Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

E loise turned her head into Murdoch's chest, wishing she could hide from that scream, but it just seemed to keep going on, reaching into her very soul and echoing deep inside of her. When it abruptly ended with a heavy thud, Eloise whimpered into Murdoch's chest.

"It's done," he murmured hurriedly in her ear, lifting her in his arms completely and carrying her away from the cliff. "She's gone. It's over, Eloise. Can ye hear me? It's over."

She nodded into his chest, her hands grappling at his shirt, just trying to get closer to him. Her head lifted enough to see that Ian stood a short distance away, with blood on his sword and one of the two attackers unmoving at his feet. Beyond Ian's shoulder was Avery. He'd lowered his crossbow and was doing his best to run toward her.

"Eloise?" he shouted to her. "Eloise, are ye all right?"

"I…" She couldn't answer. She didn't know if she was all right or not. She just held tightly to Murdoch, reaching to Avery as he neared her and brushed back her hair, taking her face to examine her for injury.

"Are ye hurt?" he asked, desperation in his tone.

"I'll heal. I am only bruised," she murmured softly, feeling the way that Murdoch clung tightly around her waist. She was in no rush to be released from Murdoch, and he seemed equally less inclined to release her.

"What happened?" Ian asked as he thrust his bloodied sword into the ground. "That manservant wasnae clear. Why was Harper trying tae kill Eloise?"

"It's a long story," Murdoch muttered in a low tone, pulling Eloise closer to his body. He walked with her down the hill, back toward their horses. Eloise buried herself in his chest, trying to get as close to him as possible.

As Ian and Avery talked about what to do about the dead bodies and how they were going to tell Clyde, they fell behind, leaving Eloise feeling strangely alone with Murdoch, and comforted by his presence.

"I thought I had lost ye." His voice was deep. "Eloise, I cannae go through this again. I never want tae lose ye."

"Murdoch." She had not the words and turned her head, angling herself so she could bury it in his shoulder. "She attacked me afore the wedding. I couldnae get tae ye."

"I ken. I realized. God, Eloise." He shifted his head, moving to kiss her forehead through her tangled hair. "I cannae believe I married another today instead of ye."

It was a short marriage though.

Eloise thought with pain as she glanced over Murdoch's shoulder to the clifftop and where Harper had fallen to her death.

"I want tae marry ye," Murdoch said with sudden passion. Eloise raised her head. She grappled with her hands, pulling at his shoulders so she could be a little more upright and look him in the eye. "Aye, I am telling ye the complete truth now. This is nae act, nae marriage of convenience. I wish tae marry ye. I love ye." He moved toward her suddenly, pressing his lips to hers. He pulled back swiftly, but she didn't let him and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him.

He stopped walking, concentrating on that kiss as he held her in the air.

"I love ye too," she murmured, her lips still practically against his. They both smiled, happiness and relief flooding Eloise as she stared at that smile and tangled her hands in the hair at the nape of his neck.

"All right, I dinnae need tae see any more on this clifftop." Avery's sudden words broke the tension, and they leaned back from each other as Ian and Avery caught them up. "This is going tae take a lot of explaining." He rubbed his bandaged wound on his stomach as he glanced back up the hill. "Eloise, when did Harper attack ye? Before the ceremony, aye?"

"Aye." Eloise narrowed her eyes at her brother. "Dae ye mean tae tell me that ye walked Harper down the aisle and didnae realize it was me?"

"Well…"

She lashed out suddenly with her hand and hit him around the head, but there was barely any strength in it.

"I deserve that." Avery rubbed the sore spot all the same. "I kenned something was wrong. Ye didnae sound like ye, though I first thought that was yer nerves. Callie and I kept staring at ye, muttering that something was wrong in the ceremony."

"And ye?" Eloise looked at Murdoch, longing to know when he had realized.

"I kenned something was strange too." Murdoch grimaced. "Yer hand. It didnae feel like yers in my own."

Eloise's grasp around his neck tightened. The fact he knew her so well to simply recognize such a touch was wrong meant a lot.

"Then Harper got me back tae our chamber, and…"

"Ergh!" Eloise thrust her fists abruptly into his chest.

"Ow. I am injured here." Murdoch gestured down to his arm.

Eloise gasped when she saw the blood on his arm was mingling with the skirt of her chemise.

"How are ye carrying me when ye are this injured? Put me down now!"

"Nae chance." He set off walking again and just held her tighter to his chest. He was the only thing keeping her warm on this windswept clifftop, and she held herself closer to him, indulging in that touch, even as she recoiled at the thought of him and Harper alone.

