Page 32

21

Fool.

The word echoed around the cavern of Amelie’s mind over and over again, growing in strength and intensity, never allowing her to settle. It came in all shapes and sizes, and in every kind of tone. It was mocking, it was cruel, and it came with laughter. At first, she just imagined the same old people laughing at her, but then their faces transformed and it was Fleur.

You should have let me pick a husband for you. I told you that I knew best.

Could Amelie have possibly chosen a worse candidate for a suitor? He was the vengeful heir to the man Pascal had deposed, a man who wanted nothing more than to flood the Highlands with the blood of her family. She had allowed herself to fall to his tricks, to believe his lies, all because she wanted to prove to Fleur that she was capable of making her own decisions. How wrong she had been. How stupid… what use was she to the world? She should have just accepted living in the nunnery, a place where she could have stayed out of trouble. She had known deep down that things with Ro were not as they should have been. She should have listened to her instincts when she realized that her heart did not beat for Ro as it had beaten for Evan.

But she had been stubborn. She had looked past all of that, and instead clung to the fact that Munro was her only hope of escaping the nunnery. Instead, she had fallen into a trap. If she had more experience of the world then she might have been able to see through him from the beginning, instead of having to wait until he had shown her his true face.

He stood before her now, scowling at her, the mask of cordiality having fallen as soon as she returned to him. Even his voice was rougher. She wondered if the kindness she had seen in his eyes had been nothing more than an illusion, borne from her own desperation and naivety.

“Stop looking like a drowned rat, lass, this will all be over soon enough. Ye should hae known this was coming. Did ye really think that I was gaeing tae let yer brother take what’s rightfully mine?” he shook his head as he paced around the room. “Oh, nae, I am nae the kind of man tae let things be taken from me. Da taught me tae well for that. Ye just could nae leave well enough alone, could ye? All of ye came tae our land and tried tae take power for yerself. People are tae blind tae even suspect ye. Oh, aye, ye blame me and Da for all the troubles of the Highlands, but it was nae our fault. We only wanted the clan tae be powerful, that’s all. Soon enough everyone will see how weak ye brother is, how he’s willing tae sacrifice all of them for ye. Dae ye really think they’re gaeing tae be happy tae know that he will turn his back on them for one little French girl?” Munro sneered at her. Amelie felt the anger and fear rushing through her blood. She wished she had the capacity to berate him and yell back, to shame him by accusing him of being a liar and a thief, but instead she remained silent.

“It’s a shame really, because there were even moments when I quite enjoyed talking tae ye. In fact, I think ye may be the only lass I hae ever enjoyed speaking tae. Most of them prattle on about things I dinnae care about, or they giggle over stupid things. Perhaps in the future I should just pull out their tongues before they can annoy me. I think women are better seen and nae heard,” he stroked his chin, nodding slightly as he said this. Amelie was horrified that he would mutilate other girls and curse them with the same condition that had afflicted her.

She wished she could scream, even though she knew that screaming wasn’t going to make any difference. Who was there to hear her? She was a mere stranger in this village, whereas Munro had allies. And even if she met someone who did not know him, he had cultivated a reputation as a respectable merchant. His tongue was silvered and he would surely be able to convince them more than she could. She wished she had not turned Evan away so quickly, and that she had not fled from him. Evan may have had his faults, but he was a good man at heart.

It was ironic really, how she had treated Evan as the villain when she had been all too ready to accept that Ro was as good a man as he claimed. He had said all the right things to her, and she had eaten them all up like a glutton. Yet with Evan as soon as the perfect illusion had been pricked she had thought the worst of him, condemning him as a monster even though his kiss had been pure, and the only evidence she needed about the way he felt was in that kiss.

And now she was never going to get a chance to apologize to him, or even see his face again. She may have been naive in the ways of romance, but she knew what men like Munro were like. He had no intention of keeping her alive. She was just an instrument for his revenge. As soon as he had Pascal in his sights, Munro would kill both of them, ridding the Highlands of their foreign blood. If only she could fight back, but he had deprived her of everything she had, and she had always been helpless. She was always the one in need of rescue, not the one who would do the rescuing. It had been the same since childhood, and her story was not going to suddenly change.

She turned her head away as Munro continued on his diatribe against those who had betrayed him. He stopped abruptly, however, and angled his head towards the door. His brow furrowed. He walked away from her. Amelie breathed with relief that she had some respite from him. Then she became alarmed as she heard a thud outside. The door opened again, and Munro dragged someone into the room. Amelie was shocked to see that it was Evan. Her eyes went wide as Munro placed him at the side of the room, tying up his arms and legs. Evan’s face lolled back. There was a wide bruise on his cheek, and dark marks around his neck. His eyes were closed. At first, she feared that he was dead, but then she realized that Munro wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of tying him up if that was the case.

