A crowd had gathered in the bailey as the Macraes watched the unbelievable scene unfold before them. They knew not what to make of Saoirse’s and Louisa's encounter or Wiley manhandling Louisa. It stunned them to watch Ric and Kirk beat Richmond into unconsciousness. Magnus storming in like a berserker terrified them. Tavish and Tate running toward Wiley, then swallowing him in their embrace confused them. Now they watched five lairds, three of whom were earls, ride into their bailey. Gasps went through the people as they witnessed Lairds Macrae, Donald, and Mackintosh being untied from their horses and thrust forward.
“Husband?”
CHAPTER24
The single word brought all the new arrivals to a halt. Louisa glared at Artair Macrae as people moved aside to allow the laird to walk across his own bailey.
“Wife.”
The chill between them could have frozen an icicle. It was beyond frigid. Magnus and Saoirse looked at one another, uncertain what was happening. Saoirse shrugged, since this was as much news to her as it was everyone else.
“Welcome home.” Louisa swept her gaze over Artair. “In disgrace.”
Artair swung around and pointed at Magnus. “It’s yer fault I’m saddled with this hoyden. If ye’d just fucked and married the bitch, I wouldnae have had to. Ye couldnae even die, so I could have ma retribution. Ye ruined ma life by nae just accepting her. Ye both did.” He pointed his accusatory finger at Seamus next.
“Ye were responsible for Caleb and Oona trying to poison me?” Magnus’s brow furrowed.
“And I paid a king’s ransom for their failure.”
“That’s what ye meant aboot making us miserable. Ye wished to make me miserable by taking ma brother. When that didna work, ye wished to make Magnus and the Sinclairs, who sided with him, miserable by taking ma sister-by-marriage.” Seamus walked into Artair, his chest pushing the man back enough steps that he stumbled and fell backward. Coll caught his father.
“How’d ye end up married to Lady Louisa?” Saoirse asked. She’d suspected someone in the Macrae laird’s family had married her, but she expected it to be Coll.
“She’s carrying ma bairn. Murdoch found out.”
“Ye would have cuckolded me,” Magnus accused. Louisa’s lip curled in disgust as she shrugged one shoulder.
“He was drunk, and I thought I was in Coll’s chamber.”
“What?” Coll squawked before clearing his throat. “Why the devil me? I canna stand ye, and I havenae been able to since we were children.”
“But I’ve seen yer cock.” Louisa shrugged again. “We dinna have to like one another in the dark.”
“Slut.” Coll turned toward Magnus. “Ye lucky bastard.”
“Ye wished to kill ma husband to punish him for yer rotten choices?” Saoirse demanded.
“Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris.” Tothe unhappy, it is a comfort to have had company in misery. Artair appeared unremorseful as he spoke the Latin proverb.
“I want to ken how ye convinced the Mathesons to help ye,” Monty spoke up.
“Enough money makes most men do what ye bid. Caleb disgraced himself by bedding his wife’s sister. It was easy to convince him to fake his own death. It kept Murdoch from having to punish his own nephew. I suggested it to his sister-by-marriage’s husband, who was the captain of the guard.”
“Where is ma brother?” Stewart Matheson stepped forward.
“Dead. He tried to run when the battle started. I ran him through,” Blake spoke from beside his father. Magnus Mòr nodded.
“And Oona?” Liam asked Artair.
“Convenience. She must have been greedy, too. I didna ken who she was. I only kenned there was a woman of Matheson descent living among the Sinclairs. I sent money for Caleb to pay her. I kenned a woman could poison the bastard, and it wouldnae be as obvious as a mon running him through. When we learned Mackenzie’s whore was among the men, I ordered Harold to grab her and bring her here.”
Harold remained mute as he stood next to his cousin. He watched the men who’d fought his clan, but he had no intention of revealing anything. He stood with his thumbs tucked in his belt, but he showed no emotion. He had none. Perhaps annoyance, but definitely no regret.
Magnus pressed Saoirse behind him. “Ye saw what I did to Murdoch for speaking so aboot ma wife. Ye’re already going to die. I’ll just make it happen sooner.”
“Ye canna kill me in ma own bailey.”
Magnus laughed. “Challenge accepted. Single combat to the death. Ye ordered ma murder. I have the right to defend maself. I will defeat ye, auld mon.”
