“I followed you tonight. And I saw you with the Scot. The mute one who works in the stables.”
His knowing look made Marguerite’s heart catch. If he told the Duc, that she’d kissed Callum, there was no knowing the depths of her father’s fury. She stared at the captain, not wanting to reveal anything to him.
“What will you pay for my silence?” he prompted.
The threat reached down past her fear and squeezed the throat of her anger. Drawing upon it, she took a step toward him. “What would you pay to keep yourself alive?”
Ice hung from her voice as she withdrew her eating knife and pointed it towards him. “All I have to do is tell my father that you tried to hurt me. That you tried to force your attentions on me, and you’ll feel the lash upon your back. Perhaps worse.”
“It would be a lie.”
She forced a thin smile. “But he would believe me, not you. So if you dare to spread stories to my father, remember what I can do to you.”
He stared at her, his expression as hard as iron. She’d made an enemy this night, for no doubt he’d hoped she would line his pockets with silver. But she was not about to let him threaten her.
After he left, she couldn’t calm the beating of her heart. Though she tried to veil herself with the guise of serenity, inwardly she was drowning in fear for Callum. They would find him if he didn’t go.
She went inside her chamber and sat down while her maid tended her gown and hair. Her lips were still swollen from Callum’s kiss, her body on edge. Outside, it had begun to rain, and she worried about him dwelling among the trees.
She stared at her chamber and the small bed with soft sheets and warm coverings. All her life, she’d lived in the finest castles and houses, wearing expensive gowns and dining upon exotic foods. This was her life, and her father would never allow anything less.
But it was no longer what she wanted.
Marguerite dismissed her maid and went to stand at the small slit of a window, watching the darkness outside. If she were wed to Callum, she would never again live in a castle or wear gowns like this. There would be no maids or servants.
She’d enjoyed the time she’d spent with the MacKinlochs, but it had been so different. They fought to survive, instead of worrying about which husband would bring the greatest status. When she looked around at her life, it felt selfish and shallow.
She closed her eyes, resting up against the wall of her chamber. Her only hope was to speak with Penrith, to somehow convince him to let her go.
Her father never protested at all, when she asked to ride alone with the earl. Though Lord Penrith seemed amenable enough, she dreaded telling him the truth. She took the lead, bringing him away from the castle to the hill overlooking the sea.
At the sight of the blue waves smoothing the edges of sand, she thought of how Callum had taught her to swim and the morning she’d spent in his arms. Guilt flushed her cheeks, but she had to speak with the earl and make him understand why she couldn’t wed him.
Once they stopped the horses, the earl held the reins and regarded her. “You said before that you didn’t want this betrothal.”
She shook her head. “But not because of you.”
His blue eyes turned thoughtful, and he held out his hand to her, inviting her to walk. “Are you so certain it would not be a good marriage?”
“It would be wrong. And though my father will be furious with me, you deserve my honesty.” Her cheeks burned, but she forced herself to continue with the confession. “You deserve a virgin bride for your wedding bed.”
He said nothing for a long time, turning away from her while he thought. She expected anger or a biting response. Instead, he stared out at the sea.
“I have made many mistakes in my life,” Marguerite continued. “But it would be a greater mistake to let you believe that I would be a good wife. I cannot wed you.”
The earl’s expression turned thoughtful. “You know nothing about me, Lady Marguerite.”
She waited for him to continue, and he added, “I, too, know what it is to care for someone else. Someone unsuitable for marriage.”
When he looked back at her, she saw the echoing shadow in his eyes, but he masked it with a sardonic smile. “I see no reason why we cannot find another solution that would benefit us both.”
“What do you mean?”
“Keep your lover,” he suggested. “Have him join us in England, if that is your will. So long as you are discreet, I won’t stop you.”
Shock rendered her speechless. She had no idea how to respond to such an offer. “And what if I bore a child from him?”
The earl shrugged. “Then I will not have to share your bed.” The look in his eyes spoke of a man who didn’t want to perform his marital duty. “I made this betrothal because I need an heir for my lands. If you provide it for me, I care not who the father is.”
