Chapter 19

Tip, tap, tip...

The tapping penetrated William"s consciousness. It came rhythmically, like rain. For a while, William thought that it was.

"N-Nora," he muttered, looking up. To his consternation, he was not in his bed. And he definitely was not in the rain. Instead, he found he was face-down on the hard study floor, papers spread around him.

Head throbbing, he sat up. The sound of someone trying the door came loudly. A rattling of chains and banging assaulted him. William thought his head would crack.

"William. William? Billie! Open this door right noo!"

It had been Nora, of course. He had seen her in his head. But it was Fiona"s voice that barked at him through the bolted door. Within seconds, William"s dream had popped like a bubble.

And now, the world was bright and too loud.

"Billie!" Fiona hissed, causing William to stand up and immediately crack his head on the bureau"s underside. Blearily, looking around, he discovered that yes, he had been unconscious beneath a table.

This was not quite the look he was going for, especially not to his elder sister. Head throbbing, he clawed himself up, Fiona still pounding the door.

"Wheesht!" he growled impatiently.

Everything in the chamber spun around, the walls racing and jumping. Fiona banged some more. William felt his temper fraying.

"For God"s sake, Billie, if ye"re in there…" she started.

William opened the door in short order. He glared at Fiona.

"It"s William!" he snapped, before leading her back into the chamber.

Now that she was in the study, Fiona acted a little more chastened. But only a little. Glancing around, her eyes took in the emptied whiskey flask, the tumbled goblet, and the strewn papers.

William watched his sister give a little glance before turning her attention back to him again. This time, she fixed him with a more kindly smile.

"William," she started. "I just came to see if ye were alright."

Her eyes wandered strangely, fixing on his head as if there were something wrong. William touched his forehead. It throbbed.

"Yer head, Billie—och, whatever. Who did this to ye?" Fiona came closer in the way only an older sister could, prodding him. She touched him lightly on the bump.

A little sheepishly, William staggered to the mirror. Even in this light, he could see the bruise, which was the size of a three-penny bit, shadowing the top of his eye.

"Nayone," he mumbled, tracing the outline of the bump that ached when he touched it. He wished he could remember how it had happened.

"Tell me it wasnae Nora," said Fiona, her eyes widening in shock.

William just looked at her. "Of course it isnae," he snapped, pushing her away in annoyance.

Fiona"s blank face just followed him until he was forced to blurt the truth.

"Och, I fell an" banged my head," he said huffily. "I suppose…" This he added because, in truth, he was not really sure. All he knew was the throbbing in his head was real, as was the dryness of his throat.

Spying the whiskey jug, he went to take a swig, then, finding it empty, he growled. Without words, Fiona brought a flask over to him and began to pour. William almost snatched the dram off her, lifting the cup to his lips and glugging it hard.

Then, he spat it.

"Water!" he growled.

Fiona had to hide a grin. The look of utter disgust on his face was too hard to hide. William was not happy. Staring daggers at his sister, his glare caught her accusingly.

"Och," she tutted, "ye"ve had enough, anyhoo… Drink it, "twill do ye good!"

William scowled. He was not in the mood to be told what to do by a bossy elder sister, or indeed anyone, but even so, he downed the dram. Cool, refreshing water helped soothe him, bringing him down a little. Mildly better, he set his cup down and sighed.

"Nora?" Fiona questioned.

William nodded grimly. He could not decipher the look on his sister"s face. Why was she so upbeat?

William wiped his hands across his face, immediately stinging his eye. Ouch! He had forgotten about his sucker punch from the bureau.

"Who else?" said William morbidly. Lustily, he eyed the emptied whiskey vessel; its lush, warming taste called out to him. Damn, he really wanted a wee dram!

But Fiona"s eyes twinkled. "Brother, perhaps it is nae so bad," she said with tenderness.

William looked at her like she was mad. "Nae so bad?" He scowled, incredulous. "Tell me, Sister, how could it be worse? Och, or do ye mean I am actually dead?"

Lazily, William wiped his temples, once again forgetting the great lump residing there, and flinched.

Fiona laughed. "Nay, I mean… Och, William, that "tis nae as bad as that. I dinnae think she meant to harm ye."

Fiona"s eyes connected with his, but William was too taken aback to think. Stunned, he watched her.

"What?" he said, after some deliberation.

