by Jarecki, Amy
His features grew dark as he reached for her. “I can explain.”
She snatched her arm away. Everything spun. “Explain what, exactly?” Audrey’s fingers trembled as she dug in the oiled leather pouch and pulled out the missive from the queen. With a surge of rage, she threw it at him. “You’ve received a pardon, though I daresay you don’t deserve one.” How could she have fallen for his charm?
He had deceived her in every way.
Reid shoved the parcel in his doublet with an angry glare as if it were her fault he was promised to another. “Audrey, you don’t understand.”
“No?” She stamped her foot. “What more is there to understand? It seems quite simple.” She searched the shore for Lord Saltoun. Not seeing him, she announced to the gathering crowd, “I’m ready to sail back to England now.” Her head swam as if she were underwater. Then she made the mistake of glancing down only to meet with the gruesome image of Wagner’s ghastly face turned to the side, his eyes frozen in a wide stare as if he realized his folly before he fell on the knife. Unable to stop herself, she dropped to her knees and wretched. Over and over her stomach heaved. Her throat burned while she crouched, willing herself to regain control.
“There, lass. Let it go. You’ll feel a great deal better once the sickness has passed.” Reid placed his hand on her back, only making her tense all the more.
“Go. Away,” she managed between gasps.
“Nay. You’re coming with me.” He handed her a kerchief, but before she wiped her mouth, the brute wrapped his arms around her, hefting her over his shoulder. “We shall gather at Brahan and celebrate our victory this day,” he bellowed like a proud plunderer. “Lord Saltoun, I expect to see you and your men there as well.”
“Aye, m’lord. I wouldn’t miss a gathering for all the gold in the queen’s coffers,” said the traitor. Blast it, Audrey needed him to sail away with her this instant.
The man who’d announced that Reid was promised blocked the earl’s descent from the gangway. “I demand to know who this woman is!”
“My ward.” Reid brushed past. “And we need to talk.”
“Aye, we most certainly do.”
Seaforth set Audrey in the saddle and mounted behind her without another word. The ride to the castle was miserable while the earl held her captive between his arms, leading the army of Highlanders with an edge to his jaw. Audrey could feel his anger, but he had no right to be irate. She was the injured party. No wonder Seaforth had tried so hard to find her a husband. Even when their mutual fondness became clear, he still insisted that she marry another.
And now I know why.
Neither one of them spoke. The backbiter maintained his glaring countenance, looking straight ahead and cantering the horse through the gate and straight for the castle entry. Brahan looked like a palace, with a grand staircase leading to ornately carved doors. Ivy grew up the stone walls, extending four stories. Countless chimneys spouted smoke that swirled overhead like a greeting from the devil.
Reining his steed to a stop, Seaforth quickly dismounted. Before Audrey could slip to the ground, he pulled her into his arms like he was carrying a child. “I’ve matters to settle afore I can speak with you properly,” he growled, his harsh gaze slipping to her face.
“You’re speaking as if this is all my fault.”
“’Tisn’t.”
A woman with wild red hair burst through the doorway, her eyes round as coins. “Reid! Have you been victorious?” The girl’s gaze shifted to Audrey and suddenly grew hateful. “And who might this be?”
“Go tend to your father, Mairi. Tell him to meet me in my solar forthwith.”
“But—”
“Do it, I say,” he snapped at the girl as if she were but a servant.
Audrey gave his chest a thump. “Do you treat everyone with such a bad temper when you’ve acted like a buffoon?”
His humorless glare shifted to Audrey’s face as a low growl rumbled from his throat, but he said nothing. He kept mum as he bounded up three flights of stairs with Audrey in his arms as if she weighed a trifle. Then he took long strides through the passageway until he kicked open a door.
“I want you to stay put,” he said as he set her on her feet in a bedchamber bedecked in yellow—a color far too happy for Audrey’s present state of mind.
