Page 63 of Highland Jewel
“What?” Isabella persisted. “What did he tell you?”
“He had to kill a man.”
“Who?”
She shook her head. “All he told me was that he wouldn’t be coming back. And that I was free of the promises we made. He asked me to forget him.”
Tears flowed freely down her face again. Her heart was shattering into a million pieces. Her body shook at how damning these words sounded.
“And then he showed up here,” Isabella said quietly.
“But that was five months ago,” Maisie cried. “Five long months ago. So much could have changed since. Perhaps Fiona is already free. Perhaps Niall is here for some other reason. Perhaps…”
A knock on the chapel door silenced Maisie, and she rushed to open it. Cinaed stood in the corridor outside.
“Where is he?” she asked. “What have you done with him?”
“He’s in the cell. We’re—”
“May I see him?” Maisie begged. “Please. May I go and speak to him?”
“A few minutes ago, you accused him of coming here to commit murder,” Cinaed reminded her.
“He would never hurt me.Never. He loves me. We were to marry. Please.”
Maisie saw Cinaed’s gaze shift over her shoulder to Isabella. Since they’d all come together at Dalmigavie Castle, the two of them never seemed to be more than an arm’s length apart. He was affectionate toward her publicly, and Maisie admired Cinaed’s protectiveness of her sister. Isabella was an outsider among the Mackintosh clan, but he’d made it clear that he was hers and she was his. And their trust in each other was profound.
“Please,” Maisie repeated, looking back at her sister. “Let me talk to him.”
Isabella nodded to her husband.
“Come with me.”
CHAPTER23
Maisie’s fingers trailed along the damp stone walls as she followed Cinaed down the dark circular stairwell. With every step, she willed herself to stay strong and not to think of the horrors these dungeons might have held for Mackintosh enemies. She wanted to shed no more tears. She couldn’t allow herself to wallow in guilt. This visit was a gift, a gesture of trust by Cinaed, and she didn’t want to waste it. She wanted to face Niall with a clear mind.
At the bottom of the stairs, a tall, burly Highlander stood watching a half-dozen doors along the narrow passageway.
“Are you certain about this?” Cinaed asked.
“Niall would take his own life before he’d hurt me,” she whispered. “I’m certain.”
He hesitated, looking down the row of doors.
“We were to be married. He loves me.” She touched his arm, too afraid that he’d change his mind. He hadn’t been part of the conversation Maisie had with her sister. He hadn’t heard her explanations. “I never gave him achance to explain, to defend himself. My love for my sister overpowered my reason. I think I accused him too quickly… and unjustly.”
He frowned, still reluctant.
“Please, Cinaed.”
Finally, he motioned to the guard to open the door.
“Only a few minutes. And I’ll be right here.”
Sorrow over what she’d done to Niall slowed her steps as she moved into the cold and damp confined space. She didn’t know how badly he’d been hurt. The only source of light and air was a small barred opening high on one wall. From the scratches in the stone, Maisie guessed this cell had seen considerable use over the years and had housed more than a few enemies of the clan. A dirty straw mattress sat in one corner, and it took Maisie a few seconds before she spotted Niall leaning against the wall in the shadows.
He didn’t move as the door closed behind her.
