“Do ye ken what that is in regard to?” she asked, motioning toward the king and the others.
“The king and I worked out an agreement before we ever reached Dunvegan so that ye would nae have to marry Colin even if he bested Graham. I imagine it pertains to that, but I dunnae ken why he would talk in front of Helena.”
Bridgette glared at Alex but then gave him a fierce hug. “Ye should have told me! I was so worried for ye, and for myself and Graham.” She did not mention Lachlan yet.
“I’m sorry but it had to be believable that ye may have to wed Colin, so it was better for ye nae to ken it. ’Twas the king’s wishes.”
She nodded, understanding Alex likely had little choice but to agree. Her gaze traveled to Lachlan. He must have learned the truth, which was why he had said what he had last night about her not having to marry Colin or Graham. “So the king will nae make me marry Graham?”
Alex gaped at her. “Dunnae ye wish to marry him?”
She shook her head. “Nay. He dunnae have my heart.”
“God’s teeth, Bridgette!” Alex growled. “I did nae ask the king nae to compel ye to marry Graham, as I thought ye would be happy with him.”
Horror struck her speechless, but before she could recover, Graham was at her side. She turned to look at him, and as she did, Helena raised her hand and pointed at him.
“Graham MacLeod, yer brother and Bridgette are playing ye false!” Marion slapped a palm over Helena’s mouth. Graham looked to Bridgette and she prayed with her whole heart that her guilt did not show, but his eyes turned cold, his jaw set, and he strode away from her without a word.
She rushed to catch him, hoping to stop what she feared was the seer’s prediction coming true before her eyes, but her fingers only grazed his sleeve before he was standing in front of Lachlan and demanding Marion remove her hand from Helena’s mouth. The king waved a hand for Marion to comply, and when she looked to Iain, he nodded, his face a mask of tension.
The moment Helena was able, she started talking again. “I could have loved ye, Lachlan, but ye never gave me a chance.”
Lachlan glared at her. “Ye came here under false pretenses to steal our flag!”
The king did not look surprised at the news. “Imprison Colin,” he called out to his guards, who stood watch over him from the dais where he must have instructed them to remain.
Colin, still bleeding, had just reached the dais and tried to escape, but the guards easily captured him. Iain shouted out an order for the crowd to disperse, and as they did, Helena began to rant once more.
“I did nae have a choice! I already told ye that after ye made me drink that potion! My father and brother ordered me to do so with threats to hurt my youngest sister unless I triumphed. I hated ye at first, aye, but I grew to care for ye! But ye…” Helena glared at Bridgette. “Ye have seduced him!”
“I’ve nae!” Bridgette protested.
“I’ve watched ye flirt, tease, offer yer lips to him, and then pull away, making him lust after ye. Dunnae try to deny it!”
Bridgette flushed because she did love Lachlan and felt guilt over it because of Graham, but she had not seduced Lachlan. “I did nae make him lust after me.”
“Ye lie! I heard ye last night here in this courtyard. Ye begged him to kiss ye. Ye told him ye did nae care if it was wicked, that ye’d rather die a sinner than live a saint! Ye said those words! Ye kinnae deny it, unless ye be a liar.”
Helena made the words sound so horrid. Shame rolled over Bridgette, followed swiftly by terror. Was this how the seer’s prediction began?
“Graham,” she sobbed, turning to him.
Fear struck deep in her heart as he charged into Lachlan, causing him to release his grip on Helena as both brothers barreled to the ground. They rolled in a blur of fists flashing in strikes, and the accompanying sounds of bone crashing into bone made her stomach clench as she raced forward, angry that neither Iain nor Alex made a move to stop the fight. The king had taken hold of Helena and was dragging her away toward another of his guards, and Marion cried for Lachlan or Graham to show reason, but the brutal fight continued.
This was it! The seer’s prediction had started. Fear nearly choked Bridgette, but she shoved it away and shouted at her brother and Iain. “Why are ye nae stopping them?” she demanded, rushing forward to try to do so herself, only to be halted by Alex and Iain both putting out their arms.
Iain spoke first. “’Twas inevitable, I’m afraid.”
Alex nodded. “Aye. Best to let Graham get some of his anger out if he can, so he dunnae hate Lachlan as much.”
“Aye,” Iain agreed.
As the men rolled once more, Lachlan came to his knees with Graham in a headlock. She bit her lip to hold in her cry at the blood smearing both their faces.
“Release me, ye swine,” Graham roared. He kicked his feet and drove them into the ground to gain power. When he cried out in pain, Lachlan dragged himself and Graham to a stand and let him go.
“Listen to me, Graham,” Lachlan begged. The torment in his voice made Bridgette tremble. His pain and his anguish were hers, too. She had to help him.
