Page 84 of In Bed with a Highland Brute

I have tae ask. I have tae ken.

“Murdoch,” Eloise whispered, chewing her lip. “I need tae ken.”

“She refused tae take off that ridiculous veil,” he muttered darkly. “By the time we got tae our chamber, I kenned it wasnae ye. Then she gave me a drink.” His nose curled. “It was laced with some sort of sedative. I could smell it.”

Eloise closed her eyes momentarily, thinking of how unprepared she had been for the sedative that Harper had given her that morning.

“I pretended tae drink it and laid down on the bed. I think she intended…”

“Tae consummate the marriage?” Eloise wriggled in despair at the thought, wrapping her arms tighter around Murdoch. “God’s blood, she wished tae force ye!”

“Yet she didnae.” Murdoch slowed his pace once more and looked her solemnly in the eyes. “Ken this, Eloise. She got nae where with me. I threw her away from me and demanded tae find ye.” He moved his lips to hers, kissing her quickly again. “Tae think ye werenae the one beneath that veil today sickens me. Tell me, Eloise, fer ye havenae answered my earlier question yet. Marry me truly this time? Marry me because ye wish tae, nae tae keep any more secrets.”

“Aye,” Eloise murmured without hesitation. “I will marry ye with all my heart, Murdoch.” She reached up to kiss him again but before their lips could connect, a figure moved beside them.

“Ahem.” Avery cleared his throat. With his arms folded across his chest, he looked between the two of them. “What secrets would this be? And what dae ye mean, Murdoch, when ye ask me sister tae marry ye ‘truly’?” Such a death stare had filled Avery’s expression that Eloise winced.

He heard too much.

There was no way she could hide the truth from Avery now after he had heard so much of their conversation, and strangely, after nearly losing her life on that clifftop, keeping such secrets from Avery seemed pointless.

I’d rather he kenned the truth.

“We have tae tell him,” she whispered to Murdoch.

“Tell me what?” Avery’s voice was sharp with impatience.

“Aye, I ken.” Murdoch nodded. “First, let’s get back tae the castle. I dinnae want Avery tae kill me out here when he learns the truth.”

“Oh, aye, that is reassuring!” Avery snapped.

“Please, Avery, dinnae be mad at me about this.” Eloise sat in the corner of the great hall, with a blanket wrapped around her to ward off the chill. Callie and Aila sat on each side of her, taking care of her as much as they could, practically clucking like mother hens. Aila pressed hot tea into her hands as Callie checked her body for injuries.

Avery sat before them. Having heard the whole tale, right back to how in debt their father was and just how compelled Eloise had felt to repay those debts, he hadn’t yet said a word. He sat eerily still, with his elbows on his knees and his hands steepled in front of his face. He blinked every so often, but that was the only movement he managed.

Far behind them all in the center of the great hall, there was much activity. Murdoch had explained to his father and Clyde all that had happened. Clyde stood reeling for a moment, though his body was strangely calm, with his arms folded across his chest. In contrast, Fergus was alive with activity. He demanded his guards go and fetch the men’s bodies from the cliffs and recover Harper’s too. He wished to know how Harper had bought allegiance from such men to help her, and it was not long before they had an answer.

When the guards returned, one handed a brooch to Murdoch.

“We found this on the body of one of the men,” he whispered in a low tone.

“It is the Douglas clan brooch,” Murdoch said, his voice deep as he held the brooch into the air.

Eloise snapped her gaze away from her brother, in danger of dropping the tea Aila was urging her to drink as she looked toward Murdoch. Fergus snatched the brooch away, his usually ruddy face paling beyond recognition.

“She bought the Douglas clan’s allegiance. Why would their laird send men tae help her? Why?”

“She was writing letters. Constantly.” Clyde spoke at last, lowering his arms from his chest. “She wouldnae tell me what was in them. Maybe she wrote tae the Douglas laird, and promised tae be a spy for him, tae feed him information about our defenses, and in return, he gave her men.”

“Ye think that is possible?” Murdoch asked, moving to his brother’s side.

“Aye, I dae. Something still bothers me about the Douglas’ attack on this castle. Nay one has got so close tae the castle before, but the Douglas men did. They avoided all our scouts, all our sentries on their way here, as if someone had told them where those scouts would be.”

“Aye, aye, it is possible,” Fergus muttered gravely. “God’s blood, how am I going tae explain this tae her father?” He covered his face with his hands and walked away, clearly intent on giving more instructions to the guards. As he left, Murdoch moved toward his brother and put an arm around his shoulder, muttering something quietly in his ear.

Eloise knew it must have been an attempt at comfort. Clyde nodded slowly, but he could not smile. He stared forward, almost an impassive expression on his face.

“Murdoch!” Avery suddenly shouted.