Fiona nodded, then her face furrowed. "William, I didnae believe it at first, but having just spoken wi" the lass, I"ve got to say, there"s no way she was going to go through wi" it."

William"s eyes flickered, but his brain would not let him catch up. A dull confusion spread across his head; everything hurt. Murmuring, William took another sip of the water and slowly improved.

Fiona kept talking, her face animating as she continued. William watched her blearily as he wondered what on earth anyone had to be excited about right then.

"The plan wasnae her idea. She told me," she frothed, as poor William"s brain struggled to keep up. A whole night of whiskey had taken its toll. "She was taken in by him as a bairn, and he poisoned her."

"Poisoned?" slurred William drunkenly. "Who poisoned who? She was going to poison me?"

Fiona looked at him aghast. "Nay! Have ye nae heard me?" she tutted. "I"m telling ye, lad, all o" this is her father"s idea. She was brainwashed since being a bairn to hate the Duncans."

Something resonated with William. "Her father, och, of course," he said, scratching his head. Bright flashes of pain brought him to. "Och, I might have kent it… But why?"

"Well, ye ken the history," she said, watching him closely. Her eyes kept darting over him, checking to see if he was comprehending.

Suddenly, William was terribly irritated. He knew that look. Fiona was babying him. She did it a lot.

"Och, o" course I do!" exploded William. "I mean, I ken Douglas and the Duncans, they, uhm…"

William rubbed his head unsurely. He was still unstable. Half a pint of whiskey raced around his head, and for a moment, it nearly spurted out of his nostrils. Hopelessly, he stared at Fiona, who rolled her eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was to look stupid in front of his big sister. Straining hard, William tried to remember.

"The war, William," Fiona said gently. "Ye ken?"

"War?"

What war?

It was no use. He was still hopelessly, madly, wildly blootered. He scratched his head and looked at his face in the mirror. Suddenly, he looked at Fiona.

"The war! I remember now. Nora told me yesterday. She said that the Duncan clan killed her mother."

"Well, it was a long time ago," she conceded. "That"s what her father says, the laird. He raised Nora with this belief, which may be true, though."

William nodded grimly.

"So, now I understand that this thing with marriage was just a plan to kill me. I thought she really liked me. I remember my conversation with Nora yesterday, but I didn"t give attention to the details. She used me."

It was stupid, but William found tears prick up in his eyes. Immediately, he moved to quash them as Fiona glanced thoughtfully.

"Och, William, ye must hear me," pleaded Fiona.

William looked up, startled. Fiona"s light eyes glittered in the dim light. She seemed impassioned.

"Ye must give her a chance, at least to explain…"

But William shook his head. Inside, he wanted it, but he was not ready to hear it. Not yet.

Undeterred, Fiona pressed on.

"William, she was forced, groomed into murder from the start, an" it"s nae as if it were a choice. She is afraid o" him. He said he would kill her, an" I believe it."

William thought for a moment. He believed it too. Suddenly, a deep rage took him.

"I"ll kill him," he murmured, rising from the table.

Fiona looked at him uncertainly.

"Where is he?" he snarled, heat rising in his veins. Everything felt wobbly. The chamber, already badly lit, suddenly seemed darker.

"In the dungeon," said Fiona calmly. She fixed him with her deepest look intently. "An" ye will deal wi" him the way ye see fit," she assured him. "But nae noo. Right noo, ye need to attend to more important things."

She looked at him closely.

"William, I think ye ken the lass loves ye. She wouldnae have gone through wi" the horrible plan. That is why she ran."

William did know it, and a cold realization spread throughout him. Douglas was behind all of this. Nora had been an innocent pawn.

Pushing Fiona to one side, he darted out of the cabinet door.

He was going to find Nora.

* * *

"Well,this is like auld times, isnae it? Me ootside the door, an" ye nae letting me in."

William"s voice came off light and playful, carrying on the early morning air. It was not how he had intended it, but like so many things, it had taken a life of its own. He rattled Nora"s door impatiently, shivers running down his spine. The sly cold of dawn was upon him, freezing him in his tracks.

"William?" Nora"s voice came muffled through the door. She sounded confused.

William"s impatience snowballed. "Aye, I need to speak wi" ye, lass. Ye have questions to answer. Then I will decide whether it goes afore a trial."

His voice was stern and imperious. Despite his feelings, he was determined not to give her an easy time.

"William," pleaded Nora, sounding hopeless.

