Page 26 of Scottish Rose: Coira

“Sweetcakes is out in this storm?” Coira ran to the window and threw open the shutter. She scanned the courtyard below but didn’t see the dog anywhere. “I need to find her.” She turned to go, jumping in surprise as it thundered again.

“Nay, you’re not going anywhere.” Lance stepped in front of her. “It’s just a dog that used to be a stray. It’ll come back when it’s good and ready. If not, we’ll search for it in the morning light after the rain lets up.”

“Ye care only about yerself!” cried Coira.

“Coira, that’s not true. What do you want? Do you want me to find the dog? I said I’d search for it in the morning.”

“Nay, I dinna want anythin’ from ye. Ye are my enemy now.” Tears flowed down her cheeks as she pushed past him and ran from the room.

“Now you did it, you fool,” snapped Zara, taking off after Coira.

Lance collapsed atop a chair, dragging a hand through his wet hair. His clothes dripped and a puddle of water pooled beneath him. “Did you have to tell us about the dog right now?” he asked his squire.

“I suppose it could have waited.” Jack walked over and closed the shutter to keep out the rain. “But I know how much Coira cares for Sweetcakes and thought I should let her know immediately that the dog ran away.”

“It’s just a damned hound, Squire. What does it matter?”

“My lord?” Jack turned around and cocked his head. “I thought you’d want to make your wife happy by finding the dog.”

“The last time I tried to make my wife happy is what got me into this mess in the first place.”

“I don’t understand.” Jack went over and poked at the fire with an iron rod.

“I thought it would mean something to Coira to live in a castle and have a husband who owned land as well. I wanted her to be proud to be my wife. That’s the reason I did what I did.”

“But Lady Coira doesn’t seem to care about living in a castle,” Jack told him.

“I know that now. However, the damage has been done.” Lance stared into the flames, thinking of how angry his uncle would be when he found out he’d been deceived. “Sir Philip will most likely return from his trip tomorrow sometime. And when he finds no stone hidden where I told him it would be, there will be a battle between us over the castle.”

“What are you going to do, my lord?”

“What can I do?” Lance stood up and slogged his way to the door, his shoes squeaking with water with every step he took. “Saddle our horses, Squire, we’ve got a dog to find.”

“But what about Sir Philip?” asked Jack, running after him. “What if he returns while we’re away?”

“I know how long it takes to get to the River Annan and back. He won’t return at least until late tomorrow sometime. By then, hopefully I’ll have an answer about what to do.”

“Are you going to fight him for the castle?” asked Jack.

“I can’t answer that right now,” Lance told him. “Now let’s get a move on, because we have a dog to find before my wife calls me the enemy again.”

Chapter 11

Coira spent the night in Zara’s room, where she had cried herself to sleep. It wasn’t until she heard shouting from the courtyard that she awoke.

“What is it, Zara?” She sat up in bed. “Has Lance returned?” She found out from the stable boy that Lance and Jack went out in the middle of the storm to look for the dog. At first, she was happy. But after hours of a severe storm and they still hadn’t returned, she started to worry.

“I don’t know,” said Zara, sitting up as well. They shared the bed, but Coira wished she was sharing the bed with her husband instead.

“It’s got to be him. He must have found the dog.” She hurriedly dressed and pushed on her shoes and headed for the door.

“Where are you going in the middle of the night?” asked Zara.

“I have to see him, Zara. I need to tell him that I’m sorry for deceivin’ him.”

“Now is a fine time to think of that.” Zara swung her legs over the side of the bed and yawned. “Perhaps, if you could have told him before he left, none of the problems between you would matter.”

“I was angry,” said Coira, grabbing a cloak from a hook and throwing it around her shoulders. “But I had time to think. Lance said it was a knight’s dream to own a castle. I think I now understand his decision.”