She gasped. “What? Surely, you don’t mean it.”
“Indeed, I do, lassie. He is in our finest guestroom, of course, and he shares it with no one. ’Twill be easy for you to find him.”
“I cannot. He is a good man. I could never trick him in such away.”
“You can and you will.”
The image of Talia’s battered face flashed in Seona’s mind. That, combined with memories of the bruises on her mother’s face in the past, unleashed fury through Seona, eclipsing her fear. Her jaw clenched as did her fists hidden within the folds of her skirts. “Or what? You will leave my face black and blue as you did Talia’s?”
“Dare you question me?” he demanded, his frown deep and thunderous, but she didn’t care.
“Why did you beat her so? She is but a young lass.”
“She’s a woman, just as you are! You’ll both do your duty to me and marry respected, prominent men with titles. Your mother failed in her duty. She never gave me a son. Only whining, frail daughters who are naught but a burden.”
Tears blurred her vision. “Mother did the best she could! She could not change God’s will.”
Her father struck his large fist against the top of a table, sending everything on it smashing to the floor. “Get out of my sight!”
Seona ran from the room, slamming the door behind her. Her heart pounded in her throat and tears blurred her vision as she hurried up the spiral staircase. She’d gotten off lucky—her father had struck the table instead of her.
She wouldnotdo as he bid and seduce Rebbie. But she must get word to him and Keegan about her father’s orders. They needed to know what kind of manipulative, vile man he truly was.
∞∞∞
Although Seona had wanted very badly to see Keegan at the midday meal, she’d avoided the great hall because of her father and Wentworth.
’Twas early afternoon when she put on her oldestarisaid,pulling the dull plaid over her head, and slipped down the back servants’ stair to the ground floor. The few maids about paid her no heed. At all costs, she must avoid her father and Wentworth, though she had no inkling where they were.
She needed to talk to Keegan right away.
When she stepped out the kitchen doorway into the barmkin, heavy dark clouds blocked the sun and a faint misty rain hissed through the air.
Rebbie stood just outside the stables talking to one of the MacKay guards. She headed in his direction. Keegan had to be nearby.
She bypassed Rebbie, glancing up at him so he’d know who she was, and moved through the wide doorway into the stables. He excused himself from the guard and followed her inside.
“Are you looking for Keegan?” he whispered.
“Aye. Where is he? I must tell you both something.”
“I’ll go find him.” Rebbie poked his head into an empty horse stall. “You wait in here.”
Seona nodded and slipped into the stall, the packed earth floor scattered with straw. It had been recently cleaned. Her father was meticulous about his stables.
Her father. Blast him.
How could he beat her sister and then lock her in for days? Seona’s first instinct was to tell Keegan about it, but she couldn’t. If he knew how truly violent her father was, he’d likely do something drastic, putting his own life in danger.
She closed her eyes, praying neither her father nor any of his men had seen her slip out and that no one had recognized her. Through the narrow window opening in the stone wall, she listened to the rain falling harder.
The longer she waited, the more her stomach cramped with nerves. Finally, she heard Rebbie and Keegan’s deep voices as they approached.
“Thank the saints,” she whispered and faced the door.
Keegan, looking more handsome than she’d ever seen him, stepped inside the stall.
“I’ll wait out here,” Rebbie said.
