Page 27 of The Beastly Earl

“Thank you,” she murmured as she handed the empty glass to him. He didn’t answer as he moved away to set it on the sideboard. Slowly rising to her feet, she heard him utter a harsh oath.

“Sit down, before you faint.”

It was a roughly spoken command that dared her to argue with him but contained a note of concern for her as well. Deciding not to challenge the order, she sank back down into the chair. In all honesty, she was still shaken by her vision and welcomed the respite. Unlike other instances when she’d pondered the meaning of what she’d been shown, this was one vision she wanted to forget. The memory of the child’s laughter suddenly filled her head. It sent an icy shiver down her back as the clarity of the evil sound echoed in her head. She turned her head toward the sideboard then looked up at Ewan.

“Please, may I have another?”

Her whispered request made him hesitate, but he didn’t question her. In seconds, he offered her another glass that held far less of the amber liquid than the first one he’d given her. When she’d finished it, Louisa sat staring into the empty crystal snifter.

“So what Ross told McCallum is true.” The quiet words made her jerk her head up to see him studying her intently.

“That I’ve not recovered completely?” she asked softly and dropped her gaze back down to her glass. “Yes, it appears I've had a relapse.”

“Don’t be obtuse, Louisa. You’re completely recovered from your illness. I’m referring to your gift of sight.” At his matter-of-fact tone, her gaze darted back to him. His eyebrows arched as she studied him with amazement.

“I might have attended Charterhouse and Cambridge, but I’m still a Scotsman. I’m quite familiar with the an dara sealladh, but I’ve only seen it cause someone fatigue.”

“It's never made me ill before,” she said with bewilderment and another small bout of nausea stirred in the pit of her stomach.

“From your reaction, you must have seen something quite unsettling.” There was a question in his voice, but she refused to satisfy his curiosity. Her strength having returned, she rose from her seat.

“If you’ll excuse me, I would like to retire for the evening.” She averted her gaze as she waited for his reply.

“As you wish. Allow me to walk you to your room.”

“That’s unnecessary,” she said quietly, but emphatically as she looked at him again.

Other than narrowing his gaze on her, he didn’t protest. He simply nodded. Grateful he had no intention to press her on the matter any further, she walked toward the door. As her hand gripped the door knob, Ewan cleared his throat.

“Louisa. I’ve seen more than my fair share of horror on the battlefield. Should you have need of someone’s ear, I’m happy to listen.” The gentleness in his voice startled her, and she looked over her shoulder at him. Although his features were unreadable, she found his offer a comforting gesture. Any other time she might have accepted it, but all she wanted was to forget the horror she’d seen. With a bob of her head, she silently acknowledged his kindness then walked out of the study.

Chapter 7

Ewan tugged his riding glove over his metal hand as he strode across the stable yard. The sound of McCallum’s soft brogue made him stop halfway to the barn. Under the Scotsman’s careful eye, Louisa’s oldest son and Ross were learning the finer points of riding. For almost a week now, McCallum and the boys had spent an hour or two in the paddock every day on old Treasach’s back.

It had been at Louisa’s request the boys spend time out in the fresh air, and riding had seemed the logical choice of exercise. She’d not made the request to him directly. Instead, she’d put the question to the family’s long-time retainer. In fact, Ewan hadn’t seen her since the night she’d chastised him about Ross.

On the one or two occasions he’d caught sight of her, she’d immediately headed in a different direction to avoid him. He was certain her deliberate behavior had nothing to do with fear. The woman had demonstrated how fearless she was in the face of even his darkest fury. It was a trait for which she’d earned his admiration. The most likely reason for her avoidance of him was she didn’t want to answer any questions he had.

What he’d witnessed almost a week ago in his study had alarmed him. He’d never met anyone with such a strong gift of sight that it made them physically ill. Not even Mrs. Dunmore’s gift of the an dara sealladh was so powerful. It hadn’t just been Louisa’s physical reaction to her vision, it had been the expression of horror on her lovely face when she’d emerged from her trance.

Whatever she’d seen had terrified her. In the back of his head, a small voice whispered a warning. Argaty Keep had dark secrets, and now he was beginning to question why he’d agreed to let Louisa become Ross’s governess. Another voice scoffed at him for being so dim-witted, while in the far reaches of his mind he heard Gilbert’s disturbing laugh.

The sound of McCallum slightly raising his voice pulled Ewan’s attention back to the paddock. Watching the long-time family retainer calling out commands reminded him of a time he’d learned how to ride in the same small paddock. While Louisa’s son had a good seat, it was Ross who displayed the makings of an exceptional horseman.

The boy laughed at something Charlie said, and Ewan froze at the sound. He couldn’t remember ever hearing Ross laugh before. Guilt tugged at him before he cast it aside. Any remorse he had was reserved for his own folly at eagerly agreeing to wed the boy’s mother to begin with.

Agnes had been his mother’s choice, and up until that moment in time, his mother had never shown any interest in him. For the first time in his life, he’d had the opportunity to please his mother, and he’d willingly agreed to marry Agnes. It had been one of the worst mistakes he’d ever made.

On their wedding night, his bride had pleaded her need to know him better before she shared his bed, and Ewan had agreed to give her time. Days later he'd been sent to the Sudan with the Black Watch regiment without ever having touched his wife.

When the dowager had written a few months later that he was to be a father, he'd become numb to everything except the humiliation and fury at being cuckolded. He'd released his rage on the battlefield like a madman fighting invisible demons. His sole comfort had come from the belief no one knew he'd been cuckolded. Even that had been taken from him when he'd returned to the keep at the time of Agnes's death.

Upon hearing Agnes had died in childbirth, he'd chosen to maintain the appearance of a grieving husband by returning home as soon as he received the news. It had taken the dowager less than a day to reveal she'd known about Agnes's pregnancy all along. She had gloated as to how his desire to please her had made it easy to ensure he didn't learn the truth until too late. Her poisonous words had sent him reeling as he'd faced the dowager's venomous amusement in stunned, humiliated silence.

Wallis had been in the room as her sister shared the lurid details of her vicious scheme to humiliate Ewan. When her sister had fainted, the dowager had become even more elated. Ewan had been too furious and shamed by it all to do anything other than catch his aunt as she slid to the floor.

When her sister had recovered from her shock, Lady Argaty had matter-of-factly informed Ewan he was to recognize Ross. Wallis had vehemently protested her sister's demand. It was the first time he'd ever seen his aunt angry. Lady Argaty had dismissed her sister's objections and threatened to tell all and sundry how Ewan had been cuckolded if he didn't accept Ross as his child.