by Fiona Faris
“I see,” Lorraine said, giving up on small talk. She looked outside the window and it was at that point that the carriage took a wrong turn. Alarmed, she turned to Glenn. “We are nae on the route to me home.”
But Glenn seemed unbothered. “Do nae worry. I have a little errand to run. We will nae tarry long.”
Soothed, she nodded and relaxed back in the seat and allowed the carriage to ride on still. When it finally ground to a halt, minutes had passed and she had no idea where they were. Glenn got down from the carriage and offered his hand to her.
“I could wait for ye here, ye ken.”
“Nay,” he shook his head. “’Tis dark out here. There is light in the cottage.”
Lorraine looked out and nodded. Indeed, they were stopped in front of a cottage that seemed well lit. She handed him her hand and when they got down, he led her into a cottage. Then, he closed the door behind them and locked it.
Daividh paled at the man’s words. “What?” he asked, “Glenn? Ye lie, ye infidel!” He moved to behead the man who was still screaming in pain but Maxwell stopped him.
“Let us hear him out first.”
“Please, mercy,” the man begged.
“Speak or he will kill ye.”
“I speak the truth. ’Tis Glenn.”
The weight on Daividh’s shoulder weighed even heavier.
“But why?” Daividh asked.
“He wants to be laird. He has it in his head that is what will make his father proud. He’s crazy, I tell ye.”
“He’s with Lorraine!” Daividh bit out, “The bastard is with Lorraine.”
“Where did he take her?” Maxwell asked and pointed his sword at him, “Where!”
“I swear on me ma’s grave, I do nae ken. He plans to bed her. Willingly or by force.”
Daividh had heard enough. He pulled the dagger from the man’s thigh even as he screamed. Blood gushed from the wound.
“Please!” the man screamed. “Pl-”
Daividh stabbed his neck and watched him fall to the ground and bleed to death.
“Where do ye think she is?”
“His manor! ’Tis the only place he can have privacy! Let’s go!”
Chapter Thirty-Three
The cottage was a very small one. It seemed to have two rooms alone. The one that they were in was bereft of any furniture – save for the table that held the lamp. There wasn’t even a chair. However, at the other end of the room was a door that seemed to lead to another room. The walls were faded and old-looking. It was clean but it wasn’t a house that was new – that was obvious.
“Do ye ken that I grew up here?” Glenn asked her once the door was locked.
“Really?” Lorraine asked, nervously, “Nae at yer manor?”
“Nay.” He leaned against the door and studied her. “I got the manor meself. Me da was a poor man with nothin’ to his name. No money, no lands, just this tiny place. And he hated me.”
“Yer da hated ye? Surely, ye are mistaken. Nae every parent is vocal about their love.”
“Aye, but me da was sure vocal about his hate. He’d tell me how much he hated havin’ to care for me. Usually before or after he whipped me.”
Lorraine looked away. “I am so sorry.”
“Nay. ’Tis okay,” he said and shrugged out of his coat.
Lorraine was quiet.
“Me father was a hard man. I could ne’er seem to please him. I tried all I could but even he wouldn’t help out. I was just a stupid little lad and so I hated him. Next came Daividh’s mother.” The look on his face was one of disgust. “She took me away from me father and I was taken to the castle and placed beneath her son. Can you imagine that?”
Lorraine could imagine that but she didn’t say so. It didn’t seem like the response he wanted.
“I was young so I thought she was doin’ me good. But she wasn’t. She took me away from me da. If she’d left me with him, I would have learned to be the son he wanted. Me da wanted money, fame, power, and he was right to want them. Why should one man be so poor and another be so rich. Do ye ken that when me da died, I was still a disappointment to him?”
“Yer da expected too much-”
“Shut it!” he said and swayed a bit, “Do nae speak about me da like that.”
Lorraine said nothing.
“I could have made him proud. I didnae. ’Tis me fault. But I will make it right. It has already begun.”
“What has begun?” she asked him. She needed to escape and she needed to escape immediately. Hurriedly, she glanced back to the door but saw it locked.
“Do nae think of runnin’ me love, I will nae hurt ye. Except if ye oppose me. I will eliminate everyone in me way.”
Lorraine said nothing. Rather, she forced herself to breathe normally. “What has begun?” she asked him again.
“Me take over as laird of this clan.”
Lorraine showed no surprise.
“Come,” he said to her, “Open that door.” He pointed to the door that Lorraine had seen before.
Lorraine faltered.
“Open it!”
Gingerly, she walked across the floor to the door and pulled it open.
In it was the most beautiful bedroom she had ever seen. She could hardly believe that a bedroom with such luxuries was placed in such an old house.