She whirled to face him. “I do not want to stay here for another moment. You’ve wanted to be rid of me since the outset, and now I understand why.”
“You understand nothing. I’ve never loved anyone with as much resolute passion as I love you.” He strode to the door and grasped the handle. “I’ll return anon.” Then he slipped out and shut the door behind him. The sound of metal scraped, followed by a click.
Audrey ran forward and pulled down on the latch. But blast his evil temper, he’d locked her within. “Reid MacKenzie! Release me from this chamber at once!”
Tremors spread through her limbs as she collapsed to the floor. She’d just killed a man, and in the blink of an eye, she’d discovered the only man she’d ever loved had deceived her. He’d taken advantage of her. He’d ruined her. And now he’d declared his love without sealing it with a promise of marriage.
“Dear Lord, what have I done?”
* * *
Reid strode away from the chamber with his fists clenched. Damnation, Audrey was supposed to stay at Blair Castle and wait for him. Now Cromartie would be calling for blood and Audrey might never forgive him, a fact that cut deeper than any of the lashings he’d endured. Worse, if the look on her face was any indication, she’d sooner run a dagger through his heart than forgive him.
Things would be so much easier if he weren’t a goddamned earl. He had so much more to consider than his own desires. Clan and kin relied on him. The cause relied on him. Hell, even the queen expected him to make this alliance with Cromartie’s daughter.
I cannot.
Christ, he’d put off the idea marriage for ages, telling himself he wasn’t ready—that he’d never be ready. But now Mairi had come of age, and he had naught but to release her to be courted as she deserved.
The truth?
He hadn’t been ready for marriage because his heart hadn’t found the right woman. And now that he had, he was about to crush his only chance at happiness. Audrey would most likely never speak to him again. She’d go back to Coxhoe House and run the mine. The lass certainly was capable. He’d make sure the estate was released from abeyance. He’d testify to her ability to manage her affairs herself. If she refused him, he’d release her, allow her to live her own life. He owed her that much and far more.
Reid opened the door to his solar and met with Cromartie’s scowl. “Jesus Christ, Seaforth. What the hell are you on about?”
“I’m her guardian.” Moving to the sideboard, Reid poured two drams of whisky.
“It appears you’ve exploited your responsibility.”
After putting the flagon in front of Cromartie, Reid gave the man his drink and took his seat at the head of the table. “I’m ashamed to admit I have.”
“The Sassenach looks to be of marriageable age. Have you tried to find her a husband?”
“Aye.”
“Is something wrong with the lass? Has she no dowry?”
“She’s an heiress. Her estate is worth as much as mine.”
“Then there should be no problem.”
Reid threw back his whisky, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Except there is.” The words came out with bold surety as he met Cromartie’s gaze. “You see, I’m in love with her.”
“Jesus, Seaforth. You are honor bound by an oath. Do you have any idea what breaking the betrothal I agreed to with your father will do to our alliance?” The earl pounded his fist on the table. “You dare risk a feud? Your lands, your kin over a Sassenach lass?”
There hadn’t been enough time to think this through. He’d been on the brink of death, and everything had seemed so easy at the cottage. Christ, he could have stayed there loving A
udrey for the rest of his days. Aye, he was an earl with a great many responsibilities, but Reid was a man first. At court he’d watched many noblemen marry for family alliances. They all were miserable. They all took mistresses.
He poured himself another dram and offered Cromartie the flagon. “You haven’t answered me,” the man pushed.
“Ye ken I want no part of a feud between our clans.”
Cromartie scowled. “Nor do I, and I intend to make a good match with my daughter’s hand.”
“Aye, Mairi will be a stalwart lady of a keep. A good wife.”
“Now you’re making some sense, lad.”
“But she’s not for me.” As the truth slipped through his lips, immense weight lifted from Reid’s shoulders.
Cromartie shoved his chair back and stood, leaning his knuckles on the table. “Good God, you do not mean to break the betrothal?”
Reid thrust his finger at the earl’s chair. “Sit and hear me out.”
