“Ye willnae dismiss me without cause. I am yer wife!” she snapped, her chest rising and falling rapidly with the force of her anger. “Ye kiss me, and then ye avoid me for days. Why? I ken the reason, but I accept the risk. So why do ye keep doin’ this?”
The entire castle fell silent or perhaps more accurately became muffled so that the only sound he could hear was Katherine’s ragged breathing. She looked as if she were about to strike, each muscle in her body tense and rigid.
Her questioning was too much. He couldn’t give her the answers she wanted, and the longer he stood in front of her, the less he trusted himself to maintain the distance he was trying to create. Taking a step back, he said, “Just do as ye are told, Katherine.”
Not allowing her a moment to respond, he turned and marched down the hallway. He knew that staying even a moment longer would end in disaster. It was imperative that he leave. The Pirate Laird was still out there somewhere, and finding him would keep Liam’s mind occupied.
As he turned the corner, he could feel Katherine’s eyes still lingering on him. He nearly broke, nearly gave her one last look, but he kept going. There was only one thing going through his mind as he put himself out of her sight.
I hope I didnae ruin the celebration for her.
Chapter Thirty
“It seems the guests from the village are startin’ to arrive,” Tilly said from where she’d stationed herself by the window. “Soon it will be time for ye to go out and greet yer guests.”
“I ken,” Katherine said, sweat prickling on the back of her neck.
She couldn’t shake the feeling from the confrontation in the corridor. When they finished hanging the last of the garlands, her stomach sank. She had no choice but to sit around and wait for the ceilidh to start.
I’m supposed to be excited for the celebration, nae dreadin’ it.
“I’m sure that once ye start dancin’, yer nerves will temper a wee bit,” Elspeth said, reaching over to rest her hand on Katherine’s wrist for a brief moment.
Everyone noticed the change in Katherine’s attitude when she rejoined them. She was sure they overheard the conversation and knew exactly what Liam had told her. Yet, all three of them kindly accepted her explanation of pre-celebration nerves.
It was much easier than admitting that she was hurt all the way down to the core of her being because Liam was leaving tonight.
“Perhaps ye’d like me to bring ye a drink,” Tilly suggested, already crossing the room. “I can get ye a wee glass of wine or whiskey. Or perhaps ye’d prefer ale?”
“I daenae need anythin’ more than me tea,” Katherine said, though the protest fell on deaf ears. “Truly, I am fine.”
Just before Tilly was able to leave, the stableboy burst into the room, nearly colliding with the maid. She grabbed onto his elbows, steadying him as she said, “Saints, Tyler. Ye nearly knocked me over. What are ye doin’ rushin’ around like this?”
“It’s Brimstone!” Tyler said, looking around the room, his eyes landing on Katherine. “Have ye seen the Laird? I need to speak with the Laird!”
“Brimstone?” Katherine asked, feeling as though she were going to collapse. “What… what has happened with Brimstone? I thought ye were supposed to be preparin’ him. Shouldnae he already be in the courtyard?”
“I’ve been lookin’ for him all mornin’,” he said, only staying put because of Tilly’s grasp. He looked ready to bolt the second he was released. “If ye havenae seen Laird MacDougal, I must be goin’.”
Katherine stood, pushing out every single emotion running through her mind. All of her thoughts were honed onto the task. This was something she could assist with, she was sure of it.
Putting a hand up without breaking eye contact with Tyler when Elspeth tried to hold onto her, Katherine said, “The Laird is busy, but I am more than capable of lookin’ for him. He responds best to me, anyway.”
He looked as though he wanted to protest, but after a long second, he said, “Aye, ye’re right, Me Lady.”
“Daenae worry about me,” Katherine told Agnes, Tilly, and Elspeth. They all looked poised to stop her. She grabbed the skirt of her gown, lifting it to give herself more range of motion. “I will be back in time for the ceilidh.”
“This way,” Tyler said as soon as Tilly released him. As they hurried down the corridor and out of the servants’ entrance, he said, “I daenae ken which direction he ran, but he has gotten loose and ran through the forest once before.”
“I may be to blame for him breakin’ free,” Katherine admitted, her pace shifting from a quick walk to a half-run when her shoes hit the grass. “Since I showed him that he can jump over the fence.”
“We will address that after we get him back safely,” Tyler said before he began to put distance between the two of them. “I will search this way. Ye go the other way.”
“Aye,” Katherine said, turning and lifting her skirt nearly up to her knees. “I will call for ye if I find him.”
She ran faster than ever before, plunging straight into the trees. Her lungs burned, and the muscles in her thighs felt like they were on fire. Every few minutes, she called out for Brimstone, praying he was nearby, and she could find him.
The forest gave way to the glens, the ground wet and muddy. Though she was sure that she was dirtying her dress, she couldn’t bring herself to care. Nothing mattered more than bringing her horse back.