Then her heart soared. Evan had come for her. Despite the way she had acted towards him and everything she said, he had still come for her. She just wished she could tell him how much this meant to her, but really she had just led him to his doom.

“Ye are gaeing tae hae some company for the time being. I dinnae know how he knew ye were here, but it means I am gaeing tae hae tae act quickly. Ye better hope that Pascal chooses ye over the clan, otherwise I am gaeing tae hae tae kill ye. Now stay here and keep quiet,” he smirked after he said this last threat. “Well, I suppose I dinnae really need tae remind ye of that,” he chuckled to himself as he left the room, his heavy footsteps fading into the distance.

Amelie immediately turned to Evan, nudging him and jostling him to try and get him to wake up. She felt so ashamed for wanting to get away from him, but now she knew she had to do something to save them both. His head lolled from side to side as she pushed against him, and finally, he awoke.

His eyes were dazed and he looked around in a stupor until his eyes fell on Amelie. Despite the pain he was in, he smiled and looked amazed that he had found her.

“Amelie,” he breathed and then winced as he shook his head, perhaps trying to rid himself of the pain. Amelie gave him an apologetic look, turning her head away. She wasn’t sure he noticed though, because he was already speaking heartfelt words. “Amelie, I’m sae sorry. I’m sorry for all of this. I dinnae know what I did tae drive ye away, but I’m sorry. I came here tae save ye, and instead, I hae failed.” He hung his head, looking ashamed. “I was trying tae be sae careful, but he sneaked up on me. I should hae tried harder. I should hae… I should hae done sae many things. But I promise I will dae everything I can tae protect ye. I know it may nae seem like I can dae a lot, but I will nae leave ye. I’ll find a way tae keep ye safe.”

He looked at her with his wide, soulful eyes. Her breath was taken as he spoke these words, and she wondered how she could ever have convinced herself that she loved another. There were so many things that she wanted to say to him as well, but the emotions were uncertain. They all tumbled and shuddered inside her, and kept colliding, squeezing in her throat. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling the silence wrap around her. Silence had been her constant companion in the world, but now it was a barrier. She needed to break through, because it was the only way she could communicate with Evan. Deprived of her slate, she only had her voice to rely on.

She gathered her strength, thinking about how he had come to see her that night at the feast, reassuring her fears. She thought about all the things he had shared with her, not just the wonderful kiss, but also the fears and secrets that had burdened his heart. He had even noticed how she liked plum sauce and brought it to her as a gift. What should she care if there were women before her? Was she supposed to condemn him for living life? Evan was a vibrant man, one who rushed out into the world and faced it with all the bravery he could muster. Not everyone was as afraid as her, and they should not suffer because they indulged their senses.

She opened her eyes and saw him staring at her with a mixture of concern, awe, and something so deep that it ran to his very soul. It was the same way he had looked at her when they first kissed, this sense that she was somehow unreal. She knew that she wanted to be looked at this way forever. She felt stronger with him, more capable, and she drew on these feelings. The tension inside her began to slip away, and then, from her mouth, a sweet sound poured.

The sound of her voice.

“I am sorry, Evan. It’s my fault. I let myself…” she sighed, “I dinnae realize it was Munro. I should hae known. I should hae told ye.” She lifted her gaze to look into his eyes. Evan’s lips were parted and his eyebrows were arched steeply in a look of shock.

“Ye are speaking,” he said.

Amelie blushed. “A little,” she admitted. Then she frowned. “Munro broke my slate.”

“He is a monster. I dinnae know how he managed tae convince ye tae come with him, but he will pay for all his crimes. I hae sent word back tae the clan. Pascal will know what Munro is planning. We just need to find a way tae get out of here,” Evan tested the knots as he said this, to no avail.

This is when Amelie twisted her wrists, bending them to the point where they hurt, but managed to slip them out of her bindings. She lifted her hands in the air and wiggled her fingers. Evan had a look of amazement on his face.

“How long hae ye been able tae dae that?”

Amelie rolled her shoulders and tilted her head to the side. “There was nae much else tae dae while he was talking. I loosened them just enough,” she said.

“Ye are marvelous,” he said, and promptly turned his back to her, showing her his wrists. Amelie pulled away the knots, her heart beating rapidly every time her fingers brushed against his palm, feeling the arousal shooting through her once again. His scent burned the air as well, and she began to notice all the small things about him, like the fine hairs that ran down the nape of his neck, or the small freckle on his right ear. When his arms were freed, Evan turned back to face her.