Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
T he moment Bonnie stepped out of the warmth of the castle, she immediately regretted ever suggesting taking a walk. In the heat of the moment, she had said the first thing that popped to mind just to diffuse the tension between Laird Ruthven and Evan, but now that she was in the gardens with him, the two of them walking side by side as Bonnie desperately held her cloak around her shoulders in an attempt to remain warm, she wished she had never opened her mouth.
Evan could have dealt with the consequences of his actions. He was a grown man and he deserved what he would get, she thought.
And yet the prospect of allowing him to ruin his own plan when it had only just been set in motion was terrifying to Bonnie. Evan and Alaric were the only ones between her and this unwanted marriage, so if she had to suffer walking in the cold, then it was a small price to pay.
"Dae ye like the gardens, Miss MacLaren?" Ruthven asked, drawing her out of her thoughts. "I must admit it is a more pleasant sight in spring, when everythin' blooms."
Bonnie looked around at the trees and the bare bushes that were scattered around the gardens, trying to imagine the place in full bloom. There were plants there she recognized from what she knew about healing, plants that would paint the entire place in their vivid colors the moment the weather warmed.
She was certain it would be a majestic sight. Even now, though, all the greenery was enough to suffuse the place with the beauty of nature.
"It is lovely," she said, giving Ruthven the most genuine smile, she could muster. In the short time she had spent there, she hadn't seen him treat anyone the way he had treated that servant at the Hamilton feast, and he had been nothing but a gentleman to her, speaking politely and keeping his distance, but making his interest in her known.
Perhaps it had been only a drunken mistake. Perhaps he isnae as violent as I thought.
Bonnie still didn't trust him, though, and she doubted she ever would, especially after Evan's and Alaric's warnings.
Evan . . . why must he act so strangely?
Could it be it was jealousy that drove him to speak such words to Ruthven? No, Bonnie thought, surely it couldn't be anything as petty as that. It was no secret that Evan hated Ruthven. He must have lost his self-control upon seeing him, his anger getting the better of him. That was all it was; she doubted she had anything to do with it.
"What is yer favourite place in the castle, me laird?" Bonnie asked, trying to steer the conversation towards something that could get her information. "Surely, ye must spend a lot o' time in yer study, aye?"
"Och aye," said Ruthven. "Most o' me days are spent there."
The wind blew past Bonnie, pulling her hair out of its updo and stinging her eyes. She had half a mind to tell Ruthven to head back inside, but he was quick to notice her discomfort and placed a hand on her shoulder, steering her so that they were walking with the wind to their backs. He seemed to be in no rush to head back inside, and Bonnie convinced herself it was for the best. She had him all alone. It was the perfect chance to get something out of him, no matter how small.
"It must be lonely," she said.
"It can be," said Ruthven. "But once we wed, I will have ye tae keep me company."
Bonnie forced her smile to remain on her lips, even as it trembled. "O' course," she said. "Though I doubt ye would want me tae sit with ye in yer study. I'm sure ye have plenty tae dae every day."
"I dinnae mind yer presence. Quite the opposite, in fact. I find that I am enjoyin' it very much," Ruthven said. "Besides, I am used tae havin' several people in the study. There are always maids comin' in an' out, always some Chieftain who desires somethin'."
"Maids?" Bonnie asked, remembering what Evan had said about Ruthven being a philanderer. She could see it; Ruthven was a handsome man and it wouldn't surprise her if the maids who came to his study did more than just serve him food and drink.
"They are . . . curious," said Ruthven, giving no further explanation. "So much so that I must keep everythin' important in another room."
Bonnie stumbled but quickly regained her footing, trying not to show the interest in her expression or her tone when she spoke. "Another room?"
Could this be what she needed? If there was a room where Ruthven kept all his important items, then the documents about him and Balliol would surely be there. She couldn't show just how much she wanted him to keep talking, though, and so she had to tread carefully, making sure he suspected nothing.
"Aye," said Ruthven. "I carry the key with me at all times so they cannae enter it. They an' nae one else either."
