“Until you are married, I might as well be your father. It is your duty to obey me, and you will do as I say.” They stared at one another for a few minutes, angry gazes crossing like swords, waging a silent war of wills. Jamie was right, but he also must have realized that if he forced the issue, it would change the relationship between them forever. He was the first to stand down. “I should send you back to Blackhouse right now, as I promised.”
Her heart clenched. He couldn’t send her away—not until Archie was safe. “But you won’t,” she said with more certainty than she felt.
He held her gaze for a long pause before relenting. “Damn it, Ella. You don’t understand.”
“Then why don’t you explain it to me?” she said quietly.
“MacGowan doesn’t want to be your friend. He hasn’t for a long time. He wantsyou.”
She shook her head. “He might have at one time, but not anymore.”
Jamie’s expression hardened. “Do not argue with me about this, Elizabeth. No matter what he’s told you, he wants you, and he’d do anything to have you. Hell, why do you think he’s here?”
“He wants to be a knight. He’s wanted to be a knight for as long as I can remember.”
“Because ofyou, damn it. He’s under some misguided belief that if he raises himself high enough he’ll be worthy of you. But he’ll never be worthy of you. I didn’t realize his feelings at first, but it became clear that night I found you on the tower. God knows what would have happened had I not put a stop to it. He took advantage of both of us, Ella. Me for our friendship, and you for your innocence. He thought that because we were friends I wouldn’t object to the son of the smith courting my sister.” His eyes blazed with anger. “Can you imagine? Christ, he would have made a laughingstock of us both—and ruined you in the process.”
Elizabeth winced at the harshness of it, though she knew it was the reality. “He wasn’t taking advantage of me, Jamie. Thom is one of the most noble men I’ve ever known. You know him. He would have never done anything to dishonor me.”
“I know from experience what passion can do to an honorable man.” Elizabeth realized he was referring to himself and that the memory pained him. “Aye, I know the kind of man Thom was,” he admitted grudgingly. “And I would have trusted him with my life. But trusting him to be able to control himself with my sixteen-year-old sister when I saw the way he looked at you?” He shook his head. “No way in hell. I wasn’t going to take any chances. I’m still not, which is why I want you to stay away from him. I will see to the situation with Archie.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I already asked him to help, and he refused.”
She’d managed to surprise him. “He refusedyou?”
She nodded.
He frowned. “Was it his arm? I didn’t think he was seriously injured.”
She shook her head. “He wasn’t. He just didn’t want to do it. He said he was leaving in a day or two—I’m not even sure he’s still here.” She paused, taking a deep breath through tight lungs. “He said there is a woman waiting for him. A woman he hopes to marry.”
If she’d surprised him before, she’d managed to shock her brother dumbstruck now. “Married? You are serious?”
She nodded.
“To whom?”
She shrugged, looking down at her hands. She was gripping her bracelet so tightly, she realized, the imprint would probably be dug into her skin. “He didn’t say. Only that she’s a widow of a baron.”
Jamie quirked a brow, obviously impressed. “It’s a good match for him.”
Why did hearing her brother say it only make her feel worse? Marriage had always been about making the best alliance to her—why wasn’t it in this case? “Aye,” she agreed.
Jamie didn’t say anything, but she could feel his eyes on her. After a moment he said, “The widow will have to wait, and if he’s gone already, he can be brought back.”
“Nay, you don’t understand. The widow was only an excuse. He doesn’twantto help, Jamie.”
“What he wants is immaterial. I’m not giving him a choice. MacGowan is a soldier, he will do what he is told.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened in horror, thinking about what Thom had said. Jamie forcing him would only reinforce every horrible thought he had about being their “servant.”
“No! You can’t order him, Jamie.” She thought back to her conversation with Thom. “Maybe if you ask him personally, and explain the situation...”
“So he can have the satisfaction of refusing me?” He made a sharp scoffing sound, and said, “I don’t think so. If he refused you, he sure as hell isn’t going to do it for me.”
“But—”
He put up his hand, stopping her. “This is our best way—maybe the only way—of getting Archie back. What’s more important, your brother or MacGowan’s tweaked pride?”
