Page 23 of A Wife for the Highland Villain (Breaking the Highland Rules #3)

Alasdair stepped out of his chamber, nothing but determination written all over his face. The memory of that moment in the cave lingered in his mind, but the attack on Lily weighed more heavily.

It had made him slightly paranoid that they may have a traitor in their midst, and he hated that. Whoever had sent the archer had targeted Lily, and that thought alone made his blood run cold.

He had walked for all of five minutes before he found a maid in the passage and stopped her. “Fetch Nathan and Finn. I need them in me study at once.”

The maid bobbed her head. “Nathan is in the courtyard, me Laird. I shall call him in. But…” She bit her lip and lowered her gaze.

Alasdair narrowed his eyes at her. “But what?”

“Finn, me Laird. He is rather busy, and I daenae wish to disturb him.”

“Busy with what?”

The maid swallowed and looked at the floor.

Alasdair let out a breath and waved her away. “Fine. I shall go to him meself. See that Nathan is sent to me study without delay.”

She nodded and hurried off.

Alasdair made his way down the stairs toward the other side of the castle, where Finn’s room was. Even before he reached the door, the muffled sounds reached his ears.

He slowed down.

He heard a low moan at first, which was followed by a breathless groan. He pressed his lips together and lifted his hand to the door.

“Finn,” he called, knocking as hard as he could.

The moans halted, but he heard a hurried rustle behind the door.

He knocked even harder. “Finn.”

After a moment, the door creaked open, and Finn stood there, shirtless, a pillow clutched to his bare hips. His hair was a tangled mess, and his chest glistened with sweat.

“Me Laird?” he rasped, holding the pillow firmly in place.

Alasdair raised an eyebrow but kept his voice even. “I need ye in me study. At once.”

Finn cleared his throat. “Aye. Just give me a few minutes, and I will be there straight away.”

Alasdair’s eyes darted past him and into the room.

Finn’s boots and trousers were tossed over a chair.

On the floor, however, lay another pair of trousers and boots that were not his.

He wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them, that much Alasdair was sure of.

They were, however, the kind of leather boots worn by the castle guards.

Alasdair’s eyes returned to Finn. “Who do ye have in there?”

Finn’s jaw flexed, but his tone remained respectful. “With all due respect, me Laird, ‘tis none of yer business.”

Alasdair shook his head. “Then finish quickly. I want ye in me study now. Something happened today.”

Finn nodded. “Aye. I will be there.” His lips tightened almost immediately, and his cheeks paled.

Alasdair, on the other hand, groaned under his breath and turned away. Whether he preferred the maids or the guards, Finn could fight, and Alasdair needed his sword at the ready.

By the time he reached the study, Nathan was already there, standing near the fireplace. A short while later, Finn entered, his shirt hastily pulled on and his hair still mussed.

“At least someone was enjoying his night,” Alasdair muttered.

Finn smirked. “Because of yer interruption, I couldnae enjoy it properly.”

Alasdair ignored the remark and leaned against the desk. His shoulder burned, but he paid it no mind. “I didnae call ye here to speak of pleasure. Something happened in the woods.”

Nathan frowned. “Ye went out?”

“Aye. With Lily.”

Finn’s eyes sharpened. “I thought ye only went to make sure she wasnae running away?”

Alasdair narrowed his eyes before responding. “Aye, that was what I did. She was fetching roots, so I decided to stay.” He tapped the bandage on his shoulder. “And this is what came of it.”

Nathan stepped forward, utter alarm on his face. “Did she stab ye again?”

Alasdair shot him a flat look. “Nay. This was something else. There was an archer in the woods, and he shot arrows at us.”

Both men stiffened.

“God’s teeth,” Finn whispered. “An archer? Are ye certain?”

Alasdair’s voice hardened. “I ken what I saw. The bastard tried to kill her. And he almost succeeded.”

“Is she all right?” Finn asked.

“Aye.”

Nathan’s eyes widened. “And the archer? Where is he now?”

“I ran after him. Caught him near a slope and asked who sent him. He refused to speak, so he is dead now.”

Finn cursed and raked a hand through his hair. “Ye should have brought him back alive.”

“I would have, had he nae spouted filth about Lily. He called her a wench. I had nay choice.”

The room fell quiet for a long while, and Nathan shifted uneasily. “If I had ken ye were going out?—”

“Ye couldnae have ken,” Alasdair cut in. “Daenae waste yer breath blaming yerself. I can hold me own against a few arrows.”

Finn’s jaw tightened. “And I should have done something. I should have been by yer side.”

Alasdair slammed his palm on the desk. “Enough. This is nay one’s fault but the bastard who nocked the arrows. We gain nothing by blaming each other. What matters now is finding out who sent him.”

Nathan exhaled and rubbed a hand down his jaw. “Where do we start? I ken there are many who daenae yet accept ye as Laird. It could be any one of them.”

“Aye,” Alasdair said, his eyes dark as he looked between them. “But we must start somewhere. I willnae have me wife’s life put in danger again.”

Finn nodded grimly. “I will order me men to watch the woods. We will keep them under guard throughout the night.”

