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T hea feared she might be sick. She’d been so close. Just a few more chapters and she would have finished the book. She could have turned it in and gotten the funds needed to purchase a home far away from her brother.

But he was here. God only knows what he’d done to the MacLains for them to have told Stephen where she was. She didn’t blame them. Thea had put them in a fair amount of danger by keeping her secrets.

And now Shay was embroiled in her mess. She heard Frannie upstairs packing her things and felt another twist of shame in her stomach. She’d brought Stephen here. The man who had hurt Frannie.

There was no escaping this without others getting hurt. She’d had a wonderful time here. Memories she would hold onto when her new life was not as kind.

“I’ll go,” she said as she headed for the door, ready to face her fate even if her knees trembled so badly she wasn’t sure how she might walk all the way up to the castle.

“Wait,” Shay said quietly, his hand had come out to grip her arm lightly. The heat from his hand seeped through the fabric of her sleeve and caused Thea to shiver. The memories with him were the sweetest and her eyes stung for having to give up even a minute longer with him.

“I thank you for your hospitality, Lord Flemming, but I’ll not cause you or your household any more trouble than I already have. I was wrong to have come here and to have brought this risk to your home. I am so very sorry.”

She turned to go, but Shay was still holding her.

“There is another way,” he said, his voice still eerily quiet.

She shook her head. “I can’t run far enough or fast enough. He will find me.”

Shay’s grip eased enough for his hand to slide down her arm and take her hand in his.

“Then don’t run. Stay here. With me.”

Again she shook her head. “He will only get the law to force me to go with him.”

“He couldn’t force ye to leave if you were my wife,” Shay said.

Thea blinked as the words penetrated her foggy brain. She felt a step behind, having just woken, but this… no, this didn’t make any sense.

“Wife?”

“My horse is outside. We will ride to the village and be married within the hour. As my marchioness he will not have the legal right to take ye anywhere. You would be safe.”

“But you said you didn’t wish to marry.”

“I said I wouldn’t marry, not that I didn’t wish to.”

She didn’t see what the distinction was. Either way he didn’t plan to marry.

“But I will marry you, Thea, to keep ye safe from being given over to a man like Flint. Let me protect ye, lass. Please.”

“To agree would be such a selfish thing. Cursing you to a life with me when you might meet someone you truly want, just to save myself…”

“It would be no curse.” He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “Think of the research we could conduct as husband and wife.”

Her eyes went wide at his suggestion. When she looked at him he winked. He was much too charming. Her face went hot thinking about what he’d said.

She’d wanted to do those things with him ever since their exploratory kiss, but she didn’t dare to think it would ever really happen. But now he was offering to marry her.

“I would not expect such a thing. This is my problem, not yours.”

“Marry me, and let it be our problem.” He seemed so serious, but…

“Are you sure?”

“We must go now before we are found. I can’t stop him if he is your guardian instead of me.”

“You didn’t say you were sure.” It was silly, but she needed to hear him say the words. To alleviate just a fraction of her guilt. For she wanted to say yes, and not just because of the threat of her brother taking her to Flint.

“I’m sure, Thea. Are you?”

“Not even a little bit. I fear you will come to resent me someday for this, but I’m not brave enough to reject your offer.”

“I’m glad to know you prefer me to whatever waits in London.”

“Actually… I prefer you by an extremely wide margin,” she said, causing him to laugh.

“Then let’s hurry before we’re caught.”

Thea didn’t need to be asked again. She held onto Shay’s hand as he practically pulled her along behind him toward the front door. She stumbled down the steps, but Shay only leaned down and scooped her up into his arms causing her breath to rush out in a quick gasp.

He settled her on the saddle and in the next breath he hoisted himself up behind her and put the horse toward the village.

They were racing through the field when Thea leaned back slightly, feeling the heat of Shay’s body against hers. She was basically sitting on the man’s lap. Riding astride pushed her gown up to her thighs where he could easily see the edges of her stockings and her bare skin.

It wouldn’t matter once they were married. He’d have the right to any part of her. He’d also have the right to all her earnings.

