Page 19 of Dark Side of the Laird
No wonder he feared for hers. We wanted her gone, not dead. A dead Lady Isabella was only bound to bring an army of MacDonald warriors down on Logan’s head.
“The lady is fine. There was no threat to her physically, but she did not like being carted off. I think she may have been frightened.” Ewan frowned and glanced toward the floor. “’Haps a little vengeful now.”
I couldn’t help but smirk. Alittlevengeful was most likely putting it nicely.
“Where is she?” Logan asked.
“In her chamber.”
“What was her explanation for being there?”
“Says she got lost.”
Logan grunted. “How did she lose the guards who were supposed to be watching her?”
Ewan shook his head. “That, I fear, ye will not be pleased with. They were found in the armory drunker than a lad with his first dram.”
“Drunk?” Even from where I lay on the bed I could feel the sudden flare of fiery rage in Logan.
Ewan nodded. “An empty barrel of ale and two spilled mugs.”
“Damn.” The word was hushed, said under his breath. Logan’s hands came to his hips and he shook his head, looking down toward the ground.
I had a sudden flashback of the last warrior who went against Logan. The beating he’d received was vicious, bloody and the thing of nightmares. Ewan had been the one to administer the punishment and I wondered if he, too, was remembering.
Ewan waited patiently while Logan fought within himself. I could tell it was hard for him to make the choice. To punish men he trusted.
“I just dinna understand why they would do that,” Logan said. “I explicitly said they were to never leave her alone for a minute.”
Ewan crossed his arms over his chest. “I canna explain it, my laird, other than what I saw plain with my own eyes.”
“The situation does not sit right with me,” Logan said. “The men would not blatantly disregard their orders without just cause. They are not traitors. And ale is not a big enough draw for them.”
“What are ye thinking?” Ewan asked.
I tried to remain as small as I could on the bed, enjoying this back and forth and learning much in the way of Logan’s mind and how it worked.
“I dinna know. Nothing,” Logan said with a shake of his head. “I canna fathom the men shirking their duties, and I canna believe that they allowed the woman to get them drunk. That would be just as ridiculous as the both of them skipping their post to share a barrel.”
“Aye, I canna say I disagree. The men seemed confused about it.”
“No doubt they were. But if they had the barrel and were unconscious when ye found them, there is no question they may have some issues remembering.” Logan let out a deep sigh. “Take them to the dungeon. They can sober up in the darkness. I’ll think about how to deal with Isabella.”
Ewan nodded, bowed, flashed a smile over Logan’s shoulder toward me, which earned him a jealous shove from my lover. I laughed and buried myself deeper in the blankets.
Logan shut the door behind Ewan and turned to face me, his face grave. “I have to speak with Isabella. Warn her not to go snooping around. The woman will likely get herself killed and bring a war upon us.”
I sat up in the bed, hugging the sheet close to me. “That’s what I fear, too. She’s not good for us, or for Gealach.”
“Aye.” Logan unraveled the plaid at his waist and began pleating it back around.
I chewed my lip, wanting to shout with frustration. Why wouldn’t he do something about it then?
“When you talk to her…”
He glanced up from his pleats. “What?”
I drew in a deep breath and then let out what I was thinking in one rush of air. “How long must we wait before you implore the king? Before Isabella discovers something or tries to hurt someone?”
