A few moments later, a lady bustled into the reception area, with a ready smile on her face. Alec arranged for them to get a table for breakfast and use one of the rooms to freshen up in after, before they recommenced their journey. All of which sounded delightful to Connie.
The woman guided them into the breakfast area, and Connie’s steps faltered as her eyes landed on the table in the far corner of the room. Sitting there, her attention wandering about the room casually—though she couldn’t mask the keen attention flashing in her green eyes—was Lady Lorelie MacKinnon. And sitting next to her was her uncle, Lord Angus, a mountain of a man with a big scraggly red beard and an equally fierce expression to match.
But what were they both doing here, so far from the MacKinnon lands, and so close to the Campbell ones? And where was Amelie?
Connie had assumed that Lorelie would be at the MacKinnon estate to ensure her niece was safe. After all, Fergus wouldn’t dare go up against the MacKinnons; their clan was one of the most ruthless in the Highlands, not to mention Fergus had always been intimidated by Lady Lorelie.
Actually, most men were afraid of the heir and future Countess of MacKinnon. A situation that had surprised Connie when she’d first arrived in Scotland and found out women could inherit some of the peerages if there was no direct male heir. Very different to the male primogeniture in England.
Probably why Lady Lorelie was so fierce and didn’t seem to be scared of anyone.
And, not for the first time, Connie wished she possessed such strength, too. If she had, maybe Duncan wouldn’t have dared to touch her.
But why was Lady Lorelie here? And now of all times? Should Connie try to hide?
But Lorelie’s eyes locked on her own. It was too late.
Chapter Thirteen
Alec heard the swift intake of Connie’s breath from behind him. Reflexively his hand reached up to his trouser pocket, where his pistol rested safely inside. He followed her gaze over to the far corner of the room and swore softly.
What the hell was Lady Lorelie MacKinnon and her curmudgeon of an uncle doing here, of all places?
And they’d seen them, too.
At least the only other two travelers in the room both seemed too preoccupied with their kippers and eggs to be interested in paying much attention to anyone else.
Alec braced himself for whirlwind Lorelie as she strode over to where Connie and he were standing in the middle of the room. The woman was wearing a dark blue riding habit with a matching traveling cloak over the top, and the expression in her eyes could only be classed as keenly intelligent and ferociously determined. She also cared little for hairstyles, it seemed, as her long auburn brown tresses were falling in loose waves down her back.
The woman was a force to be reckoned with, all five foot ten of her. Not only did she have the brains, beauty, and innate confidence of her position, which had been bred into her since birth, but she was also as stubborn as a mule with the tenacity to match. And she had the audacity to carry a dagger strapped in a sheath at her waist, and not for decorative purposes, either.
She was certainly not your typical lady, who would coquettishly bat her lashes to all she passed. No, this was a lady who stared men directly in the eyes until they squirmed in discomfort. Everyone in the Highlands knew not to trifle with Lady Lorelie.
Well, everyone except his brother Iain.
His brother couldn’t stand Lady Lorelie’s bossy ways, believing that the lass should be sticking to needlepoint instead of leading her clan. The two had often clashed at festivals and the like in the past, which Alec had taken great amusement in watching.
After all, it was rare that anyone would stand up to his brother, and especially not a girl.
It had been good for Iain to be put down a peg or two, and especially by a girl.
Briefly, Alec wondered if Lorelie and his brother still clashed. It had been years since Alec had been to the Highlands, let alone spent time with his brother. Not since his brother’s betrayal. And even on this visit, Iain and he had been coldly polite toward each other, barely speaking, in truth, as much as their father had tried to get them to mend their rift.
Some hurts ran too deep to ever be forgiven.
Alec’s thoughts were brought back to the present when, without a word, Lorelie nudged him to the side, before giving him a rather haughty glare and sweeping past him to embrace Connie in a hug.
Typical behavior for a MacKinnon. At least that’s what both his father and brother would say.
“Is Amelie all right?” Connie asked as the two women pulled apart.
“She’s fine,” Lorelie replied, briefly smiling at Connie before a look of resolve settled on her face. “But first, do come and join us and have some breakfast. Then you can tell me what is going on.” She took Connie’s hand in her own and guided her back toward where her uncle still sat, before briefly looking back over her shoulder at Alec. “You too, Alec McGuiness. Seems like you’re up to your neck in this mess as well. Typical for a McGuiness, of course. The men in your clan are far too stubborn and obstinate to not always be in the thick of things.”
Alec scowled. No wonder his brother didn’t get along with the woman. She was darn bossy.
But then a tiny peal of laughter bubbled out of Connie’s mouth, and his scowl instantly disappeared. He hadn’t heard her laugh for years, and he’d forgotten how delightful it was.
He had the sudden urge to do all he could to hear her soft laughter every day. But then he realized it was those type of thoughts that would lead him into very dangerous territory.
His scowl returned.
Following the ladies over to the table, he acknowledged Angus MacKinnon, who was eyeing him with steady deliberation. The two of them shook hands, tightly but briefly, as they took in each other’s measure. Alec hadn’t seen Angus in more than ten years, but the man was hard to forget. He was nearly as big as Alec himself, but what was particularly noteworthy was the man’s bushy but wiry beard, which now had several patches of gray twining in among the bright red of it.