Grumbling, the earl slowly sank down. “This better be good, else I’m marching off your lands with my army, and the next time you’ll see me will be across the line on a battlefield. I’ll take your kin, I’ll take your cattle, your sheep. I’ll bleed you dry until you are ruined.”
With a steady hand, Reid filled the man’s cup. “There are a hundred unwed gentlemen in the Highlands who would jump at a chance to wed your daughter.”
“Only to sink their fingers into her dowry.”
“Think on this…” Somewhere between his first and second dram, Reid had come up with a bargain. “To compensate you for your hardship, I offer fifty head of cattle and two thousand pounds.”
Cromartie scratched his chin. “You think me daft, offering so little?”
A flicker of hope made Reid’s heart stutter. He’d started the negotiation low enough to allow him room to maneuver, but high enough to let the earl know he was serious. “Four thousand pounds.” He offered the same amount as Mairi’s dowry, and they both knew it.
“Och, you think I’m so easily bought?”
“What do you need? I mean it. I desire to avoid a feud.”
The earl’s lips curled. “You won the prize with your stallion at the Inverness show. How many foals has he sired?”
Reid’s shoulders tensed. Christ, he’d give Cromartie just about anything before he’d part with his prized stallion. He turned the cup between his fingers. “A colt thus far, and three broodmares are set to foal within the month.”
“I want him.”
“I’ll give you the colt.”
Cromartie sipped his whisky, taking his time to mull over Reid’s offer. “The colt and my pick of the foals.”
“Done.” Reid stood and offered his hand before the earl could change his mind.
Following suit, Cromartie sealed the bargain with a firm handshake. “But let it be known I am still disquieted by your decision.”
“I understand, though I hope our clans will continue to be allies as we fight for the cause. For no one clan can stand alone, and it will take all of us to challenge the succession when that day finally comes.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Reid strode across his chamber floor and opened the top bureau drawer. He stared at the wooden box that he hadn’t opened since his father gave it to him ten years ago. He’d always looked at that box as if it would burn his fingers, but now he plucked it from its resting place and opened it. Inside a sapphire ring shone as if it were brand new. The piece was set in yellow gold and had been his mother’s.
Today he hoped he hadn’t acted so poorly that Audrey would reject him. He slipped the ring into his doublet pocket, then headed for a door he’d never used. At one time his father had frequented the door to visit his mother in her bedchamber. And now Reid prayed it would become useful once again.
He slid a skeleton key into the lock and with a click, he opened it. Audrey pushed up from where she lay on the bed and quickly stood, facing him. Her lovely eyes were swollen and red, much like they’d been the first time he saw the lass. But today his heart squeezed as he gazed upon the stunningly beautiful English rose who had stolen his heart.
She looked beyond him. “You come to me from another door. Is this the house of mazes, a house fraught with deception?”
Reid gulped. He knew winning her wasn’t going to be easy, but he had to jump in with both feet. He inclined his head toward the portal he had just passed through. “It leads to my bedchamber.”
“Oh? So now you believe me to be so promiscuous that you put me in a chamber with an adjoining door to yours? Who in the castle knows of this door? Will everyone be laughing at me and saying, ‘Oh, that’s Audrey, the earl’s courtesan’?”
Reid raked his fingers through his hair. “Bless it, you ken I would never put you in such a compromising position.”
“But isn’t that what you’ve just done?” She thrust her finger toward the door. “You admitted that is your bedchamber and you have locked me within the only chamber that adjoins yours.”
God’s teeth, this was not how Reid wanted this conversation to proceed. Time to change course. “First of all, I must apologize to you for putting you under lock and key, but I didn’t know any other way to keep you from running whilst I set things to rights.”
She crossed her arms and gave him a heated glare while her lips thinned.
Reid took a step toward her, spreading his palms wide. “I beg for your mercy, miss.”
Thrusting her hand forward, Audrey bade him to stop. “Do not take another step, my lord. I can no longer trust you.”
