Chapter 23 #2
There had been no more attempts on his wife’s life and he didn’t know if that was because he had added more security around the keep or if it was because his wife was being watched like a hawk.
Of course, his guards were apparently no better than untrained lads when it came to whatever ridiculous plot Freya and her friends had come up with, so perhaps that was proof that Sloane was not simply trying to elicit sympathies from him.
He hated that he didn’t trust her.
Tomorrow, he’d escort his sister to Gair’s land and see her wed.
He had mixed feelings about it. He’d already almost married her off before, but that was when they were on their lands and she would still be around to make him miserable.
He and Freya were usually at odds with each other, but he loved his sister and he knew that he would miss her.
At least this way she would be safe. Gair wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
“I thought I might find ye here,” his father said as he approached Lachlan at the bottom of the stairwell with an exaggerated look around the dark landing. “Guarding the back entrance of the keep.”
“No one is coming in from the front. I have seen to that.”
“Are ye guarding yer sister or yer wife?” he asked with just a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.
Lachlan’s gaze sharpened. He was tired of being criticized for the way he was treating his wife. “She put my sister in danger. Yer daughter.”
“Errol Fenton is a horrid man. He’s using manipulation to get what he wanted and he manipulated his daughter. Ye learned that after ye married her and still, ye fell in love with her.”
“Ye know nothing…”
Calder put up his hand. “Ye fell in love and when she admitted that the purpose of her marriage was to spy on yer sister, ye took that personally.”
“How could I not?”
“The bravest thing that woman has ever done in her life was to stand up to her father and tell him that she had another family, one who loved her, and one who deserved her loyalty. When she did that, her father took drastic action and made sure to implicate her. She is a victim and ye cannae see that because ye are too proud. That isna the kind of son that I raised.”
Lachlan stood and stared at his father. There were times that they had argued, but he’d never seen his father look at him with such disappointment. He swallowed hard and straightened.
“I have not exiled her. She is still in her rightful chambers next to mine. I am protecting her and when the threat against her is gone, she will be allowed to roam the keep as she wishes. She will be allowed to take over her duties as mistress again.”
“But ye willna trust her?”
“I will trust her. I do trust her,” Lachlan said, but the lie sounded hollow even to himself. How could he admit that he was having doubts about his leadership when he didn’t even know how to feel about his wife?
“Ye cannae tell me that ye have stopped loving her. I see the way that ye look at her.”
Shaking his head, he turned away. “Ye are wrong. I had some affection for my wife, but our marriage wasna built on love. Many are not and they thrive. So will ours.”
“I let you step into my shoes early because ye had the strength and the heart. Doona prove me wrong.”
Lachlan clenched his jaw and stood. “Ye willna be able to make the trip tomorrow. Go say goodbye to yer daughter.”
It was a cold thing to say, but his father didn’t follow him as he climbed the steps. Angry, Lachlan stopped and had a strong word with the man who’d allowed his sister and her friends to divert his attention and let Freya sneak Sloane out.
It was after midnight when he finally retired to his room. Still angry, he left the adjoining door open between the two rooms and when Sloane tried rather loudly to sneak back in an hour later, he was awake and waiting for her.
“My room,” he said coldly.
The happy glimmer of light in her eyes immediately faded and she shuffled through the door. “Please doona be angry with Freya.”
“I am not.”
“Oh. Good. I thank ye for letting me stay. I know that I doona deserve it, but I will miss her.” With her gaze on the floor, her hands went to the buttons on her dress.
“Stop,” he hissed as he stared at her. Every night she’d come to him willingly and enjoyed being in his bed, but tonight, it looked like the last thing that she wanted to do. Had the wine she’d consumed made it more difficult to plaster that smile on her face? “Ye doona want to be in my bed.”
“I…”
“The truth, Sloane.”
Taking a deep breath, she looked up. “I enjoy coming to yer bed and I enjoy being in yer bed. ‘Tis when ye leave afterward that is hard.”
That part was hard on him as well. “Tomorrow, I am escorting Freya to Brisbane’s land. Freya is the daughter and sister of a laird and I will escort her with all the power of the MacFarlane clan. That means it willna be safe for ye here. Ye will be traveling with us.”
Sloane blinked. “What? Ye want me to go with ye?”
“Aye, so ye can see, ye didna have to spend all night with her tonight because ye will be with her for the two days that it will take to travel with her. I suggest ye pack.”
“Why did ye not tell me sooner?” When he didn’t answer her right away, her eyes filled with tears. “Ye think I would tell my father to strike during travel.”
The pain and despair was written all over her face. He took a step toward her and she immediately backed up. “No. I understand. I’ll be ready in the morning.”
The door closed between them and Lachlan slowly sank to his bed. Tonight, he would go to bed alone, but he would not sleep.