“Ye’ve been through enough.”
But even as he stepped back, giving her space, every part of him resisted the distance, as though leaving her side, even for a moment, was a risk he could no longer bear.
“Tell me true, Eloise,” Beatrice said, her voice low and urgent, “are ye truly unharmed?”
The morning light filtered softly through the narrow windows of Eloise’s chamber. Eloise offered a small, reassuring smile, though her fingers twisted in the blanket.
“Aye, I was fortunate,” she said gently. “Drummond couldnae find the priest in time for the ceremony.”
Beatrice frowned slightly. “How did that come to be?”
Eloise exhaled softly. “Turns out he was off drunk somewhere, and they didnae find him until the next day. We were set to marry at sunset, but James and Callum arrived before then.”
Beatrice clasped her hands together. “That is a blessing, cousin. A true blessing. Ye were saved from the prison of being married to Drummond.”
Eloise nodded, though the memory sent a chill through her, the echo of Drummond’s voice still lingering in her mind. She pushed the thought away, unwilling to let fear take root now that she was safe.
“I cannae believe how close it came,” she said.
Beatrice reached for her hand, squeezing it tight. “But ye are here now, and that is all that matters.”
A strange warmth moved through her. “Aye,” she said quietly, more to herself than to Beatrice.
Eloise smiled faintly, though her thoughts drifted, unbidden, to James, his fury, his desperation, the way he rode across the Highlands to rescue her. Then he had held her as though she were something precious.
A knock sounded at the door, and both women turned as it opened. James stepped inside, his presence filling the room at once, his gaze going immediately to Eloise as though drawn by instinct.
“Good mornin’,” he said, nodding briefly to Beatrice.
“Laird,” Beatrice replied with a small curtsy, her tone warm.
James shifted slightly, his focus never leaving Eloise. “If ye daenae mind, I need to take Eloise with me on some business in the castle.”
Beatrice’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “I daenae mind at all. How can I, when ye’ve saved her life?”
She gave Eloise’s hand a final squeeze before rising. “I shall leave ye to it.” And with that, she slipped from the room, closing the door behind her.
Eloise looked up at James, her brow furrowing slightly. “Where are we going?” she asked, rising slowly from the bed.
He did not answer at once, only held out his hand for her. “To do something that should have been done long ago,” he said at last. Her confusion deepened, but she placed her hand in his nonetheless, allowing him to lead her from the chamber. They walked in silence through the corridors, his grip steady, his expression unreadable. Eloise’s thoughts raced, unease curling in her stomach as they approached a guarded door she had never seen before.
James nodded to the guard. “Unlock it.” The heavy bolt slid back with a dull scrape, and he pushed the door open, guiding Eloise inside.
The room was dim and cold, and at its center sat Mairead, her posture stiff, her face pale from a night without rest.
Eloise froze, her breath catching sharply. “Ye…” she gasped, her voice trembling with disbelief and anger. “How could ye?”
Mairead looked up, her eyes red with tears, her composure crumbling at the sight of them.
“I thought… I thought I was doing what was right,” she said, her voice breaking. “For me heart… for me future.”
Eloise stared at her, something fierce and unyielding rising within her. “Ye call that right?” she demanded, her voice sharpening.
James stepped forward then, his presence commanding, his tone cold as winter steel. “Yer position here has collapsed, Mairead,” he said, his words precise and unyielding. “What ye believed to be destiny was nothing more than entitlement dressed as strategy.”
Mairead flinched, shaking her head. “Nay… ye cannae mean that,” she whispered. “The alliance… between us…”
James cut her off. “Is destroyed,” he said flatly. “And ye will face the consequences of yer actions. Me guards will escort ye to yer father, Laird Cameron. I am sending word of all that has occurred, along with me order that ye are to remain within his castle for two years.”
