Looking around, Darragh knew the scene looked damning, but he could scarcely remember drinking such an outrageous amount of liquor. All he knew was that the last few days had felt like hell, and the inexplicable ache in his chest only seemed to dull when he got roaring drunk.
The only downfall was that he quickly became sober, and the ache returned even worse, and he drank even more to dull it. But with the evidence around him, it did not seem like a sustainable plan. He needed to find another solution.
“Ye look like hell,” Cohen said with disgust, stepping over an empty bottle to jerk the curtains open, allowing bright beams of light into the room that triggered a crippling headache.
“Do ye want to kill me?” Darragh groaned, holding his head in his hands in the hope of easing the pain.
“I think ye are on yer way there already,” Cohen grumbled, cursing under his breath when he almost tripped over another bottle.
The low clinking told Darragh that his man-at-arms was now gathering the bottles.
“Ye ken ye need to leave here at some point, do ye nae?” Cohen asked.
“I will. After I solve me problems,” Darragh grunted.
“Am I to guess that the answer lies at the bottom of a bottle?” Jenson taunted, causing him to lift his head and shoot him a glare. At least this time, the drumming in his head was not as loud.
His brother did not show an ounce of remorse. He just laughed like he was enjoying his pain.
“Ye ken ye cannae avoid her forever,” Cohen interjected, picking up a cup of tea from the tray the maid had brought and handing it to Darragh.
“Who?” he asked, feigning ignorance. He took a sip from his cup.
“Ye ken who I’m talking about,” Cohen scoffed, fixing him with a pointed look.
Darragh stared into the tea, avoiding his gaze.
“There is hardly time, and soon she might make a rash decision while ye sit here doing yer best to ignore yer feelings.”
“Heavens, this is a new one,” Jenson drawled, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. “I never thought that a day likethis would come. Me most stoic braither felled by Cupid’s arrow. Me braither is pining over a woman. Quick, Cohen, I am pretty sure if ye look out the window, ye’ll find pigs flying.”
“If ye arenae careful, something rare might happen to ye. I would kick ye out of me study.”
“Ye have threatened that for a verra long time,” he scoffed.
Jenson had always been like this since childhood, actively trying to rile him up. Fortunately for him, Darragh was in no mood for a squabble that day.
“So, who is this mystery lady who has so easily wrecked me levelheaded braither? Besides, it isnae like ye to mope around instead of going after what ye want.”
“I am nae good for her,” Darragh grunted. The words scraped his throat, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. “She would be better off without me.”
“And why are ye so sure of this? Did she tell ye this herself?” Jenson probed.
“She doesnae have to for me to ken it is the truth. Ye ken me, I am hardly in the right mind to care for a woman. Nae when the clan’s affairs are in disarray…”
“Well, in this moment, I daenae think ye can concentrate on the clan’s affairs either. Ye are verra distracted. I think, for allour sakes, ye should resolve yer attraction to this lady. Ye are obviously nae yerself without her.”
Darragh did not respond.
“Unless there is another reason why ye are hesitant to embrace her?” A mischievous smile stretched across Jenson’s face until he was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Daenae tell me that the fearsome Laird McGhee is afraid of a tender emotion like love?”
“Daenae be daft,” Darragh scoffed, unnerved by how close his brother came to the truth. “This had nothing to do with fear. I’m only staying away to keep her safe.”
From me.
“Well, for yer sake and hers, I hope that is true,” Cohen said quietly.
Darragh hoped so as well. Except that deep in his heart, he knew that he had told the biggest lie ever.
