Page 24 of A Sinful Night with a Scot
Isnae that how her faither sees her? And, didnae that anger ye earlier?
He had told Alisdair that he didn’t have a conscience, but clearly, it was alive and well, and now determined to torture him. And yes, he did see her father as a fiend, but how was he any better? Certainly, he wasn’t her father, or even blood related, but surely, his actions were as dreadful, if not worse.
I’m doing this fer me own faither,he reminded himself.Tae avenge his slaughter by the hand of an evil man.
But even that thought did not bring him the satisfaction it ought to. Before the previous day, he had been determined in his mission, fortified that what must occur was necessary. Now, however, small slivers of doubt snaked into his mind, and as they continued on their journey, he began to question his own righteous indignation.
Two hours later, they reached Dirnoch, the village just before Keane’s castle.
“We’ll stop here a while,” he announced to the group. “There are things I want tae check on.”
They brought their horses to a halt, and dismounted, the men stretching themselves after the day’s journey.
Keane approached Elspeth’s horse and lifted her down.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“This is Dirnoch,” Keane answered. “Another two miles in that direction,” he pointed through the village, “is the castle. Yer new home.”
Elspeth nodded; her expression difficult to read. She neither looked angry, nor excited, nor disappointed. Maybe she didn’t know what she felt, and under the circumstances, he supposedhe couldn’t blame her. She opened her mouth and was about to ask him something else, when a few of the villagers approached excitedly.
“’Tis the laird,” one of them declared.
“Och, me laird,” a woman gushed. “It is so good tae see ye.”
“Are ye well, Mrs. Campbell?” Keane asked, smiling down at her.
“I am,” she said with a broad grin. “And so is Daniel, thanks tae ye. The potion worked wonders. I cannae thank ye enough fer sending the castle healer tae him.”
Keane smiled warmly, remembering her young son and how ill he had been over the last few months. “I’m only glad he’s better.”
“Och, he’s more than well,” she said. “Look.”
Turning from him, she called to a small child behind her, who ran to his mother. Keane recognized the boy, and immediately saw the difference in him. The last time he had laid eyes on him, the child had been bedridden, white as a sheet, and could hardly breathe. Whatever Farlan, the old man who had been the castle healer for decades, had given the boy, it had clearly worked wonders.
“This is the laird,” Mrs. Campbell said. “Ye must offer him yer thanks, fer it was his good will that made ye well.”
“Thank ye,” the dark-haired boy said quietly, his expression a mixture of reverence, gratitude and fear.
Keane rubbed his small head with his large hand and nodded with a smile. “Ye’re very welcome, son.”
A crowd had now gathered, with many smiling and happy faces, all clearly glad to see him. There were cries of gratitude for one thing and another, things Keane had done for them to help them out. These were his people, and he would always be there for them, as his father had been before him.
Alisdair was soon by his side, and murmuring low enough for the villagers not to hear, he said, “Dae ye nae think ye should introduce yer bride?”
Keane turned to look at Elspeth who remained standing several feet away. She was smiling and gazing at him with a strange expression, part surprise, part pleasure. It then occurred to him that she had heard the villager’s expressions of delight.
She’s probably wondering how ye are such a hero tae them after being so cruel tae her. And, she has a point.
Maybe she did, but this was neither the time nor the place to address it. If he was to introduce her to the villagers, he could hardly tell them he had snatched her from a chapel and forced her to marry him. No. Right now, he had to pretend to be madly in love with her in front of all these people.
Pinning on a smile, he held out his hand to her. Elspeth looked even more surprised, but glancing around and seeing that she was being observed by all those around them, she walked towards him and took his hand.
“Come here, me darling,” he declared dramatically, eliciting a wide-eyed gaze from her. He then pulled her close to his side.
“I would like tae introduce me bride,” Keane professed, his eyes never leaving hers. “The new lady o’ the castle, Lady Elspeth Mackay.”
A great cheer went up from the villagers, with whooping and clapping in delight, as Keane pulled her in even closer, wrapping his arm tightly around her slender waist.
