Chapter 17

"Yer wedding dress is wet!"

There she was, just waiting. William tensed when he saw her, crouched in the abandoned blackhouse, seemingly praying.

His guts turned to stone. This was crazy. She was perfect. How could someone so sweet be planning something so evil? Blinking, William wondered if she had initiated all this. The discovery, here, in the abandoned blackhouse of all places.

His heart throbbed. It could be a trap. If what they had told him was true, she could still be planning on carrying out her act. Should he be on guard? It wrenched him to do so, but William checked his dagger, still in its pouch. But he did not take it. That would be going too far. Instead, he walked around her, eyeing her coldly.

Of course, inside, he was anything but cold. Chaos splurged beneath his exterior. Was she waiting for him? What else was she doing here? With her horse, of all things.

William narrowed his eyes. Just what was going on here?

"Nora?" he said, regarding her oddly. On the surface, she was just the same. William fought the urge to go and kiss her, but it was hard. His heart just could not accept what his head knew, that she had been sent to kill him.

Was it true? He opened his mouth to ask, but no words came out. His tongue was claggy and dry. Instead, he found himself wondering about the place; the blackhouse, where they had embraced, kissed.

She must know that this could not just be a coincidence? Could it?

The memory of them together hit him like a ton of bricks, but he resolved to cast it out of his mind. He could not let her seep back in.

So, coldly, William glared and watched her as her face leaped from fright to shock, then horror. A small pull of satisfaction spread across William. At last, she was suffering too. He should feel bad, but he was just too hurt.

Finally, her eyes widened. "William," Nora cried.

She was terrified, no question.

William"s bitterness melted. Instantly, he wanted to touch her. Frowning, he forced himself to let go of the memory. He mustn"t. He couldn"t. It hurt too bad.

Instead, he resolved to stay frozen.

"Hoo there, mistress," he said, clipped and formally. He watched her look at him, her green eyes silent and thoughtful in the half-light. He was still dressed for his wedding day, sporting his best clan plaid as well as the priceless clan brooch. But what about her?

She had cast off the dress he had given her without a second thought. And the brooch...

William felt a dagger where his heart should have been, just at the thought of the brooch. He had had it made especially for Nora. Now she would never wear it.

""Tis a funny place for ye to be having a wee blether wi" yer horse!" observed William dryly, as Nora still failed to make any sound. Looking at her up and down, William scrunched up his face in thought. "Aye, ye ken, I could have sworn ye were meant to be somewhere else. Right noo, in fact. We both were. But, och, noo, what was that again?"

William perfected his arched look, staring so hard that Nora shrunk away.

"Somewhere we were supposed to be. I dinnae suppose ye can remember, can ye?"

He hated his voice, so cold and sarcastic, and yet he could not stop. Remorseless, he continued, some nasty small part of him wanting to hurt her as much as he hurt.

William"s eyes cut her up. He paused. "Och, aye, that"s it...oor wedding."

Silence.

William just walked around and around, eyes pitched, watching her, waiting. All he could do was stare. He wasn"t going to let her get away with this. Stopping suddenly, he observed her.

"William," she said, her voice weak and shaky.

Her eyes were full of pity. William almost puked. He could not bear it. Nora took a step closer, and she reached out to him for a moment with a slight glance. William did not falter; he stayed rooted to the spot.

"I"m sorry," she said, her hands flailing.

William just looked at her. "I dinnae want ye to be sorry," he said. "I want the truth. So tell me."

He walked around her, his blue eyes piercing her. It was uncomfortable for both of them.

"I didnae want to hurt ye," she called.

At that, William stopped. "Nay, only kill me. I ken about yer plan, Nora."

William"s face glowed with rage. He had never felt so betrayed. Watching her flounder, he felt sick to the stomach. It was clear she could not fight it.

Feeling wretched, he halted. "Tell me," he told her, moving closer to her face. "Tell me everything. Och, Nora, tell me ye didnae plan to kill me. Gwan!"

He moved to an inch of her face, feeling her breathing on his skin. It was soft and uneven. She was frightened, but perhaps not as much as he was right then.

"I didnae," she mumbled, but she was unable to look at him. "I didnae, I didnae…"

Nora kept repeating herself over and again, but William already knew the answer.

