Chapter 5
Sheona triedto focus on anything but the man behind her. An impossible feat with him pressed so against her backside. She couldn’t escape any part of him. Somehow in just one day, his very essence has crept its way inside her, leaving her senses on high alert. She was even enthralled watching his hands grip the reins and wondered what they would feel like on herbody.
She shook her head and shifted her bottom. The movement didn’t help, but rather made her ever more aware of his hardness and the ache building inher.
If she did not focus on something else soon, she wasn’t sure what she was capable of. The man was a boor, but her body didn’t seem to care. Well away from the Black and Red Cullins, the landscape settled and they could ride faster. Before long Sheona saw Knock Castle in the distance. Not as large as Dunvegan, the castle was still imposing, sitting on a spit of land overlooking LochHourn.
Uneasiness worked its way into her heart, building like a tempest. For all her brave words, she feared what would happen to her inside those walls. Aunt Margaret had returned from this very castle abused and broken. She was nothing like the woman who had left the year earlier. What would become of Sheona at the clutches of the same men who had grossly mistreated heraunt?
MacDonald steered them down the winding path. She’d been mistaken. From a distance the castle hadn’t looked so big. Now before it, she viewed several buildings, all attached to the one large keep. The grey stone loomed gloomy and foreboding. When was the last time this place had seenjoy?
“Welcome to your new home, LadySheona.”
“You will forgive me if I do not thank you forit.”
“You will. I promise youthat.”
“I believe you presume too much, my lord. There is nothing here that will give me pleasure. Can you not at least untie me before we enter thekeep?”
“You do not wish to be seen as a prisoner? The only other way I am willing to present you is as my wife, and I do not see a priest at the moment. The ropesstay.”
“You are a brute, MacDonald. And I hope you rot in my father’s dungeon when he makes you pay for what you’ve done.” She didn’t mean to sound like a spiteful child, but she wanted the ropes off and she wanted to be away fromhim.
“Ahhh, my love, such fire in you. You could stir a man tomadness.”
“You are mad, if you think you will have my hand in marriage or any other part of me.” Talking to him was useless. She was grateful they had arrived at the inner courtyard and could dismount and put some distance betweenthem.
MacDonald tossed the reins to the stable hand and led her inside the keep. He walked straight to the kitchen with her in tow. She’d never been so shamed in her life, being led along like a foul animal. His contempt of her station as a lady was appalling and she had to fight back the tears at the distasteful looks from the people they encountered along theway.
“Where isAbigayle?”
MacDonald had spoken to a man who looked like a seal on human legs. She could only assume the man was the maincook.
“She is in the back, m’lord. Shall I fetch her foryou?”
“Tell her to bring a bath and clean linens to the blue room. We have a guest who requirescomfort.”
Comfort? While she was still tied up? How could the man possibly be so confusing? She followed, because that was all she could do, when he left the kitchen and crossed the great hall. This time, she didn’t notice people staring at her; rather, she caught sight of the great tapestries hanging on the high stone walls. The vibrant colour was startling against the greystone.
She stopped and stared and was jolted forward when MacDonald kept walking. He turned back to her with raisedeyebrows.
“They’re stunning,” shesaid.
He looked up and around the hall with a smile. “Aye, that they are. You seem surprised that we have beautiful tapestries, Lady Sheona. Did you think we spent all our time fightingyou?”
He turned back to the staircase and began to climb. Sheona followed, curious as to the rest of the castle. When they reached the second floor, he turned left and led her down a hallway and into a chamber that was indeed blue. From the coverlet to the draperies around the windows to the sash on the canopy, the entire room was decorated in a sea-blue.
MacDonald dropped the rope and worked to untie her wrists. She searched his expression. Why would he do that here and not below stairs? And why put a prisoner in a guestchamber?
“You confuse me, mylord.”
“Oh?”
“Aye. Why did you wait to remove my bindings until we were inprivate?”
“Because you will be with me and you cannot escape whilst I am with you, secure in a chamber. Outside that door, however, you will be bound each and every time until I am convinced you do not wish toflee.”
“Well then, you may as well leave them on, my lord. For I will always wish to flee. And I promise you the first opportunity I get, Iwill.”
