It was odd to imagine Richard being here at this moment.
It was like a sharp, pungent taste of reality, the emergence of her old life, which hadallbut vanished over the past few weeks, as if it had never existed.
Only it was not the same life atall. The man she had once hoped to marry was accused of unspeakable crimes, and she would soon have to face him and try to see the truth for herself, when she had not been able to see it before.
What if shestillcould not?
And what was happening in the castle now? Was Richard speaking to Duncan? Was he angry? What would Duncan do?
Do you not worry about the violence in my nature?
Lord help her, she was certainly beginning to worry about it now, after being dragged out of thevillageby an army of Highlanders with muskets and spears. The whole situation seemed positively medieval, and her heart was racing with dread. What if something terrible was happening? Her hands began to shake as her mind swarmed with grisly images of Duncan in his kilt, splattered with blood, swinging his battle-axe through the air. She shut her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples to block itallout.
Footsteps approached outside the door. A key slipped into the lock. The door opened, and Iain strode in.
She crossed to meet him. “Oh, Iain, thank heavens.
Pleasetellme what’s happening. Is Josephineallright?
Where is Duncan? Has he spoken to Richard yet?”
“Not yet,” Iain answered in a voice that seemed almost too casual under the circumstances. “Colonel Bennett is waiting in the library, and Duncanwillbe here soon. He wants you at his side when Bennett contests your engagement, which hefully intends to do.”
“How do you know this?”
“Bennett announced it to the guard when he rode through the gate.”
She laid a hand on her stomach. Lord help themall. But at least there was one promising factor inallthis: Duncan would not wish to have her standing at his side if he intended to don his Butcher garb and slice off Richard’s head. He knew how she felt about that, and he had given her his word.
“Did you speak to Richard already?” she asked. “Are you sure he wishes to confront Duncan? I’m surprised he did not ask to speak to me first.”
“He did. It was the first thing he requested. Strode in here, bold as brass, and demanded a private appointment with you.”
“And you said no?”
“Not exactly. I told him to wait in the library, that you were on your way back from the village, and he would see you then. I arranged for asmallsupper to be sent up.”
“Thank you, Iain. But I believeallof this is quite unnecessary. If I could just speak to him, I would assure him that I amwell, and that I genuinely wish to marry Duncan. If he heard those words from my own lips, I believe he would accept my decision and leave peaceful y.” She paused when Iain frowned at her. “Please, Iain, do not misunderstand. I do not wish to protect him. I only wish to do what I can to prevent an altercation. I am certain that he came here because he needs to confirm that I am safe. Do not forget, I was his intended bride and while under his protection I was abducted by the Butcher. You cannot fault him for coming here. You would do the same thing, I am sure.”
“I do not fault anyone, lass. But Duncanwillnot let you be alone with Bennett. It is the unshakable truth. Do not even bother to ask.”
She watched Iain for a moment to measure the strength of his resolve, then resigned herself to the fact that it could not be breached. She turned away and sat down on the long bench at the table.
She had no choice, then, but to abide by her future husband’s wishes. He had his reasons to employ such excessive measures, she supposed.
Duncan walked through the door just then. She rose quickly to her feet. Their eyes met and locked.
“You heard Bennett is here?” Duncan asked. He was dressed in an extravagantfull-skirted coat of gold, with heavy button ornamentation and a matching embroidered waistcoat, cut low in front to reveal the white, ruffled neckwear. On his head he wore a jet-black,full-bottomed French wig with a mass of curls that reachedwellbelow his shoulders.
The wig unnerved her. It was an accessory she had not seen him wear before. Had he worn it with her father?
She made careful note also of the dress saber, sheathed and belted at his waist.
“Yes, I heard,” she replied. “I was dragged out of the miller’s cottage, where I was looking at flowers for our wedding day.”
She imagined that he might come forward, take her into his arms, and assure her that everything was going to beallright, that they simply had to get through this day andallwould bewell. But he remained just inside the door, his expression dark and menacing.
“You can return there tomorrow,” he said flatly.