“When I planned this night, I knew it had to be special so I had this room fixed up, just for the two of us.”
Lorraine’s heart beat faster. He meant to bed her, forcefully if she didn’t comply.
“What are ye plannin’ to do?”
“Ye would ken if Daividh had taught ye. Well, thankfully, he has nae. Virgins are sweeter.”
Revulsion filled her. She would die before she allowed him to touch her. Appreciation for Daividh filled her. He apparently hadn’t told him anything about them. Despite the pain in her heart, she softened a little.
“Take off yer clothes. That sweet dress. Take it off. It has been doin’ me head in all night!”
Lorraine didn’t move.
Glenn swore and strode to her with such a force that he staggered. He pushed her to the bed and walked to her with a grin on his face. Lorraine pushed him off her. He staggered back and fell. However, he was not deterred. He stood up and tried to walk to her but he couldn’t. He staggered as though dizzy and fell again.
“What is happening to me?” he groaned.
Lorraine sat on the bed with a blank expression on her face. “Yer, body,” she said, “’Tis shutting down.”
“Why? How?” he gasped out.
“Valerian,” she replied.
He stood up again and approached her, this time, she kicked his groin, knocking him to the ground.
Lorraine shook her head to clear it out. She was done thinking of Daividh. She held both cups firmly in her hands. “I want to go home, Glenn.”
Readily, Glenn nodded. “I’ll take ye back.”
Lorraine nodded; she had come with him after all. “Let us leave.” She felt in her purse for the package and nodded to herself.
“Would ye mind getting me somethin’ to eat before we leave?”
“I can get ye somethin’ ye can eat while we drive home.”
“That is fine. Thank ye.”
Glenn left to the refreshment table. It was just enough time for her to reach into her purse and slip out the small vial. She poured it into the cup and mixed it up.
However, by the time he came, she was ready and waiting
“Here,” she handed him a cup. “I have been holding yer wine. Let us drink.”
Lorraine drank hers quickly. It was obvious that she was in a hurry to leave. Seeing Daividh with Alison that way was too much pain to handle.
Glenn downed his cup and took her hand.
“Ye gave me Valerian?” he asked
“Aye,” she nodded. “I suspected ye would try somethin’ like this.”
Enraged, Glenn stood up and rushed to her, aiming to pin her down. Lorraine kicked him in the g
roin again, causing him to fall to the ground and clutch his loins.
“Yer body is fightin’ between pain and sleep now,” she said as she hovered above him.
“I’ll kill ye bitch!” he tried to yell. Instead it came out as a slur. He fought to keep his eyes open but he could not. Instead, he found himself being dragged deeper and deeper until he passed out.
With Glenn passed out on the ground, Lorraine began to pick her way out of the room. She had put in enough to knock him out completely but he wouldn’t stay asleep for long. She had to leave. She got to the door, unlocked it, but paused before opening it.
There was no way she would be able fight off a man whose reflexes had not been dulled. How would she get the driver to take her home? If he was working with Glenn, he would hold her hostage till Glenn woke.
She shivered thinking of what he would do if he got his hands on her. Time was ticking and there was no way she could step out without a plan. After a brief moment, she got an idea.
She took in a deep breath and pulled open the door.
“Carriage driver!” she called “Carriage driver! Come quick!”
The man heard her calls and jumped to meet them. When he got there, there was a look of fright plastered on her face.
“We were just talking,” she wailed, “we were just talkin’ and he slumped. Oh please, check him.”
The driver ran into the room. When he was safely in, she tiptoed behind him and locked the door.
“Milady!” the man screamed banging on the other side of the door, “Let me out!”
Lorraine wasted no time. She darted out of the room and went to the horse. With her skilled hands, she undid the cords locking the horse to the carriage and mounted swiftly even without a saddle.
While she rode, she thought. If Glenn and the driver somehow escaped, they would expect her to run for her brother or for Daividh. Also, the dress that she wore put her at a disadvantage; she needed to change.
She steered the horse in the direction they had come from, hoping that she remembered the way. When she came to the place at which they had diverted routes, she almost shouted for joy. However, she didn’t stop. She rode on until she arrived at her house.
When she was only a few meters away, a lit lamp caught her eyes. She noticed figures holding it.
Fear settled in her belly. Had people who worked with Glenn come to find her? She considered running back but decided against it. If they were enemies, they wouldn’t be standing so idle. Would they? Even as she drew closer she prepared the horse to bolt if need be.
She forged on until she arrived the entrance of her house. There, she met Maxwell and Daividh, standing and waiting with looks of fear and worry on their handsome faces.
