Page 39 of A Laird and a Fugitive

Caroline couldn’t help a smile curl upon her lips. She dispelled it almost immediately, but Tara had seen enough. She giggled and clapped her hands together.

“Ye lay with the enemy,” Nessa said darkly.

“Give it over, Nessa. She’s his wife, what is she supposed tae dae?” Tara defended her.

“It’s nae just about that either. He knows things about our clan, or at least he claims tae. I need tae win his trust and I thought this was the most direct way.”

“Oh, sae it was all a ploy.” Nessa’s eyebrows arched. “I’m impressed, I dinnae think ye hae it in ye, sister.”

“Wait, ye lay with him without meaning it?” Tara asked, who seemed as disappointed as Nessa was impressed. Caroline sighed and tugged at her hair.

“It was nae all a ploy. The truth is that the more I get tae know Ryan, the more I see his positive qualities. He is nae the monster we thought he was at first. I am nae even sure he is truly our enemy.”

“Caroline, he kept us here against our will. He forced ye tae marry him. He is just as bad as our uncle. Ye ran away from him, but ye run tae Ryan. It dinnae makes sense,” Nessa claimed.

“It’s nae like that. He’s nae like that. Hae ye seen the way people look at him? They respect him and trust him. Hae ye ever seen anyone look at uncle like that? Anyone apart from Ken, anyway?” Caroline pointed out.

Both Nessa and Tara shuddered at the mention of their cousin.

“I dinnae think ye would defend him. It seems that as ye take his name and his bed, ye take his side as well. Are ye even our sister anymore?” Nessa’s tone was bitter.

Caroline had never expected this sharp reaction. She rushed towards Nessa and took her hand.

“Of course I am. I always hae been, and I always will be. Naething is ever gaeing tae change that. I came here tae tell ye that Ryan is nae gaeing tae punish ye tae get at me. Things are gaeing tae get better, Nessa. Once we deal with the clan, then I can convince him that ye deserve tae be free and ye can dae whatever ye want. I will make good on my promise,” Caroline declared.

Nessa grimaced, clearly not willing to accept Caroline’s word just yet. Tara’s eyes were bright, however.

“This is wonderful. And it means that uncle Gorram cannae get his hands on ye. Ye are truly married now, and it cannae be disputed.”

Caroline hadn’t thought of this, and it came with some measure of relief. However, they were interrupted by a heavy knock at the door, and a bullish guard telling them that the Laird wanted to address them. Caroline nodded towards them, silently warning them, mainly Nessa, to be on their best behavior. This was the moment when they were going to learn the truth about their father’s death.

Caroline’s head was swimming because she didn’t know what she wanted to happen. For as much as she hated her uncle, killing his brother was an evil that went beyond anything she thought he was capable of doing. But if so, then a dark cloud had swallowed up her clan and the Gilmour people were suffering. She might have been a Knox by name, but she felt a need to free them from this evil, and this accursed Laird who had taken the clan by nefarious means.

Caroline, Nessa, and Tara walked through the Keep to the Great Hall, where Ryan was waiting for them.

When Caroline entered the hall, she could feel that something was wrong. There was a coldness to the air that made a chill run down her spine. Ryan was slumped in his high seat, a frustrated and pensive look upon his face. His elbow rested on the arm of the seat, while his fist was clenched and pressed against his chin. His eyes were dark, and the look he exchanged with Caroline had no air of mystery about it.

He was worried.

The three women approached him, and he adjusted his position, sitting forward and clasping his hands between his legs. It was a far cry from the way he had acted in their previous meetings, where he prowled like a wolf, ready to attack them at a moment’s notice. There was less of a savage nature in his eyes now, and more concern.

When Caroline looked at him, her first thought was not that this was her captor, nor was her first feeling a flinching fear. Instead, she knew this man to be her husband, and he was becoming associated with warmer feelings, feelings that invited her closer to him. However, the nature of their conversation prevented her from truly embracing these feelings for the time being.

“I hae grave news. I received a missive this morning. It’s from yer uncle. He knows where ye are, and he hae asked for yer return,” Ryan announced bitterly.

The girls gasped. Nessa and Tara turned to each other with frantic looks in their eyes, while Caroline felt the strength slipping away from her, but she never turned away from Ryan.

“Are ye gaeing tae give us up?” Nessa asked.

“Nae,” Ryan replied immediately. “Ye are under my protection, and I am certainly nae gaeing tae surrender my wife.”

Caroline’s heart skipped a beat when she heard him speak about her with such determination and strength. The ring she wore to symbolize their marriage felt less like a shackle now and more like a gentle reminder of the power that came with love.

“He will nae take nae for an answer. He will stop at naething tae get what he wants. This is only gaeing tae end one way, Ryan,” Caroline added.

Ryan sighed. “I know, but the truth is this hae been inevitable. I suppose it’s my fault for wanting a war,” he confessed with a rueful smile. “But ye should remain in the Keep. My guards will protect ye. These walls have stood for hundreds of years without being breached, and I hae nae plans for that tae change.”

“Where are ye gaeing? Ye are nae gaeing tae meet him directly, are ye? Uncle is a cunning man, and he would surely anticipate anything ye might dae. Ye would be walking intae a trap,” Caroline warned, her voice rising and falling with worry.