Page 53 of Betrayed by His Highland Wife

By now, William was furious. "Him, who?" he bellowed. Inside, a terrible thought took him. With a chill in his heart, he immediately blurted, "Another man? Is that it?"

William could not believe he was saying it. In his horror, his face turned to Alasdair, who just stared. But Sorcha shook her head.

"Nay, nay, sir. There isnae another man. Only her father, the laird…" Sorcha's voice trailed off quietly. She did not say anything further as the door opened.

And standing there was Laird Douglas.

* * *

The laird stood there, beaming, but it was a false smile stretched thin across his red face. Oblivious to the growing atmosphere, the laird swaggered into the room, his gray hair flailing crazily in all directions.

"Soo, then, where've ye got her?" He looked around, taking in the startled faces. William watched him, unsure.

Undeterred, Laird Douglas carried on. "Come on, noo, where's the silly wee hen hiding?"

The laird stomped in, each step making a scraping sound on the polished wooden floor. Expectantly, he looked around. "Well?"

Silence filled the room. "Nora, hoo!"

William looked at him like he was mad.

"She's nae here," he snapped.

Behind him, Alasdair murmured, and he felt his hand on his shoulder, trying to guide him. Roughly, William threw it off.

His eyes leveled with Douglas's. Unsurely, he watched him.

"Gone, ye say?" said Douglas, stopping for a moment. "Och, nay, she's just having a wee bit o' fun wi' ye, lad!"

William blinked. "This doesnae feel like fun, sir," he said plaintively.

The laird just shrugged. "Och, ye ken, a wedding day is a lass's prerogative. She's just keeping us on oor toes, lad!" he insisted, but when William looked, his face told another story. Instead, he was hotly scrutinizing poor Sorcha, who almost turned to stone beneath his gaze.

He's lying, thought William grimly.

"Like I said, sir, she's gone. Her horse has gone, an' her things," William indicated the vacated chamber. The only trace of Nora anywhere was in the crushed purple houppelande still strewn on the bed. Once again, William's heart fell.

Now the laird cast his head about. He saw the empty chamber. His face changed again.

"Nora?" he asked, with a look like granite.

But William was not intimidated. He set his bright blue eyes upon him and then scoffed, "Aye, gone!"

There was a pause. William watched Laird Douglas's face closely. He needed to know exactly what was going on. This man knew something, but what? A ripple passed through Laird Douglas's face. Something like rage surfaced, then it was gone again.

"Well, what have ye done wi' her?" he said, sounding mildly panicked for the first time.

William met him with an unwavering gaze. "I was hoping ye could tell me."

There was a tense pause. Fiona tugged his sleeve, beginning to talk, but William did not listen. Tersely, he shooed her away.

"Begone!" he cried. "All o' ye."

His eyes flashed from side to side. Alasdair eyed him anxiously, but Fiona shook her head.

"Nay," she said softly. Now the laird was beginning to turn. Pacing around the bedchamber, he squinted at William.

"Well, I dinnae ken where's she's gone," said the laird shortly.