Avery and Ian hurried ahead, gathering the horses together ready to leave.

I have tae ask. I have tae ken.

"Murdoch," Eloise whispered, chewing her lip. "I need tae ken."

"She refused tae take off that ridiculous veil," he muttered darkly. "By the time we got tae our chamber, I kenned it wasnae ye. Then she gave me a drink." His nose curled. "It was laced with some sort of sedative. I could smell it."

Eloise closed her eyes momentarily, thinking of how unprepared she had been for the sedative that Harper had given her that morning.

"I pretended tae drink it and laid down on the bed. I think she intended…"

"Tae consummate the marriage?" Eloise wriggled in despair at the thought, wrapping her arms tighter around Murdoch. "God's blood, she wished tae force ye!"

"Yet she didnae." Murdoch slowed his pace once more and looked her solemnly in the eyes. "Ken this, Eloise. She got nae where with me. I threw her away from me and demanded tae find ye." He moved his lips to hers, kissing her quickly again. "Tae think ye werenae the one beneath that veil today sickens me. Tell me, Eloise, fer ye havenae answered my earlier question yet. Marry me truly this time? Marry me because ye wish tae, nae tae keep any more secrets."

"Aye," Eloise murmured without hesitation. "I will marry ye with all my heart, Murdoch." She reached up to kiss him again but before their lips could connect, a figure moved beside them.

"Ahem." Avery cleared his throat. With his arms folded across his chest, he looked between the two of them. "What secrets would this be? And what dae ye mean, Murdoch, when ye ask me sister tae marry ye ‘truly'?" Such a death stare had filled Avery's expression that Eloise winced.

He heard too much.

There was no way she could hide the truth from Avery now after he had heard so much of their conversation, and strangely, after nearly losing her life on that clifftop, keeping such secrets from Avery seemed pointless.

I'd rather he kenned the truth.

"We have tae tell him," she whispered to Murdoch.

"Tell me what?" Avery's voice was sharp with impatience.

"Aye, I ken." Murdoch nodded. "First, let's get back tae the castle. I dinnae want Avery tae kill me out here when he learns the truth."

"Oh, aye, that is reassuring!" Avery snapped.

"Please, Avery, dinnae be mad at me about this." Eloise sat in the corner of the great hall, with a blanket wrapped around her to ward off the chill. Callie and Aila sat on each side of her, taking care of her as much as they could, practically clucking like mother hens. Aila pressed hot tea into her hands as Callie checked her body for injuries.

Avery sat before them. Having heard the whole tale, right back to how in debt their father was and just how compelled Eloise had felt to repay those debts, he hadn't yet said a word. He sat eerily still, with his elbows on his knees and his hands steepled in front of his face. He blinked every so often, but that was the only movement he managed.

Far behind them all in the center of the great hall, there was much activity. Murdoch had explained to his father and Clyde all that had happened. Clyde stood reeling for a moment, though his body was strangely calm, with his arms folded across his chest. In contrast, Fergus was alive with activity. He demanded his guards go and fetch the men's bodies from the cliffs and recover Harper's too. He wished to know how Harper had bought allegiance from such men to help her, and it was not long before they had an answer.

When the guards returned, one handed a brooch to Murdoch.

"We found this on the body of one of the men," he whispered in a low tone.

"It is the Douglas clan brooch," Murdoch said, his voice deep as he held the brooch into the air.

Eloise snapped her gaze away from her brother, in danger of dropping the tea Aila was urging her to drink as she looked toward Murdoch. Fergus snatched the brooch away, his usually ruddy face paling beyond recognition.

"She bought the Douglas clan's allegiance. Why would their laird send men tae help her? Why?"

"She was writing letters. Constantly." Clyde spoke at last, lowering his arms from his chest. "She wouldnae tell me what was in them. Maybe she wrote tae the Douglas laird, and promised tae be a spy for him, tae feed him information about our defenses, and in return, he gave her men."

"Ye think that is possible?" Murdoch asked, moving to his brother's side.

"Aye, I dae. Something still bothers me about the Douglas' attack on this castle. Nay one has got so close tae the castle before, but the Douglas men did. They avoided all our scouts, all our sentries on their way here, as if someone had told them where those scouts would be."

"Aye, aye, it is possible," Fergus muttered gravely. "God's blood, how am I going tae explain this tae her father?" He covered his face with his hands and walked away, clearly intent on giving more instructions to the guards. As he left, Murdoch moved toward his brother and put an arm around his shoulder, muttering something quietly in his ear.

