Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

W hat did he say?

Eloise could not believe the turn of events. Murdoch raised a solitary brow at her, as if daring her to deny him now in this moment.

I cannae. I need the money, then I am free of this job fer good.

Yet everything would be much more difficult now. Not only was she supposed to be the betrothed of a man who clearly disliked her, but he was someone who knew her family well. It made the chance of discovery all the more likely. What was worse, he was the son of a laird! There would be much attention over the next few days and a lot of people in that castle.

"Well, I am delighted indeed." Laird Gordon continued on as he released her hand. Forced to play her part, Eloise smiled up at him, yet she was speechless, unable to say a single word. "When did this happen? Murdoch, ye have said nothing in yer letters."

"We have been keeping it quiet for a while," Murdoch said with quiet ease. She glanced toward him, rather startled by his acting skills as he placed an arm around her waist.

Her stomach clenched, but hardly in a bad way. It was as if moths darted about in it at that touch.

"Have we nae, mo ghràdh ?" His Gaelic made her whip her head toward him.

Me love… what is he playing at?

When she said nothing and just continued to stare at him, that arm around her waist tightened. She fell to his side as he managed to elbow her.

"Oomph," she tried to cover up the sound as she felt winded. He already looked strong, but that simple movement displayed just how strong he was. "Aye, we have," she forced herself to say.

"Ha! Wonderful, wonderful," Laird Gordon said again. "Andrews, McArthur. Come and meet me new daughter-in-law tae be." He hurried off, beckoning the guards closer. The brief respite from his company gave Eloise the chance to whisper harshly to Murdoch.

"Ye trying tae wind me of all the breath in my body?" she muttered.

"I thought that was what ye did. Act yer part well, Eloise."

"Ye said ye didnae want tae dae this." She turned an accusatory glare at him. As Laird Gordon was returning with the guards, Murdoch bent down toward her. He moved his lips near her ear, so close that she shivered.

Why does that feel so good?

"I changed me mind. I willnae marry just because me father wills it. Come, Eloise. Where did that affection go ye managed tae manufacture so easily a minute ago?"

"I'll give ye affection." She moved her foot and pressed the heel of her boot down on his toe, hiding the action with the skirt of her gown. He grunted, trying to mask the sound as he coughed. She gave a small smile of satisfaction.

"Andrews, McArthur. This is Eloise. Someday, she'll be lady of the Gordon clan." Laird Gordon gestured toward her.

Eloise froze, realizing that was the implication of this faked betrothal. Everyone would think that Murdoch had chosen her not just to wed, but to someday be the future lady. The two guards bowed their heads in acknowledgement of her. The latter, McArthur, had wandering eyes that darted over her. She didn't react, but Murdoch swiftly did. He pulled on Eloise's waist once more, and she nearly toppled into his side.

"Possessive?" she whispered as Laird Gordon distractedly gave quick orders to Andrews to race back to the castle and give the good news.

"Acting a part, am I nae?" Murdoch reminded her in her ear. "Father, please, there is nay need for a large celebration. We are here tae celebrate Clyde's and Harper's wedding after all."

"Aye, aye, so we are, but ye cannae begrudge me a little celebration." Laird Gordon stepped forward, holding his fingers in the air to emphasize the ‘little' part. "It has been so long since I have seen ye." He clapped his son on the shoulder once more, his booming voice falling quiet.

It was a strange moment, different to the rest of their conversation. The quiet look shared between Laird Gordon and his son made Eloise observe them more carefully. For a second, Murdoch's usual quiet manner seemed to have more to it. A muscle twitched around his jaw, as if he held himself back from saying something.

"It is so good tae have ye back," Laird Gordon declared with feeling, his face softening.

"Thank ye, Father."

"Come, come. Let us get ye back tae the castle. Ye can rest up before we begin the celebrations for yer brother tonight. I am afraid the castle is so full of guests that ye and yer betrothed may have tae share a chamber. I bet ye willnae mind that, eh?" Laird Gordon laughed loudly as he returned to his horse. "Eloise, I hope ye wont' mind, as I'm sure you ken that it is not uncommon in some parts of Scotland for betrothed couples to share a chamber," he added, turning toward her. She nodded curtly, casting her eyes to the ground.

However, once he had turned away, Eloise dug her heels into the ground, refusing to follow Murdoch anywhere. He pulled on her waist, trying to return her to her horse, but she refused, and he ended up swinging back around toward her.

