She could not be just a whore to him, could she?
But then, why had Fergus not trusted her with the location of the reliquary?
She could not be of value only for the child she bore, could she?
It was not like Leila to have doubts but she had them aplenty in this moment.Indeed, she wanted to weep, which was not characteristic of her in the least.She closed her eyes, hating her own weakness and surrendered to the pain Stewart had inflicted.
Would her child die?
Would her child live but be damaged forever?
A tear slipped from beneath her lashes and Leila prayed silently, even as she feared all would be as it would be.
Inshallah.
Fergus sent Enguerrand after Agnes, for he had no desire to leave Leila.She seemed to be broken as she never had been before, without her customary force of will.He feared that she would die of grief, if not of her injuries.
That Leila had been struck with such force infuriated him beyond any anger he had felt before.Her swollen face, that cut upon her cheek, the sight of Stewart striking her in the belly, all sickened Fergus beyond compare.
She had tried to lead the villain away from Killairic and had paid a high price for defending his holding.
He felt that he had failed her, though she made no such accusation.
He wrapped Leila in his cloak and set her gently in the saddle on Tempest.She sat there without speaking while he and Yvan flung Stewart’s corpse over that man’s own saddle.Fergus would have liked to have left Stewart’s body to be desecrated by predators but he knew the sight of it would scatter the invading army from Dunnisbrae.
Let them take the villain home to be buried alongside his faithless wife.
He led the horse away from the wall, then saw Enguerrand returning with Agnes.The maid had her hands bound and was trussed to the saddle of her palfrey.She swore with sufficient fury to make any man blush.
“She bit me,” Enguerrand said with disgust, displaying the mark of her teeth upon his forearm.
“I would do more than that to you,” Agnes muttered, continuing her diatribe as Fergus mounted his steed and drew Leila into his embrace.She did not speak, did not so much as utter his name, and she did not look into his eyes.
They returned slowly to Killairic, for Fergus did not wish to jostle Leila too much.He knew she had to be badly hurt.When they reached the party that surrounded the keep, it was just as Fergus had anticipated.One glimpse of Stewart and their ranks melted away from the gates, horror in their expressions.
“Bring a cart!”Fergus cried.“Bring a cart and take this offal back to Dunnisbrae to be buried.I would not have our cemetery polluted by one so wicked as this.”
Gazes flicked from Stewart to Leila, covered in his blood and clearly bruised.The people crossed themselves, and Fergus did not wait to see his word done.He rode into the bailey and dismounted.The ostler hastened to take Tempest.The smith came to gaze upon Leila with a worried frown.Margaret came from her hut to cluck and Hamish’s aunt joined her.
“Poor lamb,” Mhairi said.
“She will desire a bath,” Fergus said.“Iain!Can you see that hot water is brought to the solar?”
“It is being heated already, my lord,” that man replied.His gaze flew to Agnes.
“She is too filthy to ever be scrubbed clean,” that girl spat.
“Agnes will be placed in the dungeon.When next there is a court, she will be tried for conspiring against the laird and his kin, and for theft.”
“The dungeon!”that girl echoed with horror.“There are rats there.”
“Indeed, the rats are the least of it.”Fergus gave her a cold glance even as he lifted Leila into his arms.“I beg your forgiveness now, as it may be at least a month before we have a court day.There is so much else to be done.”He walked into the hall as Agnes swore thoroughly, cursing him and all his kind.
“Leila!”His father exclaimed, rising to his feet.She spared the older man a wan smile, which only made Fergus wish all the more that she would bestow a similar one upon him.
“Leila will keep to the solar for now, Father,” he said.“Would you ensure that all who rode with me today have the hospitality of the hall?”
“Of course, of course!”
