Chapter 16
A strange noise woke Brigid. She sat up, blinking. Was it still the middle of the night? Or was that dawn lighting the distant hills?
She sat still for a moment, listening intently. That was not her imagination. Someone moved around on the staircase - quietly, but not quite silently.
Had someone managed to get into the castle?
Brigid jumped out of bed and wrapped a blanket round her shoulders. She grabbed the little knife that usually hung at her belt, and she slipped out onto the spiral staircase.
She rounded the first curve of the stairs, moving as quietly as she could - only to walk almost straight into Sandy. He froze, staring at her. He was dressed all in black - his highwayman outfit.
“What on earth are you doing?” Brigid hissed.
He stared at her in dismay, then groaned. He pulled her into the corridor, then through the door into his bedchamber.
“Keep your voice down,” he hissed. “I don’t want Mary to hear.”
“I’ll only keep my voice down if you tell me what you were doing,” Brigid retorted. “Sneaking about in the night again?”
“Yes, if you must know,” Sandy said. “Tam and I went out to hold up a coach, and we were hoping that you and Mary wouldn’t find out.”
“And how did it go?” Brigid asked. She knew she should be angry, but she felt intrigued.
Sandy groaned again.
“It was a disaster,” he said. “I don’t know how they found us, but Edmondson’s men showed up. They chased us off and we didn’t get so much as a penny.”
Now Brigid was angry.
“You idiot!” she hissed. “You think that Mary and I are the ones who would land you in trouble, but you rode straight into an ambush.”
“This is not about you and Mary,” Sandy began, but Brigid had no intention of letting him talk over her.
“Mary and I do have the skills to help you,” she insisted. “You’d see that if you only stopped being so stubborn and actually paid attention. Besides, I’m the only one who knows what Finn looks like. I need to be there!”
Her voice broke a little as she stared pleadingly up at Sandy. “I need to rescue Finn,” she said.
Sandy slumped down in a chair beside the fire. He ran his hands over his face, then reached for a bottle and tumbler sat on a small table beside him. He poured a glass of whiskey, then downed it in one smooth movement.
“Brigid,” he asked softly. “Is this Finn really worth it? We’re risking a lot, here. You’re risking a lot.”
“He is absolutely worth it,” Brigid insisted. “He’s - he’s clever, and charming, and he’s always right. I love him more than anything, and I still want to marry him. I really could never hope to marry a better man.”
Sandy flinched, still clutching the whiskey glass.
Brigid’s stomach sank as she realised how much she had insulted him.
“I didn’t mean you,” she said hastily. “Obviously. Our marriage isn’t a real marriage.”
Sandy slammed down the tumbler. He strode over to her, standing so close in front of her that she had to tilt her head back to look at him.
“Are you sure that our marriage isn’t real?” he asked, his voice husky. “It certainly felt real on our wedding night.”
Brigid couldn’t find any words as Sandy ran a hand down her cheek. Her mind seemed to be full of a thick, pink fog. What should she say?
Sandy caressed the curve of her lip.
“I think this could be a very real marriage indeed,” he said. “If you could just let go of the past.”
He lowered his head slowly. Brigid knew she should stop him. Stop this . She knew he was going to kiss her, and she couldn’t let that happen.
But she didn’t move. She stood where she was, trembling slightly, as his lips met hers. For a second, she let herself relax against him. She absorbed all his warmth, and the sense of safety that came along with it.
Then she tugged herself away.
“Stop distracting me,” she said firmly, resisting the urge to touch her lips where they still tingled from his kiss. “This isn’t about you. It isn’t even about us. It’s about Finn, and the plan to rescue him. If you think it’s a waste of your time, or you won’t get enough out of it, then fine. You can leave me to do it alone.”
Sandy sighed.
“You know I wouldn’t let you do this alone,” he said. “I’ll be honest - I don’t think he can possibly be worth it. You’re making the wrong decision, and I’m fool enough to help you go along with it. So, if you want to find this Finn and go home, I’ll help you with that. But you should be sure about what you want.”
Brigid glared at him.
“I want Finn,” she said. “Don’t you dare imply otherwise.”
She stormed out of the room, letting the door slam behind her. If Mary woke up, that was his problem.
Insufferable man, implying that Finn wasn’t what she really wanted. And stupid, as well, if he believed that.
Because she did want Finn, more than anything or anyone else on earth.
Didn’t she?