Page 44 of In Bed with a Scot

“How dae ye ken that they have been together?” Athol asked in confusion. “When would they have had the opportunity?”

“I dinnae ken, but he is wearing her maither’s necklace. She would never part with that necklace fer anything.”

“Perhaps he stole it?”

Bain shook his head. “She gave it tae him. I can feel it in me bones. Arran and Madden both must die.”

“And yer wife?”

“First, I will make Isabelle suffer fer her treachery, then I will kill her. I will make them all suffer before I kill them.”

“What dae ye propose tae dae?”

“The one thing that would cause both men the greatest harm.”

“And that is?”

“Isabelle.”

Isabelle was in her room mending one of her dresses that had been ripped from being snagged on a walk in the garden when Bain entered and crossed the room to sit in the chair across from her. She looked up in greeting but did not say anything. She had been avoiding him as much as possible. She had thought that he had left the castle for a ride, but apparently, he had changed his mind.

Bain watched her as she worked. “Where is yer maither’s necklace? I thought that ye said that ye had found it. I cannae believe that ye would let it out of yer sight after having lost it once already.”

Isabelle’s heart raced. She had not been using her head when she had given her necklace to Madden. She had been thinking with her heart. She now saw that such a choice might have been short sighted. “I lost it again. I am certain that it will be found as it was before.”

“Hmm,” Bain grunted. “Ye should be more careful with yer possessions. I would never be so reckless with me own. What is mine remains with me until the end. Ye would dae well tae remember that.”

Isabelle felt a shiver pass over her spine at the menacing tone of his voice. “I will dae better in the future.”

Madden found Keelin waiting for him at the edge of the training field. “Ye’re bleeding,” she noted as he approached. “And yer shirt has been ripped.”

“Aye, Bain challenged me tae a fight and it got heated. He punched me in the face.”

Keelin’s eyes widened. “Dae ye believe that he kens the truth about ye and Isabelle?”

Madden sighed, brushing the blood from his lip. “I cannae be certain. But he suddenly warned me tae stay away from her.”

“Then he daes ken the truth,” Keelin breathed in alarm.

“If he truly kenned the truth, Isabelle believes that Bain would kill us both. He has nae killed me yet.”

“Perhaps he is biding his time.”

“Perhaps,” Madden nodded. “If that is true, then Isabelle is in danger.”

“Dae ye think that he would dae anything under Arran’s roof?”

Madden shook his head. “I dinnae ken. If he did, Arran would have him cut down.”

Keelin stood, frowning up into his face. “Could ye nae have kept yer tauger tae yerself?”

Madden sighed. “I love her, Kee. I cannae resist her more than I can stop me heart from beating.”

“Both are nae possible in death,” Keelin retorted.

“Aye.”

Keelin shook her head. “What are ye going tae dae?”