“You’ve grown bigger,” Angus stated calmly, his deep voice still thick with a Scottish brogue.
So the man did remember him. “Aye,” Alec agreed. “And you’ve gotten older.”
Angus’s eyes narrowed before a bark of laughter boomed out of his mouth. “I remember now that I liked you, at least as much as one can with a McGuiness.”
Alec smiled. “Aye, the feeling’s mutual, for a MacKinnon.”
They all sat at the table, and the server came up and took their orders. Alec was impressed when Connie ordered a plate full of everything. She must indeed be famished. Which was a good thing, as she needed a decent feed, for she was looking too skinny by half.
Though what she also needed, aside from a hearty meal, was a good sleep, if the rings of fatigue under her eyes were any indication. And a good night’s sleep was something Alec doubted she’d gotten much of over the last few years, let alone the last few days.
It hit a nerve deep inside him, each and every time he was reminded of what Connie had been through. If only he’d known sooner. He would have made darn sure to have stopped it. But Duncan was gone and couldn’t hurt her anymore. Now all Alec had to do was make sure they found evidence that would exonerate Connie before Fergus and his men caught up to them.
He would save Connie this time. He had to.
But first they needed to find out what Lorelie and her uncle were doing here, because one thing Alec never trusted was coincidences.
…
“What do you mean, you don’t have her?”
There was ice in his employer’s voice, and Glenn knew he was in trouble. He pushed a finger between his neck and the collar of his shirt, trying to loosen the suddenly constricting material that felt like it was digging into his throat. “Well, she had a big gent with her,” Glenn tried to explain. “Troy an
d I wouldn’t ta been able to take him on, ya see.”
“No. I don’t see,” his employer replied. “I gave you exact instructions. And when I give you exact instructions, I do expect them to be followed precisely. The fact that you did not do so is unacceptable.”
His employer was caressing the handle of a dagger while sitting upright in a high-back chair. And never had Glenn felt more afraid. Particularly as there was no expression on his employer’s face whatsoever. It was never a good sign.
Glenn felt his heart sink. “There’s gonna be plenty of time to nab her in the city.”
Sighing loudly, his employer stood. “But you even lacked the foresight to follow them to Inverness, and at least ensure you could find where they would be staying. Instead you came back here.”
Glenn gulped. “But I had ta tell ya what ’appened. Didn’t I?” He’d thought his employer would want to know straightaway.
“A telegraph would have sufficed.”
“Oh. I ’adn’t thought of that.”
“No, of course you didn’t.” His employer walked over to the side table and poured them a cup of tea. “Not to worry, though. I myself have sent a telegraph ahead and have men waiting for them. She won’t get away again.”
Glenn stared transfixed at the tea that was being poured from the gleaming silver pot, before his employer walked over to him, cup and saucer in hand. He’d never been served anything from an aristocrat before. It was rather novel. “So you ain’t upset with me no more?”
A smile split the lips of his employer’s face. “How could I be mad with you for too long? You’re helping me do God’s work and avenge all our loved ones who could not avenge themselves. We are all on a mission and must work together. Mistakes happen.”
It was true, they were getting justice—finally.
Glenn took the tea from his employer’s hand and had a sip of the warm liquid.
The tea these toffs had was rather sweet tasting in Glenn’s opinion, but still, it was warm and made Glenn feel good that his employer wasn’t too upset with him. He thought he’d be in terrible trouble, but luckily all seemed fine.
Glenn finished up his cup. “Thanks for that, my—”
A burning sensation ripped up Glenn’s throat. His hands clutched at his neck. He couldn’t breathe. It felt like a thousand wasps were stinging him all at the same time.
He collapsed onto the floor and began writhing in pain.
Glancing up, he looked from the smiling face of his employer over to his teacup, belatedly realizing what had happened.
“Though mistakes do happen, Glenn, they must be punished,” his employer crooned as Glen’s vision slowly started to blur and then fade. “Sleep well and know that your death will serve a much greater purpose than your life ever did.”
And as Glenn’s gaze slowly went black, he realized what a fool he’d been to ever trust such a smile in the first place. A dead fool.
Chapter Fourteen
Quietly, so none but the four of them seated at the table could overhear, Connie briefly explained to Lorelie and Angus what had occurred the morning she woke to find Duncan dead beside her. “And after that, I knew that with Fergus now in charge, I had to get Amelie out of there and to the MacKinnon estate straightaway. It was the only way to ensure she was safely away from any manipulations Fergus might have planned to use her in.”
“For which I will forever be grateful to you,” Lorelie said, but then her eyes narrowed. “How dare that imbecile try to use my niece as a bargaining chip! Fergus Campbell deserves a dagger in his heart, just like his brother.” She laid her hand over Connie’s and squeezed it gently.
“You still haven’t told us what you are both doing here.” Alec’s gaze skimmed between Lorelie and Angus. It was clear he didn’t entirely trust them.
Lorelie tilted her chin and regarded him steadily. “When Amelie arrived, she was beside herself worrying that Connie was going to be hung.”
