Page 57 of Highland Vows of Betrayal

He returns tae the castle and the first thing he does is bed his mistress.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“Come in,” Noah called when someone tapped. Leaning back, he nervously bobbed his knee up and down rapidly. Restlessness burned beneath his skin, agitating him. The maid’s presence hadn’t helped. Even Marie’s pleasant dark looks couldn’t distract him from his thoughts, and he’d sent her away soon after she had arrived bearing a tray of whisky to help him take the edge off a long day.

I have nae wish tae entertain her company. Nae now.

“If that is ye again, Marie –”

“Nae, ‘tisnae yer mistress.” Scarlett’s words were harsh as she stepped inside, shutting the door sharply behind her. “Though I did see her scurrying away from here just now.”

Noah paused with his glass of whisky, about to take a sip.

“Ye wish for yer mistress’ company so fast ye cannae wait to bathe first?” she gestured to the dirty clothes he wore.

“Desist calling her that,” Noah snapped. He knocked back the whisky and placed it on the table in front of him. “She’s a maid. She brought me my whisky. Naething more passed.”

Scarlett didn’t believe him but didn’t dwell on the subject. She began to pace the room, wringing her hands. Noah poured more whisky, allowing his eyes to follow her around the room. She wandered the perimeter and tarried by the open fireplace before returning to her pacing.

“Ye have heard we didnae find them, I see,” Noah pointed out. “Why else would ye be wearing a hole in my floor?”

“That isnae why I have come.” She shook her head and avoided his gaze.

Something is wrong.

Noah put the glass down beside him on the table.

“Scarlett, what is it?” The calm in his voice must have done something, for she stopped pacing.

“A man came tae see me today, and I… I made a mistake.”

“What did ye do?” Noah’s imagination leaped into all sorts of imaginings as he got to his feet. Bracing his hands on the table between them, he felt a simmering anger inside of him. Was she going to confess to some sort of infidelity?

“I didnae ken who he was.” Scarlett explained in a rush. “Callie told me afterward that it was Angus, a man who frequently comes to ask ye for money.”

“Wait, Angus?” The anger dissipated. “He asked ye for money? Aye, he often comes here and always asks for the same thing.”

“I didnae ken!” Scarlett said, coming forward with palms up in a gesture of conciliation. “He said his crop yield was poor this year.”

“’Tis always the case.”

“He said his wife died the past year.”

“Well, he’s nae said that before.” Noah was curious at the change in strategy.

“He wept. My heart bled for him, so when he asked if he could have a reprieve from taxes this month, I… well, I agreed. I am so sorry. I believed him, and I just wanted tae help.”

Noah said nothing, and just continued to look at her. Scarlett fidgeted, taking a step back, then another. “Will ye say something? I thought by now ye would explode.”

A sudden burst of laughter filled the study. Scarlett was startled, her mouth open in surprise. Noah sat in a chair by the fire, leaning forward, watching her.

“Why would I be angry?”

“Ye said ye needed money,” Scarlett said, abashed. “I interfered with a source of yer income.”

“One man’s taxes hardly amounts tae much, especially for a poor man like Angus.” Scarlett felt instant relief. “Besides,” Noah continued, “I havenae heard him say his wife passed, until now. For all I ken, ‘tis true, she may have been lost.” The mere thought made him worry for Angus. The man had often talked of his wife when he came to the castle. For some reason, Noah thought it unlikely for Angus to lie about this. He would check to see if the old man needed anything, “It could be true. In which case, why would I be angry? Ye tried tae help a clansman, Scarlett. Yer heart is good; that is important.”

“Oh.” She stalled her pacing and fidgeting, and stared at him. “That isnae the response I expected.”