Somethin' must have happened after I dismissed him. He seems even more upset than when he left.
As they argued about what had happened during the villagers' visit, Hugh held himself back from demanding to know what the point of this was. He knew it was best to behave as diplomatically as possible. Still, it was difficult, as every part of him screamed at the wrongness of sitting idly by while they openly discussed what was likely their plan to strip him of his title.
It wasn't until Aaron said, "It seems as though the more the villagers get to ken our Lady, the less they like her. It makes me wonder if we werenae too hasty to dismiss our concerns about the Laird choosin' his own wife."
"Aye," Callum agreed, speaking for the first time since the meeting convened. "I believe that the issues we've been experiencin' began when our Laird left Scotland and returned with a wife that we didnae have an opportunity to approve of."
"The villagers," Hugh said, the physical strain of remaining civil making his voice tight, "daenae dislike Anna. They daenae like that the clan's money is unaccounted for. They daenae like the rumor they'd been fed. That was the reason that so many of them came to the castle. I already proved to them that me wife's dowry was exactly as large as I told them it was. Once the village headis presented with the ledgers, they will nay longer take issue with her."
"Ach, but do the ledgers reflect where all the money has gone?" Callum asked savagely. "Ye told me that ye cannae find where the clan's gold is goin'. They willnae be pleased if ye daenae have answers for them about that.
"I'm gettin' somewhere with balancin' the books," Hugh countered, his hands balling into fists on top of the table. "If it werenae for this meetin', I would be workin' on findin' it."
Callum scoffed, but before he or any of the others could speak, the door flew open. Everyone's heads snapped in the direction of the disturbance. Anna marched into the room, her shoulders back, her chin held high. She was radiating a kind of confidence that made Hugh proud, even as his own annoyance at her inability to follow directions flared.
"Anna," Hugh said, rising from his chair and crossing the room to stand next to her. He leaned in close, lowering his voice as he said, "I told ye to go to yer chambers. Ye shouldnae be here right now."
"He's correct, me Lady," said Aaron, a smirk on his face as he spoke. "We're in the middle of quite an important meetin'. Whatever it is ye need will have to wait until we finish."
"I do believe you will all want to hear what I have to say," Anna said, stepping in a bit closer to Hugh as though she were using him as a shield.
"Ye can speak with him after the meetin'," Callum said quickly, his hands moving a bit wildly over the wooden surface. "I will determine whether or nay it's an issue that should be brought before the council."
"Let her speak," Hugh said, his eyes locked on the way Anna's jaw set. "If she deemed it pressin' enough to interrupt our meetin', I'm inclined to believe that it's important."
"Thank you," Anna said, giving him a small smile before turning back to the others. "Yesterday I came across something… strange. I went to speak with Callum about a rumor I heard concerning my asking for money and him delivering it to me. I've never asked him to do such a thing, nor have I been given a penny, so I went to speak with him."
"She doesnae ken what she's sayin'!" Callum interjected, his panic obvious. "Ye cannae?—"
"Quiet, Callum," Aaron snapped, not looking away from Anna. "Continue, me Lady."
She nodded. "He dismissed me, so I did something I'm not particularly proud of. I followed him to see what he deemed to be urgent at the time. When I did, I saw the money, all of it. I believe that Callum's been the one taking the missing money."
The room devolved into arguing. Callum cried that she was lying, while other members of the council began speaking to one another. Aaron desperately tried to regain order, politely at first,before slamming his fist against the table. At the noise, Anna shifted closer to Hugh, tucking herself against his side.
"What ye said, Lady McDonald, requires investigation," Aaron said, shooting Callum a withering look. "Even if it is nay true, we must look into it. However, we will sequester Lady McDonald in her chambers as we investigate. It will ensure that she doesnae influence the investigation."
As though his word was law, the rest of the men stood. Hugh wrapped his arm around Anna protectively, glaring at them as they approached. He swung her away from them, saying, "I will escort the Lady to her chambers."
"Someone must accompany ye," Aaron said diplomatically. "Someone impartial." He nodded to the man at his right. "Ensure the Laird takes the Lady to her room and doesnae do anythin' that may hinder our investigation." He turned to Callum. "And ye will be accompanied by somebody else at all times until we learn whether or not these claims are true."
Hugh accepted the directive, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the information she'd brought forward. As they walked out of the room, he wondered why he hadn't thought to look that closely at Callum. He could have had anyone trail him to see what he was doing when he thought no one was watching. It would have saved Anna from the trouble.
He could feel her shaking as they walked. Adrenaline mixed with what he could only assume was fear coursed through her. It was a wonder that she was keeping herself as steady as she was.Anyone looking at the three of them wouldn't have a clue what her interruption had cost her.
"That was quite brave," Hugh told her as they walked. "Ye could have told me privately, but instead ye told everyone and forced them to act. Ye're brilliant, Anna."
"It felt as though it was the only thing that I could do," she admitted, relaxing slightly. It was obvious, though, that each step closer to her quarters was weighing heavily on her. "And he would have wanted me to keep quiet. To try to handle things privately. I couldn't let that happen."
"Well, it was the correct thing to do," he told her. "Even though they're puttin' ye in yer chambers."
"I'm sure there are worse places they could have put me in," she said without a hint of humor. "At least I'll be comfortable while I'm locked away."
"Aye," Hugh agreed.
The rest of the journey passed in a strained silence. There was more that he wanted to say, but couldn't seem to find the words for. It was as if Anna was having a similar dilemma, her body stiffening incrementally as though she was working her way toward saying something.
Finally, they came to a stop in front of her door. The man that had joined them stood by, watching the two of them as thoughhe expected something to pass between their hands. Anna pressed herself closer against Hugh, wrapping her arms around him.
