Page 8 of Sutherland's Secret
“Ye said ye would—”
Sutherland growled a warning, and Eleanor’s breath caught in her lungs. He said he would what? What was he supposed to have done?
“Cecilia,” Sutherland barked out, making Eleanor jump.
The girl who had been watching her jumped as well and hurried forward. “Yes, my lord.”
“See to the lady. Put her in the ladies’ solar.”
Cecilia’s gaze widened. “My lord?”
“Just do it,” he growled, then turned toward Eleanor. “Cecilia will see to ye.”
Eleanor hesitated, looking up at Lachlan and then the others, who were staring at her as if she were a particularly nasty piece of refuse. She was dirty and she supposed she was a bit odiferous, considering she hadn’t had a bath in about five months, so she couldn’t quite blame them, but she sensed her presence was a bit more problematic than that.
She followed Cecilia to a set of circular stone stairs. The middle of the steps was worn down from centuries of warriors going up and down them, indicating that Sutherland was from a long line of warriors.
Eleanor took one last look over her shoulder. Sutherland was standing with Lachlan; their heads were bent together. Lachlan was speaking furiously, his hands waving in the air.
Situated at the top of the round tower, the lady’s solar was glorious. The walls were painted a cool blue. The bed was a monstrosity made of dark carved wood with a covering of light blue and piled with pillows of every conceivable shade of blue. A matching escritoire was against a wall with a view out the window. There were two other doors besides the one they’d walked through, but Eleanor stood rooted to the floor, too scared to explore, afraid this was all a jest and they had only stopped here on their way to the tower dungeon.
Cecilia dipped a quick curtsy, mumbled something, and fled.
Eleanor looked around, shock numbing her thoughts. She began to shiver, partly because the fire had not been built up, but mostly because she couldn’t shake Lachlan’s words from her mind.
She lives?
Ye said ye would—
What had Sutherland said he would do? And how did the other warrior know of her?
There was a discreet knock on the door before it opened. Young boys marched in carrying a large copper tub. Others followed with buckets of steaming water, but Eleanor couldn’t even comprehend that.
Ye said ye would—
Her heart pounded and she began to shake harder.
She lives?
Lachlan had seemed shocked to see her alive. That could only mean that he had expected her to be dead.
Ye said ye would—
Had Sutherland said he would kill her?
She didn’t know she was backing up until she hit the wall. Her hand went to her throat, and she stared at the tendrils of steam rising from the tub.
He was going to kill her. For whatever reason, he hadn’t done it in the forest, but he was going to do it now. Possibly while she was enjoying her first bath in months. He would come in while her guard was down and force her head underwater and she would be helpless against his strength.
The door opened and he was standing there, his shoulders filling the doorway, a scowl twisting his lips.
Pushing away from the wall, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. Never let it be said that Eleanor Hirst, Countess of Glendale, didn’t meet her death with dignity and grace.
Chapter 4
Brice stood on the threshold of the lady’s chamber and looked around. He’d not been in these rooms since his wife had left him, and he wasn’t particularly pleased to be standing here now.
His wife had loved the color blue. Not Sutherland blue. Oh, no, that would not do for Alisa. It had to be sky blue. Everywhere. His gaze touched on the ornate bed done up with an overabundance of pillows and bed coverings and curtains, to the blue carpet, the blue walls, and finally the woman who was not his wife but would live in this chamber.
