Chapter 10
Ten
Ewan stood in the stable, brushing his horse as his mind whirled with the day’s revelations. He didn’t know why he was out here, except that he couldn’t think of anything else to do with himself, and the horse needed a good brushing.
Maybe.
Not.
Basically, he needed something to focus on other than the burning pain inside his heart.
Ryan loved Nora.
But then, so did he.
His stomach twisted even more as he felt hopelessness deep inside his heart.
Why was it ever his plight to love women he couldn’t have? What were the chances of Nora’s father siding with him and breaking Nora’s betrothal with Ryan while Ryan loved her?
It was impossible.
Her father would never allow it.
You could take her.
Aye, he could and to what purpose? Another feud for his clan. More death. More sorrow.
There were so many lives at stake here. Things much more important than his own happiness which seemed paltry compared to what could happen again.
He should have stayed in the mountains. He should never have helped her.
Now that he had...
Ewan couldn’t get her out of his mind. He needed her more than he had ever needed anyone or anything. The mere thought of living without her was enough to send him to his knees.
How could he go back to what he’d been before her winsome smile had set him free?
“Ewan?”
He looked over his shoulder to see Catarina approaching. The lass was toying with the tip of her long braid. She looked hesitant as she drew near.
“What is it?” he growled. “Can’t you see, I’d rather be alone?”
She ignored his surly tone and stood by his horse’s head. She patted the horse on the nose as she watched him. “Nora didn’t lie to you.”
He felt his nostrils flare as more pain assailed him. “What do you know if it?”
“I know enough to say that she would much rather have you for husband than Ryan.”
He tightened his grip on the brush, refusing to let her see how much her words bothered him. “And I would say that you are not Nora and know nothing of her mind or mine.”
“I know what I see,” she said softly. She reached out and stopped his hand from brushing the horse. “You two belong together.”
Ewan stared at her hand on his. Her skin was pale, like Nora’s. Her nails every bit as well manicured.
But that hand didn’t make him tremble.
It didn’t cause his body to burn, his manhood to stiffen.
Only Nora did that.
And she was the one woman he couldn’t have.
Alone he could fight for her. Was willing to fight for her. But if Ryan refused to let her go, it would be like Robby MacDouglas all over again.
Another feud...
“She belongs to Ryan,” he said insistently, shrugging her hand away, “you heard what he said. He wanted her so much that he dared my wrath to hire you to keep her away from me.”
Ewan paused as he thought about that. “Wait...how did he know to hire you? How could he have found out about Nora’s plans and then having learned of them, why did Ryan go to you and not her father to stop her from fleeing?”
Catarina looked suddenly nervous.
She stepped back, her brow fretful.
A bad feeling came over Ewan. Just what was going on here? “Cat? What are you not telling me?”
She visibly cringed. “Promise you won’t get angry?”
“Nay,” he said sternly. “I never make a promise I can’t keep and by the looks of you, lass, I be thinking I’m going to be good and angry at this explanation.”
She took another step back.
Ewan grabbed her wrist to keep her from fleeing. “You’d best be telling me, Cat.”
She squirmed uncomfortably under his scrutiny and when she finally spoke, it came out in a flurry.
“Her father wanted Nora to marry a MacAllister. He’s been trying to arrange a marriage for a while now between your families and since Braden and Sin are both recently married, he got a bit worried that some woman would grab your interest and he would lose out on uniting your two families. ”
Ewan scowled at her words. It didn’t make sense that Nora’s father would want him for a son-in-law. “Why would he wish to marry her to a younger son?”
Catarina cleared her throat. “Because the MacAllister clan will ever come first to Lochlan. Alex wanted a younger son who could take over his clan’s leadership and yet be able to pull MacAllister strength if needs be.”
Ewan went cold at the name.
“Alex?” he repeated in disbelief.
There was only one Alex who had ever broached the subject of marriage with one of his brothers.
“Are you saying Alexander Canmore is her father?”
Catarina nodded.
Ewan cursed. Loudly. “Her father is the cousin to the king of Scotland?”
Catarina offered a fake smile. “Surprise.”
Ewan felt sick to his stomach as the full weight of what he’d done with Nora came crashing down on him.
He was a dead man should her father ever learn what they’d done.
“She said she was Eleanor’s niece.”
“She is. Her mother is sister to Eleanor.”
Ewan cursed again as he remembered Alexander had married a French lady. It had never dawned on him that she would be sister to one of the most powerful women in Christendom.
