Page 65 of His Secret Highland Bride

His sister patted him on the shoulder in a pitying way. “I would not go at it like that if you hope to fix things.” He might have asked for her counsel, but she shook her head and left him there alone in the hall outside his wife’s chamber.

He raised his hand, ready to knock—maybe he’d demand she move into his chamber—but he hesitated. Perhaps his sister was right. She was a woman, after all. She would know better how women thought.

He backed away and returned to his own room. He’d allow her the night to think while he would do the same. Things would be better in the morning.

…

It turned out he couldn’t have been more wrong.

The next morning, Shane found his wife’s chamber empty. He didn’t find her in the hall or in the kitchen, where Tory was seeing to the morning meal.

“I haven’t seen her yet today.”

“Am I to look for her or give her more time?” he asked.

“She will find you when she’s ready to talk to you.”

He nodded and grabbed a few meat pies and a flagon of ale before going to his study. He was already exhausted, and he hadn’t been up for even an hour yet. There was the matter of the Wallace laird and smoothing things over with him. The man must think him mad for his behavior.

As Shane had tossed and turned the night away, he’d worried over how to make things right with Lindsay. At some point he began to worry over Alec as well. What if he’d sent his brother to his death, having him deliver his message? He’d been careful not to word the missive as an accusation or a threat. Simply a request from one laird to another to have returned what was taken from him. But in doing so, had he doomed yet another person he cared about? Was he destined to make mistake after mistake until he lost everyone?

“What was I thinking?” he said to his empty study only a few seconds before someone knocked. “Enter,” he called, hoping it wasn’t the Wallace laird.

A tall lad with fiery red hair came into the room and nodded his respect. “I was told to come tell ye, your brother rides to the castle.”

Before the boy had the words out, Shane was on his feet and heading for the door, the youth chasing behind him to keep up. At least this was one worry he could put aside. He only needed to see Alec was well, and then he could better focus on the matter of his wife and how to repair the damage they’d done.

Shane was in the bailey when the gate was raised to allow Alec through. He’d gone five years without seeing him, but for whatever reason these last weeks had felt even longer. “Are ye well?” Shane asked as soon as the man slid down from his horse. When he turned, Shane saw clearly that nothing was well. Not only was his brother’s eye blackened and his jaw bruised, but his split lip was pulled into a tight line as tension rolled off him. “To my study.”

Whatever his brother needed to tell him, Shane knew it would be better to discuss it in private.

“What has happened?” Shane asked as soon as the door was shut behind him. Alec made his way to the bottle on the desk and poured a dram and then another.

“I thought I’d assumed the worst when I left here. I worried the MacColls would take your message as a threat, but I never considered how horribly wrong it could go.”

Shane’s stomach dropped. “Do you mean to torment me?” he asked, taking the bottle from Alec before he poured himself a third drink. He’d do no good to Shane if he were too drunk to deliver the message. “Tell me what has happened.”

“Deirdre happened. I didn’t really believe in witches until now, for she couldn’t have such luck. It must have been a spell.” He shook his head, and Shane didn’t stop him as he retrieved the bottle and downed a third glass.

“They hurt ye?” Shane asked.

Alec shook his head. “I’m fine. Or I will be. Although only for a little while, it seems.” He held up his arms and let them fall to his sides.

“She must have been biding her time, waiting for an opportunity to escape. No sooner did I arrive at Collier Castle, greet the laird, and deliver your message, but a maid came running into the laird’s study to report someone had run off with Deirdre and the lot of their money.”

“And there you sat,” Shane whispered, knowing how it would have looked to the MacColls.

Alec nodded. “They called me a distraction and took to trying to get me to confess that it was the true reason I’d come. To distract them while other MacPhersons came in and took what belonged to him. Namely, his coin and his wife—aye, Deirdre has married another laird. It seems she has the knack for it.”

Shane poured a dram of whisky for himself. He didn’t think he’d make it through the rest of this tale without a bit of fortification.

“When I refused to tell them what they wanted to hear, they locked me up for a few days and tried again. When I still didn’t confess, they planned to take me back to the dungeon, but I overpowered the guards and escaped.”

“And they think we’ve stolen their money and kidnapped the laird’s wife?” Shane said, knowing he had the right of it but hoping for anything he had misunderstood.

“Aye. And I don’t have to tell you they’re planning an attack on Cluny. I would wager we only have a day or two to prepare before they arrive.”

“Bloody hell.” Shane ran a hand through his hair and tugged at the longish locks.