Her words cut Reid to the quick. “Please allow me to explain.”
She shook her head. “You lied to me.”
Lord, how deeply her words wounded. “Aye, I admit I haven’t been entirely forthright, but nothing I have ever said or have ever done has been out of malice. I have tried to act with your best interests in mind. And now I need make amends.”
“The time for that has passed, and you must now take me home. My father never should have trusted you. I never should have trusted you. For the love of God, Reid, I could be with your child and ruined for life.”
“Jesu.” He again combed his fingers through his hair. Nothing was proceeding as he’d planned. And now she could be with child? He couldn’t turn away from her even if she refused him, hated him with every fiber of her body for the rest of her days. Taking a deep breath, he gestured to a chair near the hearth. “I bid you sit, m’lady.”
Audrey shook her head.
“Please sit, Miss Audrey.” He thrust his finger toward the chair a bit more forcefully this time. If he had to pick her up and tie her down, he’d do so, but it would be a hell of a lot easier if she would cooperate on this one thing.
Thankfully, Audrey pursed her lips, moved to the chair, and sat. Of course she had to cross her arms and her ankles and stare at him as if she had a dagger up her sleeve and was waiting for her chance to use it. For all Reid knew that’s exactly what she was planning.
His stomach tightened as he moved and stood in front of her. She wasn’t making it easy, but he refused to give up. Ancient Celtic MacKenzie blood coursed through his veins. A descendant of Gilleoin of the Aird, he was a warrior and a leader of men. He would persevere regardless. He dropped to one knee and reached for her hands, but Audrey kept her arms folded, not giving an inch.
Reid lowered his hands to his sides and looked her square in the eye. “When I was a lad of five, my father agreed to an alliance between a lesser MacKenzie clan and agreed to a betrothal with Gilroy MacKenzie, who has since become the Earl of Cromartie. I have been promised to a distant cousin most of my life.”
She shot him a heated glare. “You should have told me you were promised before you seduced me.”
“You’re right. I should have disclosed my lot to you. But I was too afraid I might lose you.”
“And now your fears have been realized.”
Gulping, Reid could no longer keep his hands to himself. He placed his finge
rs on her shoulders and grasped her firmly. “Please hear me through before you close your heart to me.”
Her gaze dipped to her folded hands while she gave a single nod.
“All those miserable hours I spent searching for a husband for you, the more reluctant I grew to let you go. And soon I realized you’d completely won my heart. I never should have forced you to look for a husband because you’re perfect the way you are. Moreover, from the very outset I knew there was only one husband for you, and now I realize it must be your choice if you are to accept him.”
A tear slipped from her eye.
“I have loved you since the first time I heard you play the harpsichord. I have loved you since you introduced me to Lady Ne’er-Do-Well. I have adored you since you attended Baron Barnard’s ball in your scandalous red dress. At every turn, you have shown your brilliance, your caring, your tenacity, and I have loved you more deeply with each passing day.”
“I risked my life for you,” she whispered.
“You did. You risked more for me than I would ever expect from any other, man or woman. You are brave and tenacious, and I am wholly in your service, madam.”
Audrey wrung her hands, her cheeks now glistening with tears.
Reid didn’t hesitate to seize the opportunity to grasp her fingers between his palms. “You are the most selfless, most giving and kind woman I have ever met, and I cannot go through life without you.”
“But—”
“Audrey Kennett, I would be cut to the quick if you refuse my proposal of marriage. For though I am unworthy of your love, please know that I will love you with my entire being for the rest of my days.”
She finally slid her gaze up to meet his eyes. “But what about the redheaded MacKenzie daughter of Cromartie?”
“My oath, I am daft. Did I not say when I entered that I had rescinded the betrothal?”
She smiled through her tears. “I think that tidbit of information may have escaped me.”
“Och, mo ghràidh. Now that I have met you, how could I ever look upon another woman?”
