She tried to push around him, but he caught her by the shoulders and held her there, leaning down until they stood nose to nose. “Duncan wants ye safe in yer room. I’ll not go against my brother’s wishes.”
“Well, I can.”
“Merry!” Serendipity wrapped an arm around her and pulled. “Come to the room. I am sure Lord Malcolm will let us know when you can see your Duncan. Will you not, Lord Malcolm?”
He nodded, appearing relieved that Serendipity had come to help. “I swear I will, Lady Merry. I swear it.”
“If you do not fetch me to see him within the hour, I shall tear this inn apart board by board until I find him. Do you understand me, Lord Malcolm? Am I quite clear?”
“Malcolm will do as he’s promised, Lady Merry.” Lady Evelyn joined Serendipity in leading her to the stairs. “Come along now, child. Let them do what needs to be done, aye? Ye’re fair overwrought and need a good, strong drink.”
She turned and shouted over her shoulder as they pulled her away, “I mean it, Lord Malcolm! One hour!”
The inn’s dining room fell silent, and everyone stared, but she didn’t care.
“Come along now,” Serendipity shushed her as if she were a fractious toddler. “Lord Malcolm will keep his word.”
“Stop speaking to me as if I were a child!”
“Then behave like the strong woman I know you to be.” Serendipity bumped her with her hip, yanking her along harder. “You must calm yourself. Behaving like a senseless wretch does no one any good, least of all your Duncan.”
They reached the room, finding their three maids staring at them with eyes wide with fear. Lady Evelyn snapped her fingers. “Run down and fetch some tea along with a bottle of their best whisky. I doubt they’ve any decent brandy on the premises.”
The young woman whose name Merry couldn’t recall curtsied and ran out the door. Merry’s maid, Jenny, and Serendipity’s maid, Bess, hovered nearby as though wishing for orders too.
“See if she needs help with the trays,” Serendipity told them.
Both maids shot out the door and closed it softly behind them.
“Now, let’s sit ye down, lass,” Lady Evelyn said as they led Merry to one of the two large beds in the room. “Tell us what happened.”
Merry swallowed hard, unable to rid herself of the horrible sound of the gunfire. “We were right outside the stable. Duncan was afraid Ihad changed my mind about marrying him, and to convince him I never would, I asked for a kiss.” She didn’t care that she sounded like a brazen hussy.
“And then what?” Serendipity settled down beside her, hugging her close.
“A shot rang out.” Merry closed her eyes and clutched her fist to her chest. “He jerked and grunted, then pushed me down to the ground so I would be safe.” She rocked in place. “I know he’s hurt. Lord Malcolm even said so, but tried to allay my worries by saying it was nothing more than a scratch. He said Duncan endured worse in the war.” She covered her face with her hands. “He cannot die. He simply cannot.”
Lady Evelyn pushed in to sit between her and the bed’s brass footboard, scooting her and Serendipity farther down the bed. “Duncan is strong, lass. I promise ye. My precious boy has not had a peaceful life.”
“But a gunshot wound—”
“He was shot in the war and survived it.” A heavy sigh left the woman who suddenly seemed years older. “And he survived his father’s beatings, which were a great deal worse than any gunshot.”
Knowing all that Duncan had suffered did little to make Merry feel any easier. “I don’t want him to hurt. It’s so unfair.” She clutched her hands in her lap, wringing them. “If I hadn’t mentioned going for a walk…”
“Stop that right now!” Lady Evelyn shook a finger at her. “Ye will not lay the blame for this on your shoulders. I’ll not have it.”
“Lady Evelyn is right,” Serendipity said. “We all know whose fault this was.”
“I hope Angus killed him.” Merry wiped her eyes and sniffed. “Angus called out that he had gotten the shooter.”
“Well done, Angus,” Lady Evelyn said. “We shall see that he’s amply rewarded.”
A knock at the door made them all turn. Serendipity hurried toopen it.
Merry sagged in disappointment at the sight of the maids carrying in trays of tea and food. “How long has it been since we came up here? I meant what I said to Lord Malcolm.”
“It’s not been but a wee bit.” Lady Evelyn opened one of the bottles, sniffed it, and appeared mildly impressed. “They had brandy after all. Well done, Lairie.”
