Chapter 9

In the morning, Madden met Keelin, Arran, and Lorcan in the great hall to break the fast. "Is yer sister feeling unwell again?" Madden asked Arran.

"Aye. Bain informed me that she wished tae bathe this morning and nae tae wait on her," Arran answered as they settled into their seats at the table. "When we were children, she never missed a meal. She was hardly ever ill. I cannae help but think that there is something more going on with her than she is saying."

"Once ye left fer France, things changed," Keelin informed him. "She changed."

Arran sighed. "So I see. I should never have gone."

"Ye had nae choice. Ye ken that," Lorcan reminded him. "Yer laird and faither commanded ye tae go."

"Aye, but I miss me sister. I miss the lass that she was before," Arran admitted, concern wrinkling his brow.

Before anyone could reply, one of the men that had been standing guard on the wall entered the hall and approached the dais. "Me laird, one of our men was attacked in the night."

Arran and Lorcan stood as one, frowns of concern on their faces. "Why are we just hearing of this now?" Lorcan demanded to know of the guard.

"The man had been knocked unconscious, bound, and gagged, then hidden away in a storeroom. It was nae until a moment ago that he was discovered," the guard explained.

"Search the castle and stables," Arran commanded.

The guard nodded, then turned to relay the laird's orders to the rest of the men. Lorcan followed after him. Arran turned to Madden. "Would ye join the men in their search?"

Madden nodded. "Aye, of course."

"I thank ye." Arran turned to Keelin. "I want ye tae go with Madden tae me maither's auld rooms. Allow Madden tae search them fer an intruder afore ye enter. Once he has done so, I want ye tae remain there with the door barred until we are certain that there is nae further danger. I will go and inform me sister and her husband."

Madden and Keelin nodded in agreement.

"Isabelle," Keelin whispered and looked at Madden with concern in her eyes. She knew without a doubt that Madden would protect her, but neither of them were certain that Isabelle would be protected by her husband. Madden knew what she was thinking and tried to offer her some reassurance. "The Lady Sutherland has her braither tae watch over her. He will nae allow anything tae befall her."

Madden felt a twinge of guilt for his words as he knew that many things had already befallen her, and her brother was nearly clueless to her need for his protection. If she needs me, she needs only tae ask. She kens that. It is in her hands.

Isabelle was taking a bath when her husband came barging through the door. "Ye need tae speak with yer braither," he demanded. He had just been to a meeting with Arran, and it had apparently not gone well. "I am tired of waiting fer him tae see reason and dae his duty."

"Bain, please, I am bathing." She attempted to cover her most private areas.

Bain snorted. "Ye dinnae have anything that I have nae already seen, wife. Lest ye forget, I can take ye whenever I wish." Moving around to stare down at her in the tub, he eyed her nakedness. His eyes fell on her neck, and he frowned. "Where is yer mother's necklace?"

Isabelle shook her head. "I dinnae ken. I lost it."

Bain's frown deepened. "That will nae dae. The wife of a laird cannae be without adornment. It makes our clan look impoverished."

"Our clan is impoverished," she reminded him, "but I will nae ask me braither tae give more than he has tae give. It is nae his duty tae save the people of Sutherland. His duty lies with the Clan MacKay."

Bain stepped forward with his hand raised to strike her, but a knock at the door stopped him. He gave her a warning look, then turned to answer it. Isabelle sank lower into the tub to keep herself hidden from view.

"One of the guards was attacked," Arran's voice filtered through the open door. "Is all well here?"

"Aye," Bain answered.

"Good. We are conducting a search of the castle and grounds. Please remain here with me sister until we have ascertained whether the threat is still present," Arran instructed. "Madden is with Keelin," he informed him, then turned and walked away.

Bain closed the door behind him and turned back toward Isabelle. "I dinnae care fer this Madden Kinnaird. I dinnae like the way that he looks at me," Bain grumbled. "I dinnae like the way that he looks at ye fer that matter. Did ye ken him from before?"

Isabelle shook her head. "Nay, I didnae."

Bain shook his head, as if to clear it and returned to his previous threats. "In any case, ye will dae as I say, or yer braither will ken the truth of yer parents' deaths."

Isabelle was tired of being threatened and blackmailed. She did not know what gave her the courage to speak out against her husband, but she suspected that it had a lot to do with Madden's offer of protection and being back amongst her own people. "At least if he kenned the truth and I was put tae death, I would nae have tae live another day with ye as me husband!"

Bain grabbed her by the hair and shoved her head under the water. Isabelle splashed about attempting to get her head back above it. Her lungs burned with the lack of air. She tried to claw his face, but her nails fell short of the task. Bain pulled her head back up out of the water, kneeling down by her ear as she panted fer breath. "Ye will dae what I say or ye will nae need tae wait fer one of yer fellow clansmen tae execute ye. I will dae it fer them."

Once the castle had been searched and no other signs of foul play had been found, life returned to normal, with the exception of Arran doubling the guard. He assigned each guard a companion to keep an eye on the other. Arran and Lorcan had no notion as to why the night guard had been attacked or who had done it, but all men of the clan had been instructed to keep a wary eye out for anything unusual.

