Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

T he trio were soon comfortably settled, a whisky in hand, before the warm hearth in Laird MacIver's study. Tadhg noted how Blaine seemed right at home there.

"Tadhg, I didnae want tae say it at dinner, but I'd like tae apologize fer gettin' so wound up this afternoon. I went too far. I've nay excuse, but I'm hopin' ye'll understand that with me faither still missin', me temper's on a short fuse just now. I want ye tae ken, I meant naethin' by it, and I'm truly sorry if I showed any disrespect tae yer wife. Can we bury the hatchet?" There was such sincerity in Blaine's voice, Tadhg was inclined to believe he meant what he said. Inclined enough to play along.

"Consider the hatchet buried, but ye cannae take all the blame," he replied. "Of course, I cannae fully understand what ye must be goin' through with yer faither and all, but I'm sure if I was in yer shoes, I'd be goin' out of me mind by now."

"So, we're square again, are we?" Blaine asked, giving every appearance of being glad about it

"Of course, nay question. Slàinté mhath ," Tadhg said, raising his glass to Blaine and then sipping his whisky.

"Aye, yer good health," Blaine agreed with a grin, following suit.

"Any news about yer faither's whereabouts yet?" Knox asked.

Blaine shook his head mournfully, the picture of a man worried to distraction. "Naethin'. I've had men out searchin' all over fer him, but they've nae found so much as a clue as tae where they might be keepin' him."

"And who is this ‘they'? Have they communicated with ye at all?" Knox inquired, clearly not his usual jovial self. Tadhg wondered what was troubling his new friend.

"I dinnae ken who they are. They left a note when they took him, but 'tis unsigned. It just said they'd be in touch in due course," Blaine explained, his voice sounding heavy with worry. "But that was almost a week ago, and still there's been nae a word."

"Ach, 'tis a bad situation all round," Tadhg sympathized. "Ye just have tae hope he's all right. If money's all they're after then they should keep him safe enough."

"Aye, that's what I'm hopin', but if a ransom's what they want, then why have they nae been in touch tae say how much they want? I'll gladly pay all we have tae get him back alive," Blaine said, his knuckles white as his fist closed around his glass.

"I'm sorry 'tis such a bad state of affairs, Blaine. Ye ken I'll dae all I can tae help ye if ye need me, eh?" Knox said, leaning forward in his seat. "Just say the word."

Blaine affected a grateful smile. "Thank ye, Knox, I ken I can rely on ye."

"I'd like tae offer me help too if ye think I can be of any use," Tadhg volunteered, wondering how Blaine would react.

"Och, that's a kind offer," Blaine replied, "but until I have more information, I can dae naethin' but keep searchin'." He leaned his elbows on his knees, turning his whisky glass in his fingers, looking downcast.

"Well, be sure tae let us ken if ye hear anythin'," Stewart said, swallowing the last of his whisky and getting up. He placed the empty glass on the vast stone mantel and declared, "I'm off tae me bed, gentlemen, so I'll thank ye fer the fine whisky, Blaine, and bid ye both a good night."

Tadhg saw his cue to leave. He badly wanted to get back to Alana and speak with her. "Aye, I'll come with ye, Knox. I'm longin' fer me bed as well." He glanced at Blaine and added laughingly, "It's been a busy day." He finished his whisky and put the glass on a nearby table.

Blaine put his whisky aside and got up as well. "Aye, it has," he said, giving Tadhg a rueful smile. "Well, I must say, I've enjoyed yer company, gentlemen, and I wish ye both a good night's sleep. I'll likely stay up a wee bit longer in case any news comes in about Faither."

"Aye, of course," Knox said as Blaine walked them to the door and opened it for them, ushering them out before going back inside and shutting the door.

Tadgh and Knox set off down the hallway towards the vestibule and the stairs.

"I cannae help but feel somethin's amiss," Knox suddenly said. Surprised by the strange statement, Tadhg glanced over at him curiously.

"What d'ye mean?" he asked as they strode along side by side.

"The way Blaine was actin' this afternoon on the trainin' field. I've never seen him like that before. It was like he wanted tae provoke ye intae loosin' yer head or somethin'." Knox was frowning and seemed genuinely bothered.

"Ye think so?" A tingle ran up Tadhg's spine. It was exactly what Alana had suggested. Not that he did not think she could be on to something, but having Stewart voice the same concern was intriguing and made the possibility that Blaine had deliberately manipulated events seem a bit more than mere coincidence. "But why would he dae that?"

They came to the vestibule and started up the staircase. "Well, I cannae be certain, but let's say I have me suspicions."

"Suspicions?"

