The aroma ofthe best food and drink that Dun Arach could provide filled the air of the great hall. It turned Jamie’s stomach.
He sat at the head of the long table, a goblet untouched beside his platter. The king’s envoy—a sleek, soft-handed man named Sir Ewan Bruce—was talking again, his voice a steady drone of politeness that set Jamie’s teeth on edge. He caught fragments of what was being said between the dull roar of his own thoughts.
The betrothal… alliances… the Crown’s blessing… the ceremony scheduled for as soon as Lady Margaret can make the journey.
He wanted to put his fist through the table.
But he nodded when appropriate and made the right noises, keeping his expression deliberately bland. The Lord of the Isles could not afford to show his temper before a royal envoy. Still, every polite phrase scraped across his nerves like sand.
“The Lady Margaret is eager to meet ye, my lord,” Sir Ewan was saying, breaking into his thoughts. “I’m sure ye will find her to yer liking. She is well-versed in music, embroidery, and the reading of Latin texts—quite the refined lady.”
Jamie forced a tight smile. “Aye. I’m sure she is.”
Sir Ewan smiled indulgently. “His Majesty will be most pleased to see the Isles brought closer to the Crown through this union. It is a sign of faith between our realms.”
Faith, Jamie thought bitterly.Is that what you call it? I call it a manacle. An iron chain binding us to servitude.
He forced himself to chew and swallowed a mouthful of bread. It tasted like dust on his tongue. Elise’s laugh flickered across his mind—wild and bright, like sunlight on water. He remembered her teasing him as they rode along the coast, the streaks of pink in her hair glowing in the sun. He remembered the taste of her lips when they’d kissed on the beach. He remembered how he’d felt with her in his arms, like he could conquer the world.
And now she probably hated him.
Sir Ewan poured himself more wine. “Lady Margaret is, of course, quite beautiful,” he droned on. “And her dowry alone could see yer shipyards rebuilt twice over. When yer marriage is formalized, the Crown will provide additional levies to secure the isles from further attack.”
Jamie’s jaw clenched. “Right.”
His fingers tightened around his goblet until they ached. He could feel everyone watching—the servants pretending not to listen, Phillip sitting by his side and nodding along with the envoy’s words. He could almost hear Elise’s voice in his head, sharp with humor.You’re scowling again. Is that what you call diplomacy, my lord?
He pushed his plate away. “Ye must excuse me,” he said abruptly, standing. “But I have urgent business to attend to.”
Sir Ewan blinked. “But we havenae signed the marriage contract yet.”
“Later.”
Without waiting for permission, he strode from the hall. By the time he reached the stairwell that led to the guest chambers, his heart was pounding. He climbed the steps two at a time and hurried through the passages until he finally reached her door. For a long moment he stood there, trying to work up his courage.
He knocked once. “Elise?”
No answer.
He tried again, louder this time. “Elise, it’s me. I need to speak with ye.”
Still nothing. He growled under his breath. He wouldn’t let her ignore him this time. He pushed the door open and strode inside.
“Damn it, Elise, ye canna avoid me forever—”
His words died on his tongue. The room was empty. The sheets were rumpled, showing that the bed had been slept in, but Jamie knew instantly that she was gone. The smell of her lingered in the air but the sense of her presence, the energy of her, was absent. The room felt hollow without her in it.
A stub of candle had burned down to almost nothing on the desk and a few documents were scattered across it—the kind of dry reports and goods manifests that Phillip usually kept in his study. It seemed Elise had been reading them again.
He whirled—and almost collided with Alice carrying a stack of sheets.
The young maid cringed back. “My laird!” the lass stammered, curtsying hastily.
“Where is the Lady Elise?” Jamie demanded.
Alice blinked. “I…um…I dinna ken, my laird. She was gone when I came to bring her hot water this morning.”
“Has anyone seen her since last night?”
