Heaving as he cradled his bleeding cheek, Alastair glared at James. “Ye wee bastard,” he hissed. “Ye’ll have what is coming tae ye.”
He had hardly finished his sentence before he attacked, throwing himself at James. The two men stumbled down to the ground, grappling for several seconds before the guards rushed to them to separate them. James was like a rabid animal, trying to get out of their grasp so he could get to Alastair, and Alastair did the same, struggling in the men’s grip.
“I want ye out of me castle!” James roared. “Ye and yer niece both! Ye have nay place here! And the sooner ye are gone, the better it will be fer everyone.”
The look Alastair gave James was scathing, and James could tell the last thing on his mind was that this was finished. There was nothing else he could do, though. Once everyone found out just how blatantly he had threatened Freya’s life, he would not be allowed to remain in the castle.
And James would make sure everyone knew the truth about him and his intentions.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The events of the day before had shaken Freya to the core. She couldn’t help but look over her shoulder every waking moment. She was. Just waiting for the moment something terrible would happen, and the anticipation and fear exhausted her.
The only thing that seemed to help was having James by her side, but even then, her heart raced and her hands trembled as fear coursed through her.
That morning, she had found him in the drawing room with Morgana and Evelyn, the three of them speaking quietly over a cup of tea. The moment she entered the room, James stood and approached her, taking her hands in his.
“Are ye alright?” he asked. “Ye look terribly pale.”
“I’m alright,” she assured him. “I’m only… only frightened. I cannae keep living like this, James. I’m afraid of every small noise, every shadow. Naething seems tae help.”
For a moment, James was silent as he considered her words. Then, he asked, “What if I assign someone tae guard ye? Our men are excellent fighters. Ye’ll be safe.”
Freya shook her head. Even if those two men had been the only ones Alastair had managed to bribe, she didn’t want to risk it. The mere thought of ending up in the same position frightened her beyond words.
“It will only make me feel worse,” she said. “But I dinnae ken what tae dae
“Trust me,” said James. “It will help. I’ll have me best man look after ye.”
Freya was reluctant to agree, but James seemed certain it was the best solution. She couldn’t think of anything else, so in the end, she simply gave a slow nod.
“Alright,” she said. “But I’d still rather be with ye.”
“I’ll try tae be with ye as much as possible,” James promised her. “But I have duties I must tend tae.”
“What if I take ye fer a walk, Freya?” Evelyn offered. “Perhaps some fresh air will help. And I’d like to see the gardens one last time afore I leave.”
After the morning’s altercation between James and her uncle, the latter had decided to leave as soon as possible. James had just been explaining what had happened to Evelyn and his sister and apologizing profusely for how things had turned out between them.
That’s right… Evelyn and Alastair are leaving on the morrow.
That gave Freya some peace of mind, at least. Though she had come to like Evelyn, she couldn’t help but be frightened of her uncle.
“A walk sounds lovely,” she said.
Freya followed Evelyn out of the room and out to the courtyard. It was a pleasant morning—not sunny, but at least not as cold as the previous days. She and Evelyn walked side by side in silence for a while, Freya not knowing what to say to break it.
What was there to tell the woman who was meant to marry the man she loved, but now never would? There wasn’t much that could be said between them. And yet, even the silence was pleasant, comfortable. She and Evelyn seemed to have a deeper understanding, one that didn’t require any words.
It wasn’t until they rounded a corner that the silence was broken, but not by either of them. Freya came to an abrupt halt as she caught sight of Alastair and Kathryn, and when she exchanged a glance with Evelyn, she knew she was thinking the same thing—they had to get closer and find out what they were discussing.
Slowly, they approached the two, trying to remain as unheard and unseen as possible. Hiding behind a large bush, Freya and Evelyn stayed quiet as they listened.
“Bring the lass tae the gardens,” said Alastair. “Pretend ye wish to make amends and lure her out here. I’ll dae the rest.”
Freya glanced at Evelyn, her heart racing in her chest. She could hardly believe Alastair was still plotting, and not just that, but now James’ mother was involved as well.
Kathryn looked at Alistair with surprise and started to answer, shaking her head.