“And I will see to the clansmen,” Nathan added. “I will listen for talk, for any whispers of who might be bold enough to send a man after her.”

“Good,” Alasdair said. “Keep yer eyes peeled and yer ears to the ground. We arenae only guarding a clan now. We are guarding me wife. If anything happens to her under me roof, nae only will the Highlands remember me failure for generations, but I will also never be able to forgive meself.”

Both men nodded, and Alasdair turned his gaze to the window.

The rain had resumed, light and steady. He clenched his fists, determination rising inside him.

He had lost Lily once before. He would not lose her again.

Not to enemies in the shadows.

Not to anyone.

Not even to herself and her fears.

Lily kept her distance from Alasdair for the better part of the following week. Every morning, she rose with the thought that she might meet him in the hall, and every morning, she resolved she could not endure it.

Not now. And most certainly not ever.

On the first morning, Daisy came into her chamber just as she was loosening the laces of her nightgown.

“Shall I set yer food in the dining hall, me Lady?” the maid asked in her usual bright tone. “The men are already gathered there.”

The words, for some reason, made Lily go still. Her hand froze on the laces, and a cold shiver ran down her spine.

“Is the Laird there?” she asked, her voice wary.

“Aye,” Daisy said. “The Laird is there with his friend and his man-at-arms.”

Lily shuddered at the thought. Sitting across the table from Alasdair, with Finn watching from one side and Nathan from the other, would be unbearable.

The memory of that cave still burned hot in her mind. On some days, she could feel his mouth on her skin and his hands on her body as though he owned her. She could not sit in his presence and pretend it had not happened.

And if she knew anything about Alasdair, he couldn’t do that as well.

“Bring me food here,” she said at last. “I shall eat in me chamber.”

Daisy blinked and nodded. “As ye wish, me Lady. Shall I also check the post for ye? Perhaps one of yer sisters has written back.”

“Aye,” Lily said quickly. She held onto that thought as if it were a lifeline. “Check for me. If there is a letter, bring it here.”

Daisy nodded and left. When the door closed behind her, Lily eventually exhaled.

She pressed her palm to her head, almost as if she was forcing herself to be calm.

If she couldn’t sit at a dining table with Alasdair and his men, then what the hell would she be able to do as time went on?

She knew she had to sometimes. Even more, she knew she had to do it fast .

When Daisy returned, Lily was already in the bath. She sank deeper into the water, with soap lathered across her arms.

“Nay letter yet, me Lady,” Daisy said.

Lily swallowed hard, lowering her arms. “Thank ye. Leave the tray there.”

“Is there anything else I can do?” Daisy asked kindly.

Lily hesitated. She turned her face toward the maid, then looked away. “As a matter of fact, aye. Tell me, is there a way to reach the wounded hall without going past the Great Hall?”

Daisy tilted her head, then nodded. “Aye. There is a small door at the far side of the castle. People daenae use it much, but it leads straight out into the garden and rounds the castle toward the hall. ‘Tis longer than the normal route, of course.”

Lily let out a sigh of relief. “That doesnae matter one bit. I would like ye to take me there, Daisy. I wish to use it from now on.”

The maid frowned a little, and for a moment, Lily wondered if Daisy would see right through her.

“Is everything well, me Lady?”

“It is fine,” Lily said quickly. “I only want a change of scenery.”

That seemed to satisfy Daisy. She smiled immediately and rubbed her knuckles. “Then ye shall have it. One thing ye can be sure of is that the view will never bore ye.”

Lily found herself smiling. “Thank ye. Come back in a few minutes, once I have eaten. Then, go fetch food for yerself.”

Daisy’s smile widened. “Aye, me Lady. I shall.”

She curtsied and left the chamber.

The silence after her departure felt heavier. Lily climbed out of the bath and dried her skin, her eyes drifting to the wardrobe at the far side of the chamber. Inside hung the dresses she had been given since her arrival. She opened the doors, and her gaze caught the moonlight-blue gown.

The same one that had stolen her breath the first day she set her eyes on it. The fabric shimmered in the morning light, almost as soft and gentle as water.

Daisy returned just as Lily’s fingers hovered over the silk, her eyes lighting up as she closed the door behind her. “Ye would look breathtaking in that one, me Lady. The Laird would be most impressed.”

Something in her tone froze Lily’s blood. The very thought of wearing the gown, of letting Alasdair see her in it, made her stomach twist.

She drew her hand back sharply. “I willnae wear it.”

The smile faded from Daisy’s face.

“Fetch me another,” Lily said, her tone clipped. “One of the rejected ones.” She paused, her eyes landing on the dull red gown folded near the back. “That one. The deep red.”

Daisy obeyed at once, lifting the dress and laying it across the bed.

When the maid left, Lily sat down to eat. The food was warm, but she hardly tasted it. Her eyes lingered on the blue gown that still gleamed within the wardrobe.

She forced herself to look away.

How long could she continue like this? Hiding from him, fleeing down unused corridors, putting on gowns she hated only to prove a point? Each choice felt desperate, like hands tight around a broken saddle.

She placed her spoon on the table and lowered her hands onto her lap. A part of her wondered how much longer she could keep Alasdair at a distance before everything she fought to bury rose back to the surface.