Remy didn’t think so either. Besides, it would be difficult to explain to the couple that had opened their barn to them why their laird felt the need to remove Remy’s head from his shoulders.
Quickly, he got their horse ready and led it out to the waiting crowd of guards, his own included. The torches they carried chased away the darkness as well as illuminated Ian’s expression, which had grown hard. A lone horse awaited its rider and Gretna gave Remy a long look before she approached the horse, swinging herself up into the saddle. Remy did the same, his heart thundering in his ears. He thought about taking his place behind the laird, where the captain of the guard should be, but decided against the move, knowing that he wasn’t Ian’s favored at this time. It would be better to put some distance between them anyway and not goad the laird into making any rash decisions.
Still, Remy didn’t want his closest friend to find out in this manner. There were likely so many unanswered questions for Ian and he wanted to soothe his worries that he wasn’t seriousabout Gretna. He wanted her as his wife and would do whatever he needed to, to make it come to light between them.
Ian had a level mind, Remy thought as they started down the rutted path, the guards lighting the way. He would listen to reason before making a judgment on their future. Still, even with his thoughts, Remy felt the stir of worry in his chest. If Ian didn’t, Remy didn’t know what he would do to make Ian see that he wasn’t the same man who had left on that journey long ago. Gretna had changed him, made him want a future and not the life that he had before he had fallen for her.
Now, it was time to show Ian.
22
Gretna woke in her own bed, staring up at the ornate ceiling above her. She still felt tired from their journey, falling into bed in the wee hours of the morning without so much as a thought as to what the morning would bring.
Her brother had said nothing to Gretna about what he saw, only that they would talk in the morning and that had been the last time she had seen Remy as well.
Gretna’s heart clenched as she shoved back the furs and climbed out of the bed, already making her way toward her water basin. She had to talk to Ian before he got to Remy and forced him to walk away from her. She couldn’t bear it if he did.
A small knock sounded on her chamber door before it opened and her sister stood there, a smile on her face.
“Yer back!”
“Aye,” Gretna replied, returning Lena’s smile. “Come in. I need yer help.”
Lena did as Gretna asked and after splashing some cold water on her face, Gretna started to strip off the gown she had fallen asleep. “Get mah green gown.”
“So?” Lena asked as she went over to the wardrobe and pulled out the gown, laying it across the bed. “Are ye marrying the McCellan?”
Gretna paused. “Nay, I’m not.” She didn’t think that they had to worry too much about that clan in the future.
“No one will tell mah anything,” Lena moaned as Gretna ran a cloth over her arms to wipe away the dust from the hard ride back to the keep. “Wot happened?”
Finishing her task, Gretna looked at her sister. “It will come out soon enough.” She didn’t have time to go into detail with her. “Quick, help mah dress.”
In just a few moments, Gretna was dressed and her hair pulled back into the severe bun she wore around the keep, smoothing the stray hairs away from her face.
“I donna recognize ye,” Lena said quietly as Gretna looked at her reflection in the mirror. “Yer eyes. They are glowing.”
Gretna almost didn’t recognize herself truly. So much had happened to her, but she didn’t want to go back to who she was before her journey.
Turning toward her sister, she placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I’m not the same. I donna think I will ever be the same.”
Lena gave her a strange look, but she didn’t stop Gretna as she hurried to the great hall, finding her brother already taking his breakfast. “Sit,” he growled, not looking up from his meal.
Gretna sat, her stomach twisted in knots. “I know yer disappointed in mah.”
Ian finally looked at her, surprise flickering over his expression. “Wot?”
“I didna get ye the alliance,” she rushed on, fidgeting with the folds of her skirt. “I failed and ruined the faith that ye had in mah tae finish wot needed tae be done.” She would take full responsibility for her actions, but Gretna would not go back evenif Ian asked her to. She couldn’t wed James not that she would be welcomed beyond the McCellan border again.
Ian sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Is that wot ye are worried aboot, Gretna? Do ye really think that is wot kept mah from mah sleep?”
“Tis wot ye wanted,” she said slowly. “Why ye sent mah.”
“That’s not why I sent ye,” Ian argued, leaning back in his chair. “Ye wanted tae go, Gretna. Ye were hell-bent on finding yer true love. I couldna verra well stop ye.”
That was true. She had high hopes of finding her true love with James, but instead, she found it in the most unlikely person and he filled her heart with happiness. “I found mah love,” she answered, daring a glance at her brother as she said the words.
Ian sighed even louder, his eyes hardening. “I donna think so.”
