Page 52 of To Charm a Highlander

On the way to Haydon’s solar, Callum stopped at Ainslee’s solar to check on Donella.When she saw him, she stood and held out her hands.

He walked to her and wrapped her in his arms.“It will be well.Just hold on for a while until we get this all straightened out.”

She looked up at him, her beautiful eyes filled with tears.“I killed him, Callum, I ken I did.”

He smoothed her hair back.“Did ye have anything to calm ye?Should I send to Dorathia for a potion?”

“Nay.I had some whisky, and I do feel a tad better.”

“Good.I will return as quickly as possible.”He kissed her on the head and left the room.

He heard her mumble, “I killed him.”

‘Twas a strained group of men who had gathered in Haydon’s solar.Once Callum joined them, Haydon spoke.“’Tis a verra strange position we are in now.We invited The Gunn here to discuss his theft of the lairdship and then Donella accuses him of being the mon who kidnapped, abused and violated her.”He ran his fingers through his hair.

“Did ye ken before today that she claimed to have killed the mon who took her?”Haydon asked Callum.

“Aye.She said so when her memories of the time with the mon returned.Apparently one of the issues that had troubled her during the period when she wasna herself, was she thought she was going to hell because she killed her captor.”

“Did she tell ye anything else that might help?”

“Nay.I feel whatever she told me was either all she remembered or only wanted to talk about.”He looked around the table at the men seated there.“I doona want to make anything more difficult for her.She is just now starting to come to grips with what happened to her now that she remembered.”

“I would have appreciated it if ye had told me her memory of the time had returned,” Haydon groused.

No’ daunted by his attitude, Callum said, “’Twas my decision to keep it between us because her feelings were still quite raw.”He stared at Haydon.“Donella is yer sister, but she is mywife.”

“And I am herlaird.”

After several seconds of mon cage rattling, Haydon continued, “If Donella is correct, we now have two charges against the mon.”

“My suggestion would be to kill him and solve both problems at the same time,” Conall said.

Haydon shook his head.“Despite our feelings on the matter, we cannot take out a laird without positive proof of our charges and permission from our king or we could be looking at full out war.The new king, Charles II has made it clear he doesna want fighting among the clans.”

After a few minutes of silence, Malcolm said, “Donella says she stabbed him in the chest, isna that so?”

Callum nodded.“Aye.”

“Well, all we need do is have the mon remove leine shirt and we can see if there is a stab wound there.”

Callum waved his hand.“Nay.My brother is a warrior.He’s been in many battles and could easily have a stab wound on his chest.In fact, I’m sure he does.As we all do.”

After a few minutes of silence, Haydon said, “I ken yer not going to like this, Callum, but we need to question Donella.She is making a serious charge, and one that will give any one of us the right to kill the mon, Charles be damned.”

Callum started to shake his head when Haydon first began to speak.His wife was in verra bad shape when he last saw her and he was not about to bring it all back again.

Depending on how any questioning went, it could verra well send her back to what she called her “safe place” and she might never recover again.

“I ken ye were emphatic that Donella is your wife,” Haydon said, “but as her laird, I insist that she will be questioned.”He held his hand up when Callum began to speak.“However, I will question her without everyone else present.If ye wish to stay with her, ye can do that.”

Realizing he had no choice, Callum said.“Aye, I understand.And aye, I will stay with her.Also, if things get too out of hand, brother and laird or no, I will take her from this room.With my sword if I must.”

His head pounded with all the events of the past couple of days.He dinna care about the Gunn lairdship as much as he cared if his brother had been the one to destroy Donella’s life.And then to have the arrogance to request her hand in marriage!

Haydon stood.“Let us get this o’er with.”He stretched his muscles and said, “Callum, fetch Donella and bring her here.The rest of ye can return to the lists.The warriors aren’t getting any stronger with us all sitting on our arses.”

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