Page 59 of Tempting the Highland Captive

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

Once Ron had bathed and dressed, he and Father Jacob went to the village to speak with Ysenda’s relatives. They stopped at the blacksmith to ask Angus to watch over Amelia in their absence, then went on to Ysenda’s parents. A very religious family, they greeted the priest with full honors due his position within the clan. Ron, as the legal laird was met with eyes of suspicion given the recent revelations about his having been in prison when Amelia married him. “Faither, Laird, how may we be o’ service?” the patriarch asked once they had all settled around the table in the kitchen near the hearth. He was an old man with hair of pure white and wrinkles enough to have survived the great flood of biblical legend. His features were stern, severe, unforgiving.

“Robert, we have come tae tell ye o’ yer daughter Ysenda’s passing,” Father Jacob solemnly informed them.

“We dinnae have a daughter,” Robert staunchly denied.

Had Ron not been the son of Michael Rossell, he would have been surprised at such callousness, but he had seen such hatred in the heart of his own father. “Ye dinnae care tae ken how she died?”

“I dinnae,” Robert shook his head in denial.

Ron was getting angry at this point. “Well, I will tell ye, anyway. Ysenda died by my hand as she attempted to slaughter my wife, yer lady, in our bed as she slept.”

Robert’s brows raised in surprise, then furrowed into a frown. “Then it would appear that God’s justice has been done.”

Ron fought hard not to pull the man across the table by the front of his shirt. “Do ye ken why yer daughter might have attempted tae murder my wife?”

Robert shook his head. “I dinnae ken why she made any o’ the choices that she has made in her life.”

Ron turned to Father Jacob. “Would ye mind giving me a moment with the family alone?”

“O’ course.” The priest stood and left the room.

Ron turned back to Robert and looked him square in the eyes. “And the child?”

Robert’s brows shot up in surprise. “How do ye ken about that?”

“Yer daughter told me.”

“Then ye ken that the bairn died.”

“And the faither?”

“She claimed it was the laird’s bairn.”

“Rape?”

“That is what she claimed.” Robert’s tone heralded his disbelief.

Ron wanted to punch the man’s teeth out regardless of his aged state. “I must ask ye again. Do ye ken anythin’ that might explain why she would have attempted tae harm my wife?”

“I dinnae.” Robert shook his head.

“Do ye wish tae attend the burial?”

“I dinnae and I would appreciate it if ye would nae mention tae the rest o’ the clan how she died. Ysenda has brought enough shame on our family. We dinnae need the stain o’ this as well.”

“I cannae promise such a thing.”

Robert’s nostrils flared in anger. “Ye are a man o’ secrets, are ye nae? One more will nae make a difference tae yer soul.”

Ron’s muscles tightened at the disrespect in his tone, but he did not rise to the bait. “It might make a difference tae the clan. When it comes tae the clan’s interests, I will do what is needed.”

“How a criminal came tae be our laird,” Robert shook his head in disgust, “I dinnae ken. Perhaps the attempt on Yer Lady’s life was a judgement upon ye both.”

At this, Ron snarled and leapt from his chair to grab the man by his shirt front. “If I e’er hear o’ ye makin’ such disparaging remarks about my wife again, I will come back here and,” he let the threat hang in the air between them, tightening his grip on the man’s shirt as if to strangle him with it.

“I will nae say a word,” Robert gasped in fear.