Page 81 of The Highlander's Auctioned Bride
A part of her mind was excited and happy that she was back. Returning to the townhouse had been strange. It had not felt like home. The castle made her feel at peace in ways she was unfamiliar with.
As the carriage came to a stop as they entered the gates, she alighted and looked about her eagerly.
The first person she saw was Jean as she came down the steps to meet her, looking puzzled but happy.
“Me lady,” she said in surprise. “I thought ye were nae returnin’ until… next week.”
“Where is the laird?” she said at once. “I wish to speak to him.”
Jean looked about her curiously as though she did not know. Her eyes fell on Harris, who was on the battlements with one of the guards. He was watching Maisie, but he was too far away to speak with her.
“He has gone down to speak with Mr. Guthrie, me lady,” Jean said confidentially. “He is in the cells below the castle.”
Maisie thanked her, walking purposefully toward the entrance to the dungeons without a thought as to who might be after her.
She was going to speak with her husband and get to the bottom of this once and for all.
CHAPTER 30
James lurkedin the darkness behind Bram and Lillian.
As they reached the main cellar, adjacent to the dungeons, they came to a halt.
They were illuminated by the torches that burned at the edges of the room, but James was able to hear them perfectly.
“Ye idiot girl,” Bram said harshly, his fingers clutching at Lillian’s upper arm with such force that James could see her skin pinching about the tips. “What did ye visit yer uncle for?””
“He—he raised me, Bram,” she stammered. “I dinnae wish to see him hurt.”
“And why dae ye think yer uncle is in the dungeons in the first place? Because the laird is suspicious of him. Yer presence will nae help, only hinder. Dae ye want the finger of suspicion to point to ye? To me?”
James’s eyes sparked in the darkness as his hand tightened on the hilt of his sword.
“N—nae, Bram, of course nae.”
At her simpering submission, Bram’s anger reduced, and James grimaced as the older man tucked a stray hair behind Lillian’s ear.
“Ye ken that all of this is for ye. I dae everythin’ for ye, sacrifice so much for ye, and ye cannae even repay me by followin’ me orders.”
Lillian was crying again, her shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs.
“Ye ken that I care for ye,” Bram said. “Once ye are Lady MacLennan all of this will be in the past. We can be together with all the power we can wield in the world.”
“A—and Jamie?”
“Laird MacLennanwillnae be a problem for long lass; all ye need to dae is keep him sweet, and then we will be rid of him for good. The clan will be ours.”
James had heard enough.
Bram started violently as James walked out of the shadows, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at Bram’s throat.
“It was a foolish choice to discuss this in me own castle, Bram. Ye are nae as clever as ye believe.”
Bram released Lillian, shoving her to the side as he turned his big body to face James.
“Or perhaps it was a way to drawyeto me,” he said with satisfaction. “It is nae every day I can get a laird alone with no one to defend him.”
“I dinnae need anyone else to defend me, Bram. I can kill ye where ye stand quite easily.”