Eloise knew it must have been an attempt at comfort. Clyde nodded slowly, but he could not smile. He stared forward, almost an impassive expression on his face.

"Murdoch!" Avery suddenly shouted.

Eloise flinched in her seat, as did Aila. The only one who didn't jump was Callie who waved a hand madly in front of Avery.

"Be calm," she urged him.

"How can I be based on what I have just learned?" Avery slowly stood to his feet and turned around. "Murdoch, I should strike ye down where ye stand for hiring me sister." He marched toward Murdoch.

Clyde put himself in front of his brother, but Murdoch moved him easily out of the way, clearly happy to take his punishment. Eloise dropped her steaming tea in her eagerness to stop her brother. She thrust herself between the two of them as they met in the middle of the room, as she thrust her hands against Avery's arms and stopped him.

"Avery? Avery, would ye look at me?" she snapped, trying to earn his attention.

"After what ye have just told me –"

"What dae ye nae understand about the fact that I love him anyway? Ye hear me, Avery! I am in love with him. Maybe this all started as a mess, and it has ended that way too, but something good has come out of this." She shook his arms, trying to break some sense into him. "I love him, ye bampot."

Avery's eyes flicked to meet hers, then he looked back at Murdoch again, the smallest signs of his resistance cracking as a muscle twitched around his eyes.

"What's that old phrase?" Callie called as she moved to her feet and walked up behind Avery. Standing on her tiptoes, she whispered a line too him, not overly subtly. "The course of true love did never run smooth. Aye, ye could say the same for us, Avery." He glanced her way, then stared forward once more, glaring at Murdoch.

"Avery, listen tae me." Murdoch held onto Eloise still. That touch warmed her, and she latched her hand over his arm, wanting to be close to him. His other hand came up in front, reaching out to Avery. "I am sorry. I am sorry how this all began, but I hope ye'll see that I never meant tae hurt ye or Eloise. I'd sooner die than see her hurt."

"Aye, I saw that today." Avery sighed heavily and folded his arms across his chest, cocking his head to the side. "What is it about ye inspiring such love, eh? One stands between ye and me now thinking I'll kill ye, and another tries tae kill Eloise just tae get tae ye."

"Laird of hearts, eh, Murdoch?" Clyde said, walking to his brother's side and chuckling deeply. "Fer one, I'm glad of it."

"Glad?" Murdoch muttered, cricking his neck as he turned his head to look at his brother. "Whatever fer?"

"Well, it's a bloody good job I didnae marry Harper after all, isnae it?" Clyde said with a sudden chuckle. His laughter broke the tension in the room and other laughter followed.

Eloise ran her hand over Murdoch's arm, needing that touch. He squeezed her softly around the waist, an intimate touch that reassured her how near he was.

"Aye, nae many people look as happy as ye two now," Clyde murmured as he turned to face the two of them completely. "I fer one am happy for it, nae matter what the circumstances are that led tae this moment."

"Ye trying tae calm me down, Clyde?" Avery said with a heavy sigh. "If me wife cannae dae it, ye are unlikely tae."

"Ye say that, but ye dinnae look half as angry as ye did a minute ago." Clyde laughed once more and jerked his head toward Murdoch and Eloise again. "I'll still applaud at their wedding. Willnae ye?"

The group seemed to wait with bated breath. Eloise looked around as Aila and Ian stood close by, arm in arm, and Callie continued to prod Avery in the back.

"Ow, Callie," Avery muttered after a few seconds.

"Would ye just accept Murdoch as yer brother-in-law already? Then I can get Eloise properly clothed. She's currently embracing her betrothed nae wearing very much at all," Callie reminded him.

"From what we've seen –" Before Ian could say anymore, Murdoch shot him a dark glare and Aila elbowed him harshly in the stomach. "Never mind," he said through gritted teeth as he bent forward, rubbing the sore spot on his stomach.

"Please, Avery." Murdoch extended his hand to Avery once more. "I am sorry fer the way things happened, but I'll happily spend the rest of me life proving meself worthy of yer sister. I give ye that vow."

Eloise angled her head, looking at Murdoch with such a smile on her face that it took her a second to notice the intense way Avery was staring at her. She wondered later if it was her expression that had made his final restraint give way.

"Aye, very well." Avery took Murdoch's hand and shook firmly, just once. "But dinnae expect me tae make it easy on ye joining this family fer a while. I want tae see ye are worthy of her first."

"Fair enough." Murdoch nodded, wrapping his other arm around Eloise. She sank back into him, overawed by how much had changed.

I am safe, and I am in Murdoch's arms again. Nothing can happen tae us now.