With everyone secured in the castle, Madden had challenged Keelin to a game of chess to take her mind off worrying. In spite of knowing that he would most likely win the game, Keelin agreed to play. They played for some time, Keelin determined to beat him, but after several rounds of being the loser, she had had enough and refused to play anymore.

"I miss Teigue," Keelin said, her tone a bit forlorn.

"As dae I," Madden admitted. He arose and poured them both a drink. "He is a braw lad that brings a smile tae everyone who lays eyes upon him." He handed her a glass and she took it gratefully.

"Aye," Keelin smiled. "His face shines as the sun when he is happy."

"Tae the wee laddie's health," Madden raised his drink in a toast.

Keelin nodded. "Tae Teigue!" She took a sip of her drink, smiling contentedly at the thought that they might have brought him some blessing by the gesture.

Madden took a drink as well, then swirled his cup around in the light of the fire watching the amber liquid move. He wondered whether he might ever have a wee laddie or lassie of his own. Such thoughts led to further thoughts of Isabelle. He frowned in frustration at himself. She is wed tae another. She is nae mine tae have.

"What are ye thinking of that has caused such a frown?" Keelin asked in concern.

Madden looked up feeling sheepish that his emotions had shown on his face. "What dae ye think about infidelity?"

"Infidelity? Has someone been disloyal?" Keelin asked in confusion. "Dae ye believe that it was someone within the clan who attacked the guard?"

He shook his head. "Nae, I dinnae mean that."

"What dae ye mean?"

Madden sighed. "Marital infidelity."

Keelin's eyes widened. "I dinnae give much thought tae such things. Ye ken that I am a maid, dae ye nae?"

"Aye, I ken it. Me apologies. Me thoughts are nae me own these days."

Keelin gave him a sympathetic look. "As ye ken, I cannae imagine being married tae anyone at this time in me life, but were I tae be married, I cannae imagine being disloyal tae me husband in that way. Why dae ye ask?"

Madden shook his head not wanting to give away any more detail. He regretted asking.

"Is it the nurse from France that ye are thinking of?" Keelin asked.

Madden had not been thinking of her specifically, but it gave him a way out. "Aye."

Keelin sat in thought for a moment. "From what little I ken of such things, women who are unfaithful tae their husbands tend tae dae so because they are unhappy."

"Fer men it is different. We enjoy the chase. I have only actually cared about two women in that way in me life. Neither of them were faithful tae the men that they were supposed tae love."

"That is sad, Madden. I sorrow fer yer heart." Keelin gave him a sympathetic look. "Most women dinnae have a say in the men that they marry. Most marriages are arranged. I cannae imagine that there is much happiness tae be had in a situation where love is nae allowed tae develop afore one is forced tae share their bed with a stranger."

"Many men share their beds with strangers regularly and dinnae have an issue with it," Madden remarked.

"It is different fer women. I cannae speak with any true authority on the matter as I have nae shared me bed with any man, but from what I dae ken about women, we tend tae be more emotional when it comes tae love. I cannae imagine sharing me body in such a way with a man that I did nae love. I am fortunate in that me maither has always been truthful with me on what tae expect of the marriage bed, but she loves me faither. Edith loves her husband, too. Nae all women are so fortunate."

"What would possess ye tae be unfaithful if ye were wed?" Madden asked, trying to understand the women who had affected his heart.

Keelin sighed, thinking for a moment. Her eyes took on a sadness. "Honestly, it would mean that my heart was never his tae begin with. It would mean that I was unhappy, sad, alone, mistreated, abused. If me husband was physically abusive, I would most certainly leave him and try tae find happiness in whatever way that I could."

Madden nodded his head. "I thank ye fer indulging me inquiry, Keelin. I apologize fer the unpleasant nature of the conversation."

Keelin shook her head. "Thankfully, I will nae be faced with such a life. In our family, the women are allowed tae choose who they wed. It is a rare blessing and I cherish the freedom that it has allowed me."

"All of the women in yer family?" Madden asked in surprise.

"Aye," Keelin nodded.

"Then why did Isabelle marry Bain?" Madden had not intended to ask the question aloud, but it had left his lips before he could think to stop it.

Keelin shook her head. "I dinnae ken. I have often wondered that meself."

"Surely it cannae be love, nae with the way that he treats her."

"Perhaps she thought that she needed tae wed him. Her parents had just died, her braither was in France and she was alone. I dinnae ken why she didnae come tae me parents fer help, but she didnae. We found out in a letter after she had informed Arran. She told him that she married Bain fer love, but I doubted it from the beginning."

"Perhaps she daes love him. Why would a woman who has the freedom of choice marry fer any other reason?"

"I dinnae ken, but could ye love a man such as Bain Sutherland?" Keelin's question hung in the air between them.

"Nae, I could nae."

Keelin nodded "Nor dae I believe Isabelle daes."