Page 46 of His Secret Highland Bride

“Is everything straightened out at the castle?” she asked while serving him the stew she’d made, noticing how her hands shook. She put a bit in a dish and set it on the floor for Tre.

“No. In fact, I must return tonight, but I wanted to see you. I’m sorry I’ve been absent. I have guards watching the house.”

She frowned, remembering the guards she’d already met.

“I made sure they were trustworthy. You are safe here—I promise. You know I wouldn’t risk leaving you if there was any question.”

She’d had guards with her when she’d lived at Riccarton, her father’s castle. She didn’t want that again. She liked her simple life. “What if we left here?” she suggested in what she hoped sounded casual rather than as if she’d been thinking about nothing else for most of the day.

“Left?”

“Aye. You and I could pack up our things and move on, away from here. Away from the danger of the men, away from the orders of a demanding laird.”

Shane laughed, though she didn’t think she’d said anything amusing. “Why do you think the laird is demanding?” he asked.

“He keeps you from me when you’d rather be here.”

The mirth left his eyes, and he nodded. “Aye. That he does.”

“We could leave this place and make our home somewhere else,” she repeated. She’d never thought to make the MacPherson lands her home anyway. She’d only changed her mind because of Shane. But Shane was her home now, not this place. Leaving would keep him safe.

Her cousin Meaghan had married a MacKenzie. They could go there and start a new life.

“I am a MacPherson,” he said as if she’d forgotten.

“Are you a MacPherson, or are you my husband?” She hated the challenge as soon as she’d spoken it. But it was true. He was being forced to choose between his duty to his laird and her. She selfishly wanted him to choose her, for she was willing to turn her back on her father and his plans for her so she could choose Shane.

He frowned and brushed his rough knuckles over her cheek.

“I’m sorry, lass. I can’t leave this place. It’s my home. I want it to be your home as well, and that of our children and their children. Running from something rarely solves anything. Most of the time, trouble finds you wherever you might go.”

She let out a breath, unwilling to continue this argument, mostly because her husband was right. If they fled, her father would search for her. And he’d only grow angrier for having to track her down and drag her back to do her duty. She was destined to lose this battle. But she feared in losing the battle she would also lose Shane.

Late that night, as Shane slipped into their bed and fell straight to sleep, she decided her fate was sealed. When the time came, she’d do what she needed to protect Shane. And until that moment, she would allow herself to love him with all her heart. During the darkest days, she’d be able to look back on her time with this man and remember the joy she’d felt being his wife.

…

Shane was in the bailey the next morning, leading his men in their drills, when the guard on the gate yelled that a rider approached the castle. Knowing it couldn’t yet be Alec, Shane wasn’t surprised to see the messenger he’d sent to Strathspey, the Grant keep. As soon as the lad dropped from his horse to his feet, he had the missive pulled from his sporran and thrust into Shane’s waiting hands.

Shane would have wagons readied immediately to go retrieve the items from the Grants. Hopefully the money was not all spent. What they did with Deirdre, Shane didn’t care. He only wanted what belonged to his clan so he could repay the dowry to the Wallace laird. But as his eyes traveled over the letter, he found his mouth falling open in surprise.

“Deirdre isn’t with the Grants. Ronan hasn’t seen her.”

Tory, who’d come out of the castle, sent the messenger into the kitchens for food and drink, then turned to Shane. “Where could she have gone?” she asked as she shook her head.

“The woman is as slippery as a serpent. I should have known she wouldn’t have gone where we expected. She no doubt found a sunny rock to slither beneath.”

He tapped the useless letter against his thigh a few times as he thought over his next step. He noticed the stable at the far end of the bailey and headed in that direction. Inside the building, he breathed in the sweet scent of leather and horses as he looked about for the stablemaster. “You there.”

“Aye?” the man said, looking Shane over before awareness struck. “My laird.” The man bowed. It’d been some time since he’d been at the castle, and no formal announcement had yet been made that he had returned.

Shane had no time for such things. In fact, he didn’t like that the man had recognized him, but he realized it was bound to get out at some point whether he wanted it to or not. He would need to deal with that soon, but for now he had more pressing problems to see to.

“Lady MacPherson left the castle in her carriage. She must’ve had a driver and mayhap a few outriders?”

“She’s a charmer, that one.” The older man rolled his eyes, as if she didn’t tempt him.

Shane nodded. It wouldn’t have been difficult for his stepmother to have flirted her way out of the castle with a full contingent of riders—such was her way, with a smile and a twinkling eye. At least to the right men.