"Oh, Marcus," Anna said, her heart dropping from her chest. "I… I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry."
"Nay, ye shouldnae be sorry," he said, putting his hand over hers and squeezing once before dropping it and shrugging her off. "I needed to ken what was goin' on."
"But that was such an awful way to find out," Anna said, wrapping her arms around herself. She glanced away, surprised to see Hugh walking toward them with purpose.
"Ye shouldnae have run off, Anna," Hugh said when he was within earshot. "I was worried when I couldnae find ye."
"I'm truly sorry, Hugh," she said, looking over at Marcus. "I was just a bit overwhelmed with everything."
The Laird was no longer looking at her, though. His focus was on his brother instead. With a grunt, he asked, "What happened to ye?"
"Hugh, I don't think that's—" Anna began, trying to save the situation.
"If ye must ken," Marcus said, leveling Hugh with a look that only communicated despair, "ye and Maither and Arianna were right. Helena is nae good for me. She's a liar, and I was too blind to see it."
"Ye saw somethin' awful, didnae ye?" Hugh sighed, his shoulders slumping as if he didn't want to be correct.
"Aye," Marcus affirmed before glancing at Anna. "But I willnae repeat it a second time in front of yer wife. She's a lady; it was wrong of me to say what I saw."
"You don't have to apologize," she assured him with a friendly smile. "Besides, the most beautiful skies always appear after a storm. Do what you must to weather this storm."
That drew a genuine, if small, smile from Marcus. "I really should apologize for how I reacted to ye when ye arrived. That wasnae fair to ye."
"You were going through your own hardships," she said kindly. "I understand."
"Daenae excuse him," Hugh said, though he didn't sound severe. "Ye may have been hurtin', but that was nay reason to hurt me wife."
"I ken," Marcus said as he approached his horse. "And I'm ashamed of that behavior. Anna, I'm proud to call ye me sister. Thank ye for makin' the opportunity for me to learn this. If I hadnae, I daenae ken how much longer I would have been torn apart over her." Marcus got onto his horse. "Now, I daenae have to worry about it."
Anna began to speak, but Hugh stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. The message was clear: this was how Marcus chose to process the betrayal. For now, there was no point in attempting to change his mind or priorities. He would need time to figure it out on his own.
"We'll take our leave now," Hugh said, leading Anna to their horse.
She was ready when he picked her up and settled her on the saddle this time. Because she anticipated the action, she could admire the pure strength Hugh possessed. Despite not being small and dainty like other women, he moved her as though shewere. It made something in her core flutter, and that sensation only intensified when he climbed on behind her.
This is going to be a long ride back to the castle.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
"Where the hell did he run off to?" Hugh asked, though he wasn't expecting an answer.
Beside him, Anna kept up with his too-fast strides. Her hands were fisted in the front of her gown, pulling it up slightly so she didn't trip on her skirts as she jogged alongside him. She remained quiet, though her distress was obvious.
Even though they'd only been back at the castle for a quarter of an hour, Hugh had already lost Marcus. As soon as they'd returned, his brother had handed off his steed and retreated inside. It had taken Hugh and Anna a bit longer to hand their horse off to the groom.
"Ye should rest when we get inside," Hugh told her. "Ye've had a long day."
"I'd like to make sure Marcus is all right," she said softly. "If I hadn't encouraged him, I don't think he would have gone into the village."
Hugh glanced at her as they approached the doors. "It's nae yer fault, Anna. Marcus may be upset, but he would have learned about this eventually. What ye said about clear skies, I'm sure that's helpin' him."
"I know," she muttered as they walked inside, their footsteps echoing from the high ceilings. "I just…"
"It's nae yer fault, Anna," he assured her, grabbing hold of her to stop her. "I ken ye're concerned, but ye've already been quite helpful. Ye really should rest. Ye've been interactin' with people all day. I daenae think I saw ye sit the entire time we were in the village. I'll make sure Marcus willnae do anythin' stupid."
She fixed her gaze on the floor as she considered his suggestion. He said nothing more, knowing better than to push her unless he had to. Still, he wouldn't budge on his stance. After such a long day with no breaks, she needed a bit of time to herself.
"You're right," Anna said, finally meeting his eyes again. "A few hours of rest would do me well."
