Fiona scrambled out of her chairand grabbed his arm. “Iain, it’s nae as it seems!”
He scoffed. “Is it nae?”
A look of horror swept over Fiona’sface. “Nay, ye dunnae understand!”
Iain clenched his teeth to stiflethe desire to shake the woman. “Did ye or did ye nae give Catriona’s gown toMarion, knowing it would make me angry?”
“I did, but—”
He took a firm hold of Fiona’selbow and led her out of the great hall so the rest of their conversation wouldnot be overheard. “Ye let Marion wear that gown in here nae knowing what shewore. I’ll nae have someone treat my wife that way.”
Fiona scowled. “And why nae? Yedunnae love her.”
“Ye dunnae ken a thing about how Ifeel for her,” he ground out. “Listen carefully to me, Fiona. Even if I hadnever married Marion, I would nae have married ye. I did nae wish to marryagain at all,until her. Now, go fetch yer sister and get her to help yepack. John MacDonald has asked to marry ye, and I’m going to let him.”
Iain departed without a backward glanceand raced to his bedchamber. All he wanted was to see Marion and beg her toforgive him, but when he burst through the bedroom door, he realized thechamber was empty—of Marion. The room itself was most assuredly full—ofCatriona’s things. Her wedding gown lay on the bed along with the moreserviceable gowns she had worn. They covered the bed fully, and Iain’s pulseticked rapidly in his temples as understanding filled him. Marion thought therewas no space for her in his life or his heart. He hastily stuffed the gownsinto Catriona’s trunk and then dragged the trunk to Marion’s bedchamber, whichwas still unfinished. It didn’t matter because she was never going to sleep inthere.
With the task he should have donethe day they arrived at Dunvegan finally completed, he pondered where Marionmight have gone. She was likely wandering about somewhere, possibly down belowor even out on the rampart. Iain would start in the kitchen, where he knew shefelt comfortable.
Kyla greeted him with wide eyes anda quick curtsy when he appeared in the kitchen entry. “Laird?”
“I’m looking for Marion,” heexplained.
Neil’s wife furrowed her brow.“She’s nae here. I would think she’d be in the great hall with ye.”
Iain nodded. “She was, but I’m afool.”
Kyla’s gaze widened further. “Maybecheck the tower, if she thought to be alone.”
He nodded and strode out the doorto the tower. He took the stairs three at a time, sure he’d find her there, butwhen he didn’t, he cursed, his anger at himself growing stronger. Next hechecked the stables, where he found Angus, who must have slipped out of supper.
“Have ye seen Marion?” Iain called,breathless.
Angus shook his head, his browwrinkling. “She is nae with ye?”
“Nay. I dunnae where she went.”
“I’ll help ye search,” the olderScot said, rushing Iain out of the stables.
Together they checked the herbgarden and vegetable garden where there were places to sit in seclusion, butthey still did not find her. Worry obliterated his guilt for the moment. “Wherecould she be? Surely, she would nae go down to the water alone?”
Angus scowled at Iain. “Ye do naeken her very well if ye dunnae understand she’d do such a thing. Her emotionstriumph over her good senses sometimes, ye ken.”
“I ken,” Iain responded, hisconcern growing. What if she was so angry that she’d left the castle groundsfor the woods? The idea of her wandering alone out there at night where wildanimals were, or worse… His heart stuttered. His lands were well guarded, butwhat if Froste or de Lacy had sent someone to fetch her again?
Without a word of explanation, Iainstormed toward the great hall and burst through the door. The chatter in theroom died instantly. “I want every man outside now to help me search forMarion.”
Before anyone could respond, thewarning horn from the watchtower blew in five short bursts, signaling an enemyship was near. Iain’s chest felt as if it were about to explode as men chargedtoward him.
“Arm yerselves for war,” he roaredas he headed toward the wall where he always kept his sword. The clank ofweapons being readied joined the hum of men talking, and soon Iain strode intothe courtyard. His men poured out behind him, armed with swords, bows, andarrows. Iain, flanked by his brothers, Rory Mac, and Angus, led the charge downthe seagate stairs, expecting to see the enemy rushing off a ship ready toattack. But when they reached the shore, a ship with a large banner depicting aswirling snake was sailing away under the bright moonlight.
Iain stuttered to a halt, momentarilyconfused. It was certainly Froste’s ship, so why was it leaving before seeingbattle?
“Did they decide nae to strike?”Rory Mac asked, sounding just as bewildered as Iain.
At that moment, the man who ran thewatchtower, Roland, stumbled across the ground. He fell at Iain’s knees.“Laird,” he rasped. “I’m sorry. I-I fell asleep. When I awoke, I saw the shipand sounded the horn.”
Iain’s heart tightened, each beatexcruciatingly painful as he stared, frozen in shock, out beyond the loch to thedistant sea.Why would they leave?he wondered. The possibility thatthey’d come for Marion and had found her out here, alone, angry, and hurt madefear and anger pulse within him.
