Chapter 31

31

E mily leaned against the door, listening to Adam's soft movements outside.

Eventually, she heard his footsteps move away as though he had been standing there for a long time, considering whether to follow her.

She turned to face the gloomy room before her, looking down at the signet ring in her hand. It was far too big for her little finger, but she placed it on her middle one instead. She hoped that Adam was right and that she would be able to give it back to her father soon.

She glanced about the room warily in case any guards had been posted there too, but it was empty. Reaching into her bodice, she pulled out the papers that she had brought with her. She was unable to stay in her room a moment longer, having gone almost mad with worry since she had left the study.

The library was a safe haven, and with thoughts of her father racing in her mind, she had decided to come here to write the letter that she wished to send to him.

She knew that it was a risk to write to him at all, but having seen what Stewart was capable of, she needed to find out if her father still lived.

He could be dead now, and I wouldnae ken it. Bruce could be dead too.

The thought was an ugly black hole in her chest that she had been unable to ignore. The sight of that finger in the box was going to poison her mind until her final days. She had never been so frightened.

James would not just leave her father alone now that he had hurt him—she was sure of that. He could be torturing him at this very moment. Emily couldn't bear her spiraling thoughts any longer and walked to the desk on the right side of the room, where a quill and inkwell sat as if waiting for her.

She took a seat, trying to steady her hands before penning the letter, but it still took her three attempts to write ‘ Dearest Da' . The tears falling down her cheeks did not help as the words blurred before her eyes.

This is all because of me. I have brought this upon them. If I had simply married James from the start, none of this would have happened.

Or perhaps it would have been even worse.

Adam had said that if she had given in, James could still have killed her family. Maybe he was right. Even if she ran away to find James and ask for his forgiveness, he might still choose to punish her.

It took a long time for her to write the letter. The panic in her heart would not settle, and the words would not flow. She sat there for many minutes, considering simply writing ‘ Da, are you alive?'

In the end, dawn was breaking behind her as she finished the final line. The whooshing of the waves outside Freya's window soothed something inside her.

Freya's den looked inviting and warm when Emily glanced over at it, and she went to sit by the window. She watched the dawn with the letter clutched in her hand. Spikes of gold, crimson, and pink made their way across the clouds in long delicate streaks.

How can the world be so beautiful when everythin' is fallin' apart?

Eventually, she rose and rang the bell for her maid, coming out from behind the shelves only to find the door opening and Lady MacNiall stepping inside.

"I thought I might find ye here," Lady MacNiall said gently. She closed the door, her face pale and concerned. "How are ye?"

Emily pushed the letter up her sleeve before Adam's mother saw it and attempted to sound strong when she felt anything but.

"Fine," she stated firmly. "Why are ye awake? It is barely dawn."

"I heard what happened from Theo. I havenae slept. I am sure ye havenae either. Is there anythin' I can do?"

Emily frowned at her.

"Ye are me daughter-in-law now, however much ye may wish ye werenae," Lady MacNiall insisted. "I protect me family."

"I ken ye didnae want me to marry Adam—nae really. Ye couldnae stand me when I first came here."

"I didnae trust ye. But that is nay longer the case," Lady MacNiall stated. "I heard what ye did with the Young family. That was impressive."

"Adam doesnae agree with ye."

"Men never do when they're wrong."

Lady MacNiall smiled tenderly. She reached out a hand to Emily, who took it as she led her to two chairs before the fireplace.

"Ye ken that he cares for ye," she said earnestly.

"I ken nay such thing."

"If he didnae, ye wouldnae still be here. He wouldnae have gone through with the weddin'. None of this would have taken place at all."

"Well, perhaps he wishes it hadnae now. I have brought more trouble on his head."

"He brought that on himself the day he took ye. Can ye nae see that?" Lady MacNiall shook her head. "Me son is many things, but he is nay fool."

"But he didnae. I was here as a ploy to get Laura back. He was clear about that from the beginnin'."

"And how many men do ye ken who truly ken their own heart? Me husband swore he would never take a wife, and then we saw each other from across a courtyard, and that put paid to his plans forever. It only takes one spark, Emily, one moment."

Emily's mind returned to the silent corridor in the back passages of the castle. Adam's jacket around her shoulders, his hands coming to rest on her waist as he took her mouth with his.

Ye are a fool if ye trust it.

"All we do is argue with each other," she replied.

"Somebody needs to disagree with him. He is a strong man and a strong leader, but he doesnae always ken what is best for him."

Emily shrugged, leaning back in her chair. "Once James Stewart has made himself known, this will all be over."

Lady MacNiall's face was pinched, but she nodded.