“Lorraine!” Maxwell and Daividh yelled upon seeing her.
It was a sight to see two grown men struggling for who would get to her horse first. Daividh did and helped her down from it.
“How did ye get here alone!?” her brother asked, “Where is Glenn?”
Lorraine said nothing. Relief filled her at seeing them both. She had so much to tell them that she didn’t know where to start.
She prepared to speak. However, Daividh took her in his arms. He hugged her to his chest as though he feared that she would run away if he let her.
Lorraine allowed herself to melt into his hug and for a moment, she forgot what had happened. She forgot Glenn who had tried to rape her, she forgot Alison, and she forgot Maxwell too, who watched the couple awkwardly.
“Did he touch ye?” Daividh asked.
His words kick-started her memory and she pulled away from him with a gasp. “Daividh, ye must ken. Glenn has been trying to kill ye! He is behind it all. He wants to be laird.”
“We ken,” Maxwell said, “He tried to kill us. We found that he wanted to take ye and – and harm ye.”
Lorraine stepped to her brother and gave him a warm hug. “I am fine.”
“But how?” Daividh asked, “We saw ye leave with him.”
“I slipped some Valerian powder into his wine because he had started to behave strangely around me and I worried he would try something with me.”
“So that was why ye asked for that!” Maxwell said.
“Aye. He tried to rape me but the powder made him slower. I kicked him in the shin as ye taught me. I had to lock him and the driver in.”
“Where did he take ye?”
“He told me that it was the place he had grown up.”
“I know where that is,” Maxwell said, “He is still there?”
“Aye.”
“Take soldiers with ye and have him arrested,” Daividh ordered.
“Aye, me laird.”
Alone at last, Lorraine stared at Daividh and then looked away. “Ye would want to leave now. I’m sure Alison would be looking for ye.”
She turned to leave but he held her hands. “Lorraine, please, do nae go like this. We need to speak.”
“About what?” she asked him, “Are ye goin’ to tell me of yer engagement?”
“What engagement?”
Did he think she was stupid? “Ye and Alison. I saw ye at yer home and at the feast. Do nae lie to me.”
His eyes widened telling her all she needed to know and she turned to leave. Daividh pulled her back, however.
“Lorraine, ye may choose nae to forgive me but please, hear me out.”
Lorraine paused.
“Speak, then.”
“What ye saw at me place was a mistake. It means ye did nae even wait. Aye, she kissed me but then I pushed her away. I swear on me ma’s grave.”
Lorraine squinted her eyes. “And tonight?” she asked, “She was holding ye rather tight and ye didn’t fight her off.”
“Aye,” he agreed, “I did nae push her away because she refused to let me go. I wanted to find ye. Kyla had heard Glenn boastin’ and promising to bed ye and I wanted to find ye and warn ye but she found me first. She promised to make a scene if I didnae hear her out. Yet still, I told her that I was nae interested and that I did nae want her.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did ye refuse her?”
“Ye, Lorraine. Because of ye. I love ye.” He grabbed her hands in his. “I love ye so much that it aches to be without ye. Me life has been miserable without ye, Lorraine. I made a mistake but I swear that I had asked him to cancel the bet before he told ye. He just didn’t tell ye that. I wanted to explain but ye were too mad to listen.”
Lorraine’s eyes watered even as her heart soared.
“I love ye. I am sorry I did what I did. It was shameful and I have no excuse for it. It made me lose the only woman that had ever mattered to me – it made me lose ye.”
Lorraine lifted her fingers and wiped at her tears.
“Nay, do nae cry,” he said in a gruff voice, “I have ne’er told a woman I loved them but I do nae think ye are supposed to cry.”
Lorraine laughed and threw her hands around him. “I am happy, silly.”
“Then, make me happy too. Tell me ye love me.”
“I love ye,” she muttered into his shoulders, but he wasn’t having it.
He pulled her from him and looked into her eyes.
“We should have done this in the day so I could see yer eyes better.”
“Why?’ Lorraine asked. Her heart was singing and she couldn’t stop grinning.
“So, I can be sure,” he said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, “A man has to be sure of these things, ye ken.”
Lorraine laughed. “I love ye so much it hurts.” Her eyes glistened with tears again, thinking of how she had had to be without him.
“I love ye,” he said, and Lorraine believed it more than she had ever believed anything, “I can prove it too.”
“How?” she asked him breathily.
He pulled her to her and kissed her soft lips until they were both breathless. “Ye ken what this means, aye?” he asked her afterwards.
“Nay,”
she said. “What?”
“Ye have to marry me. I do nae want anyone to think ye can be theirs. I love ye and I want ye by me side. Always.”
