Page 27 of Married for a Highland Debt
“Then I will come tae ye,” he said, smiling, “although I will miss seein’ yer bright wee face every day.” He took a quick look around, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her hungrily. It was an offense that was punishable by a day and night in the dungeon, but he did not care, and when they drew apart, both knew the truth. “Go, pet, before I am tempted tae dae that again!” he said urgently, then he turned his back on her and walked away. It was the hardest thing he had ever had to do.
Kairstine strode out to the cart that was taking them both to their former home with her head held high. She would not let anyone know how she felt about leaving the place she had begun to think of as home and the man with whom she was beginning to fall in love.
A month passed, during which Bettina tried resolutely to put her husband at the back of her mind. She had been offered and had taken up a job in the kitchens at the infirmary, but nothing could tear her mind away from Ninian.
She constantly reminded herself of all his faults, and still, she missed him with every fiber of her being but could not work out why. He was cruel. He was cold. He had no tenderness in him. He hardly ever smiled. Then she thought of the times when he had, and it had been like the sun coming out from behind a cloud when his bright blue eyes sparkled, and his face lit up, and the times he had kissed her. Those had been glorious.
“What are you thinking about?” Kairstine asked, looking anxiously into her sister’s face. “As if I need to ask. I can see by your face that it is Ninian.”
Bettina sighed. “I thought that by helping in the infirmary, I would forget about him, but it seems that nothing I do helps.” She shook her head in exasperation. “Kairstine, he will dissolve our marriage. He will find some way of saying that it was never legitimate in the first place or claim that I am frigid and constantly repel his advances. I did not expect a loving husband, Kairstine, but I did not realize quite how hard it would be to be wed to a man who has absolutely no regard for me at all.”
Both women looked up at that moment as a familiar figure strode into the atrium where they were sitting and smiled his oily smile at them.
“Ah! Just the ladies I wanted to see!” he said jovially. “Milady Ogilvy! How are you? And your charming sister. Kairstine, is it not?”
“Yes, Mister McDade,” she replied coldly. “What do you want?”
The smile faded from Fergus McDade’s face. “My money, of course,” he replied, equally coldly. “My cousin is impatient, milady.”
“And what will you do if I have no money to pay you?” Bettina demanded. “This house”—she indicated the building with a sweep of her arms—“is no longer mine. I have nothing with which to pay you. Neither does my sister or my father. Short of stripping the clothes from my back, there is nothing you can take from me.”
“What about the wages you get from here?” Fergus asked.
“You truly must be desperate, McDade!” Bettina laughed cynically. “I work here for board and lodging. Kairstine and I receive no more than our food and the roof over our head, and that no longer belongs to us. So if you need money, I suggest you go to my husband. Oh, but I forgot. Eighty soldiers in his garrison. Hmmm...”
“Why are you not living with your husband?” McDade asked slyly.
Bettina thought quickly. “Oh, did I not mention it?” she asked innocently. “Not that it is any of your business, but Kairstine and I are on a religious retreat for two months to help the poor and sick in our community. But feel free to take this.” She unwound a scarf from around her head. “It is pure silk. You might get a few pounds for it. And this...” she took off her wedding ring. “It is very high-quality gold.”
“Will your husband not be angry with you?” Fergus asked warily, suspecting a trap. Nevertheless, he reached out and took the ring cautiously, as if fearing it might bite him. As he gazed at it, however, his eyes glinted with appreciation. The ring was indeed of rare quality.
“Why should you care?” Bettina asked, shrugging. “Anyway, he will get me another one. Now, is there anything else?” She stood in front of Fergus McDade, so close that he took a step backward and almost stumbled.
“No, milady,” he replied, but his gaze was menacing. “This will do for now, but I will be back later, and the rest of the money had better be forthcoming then, or there will be trouble.”
As he turned away, Bettina felt her knees weaken, and she sank into a chair before she fell on the floor. Kairstine sat beside her and took her sister’s hands in hers.
“We have nothing left to give him.” Bettina’s voice was toneless. “And I have no more ideas, Kairstine.”
“We still have Mammy’s necklace,” Kairstine reminded her.
“Give it tohim?” Bettina shook her head vehemently. “Never.”
14
“Poor wee lass,” Lizzie said, shaking her head. “I would happily string that man up for what he has done tae her. They say she has gone on a ‘religious retreat.’” She was chopping a turnip, and by the look on her face, she was pretending it was Ninian’s head. “Religious retreat my backside! I told her she shouldnae have married him.” She said a most unladylike word, and the others gasped in shock.
“It is said that he is, ye know...” Moira stammered. “Well, he is no’ able tae dae what is needed tae get a woman wi’ child.”
The others looked at each other, wide-eyed with shock.
“Ye mean he cannae—” Ina made a lewd gesture with her hands, and Moira turned away.
“Aye, that is it,” she said sadly.
“So dae ye think that maybe that could be why he sent the other away?” Lizzie speculated. “Maybe it wasnae her that couldnae bear a child but him that couldnae give her one.”
“Nothin’ would surprise me wi’ that big lump!” Ina growled. “Struttin’ about lookin’ manly when he cannae even...well, ye know.”
