Page 53 of A Highlander's Bride

Joshua remained silent for a moment. “I never got to speak with her about that.”

Daniel raised a questioning brow.

“I found her in her bed with another mon.”

*

Beth opened hereyes at the sound of Daniel’s voice. “Daniel?” She didn’t recognize herself, so raspy was the noise coming from her throat.

His large body moved across the room to the bed in seconds. “Beth.” He took her hand in his and closed his eyes. “Ye’r awake.”

“Am I still in in the dungeon? Is that Joshua’s voice I hear?” Fatigued from just that bit of conversation, she closed her eyes again.

“Nay, my love, ye are no longer in the dungeon, I carried ye to yer bedchamber. Joshua led me to where ye were.”

She closed her eyes and kissed his knuckles where he gripped her hand so tightly. “I ken ye would come for me.”

He smiled softly at her. “I will ne’er leave ye and always come for ye. I love ye, Lady Beth Munro.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “I love ye, too.” She smiled at how easily those words came from her thick throat. “Can ye help me sit up? I would like to have a drink.”

Daniel turned to Joshua. “Ye can leave me now. Go to the kitchen and have a maid bring up food and ale for Lady Beth. However, do no’ return to yer duties in the stables. Remain in the great hall.”

Joshua paled again, and nodded. “Aye, Laird.”

Daniel placed his hand under her back, the warmth from his hand soothing her body which still felt chilled from her time in the dungeon.

Once she was settled against several fluffy pillows, Daniel sat alongside her and smiled in that special way, and cupping her face in his hands, appeared about to give her a kiss when the door burst open and her mam and sister raced into the room.

“’Tis true?” Beth’s mam asked. “Beth is awake?”

Beth smiled at the disappointment on Daniel’s face. He moved back, allowing her mam and Alisa to sit on the edge of her bed.

He smoothed the hair back on her forehead. “I will return in a little bit while ye visit with yer sister and mam. I need to speak with the king and settle his ruffled feathers.”

Beth reached out and grabbed his hand, her eyes full of tears, suddenly very frightened. “Please doona leave.”

“I willna be long, and then I will stay with ye all night.” He looked at Lady Munro. “Please doona leave Beth by herself. I won’t be long. Try to get her to eat.”

Mam wiped the tears from her eyes and took Beth’s hand in hers. “Ye will be fine until the laird returns.”

She nodded, feeling verra strange about him leaving her. Hopefully as time passed, she would get over this distress of being without him.

The door to the bed chamber closed and her mam squeezed her hand. “I was so verra worried about ye, daughter.”

Alisa took her other hand. “We just now heard that ye were awake.” She shivered, “I canno’ imagine what ’twas like for ye there in the dungeon.”

Her mam’s lips tightened. “I kenned all along that Lady Chisholm had something to do with it.”

“And now Lady Alice is missing,” Alisa said.

“What!”

Chapter Twenty

Daniel entered thegreat hall where the king was holding court with his entourage and some of the clan members. He looked up as Daniel approached him.

“It is time you made your appearance. Nobody will tell me anything except that ye have chosen Lady Beth Munro to marry but for some reason you didn’t marry on Beltane as my order stated.”