Page 76 of His Secret Highland Bride

He needed to leave straightaway.

“Alec, gather half the men and get them ready to leave for Collier within the hour. We will claim the castle.”

“Will you be joining us, brother?” Alec frowned at the blood staining the side of his shirt.

“Aye. I need to see what is there. I can better prioritize what’s needed after seeing the holding and claiming it for the MacPhersons.”

Alec was still frowning but gave a single nod before shouting the order for the men to line up. A second order went to a boy who ran off to the stables to inform the stablemaster the mounts needed to be brought to the bailey.

Shane went inside to look for his wife. He wanted to commend her for all she did and tell her he wanted to talk out their troubles when he returned, but he didn’t see her in the hall and didn’t want to use up his strength to return upstairs.

Wallace headed him off as Shane looked for Tory to give her a message for Lindsay. “What will ye do?” he asked. “Ye’ve even more people now and still no way to provide for them all.”

“Aye,” Shane said. He wanted to roll his eyes. Did this man think him so daft as to not see the trouble he was in? It seemed everything he did was the wrong choice. Every step he’d taken north from France had been fraught with wrong decision after wrong decision. But it was too late to retreat. He could only go forward. “I will find a way. That is all I can do.”

It seemed simple enough, though Shane knew it was truly impossible. Unless they could find Deirdre and their money, they wouldn’t make it through winter. So that was what he’d do. Assess Collier and then turn every resource on finding Deirdre.

The other man scoffed, and Shane didn’t blame him for his reaction. This man’s daughter was at risk if Shane couldn’t find a way to save the clan. If ever he became the father of a lass, he’d wish for the same thing as Wallace: that she be protected and cared for. It was the smallest thing a husband promised his wife, and it seemed neither of them were certain he’d be able to manage it.

“I must go. Tell Lindsay…” There was so much he wanted to say to his wife. Yet no words came to his lips. “I will return.”

And with that he left the hall, the castle, and his land in search of a miracle.

…

Lindsay was assisting the other women in getting as many rooms ready as possible. In this situation, it hardly seemed right for Lindsay to take up a room that could be used for others when she could surely share one with Shane, as they had previously. And if that thought gave her stomach an odd twist, she ignored it in favor of focusing on her work.

In the hours she’d tended to him, it had been easy to remember the man he’d been. The one who was given to fits that ruined his sleep. The ease with which he’d slumbered had worried her, but he seemed well enough now.

She’d seen the way he’d looked at her earlier as if he wished to say something but wasn’t sure of the words. She felt much the same. There was so much standing between them. All their lies, their duties—and then there was the matter of his heart. He’d given it to another, and what pieces might be left had not been offered to her.

“Lindsay!” She heard her name bellowed from the hall.

“In here, Father.”

The Wallace laird filled the doorway, startling the other maid, who scurried away as soon as the opening was clear.

“What are you about, doing a maid’s work?” he grumbled.

“If you’ve not noticed, there are many heads downstairs in need of beds. I’m doing what needs doing.”

He shook his head. “This was a mistake. I had no idea this clan was in such a state. I’d never have sent you here had I known. I should have taken your letters more seriously. I don’t think your mother would forgive me if I left you here. We will leave in the morning for home. I’ll have this farce of a marriage dissolved, and we’ll find you a proper husband—one who can take care of ye the way a husband should.”

Lindsay’s first thought was joy. It was what she’d wanted all this time, and she was pleased to hear her father regretted marrying her off, which she guessed would be as close as she would ever get to an apology.

But after the words sunk in further, she found herself clenching her hands, ready to protest. Had the MacPhersons become her home? Her family? Did she want to leave?

As if expecting an argument, her father cut off what she opened her mouth to say. “The man has gone off to claim Collier Castle, as if he will find the answers to his problems there.”

Her father shook his head, but Lindsay was shaken by his words. “Shane has gone?”

“Aye. With all the things to do here, he rushed off to pile more onto his already large heap of problems. Nay, I’ll not leave you here to be worked to the bone and grow sick with hunger.”

“Can you not help set Cluny to rights?” She knew he’d already paid her dowry and that those funds had been spent or stolen. But her clan, while not rich, was well-funded. Her clan.

Again, he shook his head.

“I already paid the dowry, and it’s gone. I’ll not receive the goods promised in exchange and will need to use my funds to feed our own clan after such a loss. The best I can do is not demand what is owed back to me. I’ll not take the castle.” He sniffed as he looked about with disdain. “The last thing I need is to take over this clan in the sorry shape it’s in.”