“Concede. It was an accident, Sir Dugald,” Jamie offered in warning. “There are no’ enough witnesses to prove otherwise.”
“I need only one witness!” Dugald roared.
“I need more! This is not a clear case!” Jamie roared back.
“Then wait till Iain recovers!” Sheena shouted before her father could say anything else. She was torn apart, knowing where this was leading. She couldn’t stand it. And all over Iain, peace-loving Iain.
“To what end, daughter?” Dugald rasped. “The MacKinnion would only find other excuses no’ to mete out justice, even if the truth were clear.”
“I beseech you—”
“Nay!” Dugald cut her off sharply. “But dinna fear I’ll soil this day with vengeance. We’ll be leaving here, and you with us, ’afore there are moreaccidents.”
“She doesna go, Dugald.” Jamie’s voice was deceptively soft.
“She’s wed to you, MacKinnion.” Dugald glowered at him. “But by your own words, you did say she wouldna be forced to stay here.”
“She can leave—when I say. For now she stays.”
Sheena held her breath. Her father and her husband stared at each other for so long, not one more word passing between them, that she thought a battle was inevitable. She knew her father was placed in an intolerable position. It was either fight or back down. A Fergusson back down? When his whole clan stood behind him? Yet, as always when against the MacKinnions, the Fergussons were outnumbered.
His face dark with rage, Dugald Fergusson turned on his heel and left the hall without another word. Sheena was forced to watch the rest of her clan storm out of the hall. Then Iain was carried out, still unconscious. He was in no condition to be riding, yet ride he would, and probably die on the long trek home.
Even Niall did not look at her once as he left. Sheena moved toward her brother. They had to have at least a few words before he left. But Jamie’s restraining hand on her shoulder kept her beside him, and she could only stand there, unable to prevent it, while her family left. Deep down she wondered if she would ever see them again.
Her chest ached, and she would have cried if not for the heavy hand on her shoulder. It reminded her that she was in the midst of the hated MacKinnions. She wouldn’t let the enemy see what this was doing to her.
“Sheena?”
Jamie’s voice was soft, and she was reminded of his earlier tenderness. Did he think nothing had changed? Didn’t he know everything was shattered?
She lifted his hand and shoved it away from her before she turned and looked squarely at him, hereyes filled with pain and condemnation. “Dinna touch me again, Jamie—ever,” she whispered brokenly, all her pain in her voice.
“Sheena—”
“Nay!” she sobbed. Nothing he could say would change any of it.
She ran from the hall before they were shamed in front of his kin. Jamie stared after her, wanting desperately to follow, to make her see his side of it, but he feared his own temper, so he didn’t move. He watched until she was out of sight.
Chapter 31
When Jamie entered the chamber, Sheena was asleep in the chair by the fire, still dressed, her hair flowing over the side of the chair to form a shimmering red pool on the floor. Her arms were crossed over her breasts, her feet tucked under her skirt. Had she just fallen asleep there, or was she making a deliberate point by not sleeping in the bed?
Jamie added wood to the dying fire before he sat down at Sheena’s feet to stare up at her. She looked so peaceful without the glimmer of tears in her eyes. Aye, he had seen the unshed tears, and the pain. But how to make it right with her?
He picked up the dark tresses lying on the floor and fanned them through his fingers. Their wedding day! What an utter fiasco, except for that little time together. How could she forget that time? Didn’t it matter at all?
He wasn’t going to wake her and hear more accusations. Enough angry words had been thrown at him that night. Colen had accused him of being ten kinds of a fool, and Aunt Lydia had had her say, as well, upbraiding him severely for letting the feud start again. But neither of them had made him admit he might have made a mistake.
It was actually Black Gawain who had made him consider the possibility. His cousin showed not a whit of remorse for what had transpired, enjoying himself on Jamie’s wedding day though Jamie no longer could. Jamie’s temper finally got the best of him, and he ordered Gawain from the hall, sick of the sight of him, sick over the fates that had turned Sheena against him again.
Sheena woke to see Jamie sitting on the floor near her, her hair entwined in his fingers. She stiffened and yanked the hair away from him.
Jamie turned to her, his eyes gleaming brightly in the firelight. He stood up and held out his hand, but she made no move to take it. He sighed. “Come to bed, lass. It has been a tiring day, and we can both use the rest.” She still didn’t move, so he added, “I’ll no’ be bothering you, if that has you worried.”
Her eyes rose slowly to meet his, and when he saw how much anger was there, he wondered again if he could ever make it right with her.
“I only waited here to tell you I’ll no’ be staying in this room with you,” she said.
