Page 77 of Deception of a Highlander

Blair approached, drying her hands on her apron. “You are swaying on your feet. You need to go to bed, and I won’t take no for an answer this time.”

“There’s so much to do. Bandages need to be changed, supper needs to be dispersed, and you know no one can deal with Murdoch but me.” Mariel’s few attempts at sleep had not been worth the effort. Every time her eyes closed, she saw Kieran’s face, his eyes tender, trusting. The image was more than she could bear.

“Murdoch is the one who sent me over,” Blair said. She nodded to the grizzled warrior who clutched the loaf of bread Mariel had given him. Blair caught Mariel’s hand in her cool grasp and gave her a sympathetic look. “I know that something has been bothering you. I don’t know if it’s Kieran being gone or fear for his safety, but you need to take care of yourself, aye?”

“How did you do it, Blair?” Mariel asked quietly. “How did you manage to escape your past? How did you forgive him?”

Blair’s face registered her surprise at the question, but she did not seem offended. “If I did not have my son, I would probably have stayed until he killed me. But Dougal was so small.” Her eyebrows knit together. “No matter what happens in life, the young and innocent should never suffer for the mistakes of their elders. As far as forgiving…” She shook her head. “It’s not that I’ve forgiven him, but that I did not want that hatred to follow me here. My focus is on what I have in life rather than what I lost. I have been blessed with my sweet Dougal, a brother who cares for me, and a loyal clan.” Blair gave Mariel a loving smile and squeezed her hand.

Blair released her hand. “Please go to bed.”

Mariel nodded and allowed herself to be shuffled in the direction of her room. She trudged up the stairs and tried to convince herself exhaustion would provide a dreamless sleep.

Once the heavy door shut behind her, she fell onto her bed and reveled for one sweet second in the coolness of the sheets against her aching legs and the softness of the rushes cradling her heavy body. Her eyes closed, and sleep slid over her like a velvet blanket.

Six days left.

Her lids flew open.

Though her body was fatigued, her mind would not let her sleep. If she did not come up with another alternative soon, she would fail her mission, and Jack would pay the price. Her heart raced, and her body remained alert in stubborn defiance to the rest she so desperately needed.

The only remaining option resonated within her.

“No,” Mariel whispered into the empty room. Tears ran hot down her cheeks.

There could truly be no other way.

Kieran would do anything to protect Blair and Dougal, just as Mariel had done for Jack. Without the opportunity to seek his help in coming up with a plan to defeat Aaron, she had no choice but to comply with the original demands. She sucked in a deep breath of air as though the act could still the pain of her breaking heart.

Kieran MacDonald would have to die.

CHAPTER 29

The journey home took more time than anticipated, and the moon hung high over Kieran’s head long before he and his men arrived at the castle. He fought the weight of exhaustion and trudged up the narrow staircase toward the comfort of his bed. Toward Mariel.

He entered the narrow hall and fixed his gaze on her door.

His arms ached with the need to cradle the softness of her body against him. She would be warm from sleep. The thought of holding her was almost more than he could bear.

He stilled. What if she woke and thought he was the assassin? He didn’t want to frighten her in the middle of the night, not when she already suffered from night terrors.

Irritation tightened his shoulders. Damn that English bastard for ruining this for her. Kieran would kill the whoreson as soon as he had the chance.

He turned from Mariel’s door and entered his room, where he was greeted with dark, cold loneliness. The servants had not known to anticipate his arrival, and no fire had been lit. Were Kieran not so fatigued, he might have done it himself, but the lure of his bed was too strong to ignore. With a heavy sigh, he lay down, not bothering to pull the blankets back, and fell into sleep’s embrace.

* * *

Mariel’s frantic heartbeat hummed in her ears. The sounds of movement in Kieran’s chamber had ceased. The time had come.

She sat up, and the room spun. Her stomach lurched in protest. Despite the chill of the room, a sheen of sweat moistened the surface of her skin.

True, she could flee and attempt to rescue Jack, but that would do nothing for Blair and Dougal. She could not leave them to suffer.

There was no other way. This had to be done.

She knelt before her chest of clothes and pulled a pair of black pants and shirt from its depths. They were men’s clothing that had been tailored to fit her small frame. The perfect attire to complete a heinous crime and slip through the night undetected.

Her fingers trembled as she dressed and plaited her hair. Her movements were quick lest she lose her nerve. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain lancing her heart. If she did not do this, Jack would die. Her darling, sweet Jack who had done no wrong in the course of his short life.