Chapter 20 #2
But he surprised her again when he nodded. “All right. But what about yer sister? Will she be all right on her own?”
Olivia turned and looked for Eileen. When she saw her, she smiled. “I think she’ll be all right. Look.”
Edan followed her gaze to where Eileen was deep in animated conversation with none other than Zander.
“Aye, she’ll be fine,” he said drily, offering her his arm. “Let’s go and find this private bonfire, then.”
They strolled through the fields and were greeted respectfully by the people as they passed by, taking in the lively festivities. But they found no fire of their own.
“I’m a wee bit disappointed,” Olivia admitted.
“Ach, I’ll build us a fire in nay time,” Edan assured her. “All we need is a nice spot and some firewood. Come on, this way.”
He led her to the edges of the forest and showed her how to find dry wood. Olivia found it fun hunting for it with him. She felt quite happy, for he was definitely warmer towards her than she had been expecting.
“There’s nothin’ quite like sittin’ by yer own fire, eh?” he said jokingly once they were warming their hands over their own fire.
Edan had fetched a burning log from another fire to light it and also came back with a bottle of wine.
“We’ll have to drink straight from the bottle, but it’ll still taste just as good,” he told her, handing it to her.
Amused, she took a sip of the delicious, fruity wine. “Mmm, I think it tastes even better this way,” she told him, passing the bottle back to him.
“So, what did ye want to talk to me about?”
“Our last outing. I have an idea, and I want to ken what ye think of it.”
He nodded. “Ah. All right.” The wine bottle went back and forth again. “Well, are ye goin’ to tell me what it is, or do I have to guess?”
“That might be fun.”
“Well, let’s review what we’ve done already. We had an archery lesson. Then, we went shoppin’ in the market if I remember correctly.”
“Aye.”
“And then… we went to visit the secret glen.” Back and forth went the bottle.
Olivia drank, feeling her cheeks flush as she remembered what had occurred in that tranquil spot. It had been an awakening. The intimacy they had shared had been her first taste of what intense pleasure a man could give a woman. Every moment was engraved on her heart.
“Aye,” she said, passing him the bottle, which was now half empty. She was starting to feel pleasantly tipsy. “And the fourth one was the Feast of Saint Patrick. But that didnae exactly go well, to start with.” She added daringly, “But it did improve later, after ye woke up.”
He nodded, his dark eyes on her. “Aye, it did.” He drank deeply and gave her the bottle. “So, what is this idea ye have for our last outing?”
Olivia took a long swig for courage. Then, she said, “I want us to spend the night together.”
The crackling of the fire and the sounds of the festivities filled the silence that fell between them.
“It is what we agreed on. Five dates, I said, and then I would give meself to ye.”
“There’s nothin’ wrong with me memory. I recall yer words perfectly,” Edan said, moving closer to her. “Ye may as well finish this,” he added, giving her the last of the wine.
Somehow, he was right next to her, so close that their arms were touching.
She upended the bottle and drained it.
“It willnae be an outing if we spend the night together,” he pointed out, his warm, wine-scented breath fanning her cheek. “Five dates, ye said. We should have five dates, and after that, we can spend the night together.”
“But I’m afraid it willnae happen that way, Edan,” she replied with some heat, looking into his eyes.
“Because as soon as we have the last outing, ye’ll be leavin’.
I cannae let ye go without claimin’ me as yer wife properly.
What if ye get hurt? What if ye get killed and never come back? I couldnae bear it.”
He reached over and stroked her cheek with his fingers. “Did I tell ye how lovely ye look tonight in the firelight?”
“Nay, and dinnae try to change the subject.”
“Well, ye do. Very lovely. I like the way ye’ve done yer hair, pinnin’ it up like that. It suits ye.” He tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his delicate touch like a fiery brand on her skin.
“Thank ye.”
He was so close now that she was sure he was going to kiss her. Her body was coming alive, responding to his touch. Disappointingly, no kiss came.
“Olivia?”
“Aye?”
“Have ye nae noticed me scars? Ye ken me history. Ye ken I’ve been a warrior all me life. If there’s one thing I ken how to do, it’s to fight. So, ye can believe me when I tell ye I’m nae so easy to kill.”
“Mmm,” she murmured non-committally, wanting to believe it but afraid to. He was still close enough to kiss her if he wanted to.
She was toying with the idea of kissing him when he suddenly got to his feet and said, “All right. We’ll do as ye wish and spend the night together for our last outing. Maybe ye’re right. Maybe it’ll be better that way. I’ll go and get us some more wine and somethin’ to eat. I’m hungry.”