"Dinnae make me drag ye tae that castle," he whispered as Laird Gordon and MacArthur returned to their horses.

"Ye wouldnae dare," she muttered.

"Wouldnae I?" That brow quirked high again. "I could toss ye over my shoulder and carry ye easily." Those words should have frightened her, but they did not. They thrilled her, in such a way that she cursed inwardly at herself.

"Murdoch! Listen tae yerself," she hissed and waved at Laird Gordon, forcing a smile as he turned his horse back to the path. "I agreed tae come here and be paid tae pretend tae be a man's betrothed. I havenae agreed tae share his bedchamber."

"Worry nae."

"How can ye say that?"

"Did ye think I intended tae touch ye at any point?" His arm lowered from her waist as Laird Gordon dropped out of view. "Trust me. The thought never even entered my mind." He turned his back on her and moved toward his horse.

Wrongfooted, Eloise stared after him. She should have been relieved, she knew that. After all, she was not an escort who sold her body, yet there was something about Murdoch's words that hurt, as if she had been wounded in the gut. The only reason she could think as to why it might have hurt was because she'd been thrilled by the idea of him carrying her. She was attracted, despite her frustration at the man, but he plainly was not.

This is madness.

"Ye coming?" Murdoch called, not even looking at her as he gathered his horse and pulled himself into the saddle.

"Aye," Eloise muttered reluctantly. She pulled herself into Thunder's saddle as the horse grunted beneath her. "I ken. This is a bad idea indeed." Thunder snorted in agreement.

The ride to the castle was swift from their position. Eloise rode behind Murdoch as he chatted with his father on the path. Murdoch was still quiet, allowing his father to do most of the talking. Though there were similarities in their faces, the eyes just the same, the cheekbones too, their manners were entirely different. Where Murdoch allowed others to talk and offered the smallest changes of facial expressions to show his feelings, Laird Gordon constantly talked, sometimes scarcely taking breaths between sentences at all.

Eloise shifted when she felt MacArthur's eyes constantly on her, but she tried not to react too much, reluctant to make a scene. When they reached the village and his horse moved near hers, she laid a hand to the dirk in her belt instead, hoping that if he was watching her so closely after all, he would see the silent hint at what she was capable of.

They crossed the bridge toward the castle, and Eloise grew distracted, staring at the vast grey structure. It was as large as the Chattan Castle, though differently situated with the loch acting as a natural defense and the snow-capped mountains bordering either side of the curtain walls. Any soldier wishing to attack the Gordon Castle would have a hard time indeed making it into the estate.

"God's wounds," Eloise murmured as they stopped in the shadows of the castle. There was color everywhere, flags and banners being waved from windows and atop the battlements, all to celebrate the upcoming wedding. As they passed under an archway, she caught the sound of pipers. A group of musicians stood on a platform in the courtyard, playing for anyone who cared to hear. Two servants danced before them, already delighted with the celebrations that were to come.

Behind them, others gathered, some clapping along to the music, as others hurried to and fro with their tasks. Laundry maids carried fresh sheets for the multitude of bedchambers that were to be prepared and the stable boys ran to the horses, ready to take them away.

Eloise stepped down and rounded her horse, her gaze admiring the castle. With such a place full of happy smiles and music, she found it hard to understand why anyone would wish to be away from here. It was certainly a happier home than the one she and Avery had had with their father.

It had been a comfort for Eloise when she discovered she had a twin sister, Scarlett. When their mother had first revealed the truth to her in confidence, Eloise had been shocked. She had given birth to identical twins and was worried people would think of it as a sign of witchcraft. Desirous to protect both of her daughters, their mother had crept out of the castle one night to conceal one. She gave Scarlett to a man she thought would place her baby with a loving family. Unfortunately, her wishes were not adhered to.

When their mother was dying and told Eloise the truth, she resolved to find her twin sister. It was only through finding her again that Scarlett had found her own happiness and fallen in love with Laird Noah Chattan. Since then, Eloise and Scarlett were close indeed. The difference in their upbringing though was sometimes stark. Though Scarlett had suffered an unhappy upbringing, Eloise sometimes comforted herself that at least she hadn't had to put up with their father. He was a curse that only she and Avery had had to suffer.

