Page 64 of Kidnapped by a Rogue
Finn did not often agree with his brother, but he was indeed a fool. Margaret would not have him, but he could not enjoy himself with any other lass because that would dishonor hiswife. Worse still, he had no interest in bedding any other lass. No one could be more surprised than Finn was to learn that Margaret was the only woman he wanted.
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Finn had no hope of sleepagain that night. Watching Margaret in the moonlight shining through the window made him feel as if something heavy was pressing against his chest.
He tossed aside the bedclothes, got dressed, and headed down the stairs. He needed fresh air. A thorough swiving was what he really needed. It would not be hard to find a willing lass, but word would go around, and that would shame Margaret.
As he descended the dark stairwell to the floor above the great hall, he saw a shaft of light under the door to his aunt and uncle’s private solar. Who would be in there in the middle of the night? Imagining someone rifling through his uncle’s locked drawers, he eased the door open only to find his uncle sitting alone drinking.
“Sorry to disturb ye,” Finn said. “Just wanted to make sure nothing was amiss.”
“I’m surprised to see the new bridegroom out of bed at this hour,” his uncle said. “Come in and have a whisky with me. I’ve been wanting to have a quiet word alone with ye.”
Finn hoped this was good news for him and took a seat while his uncle poured him a cup.
“Tomorrow we’re going up to our hunting lodge at Helmsdale,” his uncle said. “We’ll stay there for a few weeks.”
“Ye should have good hunting up that way.” Finn could barely hide his relief. With the family gone, he would not have to keep up a pretense of newlywed bliss.
“I’ll leave most of my men behind to protect Dunrobin, as usual,” his uncle said. “But you and your lovely bride, of course, will come with the rest of the family.”
Damn, damn, damn.
“Ye must come to Helmsdale,” his uncle said, apparently noticing Finn’s lack of enthusiasm. His uncle leaned forward. “I need ye there to keep Alex safe.”
“You’re still worried someone may try to harm him?” Finn asked. “Even here in Sutherland?”
“There are still Sutherlands who wish one of their own ruled their clan and its lands instead of a Gordon,” his uncle said as he poured himself more whisky.
“You’re half Sutherland,” Finn said, though that did not carry water with those Sutherlands who considered the earl’s mother—and Finn’s grandmother—a traitor to her clan for usurping the earldom from the rightful heir. “I thought the resentment died down long ago.”
“Tensions have increased as of late.” His uncle sighed as he twirled the golden liquid in his cup.
“Why now?” Finn asked.
“Who knows what set them off this time?” his uncle said with a shrug. “And if not the Sutherlands, it could be the Sinclairs and the Mackays, who would also hope to gain if I lost my only son and heir.”
If the earl had no heir, there would be a fight among every Sutherland who had a weak claim to be the next earl. The chaos and infighting that would ensue would leave the clan vulnerable, and the Sinclairs and the Mackays would take advantage of that.
“I’ll do anything ye ask to protect Alex,” Finn said. “But with you and your guard at Helmsdale, I’m not sure why ye need me.”
“I’m his father. The men won’t respect Alex if they see me watching over him like he’s a bairn in leading strings,” his uncle said. “But no one will think twice when they see Alex sticking close to his older cousin, a warrior admired by the men for his fighting skills and—if the rumors are true—liked even better by the lasses.”
“Ye ought not believe all ye hear, uncle,” Finn said with a laugh. “But if the men know the threat to Alex’s life, they’ll not think any less of him because ye want to keep a close watch on him. In fact, they’ll expect it.”
“I haven’t told the other men.” His uncle paused and stared into his cup. “I can’t be sure one of them has not been bought off by our enemies.”
This was disturbing news, indeed. Finn hoped this was just his uncle’s suspicious nature and not that he had good reason to mistrust the loyalty of his own guard.
“There’s been anotheraccident, and it happened here at Dunrobin,” his uncle said. “Alex was thrown from his horse.”
“Alex told me it was just a thorn in the horse’s hoof.”
“Someone could have put it there,” his uncle said.
That seemed unlikely, but Finn was persuaded there could well be a risk to Alex from the other clans.
“It would be better if more of your men were aware of your concerns and were keeping watch on Alex,” Finn said. “But I appreciate that ye trust me.”
