The knock sounded again, and she heard her mother’s voice. “Gwendolen, are you there? Are you awake?”
Groaning with queasiness, she rose from bed, pulled on her shift, and answered the door. “What do you want, Mother? It’s the middle of the night.”
“I know that, and I am sorry to disturb you.” Onora rose up on her toes to peer over Gwendolen’s shoulder. “Is Angus with you? Is he asleep?”
“Aye,” she replied. “What is it?”
Nervously, Onora glanced up and down the corridor. “Something has happened,” she whispered. “It concerns Murdoch. There is news of him.”
“What sort of news?” Gwendolen asked.
Onora hesitated, then squared her shoulders and spoke directly. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but he is alive. Your husband lied to us.”
A jolt of shock distracted Gwendolen from her queasiness. Her voice faded to a disbelieving hush. “What do you mean, he lied? Why would he do that?”
“Shh,you’ll wake him. Just come with me now, and I will explain everything.”
She made a move to leave, but Gwendolen resisted. “No, Mother. I don’t want to go with you. I want to ask my husband what this is about.” She turned to go back inside.
Onora grabbed hold of her sleeve. “Wait! Please let me explain first. We don’t know who we can trust.”
“We can trust my husband,” Gwendolen firmly assured her.
Her mother shook her head. “No, we cannot.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Onora led Gwendolen into the solar. She stopped just inside the door and felt as if she were staring at a ghost.
Her brother.
Back from the dead.
“Murdoch…!”
She dashed across the room, straight into his arms. Here he was—the brother who had taught her how to ride a horse, how to shoot a musket, and how to play shinty with the boys. He was not dead. He was here!
“You’re alive.”She buried her face in his shoulder, while her body shuddered with a weeping flood of wonder and relief. How she had longed for his return, for so many, many months.
“Aye, my darlin’ lassie.” He held her close. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come home when you needed me. I heard it was difficult.”
She stepped back and laid a hand on his cheek, while she looked into his eyes and noted the changes in his appearance. His straight brown hair was cropped short, and his skin was deeply bronzed from the sun. It had been almost a year since she had seen him last. There were tiny lines at the outer corners of his warm brown eyes, where there had been none before—but he was still as handsome as ever, if not more so.
“It was difficult at first,” she replied. “But it’s better now.”
Murdoch glanced with some concern at Onora, who raised her eyebrows as if to say,I told you so. He then crossed to the other side of the room, where he stood for a moment with his back to them.
Gwendolen knew immediately that something was afoot—something suspect and perhaps unsavory. The MacEwens and MacDonalds were enemies, and Murdoch had not been present for all the little alliances that had formed over the past month. He knew nothing of Angus’s character and strength as a leader. He did not understand the history of her husband’s claim over Kinloch, nor did he know that Gwendolen was happy and in love. As far as Murdoch was concerned, Angus was their enemy, and their clan had been conquered and subjugated. His sister had been forced into an unwanted marriage.
“I am expecting a child,” she blurted out, hoping desperately that her brother would recognize her happiness and listen to her account of what had occurred at Kinloch since he had been gone. It was not as bad as he thought.
“Is that a fact?” Murdoch coolly replied.
“Aye.” She thought carefully about how she should explain things. “When Angus arrived and claimed the castle, it was his intention to unite our clans, and he has done so with great success.” Her brother did not turn around, so she continued to describe the situation as best she could. “He always said that if you returned, he would honor you with land and status. You must meet him, Murdoch. He is a good man, and there can be peace between the two of you, as there has been between our clans.”
At last, her brother faced her. His eyes were clouded with disdain, and his lips hardened into a thin line. “You think there is peace here?”
“Aye, I do.”