"Aye." They stopped outside Knox's chamber, a few doors down from Tadhg and Alana's. The laird looked up and down the hallway as of to ensure no one would hear them talking. Then he said conspiratorially, "Listen, Tadhg, I may be bein' foolish, but I have the feelin' ye need tae watch yer back around here."

Tadhg gave a small chuckle. "Funny ye should mention it. I've had the same feelin' since we got here. But what makes ye say so?"

"I cannae put me finger on it. I just feel it in me bones. Yer wife, she's John's true blood heir."

"Aye."

"If I was Blaine, I'd want tae consolidate me position as me faither's heir by marryin' his daughter, wouldnae ye?"

"Aye, I would. And I'd be mighty vexed tae find out she already had a husband," Tadhg replied, hoping he was doing the right thing by trusting Knox.

"Exactly. So, ye understand why I'm tellin' ye tae watch yer back."

"I dae, man, and I'm grateful fer yer warnin'. I dinnae trust Blaine nor any of his cronies on the council, but I dae worry for Alana. I'd leave right now if I had me way, but she wants tae find out more about her faither, so it looks like we're stuck here until he turns up, alive or dead."

"Aye. That's a rum business as well," Stewart muttered. "A week with nae ransom demand? Sounds a bit fishy if ye ask me."

"I have tae agree. I suppose ye're hangin' about here waitin' for the laird's return, hopin' tae conclude yer treaty, are ye?"

"Aye, in a way. I'm still waitin' fer the documents I need tae be found and sent over here from home. But in truth, I'm loath tae leave just in case I can help get John back. He' s a good man, a friend of mine, and he daesnae deserve this. Nae now of all times. I mean, he has his daughter waitin' tae meet him fer the first time after he's been searchin' fer her all these years. 'Tis too cruel."

Tadhg nodded and clapped a hand on Stewart's shoulder. "Aye, it is, and I'm sorry ye feel ye cannae go home until the matter's resolved. But I, fer one, am glad tae have ye here. I feel I have at least one man I can trust in this place with ye still around, Laird Stewart. And I thank ye again fer yer warning. I'll heed yer words, ye can be sure."

"All right. Good night then, Tadhg," laird Stewart replied, opening his chamber door and stepping inside. "And by the way, call me Knox at all times will ye? 'Tis me name after all."

Tadhg laughed. "Thank ye, Knox , and a good night tae ye too."

When he got back to their chamber, he fully expected to see Alana there. So, he was puzzled to find the room empty. The hour was late, so where could she be? With the warning Knox had so recently given him still ringing in his ears, anxiety flared inside him. What if she had gone out walking again, like she had the other night, alone? Anything could happen to her.

With his heart starting to race, he quickly retraced his steps down the stairs and into the vestibule. He asked the guards on the keep door if they had seen Alana go outside, but they shook their heads. He went to the great hall, the last place he had seen her.

'Tis possible she's still there talking tae somebody .

But when he went in to look for her, there were only servers cleaning the tables and sweeping up after dinner.

He had only just come from the laird's study. If Alana had taken it into her head to go and see Blaine for whatever reason, they would have crossed paths on the way. Seriously worried now, he decided to look in all the downstairs rooms. Since the sleeping quarters were upstairs, if he opened doors as he searched for her, he would not be in danger of disturbing anyone from their sleep. So, he began doing just that.

He continued his hunt, but in vain. When he finally opened a door onto what was evidently a library, he was already frantic and expected to find it empty too. It took him by surprise when he saw her with her feet up on a sofa reading a book, with a tray of tea things on a nearby table. The flickering light from the candelabra and the fire in the grate illuminated her with a warm orange glow. He paused for a moment just staring at her. She looked impossibly beautiful.

She looked up when heard him enter, and she clearly noticed his agitated state immediately because she sat up and asked, "What's wrong?"

"God's blood, Alana," he exclaimed, shutting the door behind him and going up to her. "I've been lookin' fer ye everywhere. I've been worried out of me mind!"

"Well, I've been here all the time. When ye went off with Blaine, I thought I'd come in here and read for a while before going tae bed. What are ye in such a state about?" She frowned at him, apparently genuinely puzzled by his frazzled demeanor.

"I told ye," he said, standing before her, "I dinnae trust anyone around here. Anythin' could have happened tae ye. I was worried sick."

"What could have happened tae me? I'm perfectly safe." She gave him a curious half smile that made his heart skip.

"Aye, I ken that now, but, ach, ye dinnae understand." He gave up trying to explain himself and tried to calm down. "I'm just… I'm just glad ye're safe, that's all."