Emily ran her fingers through her hair as she watched the fire. "I wanted to thank ye," she said finally, and Lady MacNaill raised her eyebrows. "Ye gave me yer weddin' dress, and ye have given me yer chambers. It cannae be easy to step aside when a new Lady enters the castle, especially after ye have ruled for so long."

"I cannae think of a better replacement, Emily," Lady MacNiall said gently. "Just promise me ye willnae give up on Adam. He will prove himself in time."

There was a gentle knock on the door as Olivia entered the room. Lady MacNiall stood up to take her leave, but she turned back to Emily with a somber expression.

"I truly hope yer faither is alright and that ye can see him soon. I ken me son is goin' to do everythin' he can to protect ye."

Emily was unsure whether to believe that Adam truly cared or whether he was acting out of guilt. The signet ring on her finger was an unfamiliar weight, and she clenched her fist around it with determination.

Lady MacNiall left her, and Emily approached Olivia. The young girl looked curious as Emily handed her the letter.

"I have written to me faither. I need this letter to be sent to Wilkinson Castle. Get a guard to go with ye. Ye will likely be followed, but I have to ken that they are safe."

Olivia bobbed a curtsy. "Aye, M'Lady," she said, taking the letter and clutching it tightly. She looked so terrified at the prospect that Emily frowned.

"What is the matter?"

"I dinnae speak to the guards, M'Lady," Olivia said timidly.

Emily smiled, opening the library door and heading out into the corridor. "Come, let us find one together."

They made their way down the passages, Emily experiencing a strange nostalgia as she headed for the courtyard. She had spent a short amount of time within the castle walls, but she felt incredibly attached to them.

Adam seemed to be threaded through everything here: his orders, his beliefs, his desires. The castle was a part of him, and she was dismayed to find that she cared for it just as much.

I feel safe inside his home.

"It looks like another storm is comin'," Olivia muttered as they passed some large windows and headed toward the main gatehouse.

Emily glanced up at the sky, and sure enough, huge black clouds wererolling in from the south. The sun was still attempting to push through, but the dawn light was faint and losing some of its glow.

They emerged from the stillness of the corridor and into the bustle of the gatehouse. There were guards everywhere, changing from the night shift into the day. Emily could see why Olivia felt intimidated by them; they were huge men clad in armor and covered in weapons.

However, as they emerged, one of them saw her and approached her immediately, bowing low.

"Is there anyone available to accompany Olivia on an errand? This letter needs to be taken to Wilkinson Castle, but it is likely ye will be followed."

The guard signaled behind him, and a younger man approached. He gave him his instructions, and Olivia was bundled off toward the stables, looking worried and blushing furiously in the company of the guard.

"Be careful and keep an eye out for Laird Orkney's men at all times," Emily said firmly. "Give me faither or braither me name, and they'll look after ye when ye arrive."

Olivia nodded and pushed the letter into her pocket as though it was a prized jewel.

Emily thanked the guard and walked to the steps, looking down at the many bodies moving about. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Adam to her left. He and Doughall were directing their men about the castle's walls.

Emily watched Adam's huge chest bunch and flex as he pointed out where the guards should be stationed. Doughall was all business now, both men stern and quiet as they worked.

Adam turned, and Emily sucked in a breath as she watched his expression soften the moment he saw her. He approached her, glancing around with some concern and frowning at her.

"Ye should stay inside. It's safer," he insisted, his eyes darting everywhere.

"Is that an order?"

His eyes darkened instantly, and frustration and desire flickered across his face as he looked down at her.

"It is a request. Is that better?" He glanced at Doughall as the other man called his name. "Please go inside, Emily."

She wasn't sure if it was the plea in his eyes or the way he said her name that made her obey, but she did it all the same.

He returned to Doughall, and the two men bowed their heads together, no doubt deciding on the best strategy to defeat Stewart if he did arrive. She shook her head. There was no way anyone could get through this many men undetected.

Longing for some solitude, she thought of enquiring whether Freya was awake and asking her to meet her in the library, but then an image of the beige corridor in the top part of the castle flashed through her mind.

That tapestry-lined, silent world appealed to her in this moment of chaos, and she set off toward it.

As she climbed the final few steps to the archway leading to the corridor, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She could understand why Theo came here to rest and read. The tapestries were colorful and beautifully made, lining every wall with their stories, and she strolled along, looking up at the knights and dragons twisting across them.

She was about halfway down the corridor when she heard the handle of the secret door twist. She smiled as it opened, expecting Theo to enter.

The tapestry in front of the door flapped open, and a figure appeared, just as she had expected.

She froze, her heart stuttering, her breath stalling in her lungs as he entered the room, his eyes landing on her as the door slammed shut.

It was not Theo. It was James Stewart, and Emily could not hold back her scream of pure rage.