She stopped, dropped her eyes, and murmured, "I couldnae…couldnae do it, in the end."

He merely sat back, satisfied. It was hollow satisfaction, though. Inside, he felt like he had been punched.

"In the end?" repeated William, keeping his voice neutral. He had to stop the bile from rising inside him. It was the only way he did not lose control. "So ye thought about it?"

His eyes were baiting her, pleading for a response. He got one. For the first time, Nora sat up fast.

"Nay!" she said, determined. Her voice broke through the gloom. A flock of birds took flight overhead, startled by the shouting.

Now Nora"s face was very different. Alive, she turned around to him.

"Nay, I dinnae want to do it, that"s the whole point. It was nae any o" my idea. It was my father"s. He made me live wi" this plan, since I was nary a bairn!"

Nora"s green eyes flashed imploringly. She tried to connect with him, but William turned away. He was not sure if he could trust her.

"Truly?" he permitted himself, in a slight scoff.

Nora glared. "Aye, truly. William, there are things ye dinnae ken. My mother was killed, aye, but by the Duncan clan when I was wee. William, that makes us enemies, dinnae ye see?"

William listened, shocked, but perhaps not surprised. Of course, he knew the clan history and the battles with the Douglas clan. But he did not know about this.

"They—we—killed her?" he asked, perplexed.

Nora just nodded. "Aye," she said. "On a raid to the castle..." Her eyes dropped. "I cannae believe ye didnae ken," she almost hissed.

William looked up, unsure. "I didnae!" he asserted, and inside he felt a little unnerved. "Are ye accusing me o" something?"

For the first time, Nora looked at him scornfully. "I am accusing all o" ye, William, but aye, I expected ye to at least ken what yer clan crimes were!"

Her eyes flashed angrily, leaving William scorched. But in an instant, the trace was gone. Nora was back to looking apologetic.

"I-I am sorry, William. It isnae yer fault. But listen, none o" this matters. I didnae go through with it because I couldnae."

Nora"s green eyes beseeched him fulsomely. It took effort and poise, but she succeeded in reeling him in. At least partially. But it did not work. William pushed her aside, furious.

"I dinnae believe ye, Nora," he said shortly.

Nora gazed at him in confusion. "I didnae stay to kill ye, William, because I love ye," she said simply.

William jolted, thunderstruck. How could she say something she did not believe? His hackles rising, he scoffed, "Funny way o" showing it by running off an" leaving me!" It was hard for him to look at her there; the sight of her was too tempting.

Nora stood before him, her flaming hair falling around her shoulders.

"God"s tooth, William, t"was the only option apart from slaying ye! I did it for the best. Surely ye can see that?"

Nora was in a fury but stood her ground.

"I love ye, William. I did whatever I could to save ye."

Tears trickled down her cheeks. She was stony but affected. Even so, William did his best to ignore her.

"I"m sorry, Nora, but I cannae trust ye. I want to, but I cannae, nae after everything..."

William paced closer. Holding a rope, he indicated her hands. Mournfully, Nora looked at him, her green eyes shining with tears.

"William," she said, "none o" this was my idea. My father is behind all o" it. I swear," she insisted, but William just rolled his eyes.

"I have nay doubt," he said, unable to watch her.

He focused on tying her hands. It took some time, but even when it was done, William did not feel secure.

"But it doesnae change anything," he added. "I am sorry, Nora, but I am taking ye captive, so get on this horse!"

Finally, William stood up, indicating his own horse. It whinnied impressively. Then, slowly, he bound the rope around her wrists, each twist hurting him deeply. It was hard, but it had to be done. William derived no satisfaction from it at all. He needed time to think. William continued binding his chains.

When Nora finally did look around, it was in dismay.

"William," she beseeched him, "I am alone. Cannae we find some way oot o" this?" Nora asked, but William just shook his head,

"Nay, lass, I cannae trust ye. Ye"ve proven that much, at least. Noo onto the horse!"

Nora glanced up unsurely. But William was adamant. It was true, he did not know what to do with her, but perhaps he would decide on the way. Or one of the counselors would help him decide. Either way, he was taking her back to the castle.

"We"re going back to the castle, so ye can save yer words for then."