Chapter 23

23

An Unexpected Guest

" C ome here," instructed William.

Dakota went to him. His words had placated her, and she felt like she belonged again. The Laird opened up his arms, and Dakota fell into them. She wanted to kick herself for misreading the situation.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Nay, I'm the one who should be apologizin'. Ye were forced into this marriage and ye dinnae ken what yer were gettin' yerself into. And even when ye were into it, ye dinnae ken what ye were in. I should have been more honest with ye."

"I understand why ye kept it from me. If I hadnae have run into him in the market, he would not have touched me life. It was nothin' to do with me until that moment. Ye were only tryin' to keep me safe, were ye nae?"

"Aye, I was, and I will continue to keep ye safe."

"I ken ye will," replied Dakota. She took a deep breath, inhaling the musk on his shirt—there was a slight sweetness and acidity from whatever it had been washed in. "Ye ken, I might be startin' to make me peace about being forced into this. It could have been much worse."

"Aye, it could have," agreed William.

"I mean, ye are still a complete eejit, but ye have a good heart."

William guffawed, and his entire chest rumbled, shaking Dakota in his arms. She wanted to say more than just that but was scared to. She wanted to tell him that she felt at home in his arms, that she was glad he had chosen her, and that she did not want to be without him.

She was not sacred of Conall Millar but was scared of uttering those words. Part of that was due to making herself vulnerable, but there was also the nagging feeling that William did not feel the same way.

"Come closer," whispered William.

He took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up toward him. Dakota smiled as his warm breath hit her lips for a moment before the kiss came. Their tongues did not fight this time, only lips moving in unison. He cradled her in his arms, wrapping her up tight, and he knew that this man would protect her to his dying breath.

She yearned for him to be inside her, but she could wait for now. How long could she wait? She did not know the answer to that question, but she did know her husband was a man of action.

But how much could he do to take on the English forces? Dakota felt some excitement at his words but also some foreboding that they would never have a good life together.

William drew his lips away from Dakota, leaving her wanting more. She found that she was always left wanting more.

"Shall we ride back to the castle together? Perhaps ye can nae try to kill me this time," said William.

"I might get a wee bit hot-headed at times," admitted Dakota. "Aye, I would love to ride back to the castle together. I havenae eaten breakfast yet."

"The ridin' has worked up me appetite, and I could do with some more food. We could eat together."

"Aye," smiled Dakota.

William helped her to her feet, and they both mounted their horses. They did not ride at top speed this time, nor did Dakota try to cut the Laird off. They rode at a gallop, and Dakota felt the same feeling of freedom that she had felt on the way out to find the Laird.

Only, this time, she felt freedom in the presence of the Laird, and she had no intention of running off.

When they returned to the stables, they left their horses with Arnold, and William ordered the housekeeper to prepare the breakfast room.

"Aye, and shall I set the table for three, m'Laird?" asked Mrs. Portsworth.

"Three asked William."

"Aye, the Lady's sister has come to talk with her."

"Daisy?" asked Dakota.

"Nay, Delilah is here, and she was in a bit of a state when she arrived."

"Where is she now?" asked Dakota.

"In the library. I brought her some tea, m'Lady."

"Thank ye." Dakota looked to William.

"I'm goin' to go wash up, and I might join ye for lunch. Go take breakfast with yer sister and see what has upset her. She's come to ye, Dakota, so she must ken that ye can help."

"Thank ye."

The Laird bent down and kissed Dakota on the cheek, and it felt the most intimate of any kiss they had shared. He left to go and wash up. Mrs. Portsworth walked inside with Dakota, then went to ready the breakfast room while Dakota went to find her sister.

"Delilah," she said when she reached the library.

Delilah looked up. She did not have tears in her eyes, but she was a little pale. Dakota went straight to the table and took up her sister's cup. She poured more tea and added lashings of sugar. She poured herself a cup too.

As soon as she had set the cups down, Delilah got up from the chair and embraced her.

"I'm so sorry, Sister," she said.

"Sorry, ye have nothin' to be sorry about."

"I do. I ran off selfishly and left ye to marry him. Ye have to believe me that I dinnae think it would come to that. I thought he would just cancel the weddin'. Ye shouldnae have to live yer life like this."

"Well, that is me own business, Delilah," said Dakota, pulling apart.

"Aye, and ye have every right to be angry at me for what I did to ye."

"Ye daenae even ken why I'm angry at ye, do ye?"

"Aye, I do; it's because ye were forced to marry the man I was betrothed to."

"Nay, that's nae it at all. Dakota strode over to the window and stared out at the castle grounds. She turned back to her sister to conclude her sentiment. "I'm angry at ye for the way ye acted when ye came to visit last. Ye couldnae keep yer eyes off him. Ye cannae leave him at the altar and then come back here and try to sweet talk him. He's me husband now."

"I ken," seethed Delilah. "I'm sorry for that too. I couldnae help meself."

