Then he noticed that it was not her bare skin that touched his. The fabric of a gown came between them. He shook off sleep’s grasp and opened his eyes. True enough, Arabella was dressed and watched him with guarded eyes of her own.
‘What is it?’ he asked as he eased from underneath her and sat. Pushing his hair from his face and running his fingers through it, he saw that it was full day outside though only tiny shards of light pierced the cave’s darkness around the flap he’d pulled over the entrance.
‘Your men have been waiting outside,’ she explained, setting her own hair to rights in a quickly made braid. ‘I know you have not slept well these last nights, so I did not want to wake you.’ There was something else that she was not saying.
‘And?’ he asked.
There was something different about her. He could not figure out what it was, but she seemed ill at ease now. Did she finally regret their actions? Had she realised what a mistake it had been?
‘And I did not wish the night to end yet,’ she admitted.
Her kissed her bruised lips gently and caressed her face with his hand. There was not a place on her that he had not tended to during this night of theirs but he felt as if he wanted to begin again. However...
They each had a duty to see to and they knew it.
‘Nor I,’ he replied as he climbed to his feet and found his breeches and shirt.
Tugging them on, he knew the magic they’d found was fading. Arabella moved around the chamber, folding blankets and putting things back in place. Soon, other than the bowls she held in her hands, there was not a trace of the incredible night they’d shared left here.
‘Brodie?’ Rob called from outside. Their movements must have been noticed. ‘Are you awake yet?’
He laughed then, but noticed Arabella did not. Her face seemed set in stone. Had she just realised that she would have to confront others this soon? Was she embarrassed that they would know, they all knew, what had happened between them?
‘Aye, Rob,’ he said, walking to the entrance and rolling up the flap and tying it out of the way.
She looked away as though to allow her eyes to grow accustomed to the bright light. Rob and Duncan entered and walked towards him, their expressions grim. Something bad had happened.
‘He’s gone,’ Rob said, staring at Arabella who would not look back.
‘Who?’ Brodie asked, glancing between the three. Then he knew the answer before anyone spoke a name. ‘Alan.’ Arabella turned away. His gut rolled knowing, just knowing. ‘When?’
‘Some time last night. He was there when Margaret brought him food. Then this morning, gone.’
He’d ordered the guards away last night. All of them. So that none would hear what he knew would happen. What she knew would happen. ‘You know what to do. Go.’
Rob and Duncan did not question him and left swiftly to begin the search of the area. Still she did not meet his gaze, standing half turned away near the pallet where they’d...
‘I told you I would release him soon. I told you that last night. You did not believe me?’ he asked.
He could not sort this through. He’d not harmed either of them or mistreated them. God forgive him, he’d even fallen in love with her. And she had betrayed him. On purpose. So, she’d spent the night with him knowing the boy was escaping.
‘And that’s why you came to me last night. You knew I would try to protect your privacy and keep the guards away from the caves while we were together.’
‘I am sorry, Brodie,’ she whispered. He walked to her and took her by the shoulders, pulling her to face him.
‘You knew.’ He searched her pale face for something, some sign, that the night they’d spent together was not simply subterfuge for the escape. ‘You gave yourself to me to keep my attentions here. In this place, on you.’ When she did not deny it, he released her and she stumbled a few steps away.
‘That was not the only reason for last night and you know it,’ she said, straightening her shoulders and meeting his eyes. ‘What I told you was—is—true. I wanted to be with you. I wanted to have the choice and not be given to some man I will never care for. I wanted...you.’
‘So you arranged the escape, covered it by giving yourself to me and are now trying to tell me I should believe you?’ She nodded. ‘Tell me why I should believe you, Arabella. Tell me.’
‘Because I love you, Brodie Mackintosh. Against all reason and sanity, I love you. In spite of knowing what you have done, I love you.’ She spat the words out at him. ‘And to keep you from having another innocent’s blood on your hands, I helped him escape. Because I know your heart and soul could not bear another meaningless death.’
Though the heart and soul she mentioned wanted to rejoice in her declaration, it did not make sense. He’d killed her brother. For that and so much more, she could not love him. As the innocent one here, she must be mistaking the euphoria of their lovemaking with the deeper emotion.
‘I do not understand. What innocent will die because of me?’ He shook his head and frowned at her. ‘Alan was safe.’
‘Mayhap he was safe from you, but those who support you will rise against him when they know the truth.’
