Page 58 of The Highlander's Temporary Bride
As they went upstairs, his folk stopped and bowed to him, and he saw the relief in their eyes.
A thought came to his mind, unbidden.
Same as yer faither did—he was Laird and his word was Law. Nay matter how terrible, how cruel, or how wrong.
It shook him, and he was glad he was heading to Emma’s chambers. Once he pushed the door open, the maids waiting there almost wept at the sight of their mistress.
Grant quickly ordered them to draw her a hot, lovely bath.
“How do ye feel?” he asked her softly when they were alone again, the maids having hurried off to fetch water.
“How doyoufeel?” Emma looked him over again. “You are in trews, without a shirt or boots on, and you’re carrying a sword.” Her eyes narrowed. “Did you need that to convince Reuben to apologize?”
“I-I was angry.”
“Hmm,” Emma murmured and stepped back.
Silence fell between them. Exhaustion was creeping over Grant, along with hunger, but he did not want to leave her just yet. He thought she might speak, but she simply hugged herself and looked around the room, as though she did not believe she was really there.
I wish ye didnae go through such an experience because of me,he wanted to say, but it seemed so trite—so meaningless. This rich, pampered, highborn Englishwoman had spent three days in a stone cell, with naught but mice, stone, and shadow for company. And that was all his fault.
Maybe I should have never brought ye here.
Everything inside him rebelled at the thought. Even though he knew that nothing would have dissuaded him from bringing Emma to Banrose.
The maids returned, and he sighed. “I… I shall leave ye. Send for me if ye need anything.”
Out in the hall, Grant felt a surge of helpless, useless rage. It was the same emotion he had felt after being banished from Banrose.
As tired as he was, he knew that he could not tarry. So he turned and headed for the stairs.
As he walked down the hall, a figure emerged from the shadows and stepped toward him.
“Braither,” Grant said in a cold voice.
“Braither,” Reuben echoed with faint contempt, but there was tension around his eyes. “Ye ken I only did what was right, aye?”
“Aye, I ken.” Relief flashed across Grant’s face. “I ken that ye acted in haste without any evidence or thought for the consequences,” he added. “But let me tell ye—ye are lucky I didnae die. Because if I had, I’d have sent therealDevil to Banrose to end ye.”
Reuben flinched, pausing and shaking his head. Then, he called after his brother, who had resumed walking. “Where are ye goin’ now?”
“To do what ye should have done,” Grant answered.
CHAPTER 24
Down in thehall outside the kitchens, Grant skulked until the Head Cook appeared, having been summoned by a maid. The man’s face lit up when he saw Grant, and he hurried forward, beaming. But his smile fell as Grant explained in a low voice what had happened.
“But—but she would never. She’s a good lass.”
“I ken that ye never bought nor packed those mushrooms, Callum. I can see it in yer eyes,” Grant said. “Tell me who did.”
“Deidre,” Callum replied. “She’ll be in the pantry, sortin’ through the fare for breakfast tomorrow. Wait?—”
Grant stalked into the kitchens, eliciting squawks and yelps of surprise, for he rarely came down there. When he was a boy, he used to spend time in the kitchens, sneaking treats and talking with the cooks and maids.
When he arrived at the pantry, a maid was preparing to leave. Her eyes went wide at the sight of him, and she gave him a wide berth. The lass was dark-haired and slight, while Deidre was tall and red-headed.
He spotted her as he stepped inside, and she turned around with a curious glance, then paled.