Ruthven offered no more information and Bonnie didn't know how to ask for it. She couldn't outright ask him for the location of that room or interrogate him on its contents without appearing suspicious, and so she decided to change the topic entirely. The little she had found out would have to do for now, she thought, and then she would try to gather more information as the days went by.
"It must be difficult, bein' the laird," she said. "I see it in Macauley . . . it weighs on him, this responsibility fer his clan. An' it's the same fer me sister. The Lady o' the Clan has a heavy burden tae bear."
Wrapping a gentle hand around Bonnie's arm, Ruthven said, "Trust me, ye will want fer naething. Dinnae fash. All ye'll have tae dae is raise our bairns. I will handle the rest."
So even if he wants me in his study, it isnae tae assist him. It is tae act like another ornament . . . or like a beloved pet.
Bonnie tried her best to keep the disdain from showing in her features and smiled instead, forcing her mouth to contort into the shape. For a while, they continued their walk and Bonnie let Ruthven ramble about their future until she had heard enough. She could excuse herself without appearing too eager to leave or giving him a reason to suspect her.
"Thank ye fer showin' me the gardens, me laird," she said. "But I am very tired an' I wish tae retire fer a while. I hope ye dinnae mind."
"O' course," Ruthven said. "Forgive me fer keepin' ye fer so long. Ye must be tired after yer travels."
With that, he led her back to the castle and excused himself to his study the moment they were inside, much to Bonnie's relief. With him gone, she could find Evan and Alaric and tell them about the room and the key, in the hopes that they could find its location on their own.
Bonnie began to comb the castle methodically, starting from the bottom floor before moving upstairs. For a while, she feared that they were nowhere to be found because they had left, neglecting to inform her of their departure, but then she caught a glimpse of Evan as she passed by one of the corridors, and she rushed to him, finding him there with Alaric.
"I must speak with ye right the now," she said in a breathless voice, grabbing both their arms to tug them along. "Come."
At first, they didn't move and Bonnie walked in place, held there by their combined bulk. When she realized she was going nowhere, she turned to face them expectantly, a rush of breath escaping her lips.
"Well?" she asked. "Come!"
Finally, they followed obediently after her, letting her take them to her rooms. Once she ensured that no one was watching, she pulled them both inside and shut the door, taking a moment to breathe.
"I have information," she said.
Instantly, Evan and Alaric were upon her, bombarding her with all sorts of questions that she couldn't hear as they spoke over each other. She waved them both off and pushed them towards the chairs that stood near the fireplace, forcing them to sit, and it was only then that they fell quiet and allowed her to speak.
"There is a room," she said. "Ruthven said he keeps everythin' important there because the maids look through his things. He keeps the key on himself at all times."
Evan and Alaric looked at each other, once again communicating silently between them. Then, they turned to Bonnie, both sporting a look she didn't like at all.
"Ye must steal the key," Evan said.
"Steal the key?" Bonnie asked in a hiss, her hand coming up to rub her eyes wearily. How did she always find herself involved in something dangerous? She had gone along with her cousin's mad plan not so long ago, but at least then she had the excuse that she was under threat by him. What excuse did she have now for her reckless behavior? "Why would I steal the key? Why cannae one o' ye dae it?"
"Because yer close tae Ruthven," Alaric pointed out. "He thinks yer tae wed an' he already wishes tae spend time with ye. Yer the only one who can dae it."
Bonnie knew it was true, but it didn't mean that she liked the thought one bit. She had had enough danger to last her a lifetime and she didn't want to put herself in such a precarious position again.
But what other choice did she have? If she wanted not only to avoid the wedding but to also help her neighboring clans, then she had to do her part. She had to help Evan and Alaric stop Ruthven and Balliol.
Even though she said nothing, Evan and Alaric seemed to sense that she was going to agree. They both smiled at her, those identical, devilish smiles that she had already come to hate.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "But if anythin' happens tae me, ye should ken me sister will have her revenge."