He half expected her to be mad with him, but instead she asked softly, "D'ye want some tea?" She gestured at the tea tray with her eyes.

He shook his head. "Nay. 'tis late. Are ye comin' upstairs? There's things we

need tae talk about."

"But I havenae finished me tea yet. Can we nae talk in here? 'Tis nice and private."

"Ach, all right." He threw himself down next to her on the sofa and was slightly surprised when she did not immediately move away.

"What d'ye want tae talk about?" she asked, putting her book aside and taking up her teacup. She sipped at it delicately, looking at him over the rim.

"After I left Blaine, me and Knox?—"

"Oh, Knox it is now?"

"Aye. He's a good man. The only man I trust around here. Anyway, me and Knox had a wee conversation. He told me tae watch me back around here. Ye ken ye said earlier that ye thought Blaine might have been deliberately provokin' me tae fight with him?"

"Aye, I did, but that was just me own thoughts. I could easily be wrong."

"Knox said exactly the same thing." He filled her in on what Knox had told him about Blaine acting out of character.

"Is that so?" The little frown was back, he noticed. "Did Blaine say anythin' tae ye when ye went fer a dram in the study?" she asked.

"Aye, he apologized tae me, I accepted, and we buried the hatchet, as he put it."

"Dae ye believe he meant it?"

"I'm nae sure. He looked as if he did, but there's somethin' peculiar about the way he's actin'. I cannae help thinkin' ye must be right and he daesnae believe were really married. 'Tis like he wants tae catch us out and prove it, so he can get rid of me and have ye fer himself."

Alana blanched. "D'ye honestly think that's what he wants?"

"Ach, of course it is. I told ye that from the beginnin'. That's what this wee charade of ours is all about, remember?"

"Aye, how could I forget," she said with a tired sigh. She looked at him, her lovely dark blue eyes shadowed in the flickering light. His heart skipped again.

"So, what d'ye think we should dae about it?"

"Is it nae obvious? We have tae dae more tae make him believe it."

"What d'ye suggest?"

"We have tae act… more married."

She scoffed. "More married? And how dae we dae that?"

"Go ahead and laugh, but fer a start, 'tis nae helpin' tae convince anyone when

ye insist on me sleepin' on the floor every night. Servants gossip, and ye can bet Blaine's got them all spyin' on us fer any proof we're lyin'. The bed is the first place they're gonnae look fer evidence."

Her slim brows drew together once more. "Evidence? What sort of evidence?"

"That we're sleepin' together, of course. Dae I have tae spell it out fer ye?" he asked, frustrated in more ways than one.

"But ye were up when the maids came in this mornin', and ye put yer cover and pillow back on the bed and mussed the sheets tae look as if ye'd been sleepin' next tae me," she said.

"'Tis nae enough."

"I'm nae sleepin' with ye."

"Aye, ye've made that plain." He turned to her with an appealing look. "Alana, we were gonnae be married once. What d'ye imagine that would have been like? Livin' together as man and wife."

The pain he saw in her eyes then made him feel bad for asking her to remember. But he knew they had to do more if he was to keep her safe from Blaine's machinations, real or not, so he steeled himself.

He moved closer to her and gazed into her eyes, trying to show her how earnest he was. "I ken I hurt ye terribly, and I'll be sorry fer it fer the rest of me life. But this is serious. Try and think, how would we have been as man and wife?"

"All right. Give me a chance tae think." She was quiet for a minute, then she shook her head. "I cannae imagine it."

"Ye mean ye willnae."

"That's right. I willnae… because it hurts too much."

That was upsetting, but he was not about to give up. "Alana, I ken ye dinnae wantae hear it, but ye're the most precious thing tae me on this earth. Ye mean more tae me than me own life," he told her, meaning every word.

"Is that why ye abandoned—" she began, but he placed a gentle finger against her lips, and she stopped talking.

"I can. I can imagine everythin' about us bein' married. I can picture it in me mind right now."

Her features softened. "Can ye really?"

"Aye, I've imagined many times what I've lost."

"Och, that's sad, but ye've only?—"

"Aye, I only have mesel' tae blame. D'ye think I dinnae think of that all the time? 'Tis torture."

"Tadhg, dinnae say such things," she said, her voice surprisingly soft as she put down her teacup and met his gaze. He started to get excited, and hopeful. Somehow, he seemed to be getting through to her at last. She was actually listening to him and not shouting at him.

He gave himself a mental shake and said, "But never mind that. The important thing is, I can imagine how we would be as man and wife, all the little things we would dae together, and that's what we need tae dae now tae convince Blaine and his cronies that we're truly wed."

"All right. Tell me then."