Anymore than he would have ever believed Nora to be Alexander’s daughter. No wonder she had failed to tell him her clan’s status or her father’s name. No man in his right mind would dare lead her out of the country and risk her father’s wrath.
Sweet, Holy Mary, he’d slept with the niece and cousin of two kings!
Lochlan would kill him for this and God only knew what her father would do to him...
How could this have happened?
Well, he knew how it had happened, but why?
Aye, he was a fool. One destined for an ugly castration.
With a blunted instrument.
As his mind played through the horror of his situation, Ewan realized Catarina seemed to know a lot about this whole affair and he wondered what other information she was withholding.
“You knew Ryan was the one who hired you to abduct me?”
This time she didn’t even try to hide from him. “Aye, I knew it. Viktor and Bavel didn’t. They had never seen Ryan before, but I had.”
“When?”
“A few times at Alex’s castle.”
Ewan scowled. “You seem rather familiar with Alexander Canmore.”
“He and my mother are friends. They were very close in their youths.”
Something in her tone made him wonder if she might be one of Alexander’s illegitimate children. But that was none of his business.
He had more pressing worries at hand.
“So why did you bring me here to meet Ryan then if you knew what he wanted?”
“To be honest, I didn’t think Ryan would have the audacity to be here when we arrived with you, and her father wanted me to keep the two of you together for as long as possible.
When I told him Ryan had tried to hire Viktor to kidnap you, he thought it would be a good way to give you two more time together.
He was certain you would grow to love Nora if you were around her. ”
Ewan let out a long, deep breath. Suddenly everything made sense.
Well, not everything, but many things were a lot clearer.
Her guard abandoning her at his cave.
Some of the odder comments the gypsies had made over the last few days.
But one thing still didn’t make sense.
“Why would he entrust her to me?” Ewan asked. “How did he know I wouldn’t hurt her?”
Catarina looked as if he’d just asked her the dumbest question on earth. “Because you’re a MacAllister and your family honor is the law you all live by. At the end of the day, he knew you would never let her come to harm.”
Ewan snorted at that. “The man is still a fool. I would never have taken such a chance with my daughter’s life and I find it hard to believe that he would be so careless with hers.”
“Well to be honest, that’s why he sent us. We were to keep you together and to keep watch on you to make sure you didn’t hurt her.”
“But why send gypsies?”
She smiled at that. “We’re not all gypsies. Lysander is one of Alex’s men. That’s why he refused to fight you with a sword. Had you two engaged, you would have known immediately he was a knight.”
“And you?”
“My mother is a gypsy and I fall under Alex for my protection. Viktor is my uncle and Bavel my cousin.”
Ewan shook his head. “I canna believe I was duped so easily.”
“Don’t blame Nora—”
“Believe me,” he said, interrupting her, “I don’t. ‘Tis her father I want to strangle. How could he play with people’s lives like this?”
“Ewan?” Nora’s voice rang out.
Ewan looked past Catarina to see Nora standing at the opening of the stable.
“Could you please come out here for a moment?”
He frowned at her words. “Nora, there’s nothing—”
“Please, Ewan,” she stressed the words. “I truly need you to come outside. Now.”
His frown turned into a scowl at her insistent tone. She sounded more like a mother trying to rein in an ill-bred child than a woman who should be contrite for her father’s behavior.
Angry, he headed for her.
It wasn’t until he neared the entrance that he saw she wasn’t alone.
Graham MacKaid was with her and he had dagger held to her throat.
“Make a move and she’s dead.”
Ewan froze. He wanted to turn around and see if Catarina was still in the stable, but didn’t dare lest he get her into trouble as well. With any luck, she would be able to sneak out and get one of the others to help with this.
“You wouldn’t dare harm her,” Ewan said slowly, stepping forward with his arms held up so that they wouldn’t get nervous and hurt Nora.
“Wouldn’t dare kill the king’s cousin?” Graham said his next words loudly as if wanting everyone to hear them. “Ewan MacAllister will kill whomever he pleases.”
Ewan took another step forward, intending to end this once and for all.
“One more step,” Graham snarled, “and she’s headless.”
Ewan froze. He met Nora’s fear-filled eyes and tried to offer her comfort. He had no intention of letting her be hurt by Graham or anyone else.
Whatever it took, he would see her safe.
“What do you want?” Ewan asked.
Graham smiled snidely. “You to stand there while my brothers take you.”
Ewan heard Catarina in the stable and his heart lurched in fear of Graham and his brothers finding her there. They wouldn’t hesitate to kill Catarina.
He didn’t know what Cat had planned. He only hoped she executed it carefully.