He strode off, leaving her there by the fire, alone.
She had not been there for more than a few minutes, staring into the flames, wondering why he had suddenly left like that, when she noticed someone approaching.
“Me Lady, I thought it was ye. I’ve been lookin’ for ye.”
To her surprise, it was Findlay Pearson.
Findlay was well-liked around the castle, and Edan held him in some esteem as an advisor.
But there was something about him that made Olivia’s skin crawl.
And it had nothing to do with the fact that he had been a prime party in trying to get her to marry Nurkirk.
What on earth did he want with her?
“Och? What for?” she asked.
“I wanted to have a word with ye in private.”
She looked up at him. “This is private, so say what ye’ve got to say.”
“’Tis nae private enough. ’Tis too important to risk anyone hearin’ what I have to say. Please, will ye just come with me so we can talk safely? ’Tis very important.”
She was reluctant to do as he asked, but he was so vehement and seemed so agitated that she thought it must be something very important.
“All right.”
She followed him into the trees a little way, where he stopped. He looked around nervously before turning to her.
“What is all this about, Findlay? The Laird will be back at any moment, so ye need to be quick.”
“Lady Aberfeld, I have a terrible confession to make. I am responsible for the little acts of sabotage that have happened to ye and the Laird recently.”
Olivia did not understand him at first. “What? What are ye talkin’ about?”
“The broken bow? The urchin who robbed ye at the market? The cut girth strap? That was all me. It was me who put the drug in the Laird’s ale that night.”
Olivia stared at him with a growing sense of horror. “That was ye?”
“Aye, that’s what I am tryin’ to tell ye. And I want to apologize. I didnae want to do any of it, but I had to,” he said, his eyes darting around at the darkness between the trees, a worried expression on his face.
Olivia was overcome by rage. “How dare ye try to apologize! Do ye nae realize that we could have been seriously hurt by what ye’ve done? Why, the Laird could have been killed because ye tampered with his saddle!”
He winced, clearly distressed as he said hurriedly, “Aye, I ken, Me Lady, and I’m truly sorry. I’ve felt so bad about it that I couldnae keep it from ye any longer.”
“I dinnae care about that! Ye’ll have to explain yerself to the Laird. But I dinnae understand why ye’re tellin’ me all of this now.”
“I had to… because I’ve just found out that Nurkirk is on his way here with his men, and he’s plannin’ to attack the castle!”
Olivia’s blood ran cold, but her mind worked fast. She did not waste time on recriminations but turned to run back to the fire.
“Hurry, Findlay, we have to tell Edan immediately,” she told him.
But he caught her by the arm, his eyes wild. “Nay, Me Lady. I beg ye, dinnae tell him. Dinnae give me away, please!”
She shook his arm off. “Ach, ye coward,” she said with contempt and once more turned to leave.
But she had barely taken five steps when she heard a loud thud and then a gasp behind her. She turned to look over her shoulder and was stunned to see Findlay falling to his knees, an expression of horror frozen on his face.
Instinct compelled her to help him, but as she turned on her heel, he toppled forward on his face. Hands flying to her face, Olivia too let out a gasp of shock when she saw the arrow sticking out of his back.
A man-sized shadow emerged from the darkness, a bow in its hand. “I’m sorry ye had to see that, Lady Aberfeld. I thought the man would be useful to me, but he’s proved to be a useless fool and a liability. He had to go.”
Olivia froze in terror at the sound of that voice.
“Nurkirk!” she gasped, staring in disbelief as he stepped closer, and she could finally make out his features.
“Ach, there’s nay need to be so formal. Call me Andrew. After all, once I kill that so-called husband of yers, we’ll be married,” he told her, smirking maliciously.
Olivia started backing away, thinking only of finding Edan, but the moment she moved, Nurkirk did too, grabbing her upper arm harshly.
“Let me go, ye’re hurtin’ me!” she hissed, frantically trying to pull away.
“Much as it hurts me to cause ye pain, I’m afraid I cannae let ye go,” he told her, tightening his grip on her.
“Ye see, I need ye to help me get rid of yer troublesome brute of a husband. I’m sure ye’ll be much happier when he’s out of the picture.
I suppose ye can say he is better off dead.
But this time, I’ll make sure he stays that way. ”
“Edan’s a hundred times the man ye’ll ever be, ye coward,” she spat contemptuously. “Ye’re a fool if ye think I’d ever marry ye. Ye’ll be the one doin’ the dyin’.”
He laughed. “We’ll soon see about that.”