“For once, I am glad to obey you!” Cora laughed. “I truly do not wish to see either of them again as long as I live.”
“You are very fortunate you are not languishing in my dungeon, Milady Loraine,” Clyde said grimly, pinning her with his green gaze. Loraine was trying to look defiant but failing miserably, since her hands were trembling visibly as she stood in front of him. She had spent the night and the next day locked in her chamber, having eaten nothing but bannocks, cheese, and porridge, with nothing but weak ale and water to drink.
However, she had fared better than the baron, who had been forced into the dungeon with his guards and the delightful company of rats. His diet had been even more meager, consisting only of three plates of porridge with ale.
Now they both stood before Clyde, who was sipping a robustly flavored French wine, and savoring every sip while the other two stood helplessly watching him. Presently, a maidservant brought in a slice of thick fruit dumpling and a wedge of cheese, which he began to eat slowly and with great relish.
Clyde had always found that this kind of subtle softening up of prisoners worked far better than the threat of whips and hot irons.
“Now, Baron, I would like you to tell me exactly what you have been trying to achieve for the last few days,” he confessed, “for I find myself mystified. If you tell me, you may share this wonderful wine. It is from the Languedoc region of France and is quite the most delicious vintage I have tasted in years.”
The baron’s mouth was watering, and at that moment, his stomach rumbled, which made Clyde grin. The torture was working.
Sutherland swallowed and cleared his throat, ready to speak, but Loraine intervened. “I will tell you, Clyde,” she offered, with a contemptuous glance at the baron.
“It is ‘M’Laird’ to you, Milady McKenzie,” Clyde said stiffly. “Go on.”
She was about to protest, but was stopped by the threat in his eyes. “When we were betrothed,” she said slowly, her hands twisting together nervously, “I thought I loved you. You were the man who introduced me to the mysteries of love, but I tired of you. The baron is richer than you are, and when you went to battle, I thought that it would be a good opportunity to end our betrothal. I could pretend that I thought you were dead—in fact, you might even have been dead—so it was the perfect time.”
“Were you disappointed that I was still alive?” Clyde’s voice was harsh, and the look in his green eyes was menacing.
“No,” she answered honestly. “I would never wish you dead, Clyde.”
At least that is not a lie,he thought, since he knew enough about Loraine to discern when she was telling the truth. “Go on,” he urged.
Loraine closed her eyes, and when she opened them, there were tears in them. “Andrew made me the offer of marriage, and I took it.” She paused for a moment, collecting herself, then went on. “I was foolish, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”
Clyde saw red. He thumped his fist on his desk and then stood up to his impressive full height. “That is not good enough, Loraine!” he spat. Loraine burst into tears, but he felt nothing. He turned to the baron. “You,” he said scathingly. “Why did you send her back to me? When you had separated us in the first place? It makes no sense.”
The baron was pale, with purple rings of weariness under his eyes. He passed a hand over his eyes as he spilled out his devilish plan to Clyde. It was all over now, and he had achieved nothing. “Everyone thinks I am rich,” he began wearily, “but I have squandered my fortune. I needed to marry a rich wife, so when I thought you were dead, it seemed as if Loraine had been handed to me on a plate. However, when you came back, I saw that I could do even better.
“I sent Loraine back to you so that I could marry Cora. That way, I could get control of her lands too. If you two had married, you would have been too much of a threat to me. Cora has no brothers, so she was her father’s heir, but as her husband, everything would come to me if she died.”
“And if she died quickly, that would be very fortunate for you,” Clyde growled. “No doubt you were going to make it happen as quickly as you could. Poison, perhaps? An ‘accidental’ fall from the battlements? Tell me, Sutherland, what would have happened then?”
“I need heirs,” the baron replied, shrugging. “I would have married Loraine.”
“Why not have children with Cora?” he asked, puzzled. “You would still have had her land.”
“Cora is too wild, and despite what you think, I do not beat women!” he growled. “Loraine is biddable and gentle. I could mold her to my will, and perhaps in the fullness of time, I could have inherited her lands too.”
“But you would murder them!” Clyde roared. He screwed his eyes shut in order to block out the image of his enemy. If he had looked at him a moment longer, he knew he would have killed him. When he opened them again, it was to see Loraine gazing at the baron in horror, before turning back to Clyde again.
“I swear that I knew nothing of his plans to kill Cora!” she cried. “Please believe me! He said that he would tell me the rest of his plans after he had wed her, and I believed him.”
“And I believe you, Loraine,” Clyde answered. “This man has a great talent for lying and bending people to his will, but be at ease, for he will not have it for much longer. I will make sure of it. You were his puppet, Loraine. I pity you, but that does not excuse your part in this. You will be tried and sentenced accordingly, and until that time, you will spend your days in my dungeons. I promise that you will be fed properly, but that is the best you can hope for.” He turned back to the baron. “You may share a cell with Angus Brown until your trial.”
“Who is Angus Brown?” Sutherland asked, puzzled.
“You will soon find out,” Clyde replied with an evil smile.
As soon as he left, he ran upstairs to find Cora and his sister awaiting him in the dining room. He pulled Cora out of her chair and into his arms, hugging her until she pushed him away for fear that her ribs might crack.
“What did they say?” she asked anxiously.
“I will tell you later, my love,” he answered, gazing at her fondly. “For now, I want only to look at you.”
20
