Soon, he was on his knees, and the assassin was bringing his sword down on his head, trying to find the opening he needed to kill him.
William could feel his strength failing him, but he couldn’t give in, not when giving in meant his death.
Suddenly, the man’s eyes widened in shock, before he crumbled to the floor with a loud thud. Standing behind him was Myles, who immediately wiped his bloodied sword on the dead man’s clothes.
“Thank ye,” William said, accepting the hand Myles offered to help him up.
“Ye are verra welcome,” Myles said, eyeing the man on the floor. “Who is our friend?”
“I daenae ken, and seeing as ye killed him, I daenae think I ever will,” William replied wryly. “I think he is an assassin. He tried to kill me in me sleep.”
“Good thing he didnae succeed,” Myles replied with a cheeky grin. “Finding a new employer would’ve been a hassle. Ye have good ale here.” Then he sobered up. “Besides, ye are rarely caught this off guard. Ye are usually alert.”
Yes, William usually was alert when he was not daydreaming about a certain minx. She was distracting, and that distraction had nearly cost him his life.
“Who do ye think sent the assassin?” Myles asked, his tone solemn.
“I have many enemies, and most of them live on Dunrath lands. Many of them arenae happy that I took over. I daenae blame them. I would certainly be scared if the son of the man I had falsely accused of treachery and killed his family had suddenly returned to assume the lairdship. A position that allows him to easily undermine the influence they had accumulated over the years.”
“Perhaps ye have some people in mind?” Myles asked quietly
“First will be Gregor Fulton, the Seneschal.
The man me faither trusted the most. He respected him and put him in charge of the day-to-day running of the castle.
He never guessed the same man would spread rumors that made him out to be an immoral traitor.
I guess the power that Faither had granted him wasnae enough.
Gregor was so hungry for it, he didnae mind if his friend died in the process.
Today, he opposed me loudly. He is the one who most likely sent the assassin, since he sees me as a real threat to the power he had enjoyed.
“Then there is Fergus Bain. He was Faither’s most trusted warrior; he trusted him with his life.
He never guessed that the same man would incite warriors to kill him simply because he wanted more power.
I can still remember how difficult it had been to keep quiet while I watched me faither being cut down by one of his most trusted men.
I can still remember how frustrated he was when he couldnae find me so that he could kill me as well.
I am sure he still regrets missing the chance to kill me, and he definitely willnae hesitate this time.
“Lastly, I cannae forget Keegan Adamson. He is probably the most harmless of them all. He possessed little military training. Nay one had expected him to betray anyone, but because of him, I learned quite early that words, when used to spread malicious gossip, could become even more deadly than the edge of a well-honed sword. In nay time, he transformed me uncle into an angel, so me faither became worse than the devil in the eyes of his clansmen. He kens that I ken about his betrayal, and he probably fears retribution, but nothing is stopping him from striking fast before me revenge arrives at his door.”
“About Fergus,” Myles spoke up, “I have information that might help. While I sparred with the warriors yesterday, I noticed their dissatisfaction with Fergus because of how he treated them and handled the supplies. Many of them have begun to suspect foul play when it came to the stories that were told back then. If I dig a little, I’m sure I will find records of the supplies and prove his lies. ”
“Excellent work.” William gave a grim nod. “I have also obtained information on Gregor. If I play me cards right, I might gain access to where he had hidden the old ledger that would prove his corruption.”
He fell silent as he thought about the effort he had put into gathering the evidence he needed to clear his father’s name. At some point, it had been all he could think of. Until he met the red-headed witch, who turned him inside out such that he sometimes forgot which way was up.
“That leaves Keegan,” Myles said, breaking the silence. “It will be difficult to prove his involvement, since he caused most of the damage with his words as he moved from place to place. It will only be possible if we find people willing to testify against him.”
“That would be verra difficult,” William answered with a pained chuckle. “Nay one would be willing to testify in favor of a scorned man, even if he was the Laird.”
“That is why we have to work fast and clear yer family’s—”
Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing the bane of his existence. She was wearing a robe over her filmy white nightdress, while her hair hung down her back, a few tendrils caressing her face.
She was both innocent and seductive, and William ached to touch her.
“Me Lady,” Myles greeted, jolting him out of his lustful reverie
“What are ye doing here?” William asked, his voice coming out harsh. He blamed it on the effort to wrestle his body into submission.
“I heard a loud noise, so I came to check—” she started, her eyes widening when she saw the wounds on his neck and face. “Goodness. Ye’re hurt!”
She hurried toward him, her hair flying like a beacon behind her. She cupped his face in her hands to examine his injuries.
While her touch was innocent, his body did not care. He wanted her to touch him all over to relieve the ache that the mere thought of her caused.
Considering his brush with death and his lustful thoughts, he did not trust himself around her. So he stepped back from her touch.
“Go back to bed,” he ordered, avoiding her gaze.
“But yer wounds—”
“They arenae serious.”
“But—”
“Myles, please take the lady back to her bedchamber, and please do me a favor and guard her. I daenae trust her nae to be reckless.”
“Ye are being targeted, nae me,” Sorcha shot back.
“Do as I say,” he pressed, ignoring her angry huff.
As they left, he thought he heard her maid mutter, “That isnae the way to speak to a lady.” But when he turned, he found no one outside the room.
Trust Sorcha to have the most disrespectful maids.
Like mistress, like maid.