Page 81 of His Secret Highland Bride

She bowed quickly and left the hall.

Lindsay watched as something akin to worry came over the laird’s face when his betrothed fled to the stairs. It was obvious he was plagued by doubt. The next part of the plan would make everything clear.

He excused himself from the table, and Lindsay’s father continued devouring his meal with no more than a grunt of acknowledgment as she moved toward the stairs.

“I’m sure we will find this to be a waste of time,” the laird said as he joined Lindsay in the alcove across from his study. They pulled a tapestry across the opening to hide and wait.

“I hope it’s a waste of time. I do not wish to cause you the pain her deceit would bring. I want to be wrong more than you can know,” Lindsay said, but she knew she wasn’t wrong.

They only needed to wait a few minutes until Deirdre arrived at the door to the laird’s study. When the laird gasped, Lindsay feared Deirdre would hear and change tactics, but the woman was not to be distracted from her plan.

“I’m sorry. I don’t believe we’ve met,” Deirdre told the guard, her voice silky and the bodice of her gown tugged down to reveal her heaving bosom.

“I am Roger, mistress.”

“Roger,” she purred and drew her finger under his chin. “The laird has gone off riding this afternoon, and I fear for his safety alone. Would you see that he is safe?”

Joshua had told the guard to leave his post if approached by Deirdre, so the man gave a quick nod and left his place in front of the door. When Deirdre went inside, Lindsay cast a frown at the laird. His gaze remained on the heavy door as if he tried to see through the thick wood to what was happening within.

Lindsay had her suspicions and knew they wouldn’t need to wait long to see if she was right. In a matter of minutes, Deirdre would reveal herself as the feckless thief Lindsay had predicted and this man’s heart would shatter. She wished she could save him from that, but at least she could spare him from losing everything. This way, his happiness may be forfeit but he’d be able to feed his clan.

The door creaked open slowly. Deirdre’s head popped out first, looking in both directions to make sure no one lingered in the corridor, before she stepped out and closed the door behind her. She grunted with the effort of handling the leather sack that clinked when she shifted it to her other arm.

The laird stepped out from the shadows of their hiding place, and Lindsay joined him. “Deirdre, what are you doing?”

The woman was so startled she dropped the bag. The weight of the coin broke the ties, and gold spilled out onto the stones, some rolling on their sides to scatter into the shadows.

If Lindsay had expected the woman to give up and confess her crimes, she’d been wrong. Deirdre had spent her life perfecting her lies, and like a devious spider, she wove another tale with a blink of an eye.

“You have invited my stepson to the castle. You don’t know him like I do. He will raid your coffers while you’re distracted with the wedding. I thought only to protect your assets. I will always look out for you, my love.”

“You mean you will always look out for yourself.” Lindsay couldn’t help but speak her mind. “Shane would never steal from a clan he calls an ally.”

Deirdre sneered at Lindsay and turned a coy look back on the laird. “This woman clearly doesn’t know my stepson as I do.”

“I believe she does,” the laird said, crossing his arms and frowning at the woman.

Seeing her ruse was crumbling, Deirdre turned on him. “What are you doing with this serving maid, hidden away in the shadows?” she screeched. Tears overflowed her stunning blue eyes, trailing down her cheeks as she sobbed. “You have already turned to another and forsaken me. I thought you loved me. I thought you would love only me.”

“This woman and I were hiding to witness as you proved yourself false.”

“You planned to steal from him as you did the MacPhersons and the MacColls,” Lindsay said.

“Who are you to tell my betrothed such lies?”

“I am…” She swallowed and forced the words out, even though she suddenly felt she had no claim to them. “I am Lindsay MacPherson, Shane MacPherson’s wife and the lady of Clan MacPherson, and you will give me back what you’ve stolen from the MacPhersons and the McColls, as it rightfully belongs to my husband.”

The woman gasped and stuttered a denial that Lindsay ignored. The laird tilted his head and said only, “How could you do this?”

Deirdre glared at him. Lindsay thought they might finally be seeing the real Deirdre. Lindsay stepped closer. “As you can see, this woman is a thief. Please have a guard come and hold her. I’m sure my husband will wish to have her charged for theft.”

Deirdre’s face went pale for a moment before she stood taller. The gesture was unimpressive, since she was much shorter than Lindsay. The laird bellowed for a guard, and Deirdre’s expression changed to that of a trapped cat. She spun away. Lindsay made to grab her, but the woman ducked out of her grasp and ran for the steps.

She pulled down an oil lamp from the wall and threw it to the stones, catching the dry rushes on the floor to flame. Lindsay grabbed a pail of water and quickly put them out, but the corridor was filled with smoke and she couldn’t see where the woman had gone.

The laird ran through the cloud of smoke, and Lindsay followed, waving her hand and coughing. But they were met on the stairs by the guards coming up.

“Where is she?” the laird asked.