“I have no dowry, but my earnings will serve as payment,” she called loudly enough for him to hear over the wind rushing past their ears.

“Nay. Your money is yours alone, Thea. You’ve earned every pence through your blood, sweat, and tears and I’ll not touch it.”

It was more than she could have hoped. She’d never considered marriage because she’d lose control over her funds as well as her time and her body. But Shay was offering her the protection of his name, the pleasure of his body, as well as the security of her future.

“Thank you, Shay.”

“I know well how it feels not to have two pennies to rub together. I’d never let ye feel so beholden to another for your well-being.”

She felt tears spring to her eyes and it had nothing to do with the stinging wind as he pushed his horse faster. Through her watery sight she saw the first buildings in the village. They were almost there and Stephen was still sitting in the castle.

Shay pulled up right in front of the blacksmith’s forge and slid down. Handing the reins off to a small lad who came running, Shay reached up for her and helped her down to her feet.

When she swayed a bit he held tighter until she breathed and nodded.

After flipping a coin to the boy, he took her hand in his. She expected him to pull her toward the anvil sitting out from the flaming embers and smoke. But he paused. Seeing the lump of steel sitting there so innocently, brought the reality of things into sharp focus.

“Shay?” she whispered, the word little more than a breath, but he heard her for he leaned down to look at her. “Are you certain this is what you want? I’m beyond appreciative for your offer, but now that we are here, I must make sure. What if you meet someone you love someday and you are not able to be with her because of me?”

He made a sound that could only be described as a snort and shook his head.

“I’ve no right to have anyone ever come to love me. Protecting ye, might sway things a bit in my favor if things such as goodness and honor come to be important when a life is over. So ye see? You could be sparing me a bit of heat.”

He’d said such things before, but she didn’t understand. There was little time now to discuss theology and what happens when we die. But before she could push matters he continued.

“You should know before we do this that there are things in my past that are not pleasant. Things I’ve done—”

“I know who you are. You are a good man.” She glanced toward the anvil and amended her words “You are the very best of men.”

“I’m sorry I have no ring and didn’t have time to ask ye properly to wed me. But you should know I’m not so sorry to have ye as my bride. I think we will rub along well. It will be a humorous tale to tell our children someday.”

“You want this to be a real marriage?” She had not considered these details. Again she glanced at the anvil, feeling the power it held over their lives. Perhaps not the anvil itself as much as the vows they would make while standing over it.

“Aye. I’ve never planned to marry. I didn’t feel it was right. But there is a duty to do so for the man who’d found me starving in Inverness. And I can’t think of a better reason to marry than to save another person who needs me. I feel it will redeem a few of my past wrongs.” He frowned. “I guess I should have spoken words of love. I’m making a mess of this.”

She shook her head and smiled at him. “No. I’d rather have the truth than hollow words, and I’d rather have friendship and safety than a ring.”

“I shall give you all of that, Thea. I promise.”

She would be a wife and a mother. But he would allow her to write her stories and keep her money. She smiled at this man who’d offered her the life she’d given up on years ago. No. A life she’d never thought to hope for.

*

Their words were spoken quickly as they gripped hands over the anvil. When the blacksmith slipped into Gaelic, Shay translated the man’s words so Thea could repeat them easily.

In a matter of minutes it was done and Shay had himself a bride. He also had a brother-in-law he needed to run off his lands.

He hoisted her up into the saddle as he’d done earlier and rode for the castle. This time, however, he didn’t feel the guilt over enjoying the woman’s backside as he urged his horse faster. She was his wife now so anything they did would be sanctioned by the church.

He sighed when he recalled the promise he’d given her. Beyond their vows of loving each other until death, which they both knew was an exaggeration, he’d promised her honesty. But already everything she knew about him was a lie.

He would take care of one problem at a time. First, Stephen would be dealt with, and then he would talk to Thea.

“Can we stop at the cottage?” she asked. He nodded and reined his horse in that direction. He didn’t know what she might want to do there before facing her brother, but they had time now. Even if Shay didn’t want that rotter in his home for a minute longer than necessary.