Something got him in the heart. Covering his feelings, he coughed self-consciously.

"I command ye to open this door right now!" he barked.

Nora sighed. "I cannae. "Tis locked from yer end!"

A crushing heat came upon him. Instantly, William felt his cheeks burn up. "Och, aye!"

Shiftily, he fiddled with the key in the lock. It was rusty but turned with a loud snap. Finally, the door was open. There was Nora, huddled on the bed. When she saw him, she flinched.

"Nora?" he said, his eyes trying to pick her out in the darkness. Nora appeared to be hiding from his gaze. Groping forward, William made it to the edge of the bed. Gingerly, he sat down.

"William, I am sorry. I…" Nora almost leaped from the bed as if fearful of him. Shards of hurt dug into William. What was she thinking?

He saw her face, wary and uncertain, and felt his heart sink. She did not trust him. Maybe she never did. Taking a step back, he nodded.

"I didnae come here for an apology," he said blankly. He ran his eyes up and down over Nora. She was still the same lass as before, but somehow, he was not sure he knew her.

She was crazed, bewildered. Casting a strewn eye over, William saw her fatigue. Her hair unfurled crazily around her neck, and her undergarments revealed a tantalizing chink of cleavage. In her hands, she clasped a prayer book tightly.

William could not help being curious. She was praying? For what?

"Well, what did ye come here for, William?" asked Nora, puzzled. She raised her eyes watchfully.

"I came here to hear the truth," he said, his eyes meeting hers.

Despite trying, it was impossible for him to wrench them away. She was alone, undone, distraught. Her hair was frazzled and her eyes red from crying. William felt a little dig of guilt, even though that was crazy. It did not matter what she looked like nor what she had done. He was still hopelessly and wildly attracted to her. But he hung back for fear of giving himself away.

"The truth?" she asked, her green eyes flashing with uncertainty.

But William just barked. "Aye, maybe "tis a foreign word to ye!"

Nora dropped her eyes, and William instantly felt guilty. However, Nora just nodded.

"Aye, perhaps it is," she conceded.

This surprised him. Looking about, he found her demure and chaste. Suddenly, she was wrapping the blankets around her for decency.

William watched her slender curves disappear in the shroud and shook his head.

"I couldnae do it, William, I promise," said Nora, huddled in the blanket. She tried her hardest to connect with him, but he would not have it.

"So Fiona said," said William curtly. "But I need to hear it…"

"Well, hear it!" insisted Nora, raising her voice coldly. "Ye have to believe me, William, the plan wasnae mine. I wanted to stop it, but my father said he would kill us both!"

She stared at him imploringly. Her eyes won him over. There was no way he could resist. Now he was homed in on her; inside, a hot surge of lust rocketed him. It was stupid, but he could not see past it.

"That is why ye ran?" he said uncertainly. "Ye werenae just trying to lure me to a lonely spot to brutally murder me?"

William"s voice came shakily. He could not help it; he was overcome with emotion.

But Nora was clear.

"Nay," she said firmly. "Far from it… I wanted to run as far as I could from my father an" his horrible plan."

Her eyes shone so brightly. At that moment, William knew that she meant it. An instant rush filled his heart. It was all he needed to know. He extended his hand to her, squeezing her softly. Nora looked at him, tears in her eyes.

"I couldnae have done it, even if I didnae fall in love with ye—which I did!"

William caught his breath. Had she just said what he thought? Suddenly, intense breathing dogged him. But he did not care. Pressing forward, he stroked her gently.

"I dinnae care what ye do wi" me. Throw me in the dungeons, and do what ye want wi" my father," she blurted, her eyes pink and crying.

William felt his own pain.

Stroking her hair, he luxuriated in the feeling of her locks between his fingers. She was soft, pliant, and full of remorse. Now he was angry that she had been through so much. But more than that, he had to kiss her. Right now.

Gently, he embraced her, brushing her honeyed lips and smiling. She smelled divine, and he could not stop feeling her hair. Sighing, he leaned in tight. It was like the smell of a thousand summers. Kissing her lightly, he felt the burn. It ricocheted up and down inside him, kissing him deeply. Tearfully, Nora turned to him.

"William, I love ye. I always did, right from the start. Can we make this right now?"

Taking her face in his hands, William leaned in. Kissing her, he lost himself deep in the satisfaction of her skin.

This was too much. He would overheat.

"I love ye too, Nora, an" I think I always did!"