Page 54 of The Lion

“Come, let us go.” Darach took Isobel’s arm and turned away.

“I hear Cairn betrayed ye. He may know things that ye will not wish to hear. It could be best if ye do not go after him.”

When Darach whirled, Isobel gasped at how fast he crossed the room and took Lilia by the shoulders. “What do ye speak of? Tell me, woman. I do not have any patience for yer ramblings.”

Lilia had the nerve to laugh. “Yer father confided many things to Cairn. He was there ye know. The night yer mother died. Yer real mother.”

Darach shoved Lilia away and returned to Isobel.

They walked out in silence. Isobel rushed around the side of the house and lost the contents of her stomach. Whether what Lilia said was true or not, she sensed something changing between her and Darach.

What if it was true? His first child would be with a lover. Not only that, but the bairn would be born soon after he and Isobel married. Intuition told her, he would be an involved father and therefore would continue to see Lilia frequently.

“I will help ye mount.” Darach kept his voice level, but it was obvious he was furious. He motioned to the two guardsmen that waited outside for them. “Stop at the vicar’s at the end of town, ask if he saw anything last night.”

Isobel wanted to ask for a break, while at the same time, she wanted to be back at the keep. Her heart ached as much as her upset stomach quaked. The temporary escape from reality was over and much too soon, she faced the first hardship of her marriage.

For a while, they rode south, in silence. Finally, Darach spoke. “It is rumored that my father killed my birth mother in order to marry mother. I have always wondered if it is true.”

“How old were ye when she died?” Isobel asked.

“Just days, perhaps a sennight, not much more.”

The sad story was too much to bear. If it were true, it was something that would not be easy to accept. There was no doubt that Isobel would be heartbroken if it happened to her. “Have ye spoken to Lady Mariel about it?”

“Not in a long time. I will speak to her again. If it did happen, I will not be surprised. What does surprise me is that Cairn would say something to Lilia. She may be lying.”

“Does she lie a great deal?” Isobel couldn’t bring herself to ask if Lilia may have lied about being with child.

Her husband turned to her, his expression blank. “Do not worry yerself over what she said.”

If not for the guardsmen riding so close, she would have erupted at him. Not worry. Was the man daft? Of course, she was going to worry. Not only that, but she had many questions.

It seemed it wasn’t only Darach who would be seeking out Lady Mariel. Isobel wanted to cry. Between the rotten end to a long day and the exhaustion, it took all her willpower not to begin sobbing.

And yet, she was glad to have come. Otherwise, she’d never know that the woman claimed to be carrying Darach’s child.

Chapter Fifteen

Darach was furious.

Lilia had to be aware he knew she slept with other men and not just him. The only reason she’d divulged being with child—if it were true—was because Isobel was with him. He’d wanted to shake the woman until she told the truth. But he was not one to hurt women.

Not only had she talked about being with child but had brought up the subject of his birth mother’s death.

Speculation had been whispered, but never spoken out loud for fear his father would overhear. He was about ten the first time he’d heard the rumor and had asked his mother about it. She’d told him it was lies and he’d believed her. The next time he’d asked, she’d told him that it was something that he should not think about as it did not bring her back.

Over the years, the whispers had ceased. It was only after his father’s passing that the rumors restarted. In his experience, rumors always held just enough truth to make the subject a possibility.

Isobel was exhausted. “Do ye want to stop and rest?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Nay. I will rest once we arrive home. I wish for a hot bath and our bed.”

Since first meeting her, he’d admired her. Even without speaking, he saw her inner strength and grace. His wife was beautiful and sensitive.

All that transpired affected her greatly, and Lilia’s outburst had hurt her. As much as he wanted to protect her, it was best she find her own way through it. He would be there to provide support and assurance, but in the end, it would be up to Isobel to learn to trust him.

The one thing he knew was that people either trusted ye or they did not. Either way, it came from how one acted and what one did.