He’d hurt Frannie and planned to do the unthinkable with his sister. The man deserved a right thrashing. If he didn’t leave them in peace that was what he would get.

Thea’s request turned out to be the best thing, for as they stopped in front of the cottage, Shay saw Stephen on the porch, being held from entering by Frannie wielding a fire poker. Billings was pleading with the man to no avail.

“Oh, dear,” Thea said as Shay dismounted and helped Thea to her feet. “Frannie,” she called. “Please go inside.”

Shay might have thought she wished to spare her brother harm, but he knew Thea enough to know it was that she cared for Frannie and didn’t want her to have to spend any time in the man’s presence.

“He wanted to come in and look for you. But I wouldn’t let him, Miss Thea.”

“I thank you for your loyalty. You can go in the house. Shay and I will see to him.”

“I wanted to—” Frannie began to cry in earnest. “I thought… but I couldn’t.”

Thea made her way up the steps and took the weapon before wrapping an arm around the shaking girl. “All will be well. Go on inside.”

Frannie nodded after another glare in Stephen’s direction. When the maid was back inside, Stephen spoke.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Thea. Damn you for making me come all this way to collect you. But we’ll deal with it when we get back to London.”

Thea held out the fire poker, resting it on Stephen’s chest.

“I don’t know what you have learned or how you went about getting the information, but I’m not going anywhere with you. You are no kind of brother to plan to drug me, and give me to Flint to cover your debts. What happened to you, Stephen?”

At least the swine had the grace to look guilty before his reddened face pulled up in anger.

“I am the head of the family and as such, I decide what is to happen with you.”

She pressed the point of the poker harder and Stephen yelped before grasping it from her grip and tossing it aside. He reached out to grab her arm.

“You are coming with me. You will do your duty.”

“Let go of my wife. You have no authority over her,” Shay said firmly.

“Wife?” Stephen swallowed loudly. “No. I didn’t give my permission.”

“You well know I’ve reached my majority and can marry if I wish to without your approval. Besides, we’re in Scotland which means I could marry even if I weren’t of age.”

“Damn you, Thea. What have you done? Marrying yourself to him?” Stephen pointed in Shay’s direction as if speaking of some foul beast. “People suspect he’s not even the actual marquess. There’s no way to know for sure, just a dying old man, desperate for an heir to claim him. He’s likely nothing more than a gutter rat.”

Shay had heard such accusations before, but they never went anywhere. Harrington had made certain everything was sealed and final on his title.

“Your children will be mongrels,” Stephen spat.

There’d been a time when Shay had felt guilty for how he’d treated the man, but now…He pushed those thoughts aside.

His brave Valkyrie stepped closer and slapped her brother across the face.

“If you are to be the example of what comes from a superior bloodline, I’m afraid you’ve fallen far short. I’m surprised the marquess would dare to wed me after knowing what a bounder you are. I care nothing about a person’s blood, for it is rarely seen. But I know Shay is more honorable than you, so don’t fear for our children except that they have you for an uncle.”

She was magnificent in her defense of him and the family they didn’t have. He could have done with seeing her slap the man again, but Stephen held up a hand.

“Thea, you don’t understand,” he stressed.

She laughed harshly. “What don’t I understand, brother? That you planned to use me in the most hideous of ways all so you might feed your craving to continue gambling? What, pray tell, would you do the next time you owed such a debt? Or the time after that?”

“I know you have money. I don’t know where you got it, but you would have paid a fair sum to hire a coach to bring you here. And a fortnight of staying at inns along the way.”

“Whatever funds I do or don’t have is now the business of my husband. Not you. Please go, Stephen. I don’t want to see you ever again. Mama and Papa would be so ashamed of you.”

Shay had been standing back, allowing Thea to handle this situation with her brother so she might have some finality of seeing him off once and for all. But even a gutter rat like Shay hadn’t expected the man to reach out and grasp his own kin by the neck with the intent of choking the life from her.