If Arran regretted it, then he would not be willing to protect her. He would likely hand her over if her brother showed up in hopes that he would not destroy the clan. Her stomach rolled as she watched Arran walk to the door.
“Please,” she said. “Please dinnae hand me tae mah brother.”
His shoulders tensed, and he looked back, no softness in his expression. “If ye think that is what I would do, then ye havenae learned anything about me, lass.”
Ainslee sank to the floor as Arran walked out, shutting the door softly behind him. She shouldn’t care this much about his disappointment, but it did bother her. They had spent a great deal of time together, and he had thought her to be someone else.
Now that the truth was out, he likely hated her. She was his enemy, just as her brother was, and Ainslee would not be surprised if he came back with guards to haul her to the dungeon.
A tear streaked down her face and Ainslee let it, not bothering to brush it aside. Just moments before, he had offered her a chance at happiness, and she had ruined that by telling him the truth.
She would never be happy. Her brother was still destroying her life even though he did not know she was still alive.
At least Arran had confirmed that he would not hand her over to Liam. That was a small measure of relief for Ainslee. She would remain dead to Liam, and that was how she hoped it to be for the rest of her days.
The only concern was that she was now married to a man who detested her.
Ainslee lay back on the bed, staring up at the wood beam ceiling over her head. Perhaps she was not meant to have a future. Maybe her fate was that she should have perished under her brother’s blade, and now this was her pittance for escaping death. Agatha had told her once that the reason she had not died that day was because there was something greater planned for her, but Ainslee was starting to wonder if it was so that she could live in misery for the rest of her days.
“Oh, Agatha,” she breathed as more tears escaped her eyes. “If only ye could see me now. Ye would be so disappointed.” She should have been stronger. She should have killed her brother at the first opportunity, and then no one—not even Arran—would have had to suffer his wrath.
Yet she had hidden away, and now even her own husband detested her for the person that she was related to.
Sighing, Ainslee curled up on the bed and pulled the tartan over her, staring into the fire. Sooner or later, she was going to come face-to-face with Liam again. Ainslee could feel it in her bones.
And this time, she would not hesitate to give him what he had given her.
11
Arran rose from the water, his body shivering as he tucked himself in the small hut immediately, the steam from the brazier, causing his vision to be clouded. After leaving Ainslee, he realized he still hadn’t a full bath, and the next best thing was a cold dip in the river to cool his anger and clear his head.
His da had built a small hunting hut near the bank, complete with a brazier so that he wouldn’t freeze when he needed to be away from his ma.
It was a good thing for Arran this day. He, too, needed to distance himself from his wife.
The liar.
Arran shook his head, holding his hands up to the warm fire dancing along the coals. He was wed to McDougal’s sister. It was one thing to be wed to his cousin, but his sister? It would mean any bairns they produced would be a direct lineage to his greatest enemy.
That was hard to swallow.
When she had told him the story about her true identity, Arran had wanted to disband their marriage right then and there. After all, they had not consummated it, which meant they were not fully joined together as man and wife. He could appeal to the council, and within a matter of days, he would be a free man once more.
But the way she had discussed her near death had kept him from doing so. It was clear to Arran that her brother truly did not care for her, and the moment he turned her out from his clan, she would be on her own.
He could not in good conscience do so.
Wiping a hand over his face, Arran stared at the fire. While he was angry she had lied to him yet again, he could understand now why she had done so. When he went back to the keep, he would tell her just that.
After dressing, Arran followed the path back to the keep, the wind at his back, and tearing at his clothing. There were storms on the horizon yet again, storms that would bring significant rain and likely flood the fields. It had been a wet season so far and the crops were starting to suffer under the strain.
He just hoped the storms didn’t bring McDougal. He would have to decide when they were going to exact their revenge for their warriors and those of his clan that had been lost at the laird’s hand.
That and he would have to keep his wife a secret. If he fell in battle, he would ensure that Ainslee would be escorted to the nearest ally so her brother would not find her alive again. He would stay true to his word and protect her at all costs.
When Arran entered the keep, he headed straight for the whiskey, pouring himself a glass.
“I wouldnae have expected tae see ye so soon.”