"Come, Eloise, this way." Laird Gordon appeared beside her and offered his arm to her. She smiled at him and took his arm, admiring how gentlemanly the laird was as he escorted her toward the front steps that led to the castle keep. "What do you think then, eh? Such celebrations, such excitement."

"I am marveling at it in truth, my Laird," she whispered to him. "It is a wondrous place indeed. I didnae expect it tae be so big, nor so full of life."

"Nay? Murdoch, what have ye been telling yer betrothed about yer home?" Laird Gordon looked behind them as they halted on the top step. Eloise glanced behind her too, finding Murdoch's eyes were keenly on her. That look she could make no sense of, and she flinched, wondering what it meant.

"I have told her but little. I wished fer her tae see it herself."

She looked to the heavens, showing him that she was pleading with God to have enough patience to put up with his mystifying ways.

Why did he never speak of this place? Why never talk of the fact he is the heir tae the Gordon lairdship?

The great entrance hall was no less busy than the courtyard. Servants hurried to and fro and other guests had clearly already arrived. Trunks and coffers were dropped at the bottom of the stairs as servants tried to gather them, ready to take to chambers. Ladies and gentlemen waved at Laird Gordon and bowed in greeting. He said many of their names in return and wished them a good stay, but he never once left Eloise's side, with Murdoch following behind.

"Now then, here is our plan for the day." He halted by the bottom of the stairs and turned to face his son. "There is a feast tae celebrate the return of ye and Clyde this evening. It shall be in the great hall. Until then, I trust ye can show yer betrothed what her future home will be like." Laird Gordon chuckled deeply. "Dinnae spend too long in yer chamber, Murdoch. I ken how men at yer age think, but I dinnae want people talking even with ye two betrothed."

Eloise's eyebrows shot up as she retrieved her hand from Laird Gordon's arm. Murdoch seemed very amused by her discomfort, clearly fighting a smile.

"I shall of course behave, Father."

"Good lad." He clapped Murdoch around the arm then nodded to a nearby maid. "Please, show them tae their chamber. Murdoch, it has been redecorated in yer absence. I hope ye will like the changes."

"Thank ye, Father." Murdoch went to walk up the stairs alone, but Eloise reached for him. She was after all here to play a part. There was something more she would have to do to complete the illusion. On the stairs she reached down and took his hand, entwining her fingers with his own. He was so shocked that he jerked his head toward her.

"Remember who we are now, Murdoch?" she whispered as they both glanced back down at Laird Gordon who was now greeting his other guests with arms open wide.

"Welcome, welcome indeed!" His voice boomed across the entrance hall.

"Aye. I remember," Murdoch said with a startlingly deep voice. He pulled her up the stairs, leading the way with the maid in front of them. Eloise's eyes traced the side of his face and the tightened muscles around his eyes. It was as if what she'd said had another meaning to him altogether.

What is going on?

They traipsed through the corridors, woodenly holding one another's hand. The maid showed them to a chamber in one of the grey turrets, deep within the great towering heights of the building. She thrust open the door and Eloise at last released Murdoch's hand, stepping inside.

The room was large, stretching across three different levels with a short step between each one. Upon the first was a round table with high-backed mahogany chairs. On the second were coffers and buffet cabinets, all neatly lined at the edge of the room, flanked by two thick glass windows made of stained glass. Their colored pains cast prisms of light on the wooden floorboards. On the final level was a broad bed, covered with wolf furs.

Eloise swallowed uncomfortably at the sight of it. With one bed, she knew what would be expected of her by the Laird of Gordon. Due to the tradition of sharing a bedchamber in this part of Scotland, she knew could not object in public, but she had every intention of complaining to Murdoch in private.

"Thank ye," Murdoch said to the maid who placed down a jug of mead on a silver trencher. Two ornate goblets were placed beside it before she bobbed a curtsy and hastened from the room.

The moment the door closed behind her, Murdoch reached for the jug and filled one goblet to the very brim. He was still glugging from the cup as Eloise dropped the bag from her shoulder on the floor and rounded on him, with her hands on her hips.

"What in the name of the Lord are ye thinking of, Murdoch?" she demanded to know, hurrying toward him. He put down his goblet and poured out a second one, calmly and quietly passing it to her. When she frowned, he shrugged. "I am nae talking about nae giving me a drink. I'm asking what made ye change yer mind from the two of us parting tae me now pretending tae be yer betrothed in front of yer father and the whole of the Gordon clan?"