“Me faither gave this to the eldest—Emily, me betrothed,” he added, drawing their eyes to him.
He didn’t like seeing the unease on the sisters’ faces, and Emily had once told him that she didn’t do well in crowds.
“It is great that we have found the former Laird Scott’s daughters,” one of the councilmen said. “But what does that have to do with the events of yesterday? We hear ye may have brought war upon the clan.”
Adair looked toward Isla, nodding for her to speak.
“Me faither, Malcolm Scott, was the mastermind behind me uncle’s death because he wanted the lairdship,” she explained, rising to her feet.
Outrage swept through the crowd, rising to a feverish pitch, until Adair had to pound his fist on the table to restore peace and quiet.
When the din died down, Isla continued, “He thought his braither’s daughters were dead, but when he realized they were still alive, he abducted them with the intention to kill them.When he realized Laird MacDonnell had caught up to them, he tried to escape by crossing the frozen loch, drowning them all. Laird MacDonnell and his men”—she gestured in Adair’s direction—“managed to save Emily and Elize, but me faither and his driver were lost.”
Then she resumed her seat with the same dignity with which she rose.
Adair admired her at that moment. It must have been difficult to speak about her father’s misdeeds and death. Even if he was evil, he was still her father.
The lass was honorable, more than her father had been, and while she said she would return to her clan, he knew she would face endless problems there now that the truth had come to light.
He resolved to convince her to stay. At least here he could protect her from any physical harm. People tended to be irrational when seeking revenge, and he didn’t want anyone to punish her for her father’s misdeeds.
The shocked murmurs of the crowd grew louder, and he was once again angry that one man could wreak such destruction, pain, and suffering on him, Emily, Elize, his brother, and even his own daughter simply because of his greed for power.
The way he saw it, death was a very kind punishment for the demon. Even his death had been much too quick.
He balled his hands into fists, wishing he had gotten to him sooner to strangle him.
Adair was startled out of his reverie by the feel of Emily’s hand curling around his own and giving it a reassuring squeeze. It was astonishing how easily she could calm his chaotic mind with a simple touch. He gave her a small, grateful smile.
Still holding her hand, he cleared his throat so he could wrap up the meeting.
“In light of these revelations, I urge ye to accept me betrothed and her sister as the true heirs of Clan Scott, and treat them as such.”
With that, the meeting was concluded.
Several people came to commiserate with him and some with Emily. People who had known her father hugged her, claiming they could see the resemblance. They did the same with Elize.
Somehow, while dealing with the swarm of people who wanted to speak with them, they had gotten separated, and when the hall finally emptied, Adair could see no sign of Emily.
“Ye are looking for yer bride,” an elder noted in an amused tone.
“How did ye ken?” Adair asked, arching a brow.
“Ye have been staring at the door for a while now,” the elder replied.
Adair felt his face grow hot with embarrassment. He had not known that his obsession with his betrothed was that obvious.
“It is nothing to be ashamed of,” the elder said with a chuckle. “Young love is usually exciting. Go to her.”
“Thank ye,” Adair said with a sheepish smile, before setting off to look for Emily.
He searched the usual places—her room, his room, the kitchen, the gardens—but she was nowhere to be found.
Where had she gone?
Panic rose in his chest. She was still frail. She should not go far away while still recovering.
Eventually, he found her in the workroom. She was sitting down with her back to the door, staring intently at an unfinished project on the table.
