"Blackburn threatened their families and their food supply."
Neacal cursed under his breath. "An underhanded leader will not stand for long."
"I'd hoped the clan would force him out, but they fear him and the dozens of men he brought with him."
Neacal shook his head. "Such injustice," he muttered, hoping he would have the opportunity to right the many wrongs this Blackburn brute had committed. First and foremost, he was raring to help Anna wrest herself free of the bastard. She had already said Blackburn had murdered her first husband. Neacal wanted to know what happened but didn't want to distress her by asking for details. Still, he was deeply curious about the man and whether he had treated her well. "Was your first husband a good chief?" he asked instead.
"Aye." Anna gave a sad smile. "He was much admired and respected."
"And was he a good husband to you?"
Sudden tears glistened in her eyes and she dropped her gaze.
Damnation, he had not wanted to make her sad. "I'm sorry I asked. You don't have to answer that."
She shook her head and swallowed. "'Tis all right. I don't mind telling you my husband was a very good man, kind and generous to everyone, and I loved him. 'Twas an arranged marriage; he was eight years my senior. He said he fell in love with me when first he laid eyes on me. I soon grew to love him, too." Anna's expression shifted from a sad, bittersweet smile to clenched-jaw fury. "Every time I remember how that blackguard murdered him, I want to commit murder myself."
"How did it happen?" he asked carefully, not wanting to upset her more, but needing to know the type of outlaw he was dealing with.
"Blackburn and his men came for a visit, pretending to be friendly. After supper, Blackburn asked my husband, John, if he could speak to him in private. He agreed. They were cousins and had spoken in private many times, so no questions were raised. 'Twas late and I was tired. I went to bed but was soon awakened by my maid, who was in tears, blabbering about John being found… stabbed in the library." Anna's voice sounded choked and tears glistened in her eyes.
"Saints," Neacal hissed, his heart breaking for her. He wanted to take her hand and rub it, offering comfort, but feared 'twould only distract her.
"No one saw Blackburn do the deed but, of course, he had. Who else? John's bodyguard, who'd waited outside the door, said Blackburn was the only other person in the room. But the guard had heard nothing. Before anyone knew he'd done it, Blackburn walked away, took his men and left. The guard waited outside the door, but when John didn't emerge within the hour, he went in and found him slumped over."
Neacal muttered a curse.
Her brows furrowed, Anna blotted her tears with a handkerchief. "The day after the funeral, Blackburn made his intentions known. John's heir, his nephew, was not yet grown into a man. 'Twas too easy for Blackburn to take control. Rumors circulated that he'd threatened to kill the lad if he didn't step aside. I was… with child." Anna dropped her gaze and he thought he'd misunderstood.
Neacal swallowed hard. "Did you saywith child?"
"Aye. Seven months along," Anna whispered, fresh tears trailing down her cheeks.
Neacal's breath froze within his chest. He didn't want to ask what happened next, for he feared he already knew the answer. "You don't have to—"
"Nay, I wish you to know what sort of monster Blackburn is." Her dark and anguished gaze held him in place and her hands, holding the handkerchief, trembled. "He would not allow me to leave and go to my family. He is a strange man… he looked at me with a mixture of lust and repugnance. He feared I carried a boy, you see, John's heir. He grew angry and shoved me down the stairs. That was when…"
Neacal leaned closer and drew Anna into his arms, hoping to silence her. "You don't have to go on if you don't wish to." He didn't want to put her through the pain of it again.
"Nay." She shook her head against him, then drew back. "You have to know the truth. I was hurt, bruised up. My back, my side. A few minutes later, I started having contractions. 'Twas too early, of course. The tiny babe was born but could not survive. I held her in my arms as she drew her last breath."
Tears burning his own eyes, Neacal pulled her back to him, willing her to stop, for she was ripping his heart out. Holding her head against his chest, he stroked her hair. They remained that way for long moments.
Finally, Anna sniffled and sat up straight, drying her eyes. "Blackburn not only took my beloved husband but also our only child. I wanted to kill him," she said through clenched teeth. "But I was too injured to leave the bed for weeks. I'd lost a lot of blood and had fevers."
"You won't have to kill him. I'll do it for you," Neacal vowed. Anna was like an earth-bound angel and any man who treated her that way, practically destroying her, deserved the worst sort of death. Even the torture Neacal had endured would be too good for the man. "Why was the murder not reported to the authorities?"
"There was no proof he'd done it. No witnesses to the murder itself. Besides, rumor has it Blackburn slipped the constable money under the table."
Neacal shook his head, though he was not surprised. There was much corruption everywhere.
"I was getting better," Anna continued. "But still wasn't very strong, when he decided he wanted to marry me."
"Why, after he'd treated you so horribly?"
"I think it was because he wanted to own and possess everything that John had. He'd always been jealous of him."
Neacal nodded. He'd met that type of greedy whoreson before.
