Before Elayne could say anything else, there was a knock on the door and three maids came into the room. They bowed to them, and though they busied themselves with making sure everything in the room was ready for them quietly, Elayne could see the way they looked at Dunn as they moved around the space. Their gazes lingered on him, one of them smiling softly when she caught his gaze.
It was irrational to feel the gnawing jaws of jealousy on her, and yet that was precisely what happened. Elayne frowned and averted her gaze, willing herself to let it go. What good would it do to be jealous over a man she had no real claim on, on top of everything else? It would only complicate things further.
This thing between them was nothing more than a business transaction.
“I will leave ye tae prepare fer dinner, then,” said Dunn as he turned to head to the door. “I suppose we can discuss this further later.”
Elayne didn’t know what else there was to say about all this, but she nodded regardless and watched as Dunn left the room. Then,she was left alone with the maids, in the room she loved so much but where she could now find no comfort. Somewhere in the castle, her father was preparing his next move, and somewhere out there, in the world, Laird McCoy would be planning his. For all she knew, Dunn was right in claiming this was too dangerous, that it could lead to his death, but Elayne couldn’t bear to think about such things.
How could she ever forgive herself if something happened to him because of her, because she had dragged him into her careless plan? Her hands would be stained with his blood forever, the blame falling on her shoulders as much as it would on her father’s and Laird McCoy’s.
The last thing she wanted was to face her father for dinner, but she had no other choice. She didn’t want to appear suspicious in any way or give him a reason to doubt her love for Dunn and her decision to marry him, and so she decided it would be best to clean up and dress, and then join him.
She had a part to play, and she would play it just as well as Dunn.
CHAPTER FOUR
It was only now that Dunn took the time to examine the castle for his own purposes. If he was going to be there with Elayne and Laird Macgillivray, then he needed to plan an escape route, no matter how unlikely such an escape seemed. If everything went wrong, then he could at least know he had done everything in his power to get out of there alive.
The castle wasn’t so much the fortress Dunn had expected it to be. Sure, there were guards everywhere, watching over the walls, but it was no different from any other castle he had visited in his life. It seemed that Laird Macgillivray wasn’t expecting any attacks, even if he had some enemies, and that gave Dunn some peace of mind. Not only would it be easier to sneak out, but he also didn’t have to worry about a sudden attack led by another clan that could hinder his own plans.
He was also on the search for Laird Macgillivray’s study. If he was going to use this opportunity to find some information, then he had to know where the man kept all his papers and how wellthey were guarded. It would take him a short while to figure out the laird’s schedule, to know when his study would be empty so he could do his job, but he supposed he had some time to spare. Laird Macgillivray would make sure Dunn was who he claimed to be, and then he would have to come up with a plan of his own, so that was bound to take at least a few days, if not weeks.
Dunn, however, didn’t intend to stay there too long. The moment he had what he needed and the moment he could, he would take Elayne as promised and they would leave.
Hopefully I’ll never have tae see her again after.
She was a beautiful girl, that much was true, and Dunn enjoyed being around her, but there were many other women in the world—women whose fathers weren’t eager to kill him and who weren’t betrothed to a bloodthirsty laird. It wasn’t so much a matter of romance as a matter of self-preservation. Falling for her charms would only spell his disaster.
As he walked through the corridors with their bright torches and their heavy tapestries, wealth etched into every crevice of the castle, he almost bumped into another man while rounding a corner. With some irritation, Dunn realized he had to tilt his head up a little to look him in the eye.
He was a young man, with a mane of blonde hair that was gathered back in a way that would have been neat that morning but was now messy. His dark eyes assessed Dunn for a moment, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he should prepare for a fight when the man, seemingly satisfied, smiled at him warmly.
“Ye must be Dunn Mackintosh,” said the man with a kind of warmth that contrasted his previously serious expression and his large frame. “Welcome.”
“I’m afraid I’m at a disadvantage,” Dunn said, though not unkindly. “Ye seem tae ken who I am, but I cannae say I recognize ye. Have we met?”
“Och nay,” said the man. “I’m Blaine Sinclair, Captain. I heard o’ yer arrival.”
“Captain?” asked Dunn in surprise. Surely, he was a little young to be a Captain, he thought, though in retrospect, perhaps it would have been better to keep his mouth shut. He couldn’t forget he was an unwanted guest in that castle, and if this man was the captain, then his allegiances lay with the laird.
“Captain,” Blaine repeated. At least he seemed amused rather than offended, a small smile stretching his lips. “Me faither was captain before me an’ well… I am good with a sword.”
Dunn didn’t know if he should take that as a threat or not. He was good at reading people, good at unearthing their secrets and getting them to admit things they never would to anyone else, but with Blaine he had the impression it wouldn’t be as easy.
“I see,” was all Dunn could respond without risking saying something out of line. “I suppose word has already travelled far about me.”
“That is what usually happens in castles,” said Blaine with a laugh. “This is the most excitin’ thing tae happen in this castle in years. I’m sure ye can forgive the servants fer speakin’ about ye.”
“I am certainly nae as excitin’ as everyone seems tae think,” said Dunn. “Most o’ what ye have heard is probably false.”
“I’ve heard from the laird himself,” said Blaine with a small shrug. “An’ ye may nae be excitin’, but yer marriage tae Elayne is. Or perhaps the correct word fer it would be… surprisin’.”
“Nae foolish?” asked Dunn with a smirk.
“That too,” said Blaine, laughing. “I cannae say it was the smartest thing ye or Elayne could have done. I’m sure ye ken the laird is furious.”
“I noticed.” How could he have ever missed it? Laird Macgillivray had made sure to tell them precisely what he thought about their marriage. “For what it’s worth, we didnae ken she was tae be betrothed.”