A small gasp escaped Connie’s lips. “But I hadn’t told her anything about the situation. I didn’t even mention that her father was dead; I just said she was going to visit you and her grandfather. I didn’t want to upset her with such news and then not be there to comfort her.”
The thought of Amelie finding out such a thing and being distressed made her heart ache. That was the last thing she’d wanted. It was hard enough to say goodbye to the girl, not knowing when and if she’d see her again, but for the child’s own safety, Connie had had to set aside her own feelings.
“I daresay she may have overheard Sarah and your coachman talking about it.” Lorelie set down her cup of tea on the saucer with precision. “Or she read the letter you’d written me when she wasn’t being observed. It did look like it had been opened.”
“Oh.” Connie hadn’t thought about that. She had been teaching Amelie to read, and the girl was a fast learner and would have been suspicious as to the suddenness and secrecy of why she was being sent away so early and without warning. And the child was no fool. She would have seen the fear and worry in Connie’s eyes. She would have known something was wrong. “I should have told her myself, then, of her father’s death. I just wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“You were thinking clearly enough to ensure Amelie’s safety was your first priority.” Lorelie squeezed her hand. “Even above your own. And for that you will always have Clan MacKinnon’s loyalty and support.”
Connie could hear the absolute truth in her words, and it warmed her heart. She’d always admired Lorelie MacKinnon each time the woman had reluctantly visited the Campbell estate in the past to see her niece Amelie. But she had also intimidated Connie. Lorelie was so vibrant and confident, and she always spoke her thoughts aloud, caring little for other’s opinions. She hadn’t even been scared of Duncan.
Seeing the power radiating from Lady Lorelie, and the woman’s innate confidence, had at first been intimidating to Connie, and then later shaming. But now, she was going to use it as an inspiration. She was going to remember the confidence she’d once possessed, and she was going to start to empower herself with it again. Duncan was not going to continue to control her from the grave.
In fact, Connie was determined to help other women who were in the situation she had been. She didn’t know how yet, but she knew if only there’d been someone who understood what she’d been going through, she wouldn’t have felt so alone and may have had the courage to do something more.
“Aye,” Angus spoke, his deep voice like timber. “MacKinnons always look after their own. Which is what we consider ya now, duchess.”
“And the reason why we were on our way to the Campbells. To help.” Lorelie looked pointedly over at Alec for a moment before turning back to Connie. “As soon as I read your letter, I knew you were in trouble and that you might need our assistance. Amelie stayed with my father, and Angus and I left yesterday to travel to help you, as we thought Fergus might try to railroad the authorities.”
The server delivered their food, which gave pause to their conversation. Connie breathed in a deep lungful of the delicious scent of eggs and bacon that wafted from her plate. She picked up her fork and scooped up some egg, trying not to shovel the morsel into her mouth too hastily. It was delicious, and she spent the next few minutes simply eating, having not truly realized how hungry she’d actually been.
She was slightly embarrassed, when she swallowed another mouthful, to see that all three of the others were regarding her with somewhat amused expressions. “I’m starving, I’m afraid.”
“That we can see, duchess,” Angus said with a smile.
They all then tucked into their breakfasts, making quick work of their food. It was amazing how much better food tasted with an appetite, Connie thought as she picked up her serviette and wiped her mouth.
“I do appreciate the gesture of you both coming to assist me,” she said to Lorelie and Angus. It was touching
to know she wasn’t as alone as she’d thought. “Especially as I know you hate the Campbell estate.” And no wonder, after Lorelie’s sister had chosen to leap off the roof of the castle and face death, rather than stay married to Duncan.
Connie supposed it would be a constant reminder to Lorelie each time she visited. Probably why she’d rarely done so, and Amelie had instead traveled to the MacKinnons’ the majority of times over the years.
“That’s probably putting too mild a word on my feelings for the place,” Lorelie replied. “Knowing that my sister was trapped there, and obviously thinking she couldn’t tell us that her bastard of a husband was daring to hurt her, cuts me to the quick every time.” She took in a steadying breath. “A fact I learned too late to do anything about. Anyhow, I like to imagine that if Celeste hadn’t been killed, she would have stabbed the fiend in the heart, too. Eventually, anyway.” She shook her head, almost as if she was trying to rid herself of the sad feelings the thought of her sister must bring up, Connie suspected. “Or at least told me, so I could have.”
Reaching over, Connie returned the gesture of gently squeezing the woman’s hand. “Not that it’s any consolation, but I often understood why she took the path she did.”
Once Connie had even gone up to the roof and walked over to the spot from which the previous duchess had thrown herself. And as Connie had glanced down to the ground far below, she’d scared herself, though not with fears of dying, but with the thought that if she did jump, she’d finally be free.
The only reason she’d found the strength to step back from the ledge that day was the thought that in finding freedom, she would be condemning Amelie at the same time. And she couldn’t have done that.
“Oh, my sister didn’t jump,” Lorelie’s voice was extremely matter-of-fact, but the green of her eyes had darkened, and her hands were now clenched into tight fists on top of the table. “She was killed. And I’m quite certain it was Duncan who pushed her from the roof.”
The Sinful Scot Page 9
