“Promise me you’ll tell no one I was gone? If anyone asks, I was here all night.”
Gillian and Rose exchanged worried glances.
“What?” Isobel breathed, fear gripping her.
“Well,” Gillian said, “Uncle Roderick came here last night to fetch Rose to see to his wife.”
Rose rolled her eyes. “If she farts, he’s in a lather, thinking it’s a miscarriage.”
“Anyway,” Gillian continued, giving Rose a stern look, “he noted you were gone. But we swore him to secrecy, and you know Uncle Roderick will never tell.”
Isobel nodded, slightly relieved. She knew her uncle would not betray her, but still, it made her nervous that more people knew of her perfidy. Stephen knew, too, and though she knew she could trust him, she still felt ashamed, wondering what he thought of her now, what Philip would tell him.
“It will be fine,” Gillian soothed. “No one will ever know. Now lie down and rest. You look tired.”
“She looks like hell,” Rose said. “Have ye been up all night?” Her gaze moved over Isobel’s hair critically. “Jesus God—it’ll take hours to get a comb through yer hair. Did ye do it on yer head?” She raised her brows suddenly in appreciation. “Was it good?”
Isobel groaned and fell back onto the pillow, closing her eyes. “I cannot speak of it.” She held her hand up.
Gillian caught it and stroked the back of it. “Then do not,” she whispered. “I’ll make Rose shut her mouth so you can sleep. Don’t worry about your hair now, it looks fine.”
Isobel nodded and tried to force herself to sleep. That’s what she needed, she told herself, a few hours of peace, then she could put all of this in perspective.
Unfortunately, she feared she would never know a moment’s peace again.
Chapter 19
In less than an hour, Philip and Stephen were ready to leave. Philip had burned the sheets and swept out the fireplace—disposing of the evidence over the castle walls, into the loch below. As if it had never happened. That was what she wanted. For himself, he could not pretend it didn’t happen and so he would have to stay away from Glen Laire and anywhere else she might be.
After an abortive attempt to scold Philip for bedding Kincreag’s betrothed, Stephen was wisely keeping quiet. He waited in the great hall as Philip strode across the castle to Alan’s chambers.
Philip hammered on the door until Hagan opened it. Hagan’s black brows were lowered dangerously until he saw who it was. “Sir Philip? He is still asleep.”
“Then wake him. I’m leaving, and I do not wish to go without speaking to him, but I will.”
Irritated, Hagan opened the door wider to admit them. Philip strode in, only to stop when he noticed the earl of Kincreag slumped beside Alan’s bed, asleep. Philip looked at Hagan questioningly, and the big Irishman motioned him close.
“He offered to keep watch so I could get some sleep.”
“Keep watch?”
Hagan shook his head with a mixture of weariness and despair. “Sometimes…things happen at night.”
“Things?”
“He has dreams…nightmares I cannot wake him from. And when he finally wakes, he is covered with bruises as if someone beat him—and yetno one is herebut me. I cannot explain it. But I will not leave him unattended at night. I fear what would happen if someone is not watching over him.”
Hagan’s description of Alan’s illness was unsettling, and Philip felt a new twinge of guilt over what he’d done last night. Isobel was Alan’s daughter; he should have controlled himself and respected that. Hagan woke the earl and said something to him in a low voice. Kincreag stood, rubbing a hand over his face. Hagan woke Alan. The earl leaned down, whispering to Alan, and they gripped hands.
Philip still stood near the door, and when Kincreag turned to go, he kept his gaze steady on Philip until he stood before him. They were of the same height—Kincreag perhaps a bit taller. Philip did not like him, despite his obvious devotion to Alan. He didn’t think he could ever like the man who married Isobel, but especially not this one.
“Thank you for bringing Mistress MacDonell home safely,” Kincreag said. “Alan assures me you executed your duty with honor, despite the lady’s lack of female companionship.”
Philip nodded stiffly.With honor. He felt ill. A liar and a cheat.
“If there’s anything you need…”
Philip shook his head. “No. Nothing.”
