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“That is how ye know there is something important between the two of ye,” Ewan said. “Nobody would hae wanted this. At least…” He trailed off as a concerned look came upon his face.

“What are ye thinking, Brother?” Gowan asked.

Ewan’s hand came to his chin, and he stroked it as he became pensive.

“I’m nae sure. And I’m nae sure ye would want me tae tell ye.”

“Please, what is on yer mind? If nothing else, I could use the distraction tae take my mind off the worry.”

“Well, ye say that she collapsed out of nowhere?”

“Aye. She complained about nerves, but that was all.”

Ewan nodded and pressed his lips together. “I think I hae seen this before. There was a clan I visited a number of years ago; their name is nae important. I was set tae meet the son of the Laird in the hopes that we would become friends and continue the good alliance that existed between our clans. He was a fine man, if nae a little dull. But while I was there, he fell ill. By all accounts, the lad was hardy and haed rarely been ill in his entire life, sae everyone was surprised. But there was something nefarious at play. They ended up discovering that he haed been poisoned by his brother, who was jealous of him for haeing everything that he wanted.”

“Did the lad survive?”

Ewan’s silence spoke volumes, and Gowan let out a sharp cry of sorrow. He turned his head away and blinked back tears that were beginning to well in his eyes. A fervent anger was beginning to grow inside him, an anger that could not be directed at anyone or anything.

“Who would want her dead?” he asked aloud. “They all love her here.”

“That is why I think ye must tread carefully,” Ewan said. “Father always taught me tae be wary of the world, but there are always unscrupulous people who wish tae steal power. There are plots and schemes in the shadows, and I fear that suspicion may fall on ye.”

“Me?” Gowan asked, utterly incredulous at the suggestion. He didn’t know if he should be more surprised or insulted. Ewan just nodded his head stoically.

“In the event of her death, ye would become Laird in her stead now that the two of ye hae been married. It could well be a ploy of us tae get control of another clan and expand our own.”

“But I would never—we would never!” Gowan spluttered.

“I know that and ye know that, but daes anyone else? But who would wish tae smear yer reputation like this?” he asked, sinking into deep thought again. “Does she hae any other admirers? Anyone who may be jealous that ye hae stolen Maeve away from them?”

“I dinnae think sae, at least nae that she haes mentioned.”

“Well then, I would suggest ye be careful, Brother. There is something amiss here, and I dinnae like it. I dinnae like it at all.”

Ewan left him alone with his thoughts. He returned to the bed, kneeling before her. He took her hand and kissed it.

These people had been so welcoming to him that it seemed impossible anyone would want to betray him now or frame him for some terrible crime. And who on Earth would wish to kill Maeve? She was their jewel. Everyone adored her; that was evident by the way people had reacted on this happy day. It didn’t make any sense, so he could only hope that his brother was in error and there was no nefarious plot here.

But then the anger churned and swelled inside him. It made his blood boil, and he could feel it running through his veins like steaming water. If there were someone who had poisoned Maeve, then no matter what happened, he would hunt them down and make them pay tenfold for all the suffering she had endured. This deceit could not be allowed to stand, and he would not let it stand.

“I’ll find them, and I’ll get them, Maeve. I will kill them for what they hae done tae ye,” he said, and went on to vow that he would protect her no matter what. He knew all too well that the world could be cruel, although he had hoped that this place was a little kinder than the wild forests where bandits roamed freely, always eager to try and steal their way to a living. Then he bowed his head and prayed for her recovery because now that he had married her and begun this journey to loving her, he wasn’t sure what he could do instead.

10

Harrison burst out of the castle in a rage. It had taken all his willpower to control himself in that tense cauldron. A smile kept wanting to flicker at the corners of his mouth at the sight of his niece and her buffoon of a husband in such a state, but this wasn’t the way the plan was supposed to go. Those meddling McDouglases were all too willing to help as well. Oh, glory be to the kindness of strangers, he thought. Still, the more they helped and inserted themselves into proceedings here, the more he could turn it to his advantage. After all, if they meddled too much, then he would have more persuasive evidence to convince everyone of their involvement in this dastardly crime.

But what a day it had been.

His brother-in-law would have been proud, he thought, to see Maeve walk down the aisle, looking as radiant as a dawn sun. It was such a shame that this sorrow had to find her though, marring her perfectly beautiful day. It had been amusing to listen to her exchange vows with Gowan and pledge her life to him when her life was going to be so short. He had watched with eagle eyes as the special potion he had prepared had been given to her. She had toasted to her good marriage and good health without realizing that she was actually drinking poison that was going to clutch at her heart.

The only hitch in the plan was that she should have been dead already.

It had been quite a shock to go into that room and see her chest moving, albeit imperceptibly. If only it were as simple as plunging a dagger into her breast. Of course, nobody would understand his reasoning for doing such a thing. They would all decry him as a monster and throw him into the dungeon without realizing that what he was doing was for the good of the clan. Oh, how they misunderstood him, but then again, it had always been the same in life. Even as a youth, nobody liked him because they didn’t understand his sense of humor. They were all too eager to turn their backs on him and pretend that he was odd. His sister was the gregarious one, and he knew that his father was glad that she had been born first because he was not the type of man who usually became a Laird.

But he would prove them all wrong. He had something none of them possessed: vision. And he was willing to do whatever needed to be done in order to secure the position of the clan. How could anyone think that this girl and this second-born fool would ever lead the clan into a prosperous future? If he didn’t act swiftly, then it was all going to fall apart, and it would be too late to repair the damage.

No, this was the only way. It was a shame, of course, that Maeve had to die, but nineteen years was more than some people had. In a way, she had fit more into her short life than Harrison had into his. After all, he hadn’t even been Laird yet, and she had. Her name would be remembered, and there were probably many tears waiting to be shed for her. Two funerals in such a short space of time was going to take its toll on the clan—well, three funerals if he counted Gowan’s, although he doubted that anyone would care about him too much. It would take a strong leader and an even stronger man to give the people hope and remind them that there was still a lot of life to live, but he could galvanize them by suggesting that they needed to live up to the example set by Maeve, for this was what she would want for them.