Page 22 of In Bed with a Scot

“What dae ye want tae dae about the money?” Athol asked, his tone indicating that he was more than willing to inflict violent bodily harm in the pursuit of his laird’s goal.

“A bit of blackmail perhaps?”

Athol smiled. “Aye, blackmail should work nicely.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

When Madden emerged from the Lady Ella’s old bedchamber, he encountered Keelin in the doorway. “I just saw Isabelle running from here. What happened?”

“She was asleep. I accidentally frightened her, and she spilled tea down the front of her dress. She is returning tae her room tae change her clothes,” Madden offered in explanation.

“How is she feeling?”

“She looked well enough tae me.” Madden tried to hide his true feelings on the matter. “I am certain that it helps her state of wellbeing tae improve when her husband is naewhere in sight.”

Keelin nodded. “I will go and help her with her dress. I dinnae believe that she brought any of her maids with her.”

“How was yer meeting with Arran?” Madden called after her.

Keelin paused in her retreat and turned back around. “It went well. I believe that me faither will be pleased.”

“Good,” Madden nodded in approval. “Ye would make any faither proud.”

Keelin smiled at him, raised her hand in farewell, and went after Isabelle. Madden turned and made his way down the stairs and into the great hall. He did not wish to be anywhere near Isabelle’s bedchamber if she chose to tell Keelin the truth about what had happened between them. Lorcan was just exiting the kitchen and headed towards the main doors when he spotted Madden coming down the stairs.

“Kinnaird, how about a spar?” he invited. “The laird and I were about tae dae some training if ye care tae join.”

Madden nodded. “I would be happy tae.” Grateful for the distraction, he followed Lorcan outside and around the side of the castle towards the training field.

When they arrived, they found Arran waiting. “I brought our guest tae join us. I hope that ye dinnae mind,” Lorcan greeted his laird.

“Nay, I dinnae mind. It will give us an opportunity tae speak,” Arran replied, nodding at Madden in greeting.

Each man drew their sword, and they began to spar. “So, how dae ye ken me sister?” Arran asked, as he brought his sword into play against Madden’s. The sound of metal upon metal rang out against the stone walls of the stronghold.

Madden, caught off guard by his words, faltered under the weight of the blow. “I dinnae ken yer sister. I had never seen her afore this trip.” He spoke the truth. He had only just met her at the inn on the way to the castle. In truth, he knew next to nothing about her. I ken the way she tastes, the way she feels… His mind wandered into dangerous territory. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Arran. “Why dae ye ask?”

“The way ye spoke tae one another, looked at one another, it was as if ye kenned one another already.” Arran studied Madden’s face for a reaction. Madden refused to give him one.

“I did nae ken about either ye or yer sister until this trip when Keelin decided that she wished tae visit her Uncle Arran. I had nae notion that she even had an aunt, or cousin, or whatever it is that ye are tae one another.”

“In truth we are cousins, but I was significantly older in age than Keelin and I grew up with her maither. She was as a sister tae me. Isabelle and Keelin are about the same age and grew up together.” Arran’s eyes became lost in memory. “Isabelle was but seventeen years of age when she married Sutherland. I was nae even here tae witness it. I was away fighting in France when our parents died. Isabelle, without a man tae protect her, felt that her only recourse was tae wed our faither’s friend. Sutherland and me faither were as brothers when they were young men and me faither fostered under Sutherland’s faither. They even vied fer the same woman. Me maither chose me faither, but it didnae change their friendship. I have never cared fer Bain Sutherland. He is nae the man I would have chosen fer me sister.”

“Theirs doesnae appear tae be a marriage of love,” Madden agreed in as diplomatic a way as he could manage.

Arran shook his head. “Nay, it doesnae. Isabelle wrote me it was a love match in her letters tae me but seeing her and him together with me own eyes tells me more than her letters ever could have. He is nay good fer her.” There was true regret in Arran’s eyes.

“As yer faither’s heir, I am surprised that he allowed ye tae be in France fer so many years,” Madden observed.

Arran shrugged his shoulders. “Me faither was determined that I was tae be the greatest warrior that our clan had ever seen. He sent me tae France when I was but sixteen years of age tae study under one of his cousins. It was nae easy tae leave behind me maither and sister and everything that I had ever kenned. I hated every moment of it,” he admitted without shame. “I hated it even more when I returned tae find me parents were dead and me sister married off tae a man that never let her return home tae her own people.”

“She has nae been back here since she wed Sutherland?”

“Nae,” Arran shook his head. “She has nae returned since our faither and maither’s passing.”

“What kind of a man keeps his wife away from her family?” Lorcan spat on the ground in disgust.

“A bad one,” Madden answered.