Page 79 of A Sinful Night with a Scot
Breathlessly, Keane pulled away at the sound of someone knocking on the door.
“Dinnae move,” he said, before spinning on his heels and opening it.
Alisdair stood there, concern lining his brow. “The council wants an immediate meeting.”
Keane heaved a sigh. “Aye, of course they dae.”
“They’ve already gathered in the great hall and await yer presence,” Alisdair added.
“I’ll be right there.”
Alisdair then nodded, and left.
When Keane re-entered the room, Elsie was already re-tying her corset.
“Ye are needed,” she said softly.
“I am. But I will return.”
She sighed heavily then, and moving toward the bed, she wearily dropped onto it. “I think I may sleep, fer I suddenly feel exhausted.”
“That is the shock wearing off, little one. Lie down and get some rest. I will send Anna tae ye.”
“Nae. Please. I think I want tae just be on me own fer a while.”
Keane looked at her for a long moment, and then nodded. “All right.”
The council meeting went exactly as Keane expected it might. Worried faces, concerned voices, a debate of what they ought to do. Confusion as to why Laird Munro had not kept his word, even though he had lost the duel.
Keane was only really half present, for his mind was on Elsie. She had shown tremendous courage that day, but he could have lost her. It would have taken only one strike from one of those men. One strike and he would have lost the woman he had fallen in love with. He considered that too. Those words had burst from him with little thought. Clearly, they were the truth, and once they were out, he fully knew it. He had just not had the courage to admit it to himself, as Alisdair had made clear on more than one occasion.
And perhaps he had been wrong to order her about. There was not a chance he wanted to be anything like her father. In fact, according to Elsie, it had been his affection for her that had pushed her to be able to stand up to the old bastard. That had, and still did make him feel good. But all that aside, nor could Elsie run about the place unattended whenever she felt like it.
They would need to come to some compromise.
“Me laird?” Michael said, pulling him from his thoughts.
“What?” he replied sharply, a little embarrassed that he had not been listening to a word they had said.
“Are ye well, me laird?” Andrew asked.
“Aye,” Keane replied.
“So, what dae ye think?”
Keane now looked to Alisdair for help. Thankfully, knowing Keane as well and long as he had, Alisdair knew exactly what to do.
“The council members are suggesting a meeting with Laird Gunn and Munro. It may go a long way tae stave off any further attacks.”
Keane nodded. “Very well. I cannae say I agree with ye, but it’s certainly worth a try. I will send a missive tae them both first thing in the morning. But if ye will excuse me, gentlemen, this afternoon has taken its toll on me.”
After the older men’s obvious understanding, Keane hurried back to his bedchamber. If there was one thing he wanted more than anything in the world at that moment, it was to have his beloved wife in his arms. Not even to make love to her. Just to have her close. Strangely, over those last weeks, he had discovered that it was when having her wrapped in his arms that he found himself to be the most content and at peace.
He had been gone for well over an hour and was surprised when he strode into the bedchamber to find the bed completely empty. Frowning, and feeling a flash of worry, he caught sight of a note on his bedside locker.
Lifting it, he read the words she had written.
Couldnae sleep. Gone tae the library tae read.
