Boyd sank back onto the log, suddenly exhausted.He took another long drink from the flask and stared into the fire.
"I thought..."He paused, struggling to find the words."I thought making her suffer would give me peace."
"Has it?"Cormac asked quietly.
"No."The admission was like a knife to the chest."I cannot sleep unless she's beside me.Cannot stop thinking about her.And the worst part is," Boyd's voice cracked slightly, "I dinnae even ken if she deserves my anger anymore."
Cormac was quiet for a moment, studying Boyd's face in the firelight."Have ye considered talking to her about the past?"
"She says she never betrayed me.That she loved me."
"And?"
Boyd's hands clenched on the flask."If she's telling the truth, that means I fell for someone else's lie.It means I'm to blame for everything."
"So, what are ye going to do now?"Cormac asked.
Boyd was quiet for a long moment, staring into the flames.Then, with sudden clarity, he knew.
"I'm going home.I need to see my wife."
Cormac burst out laughing again."Of course ye are.Ye can barely stand to be away from her.What's it been, one week?And ye're itching to return home like a lovesick pup."
"Fuck ye," Boyd growled, but there was no real heat in it.
Because Cormac was right.Boyd couldn't stay away any longer.
"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Cormac replied with a satisfied expression before he became serious."Now that I ken ye plan on keeping yer wife, I have some information to share."
Boyd instantly became alert at Cormac's tone."What is it?"
"Bryce Sutherland has petitioned the council for leniency as is his right."
Boyd stiffened."And?"
"He seeks a pardon for himself and an annulment of your marriage to his sister."
"The hell he does!"Boyd roared, his fists clenched in anger.
Cormac continued, "He insists she be returned to the abbey.He kens he cannot reclaim her dowry but 'tis her inheritance he wants returned."
Boyd was furious.He felt threatened that someone wanted to take his Bella away from him.Like hell!He knew he and his men were going to return immediately and the first thing he was going to do was not only clear the air between him and Bella, but also ensure their marriage was consummated and binding.Mine!Mine!Mine!He kept repeating over and over again in his head.
Then he stilled."Wait, what inheritance?Bella came to the marriage with almost nothing, her dowry was severely depleted."
Cormac gave him a knowing look."Tsk tsk, Monk.'Tis a good thing I ran into ye then."
"Shadow, if ye dinnae stop beating about the bush I'm going to hurt ye!"
"Calm down.Well, it seems Bryce and the old laird had a scheme in place to ensure Bella never wed.Ye see, on her eighteenth birthday, Bella inherited a vast amount of money from her grandda on her ma's side.That money was to be held in safe keeping until she wed."
"What if she never wed?"
"If she did not wed before her thirtieth birthday, the money would transfer to Bryce."
"How did I not ken this?"
"Because ye're not the Shadow," Cormac replied with a grin."So, when ye wed Bella, Bryce lost his inheritance."