"I ken he is a handsome man, but ye cannae—"

"Nay!" stated Delilah. "It's nae because of that. I was… I was jealous of ye, Dakota."

"Jealous of me? What have ye got to be jealous about? Ye were always more clever, and ye are much more beautiful."

"I was angry at meself for being too stubborn to help Faither and the clan and for bein' scared and runnin' away, and then when I came back and saw ye, I realized that ye were so much better than me. Ye have it together, and ye live in a castle now, but that was nae the thin' that made me most jealous. I saw the way he was lookin' at ye, Dakota."

"Lookin' at me?"

"Aye, ye must ken that he has feelings for ye. I've never had a man look at me like that before. The first time the Laird laid eyes on me, he looked at me with disdain. I have longed for so long for a man to look at me like the Laird looks at you, and when I saw what he thought of me, I had to run, and then I forced ye into the same situation, and now I'm jealous, and I'm the worst sister, Dakota."

Dakota thought about mentioning how the Laird had regarded her when they first met, but she held back.

"Do ye really think the Laird has feelings for me, Delilah?"

"Och, it is as obvious as the nose of yer face. Ye've found what I've been yearnin' for, but with arranged marriages, ye dinnae usually get that. Ye've found somethin' special, Dakota. Will ye ever forgive me?"

"Forgive ye?" Dakota chuckled. "Nay, there is nae need. Yer me sister, Delilah. I could never stay angry at ye."

Especially not after the heart-to-heart she had with the Laird and the observation from Delilah about how he looked at her.

"Come here," said Dakota.

She embraced Delilah again, and they pressed their cheeks together. It felt good to have her sister back, and she was glad for her stubbornness around whom she married. If Delilah had gone ahead , Dakota would not have found the Laird.

"Wait." Dakota pulled apart from the embrace. "Ye were white as a sheet when I first saw ye. This hasnae got ye feelin' as bad as that, has it?"

"Nay," murmured Delilah. "I… sit down, Dakota."

Dakota did as her sister asked and picked up her cup of tea to sip from it.

"I was out by meself, with me maid, of course, and ran into an English gent—"

"Conall Millar!"

"Nay, this was Lord Sutherland."

"Aye, 'tis the same man. He is a rogue and a vagabond. Ye daenae want anythin' to do with him. What did he want?"

"He thought I might want to help him as I ran off from the Laird at the altar. He kenned a lot about me, and about the Laird, and I guess about all the affairs up here. He was sweet and kind, but there was more behind his eyes."

"Aye, I have had the displeasure of runnin' into him also. When was this?"

"Just yesterday."

"So, he is still in the area. He thought ye might help him?"

"Aye, at first he just wanted to talk with me, and I shouldnae have let him do even that, but me maid was there, and he was polite. Besides…."

"What?"

"I ken it is stupid, but he looked at me like he wanted me, and I was feelin' somethin' awful about ye and the Laird, and I have been yearnin' for that look, and he filled a hole in me heart. So, I let him take me for tea, and he complimented me and made me feel good."

"Aye, he tried the same with me," said Dakota.

"But ye would have been stronger than me, Dakota. I should have resisted and left him, but I couldnae."

"I am nae stronger, but I did have a sword to call on. He's a snake, Delilah."

"Aye, I kenned that when he started talkin' about ye and Faither. He spoke of the Laird sayin' things about me for leavin' him and how I embarrassed the clan, and I believed it because I was thinkin' it meself anyway, but then he started sayin' that ye were doin' it too, and I ken ye would not do that to me or anyone in our family. That's when I kenned he was lying. He started sayin' that Faither had said things too, but I dinnae listen to a word of it."

"And that's when ye left?"

"Nay, I wanted to hear what he was plottin', so I played nice and strung him along a little to hear what he really wanted of me."

"We are nae so different, Delilah. I had the very same ploy. So, what did he want ye to do?"

"This." Delilah produced a vial from her pocket.

"What is that?"

"He wouldnae tell me, but he said not to drink or even sniff it. I was supposed to visit the castle and pour some into the Laird's food or drink. It's obviously poison, isn't it? He wanted me to poison the Laird."

Dakota felt the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she had to remain strong.

"Ye must have put on a good show, Delilah, for him to trust ye. Ye did well to string him along. What did Faither say?"

"I havenae told Faither yet. He will want to help, but he doesnae have the power to go up against the English. He has the backin' of the clan, especially with the new wealth, but since we had the union, the Laird holds all the power. I thought it best to come to him and you first."

"Aye, it's probably best nae to worry Faither with this. See, Delilah, this proves just how good a sister ye are. I'm glad ye came here—we need to share this with the Laird. Will ye tell him what ye just told me?"

"Aye."

Dakota took a deep breath. She had not been worried about Conall since talking with William, but now, she was afraid. She believed the Laird would protect her, but who would protect the Laird?