Page 39 of In Bed with a Scot

“If he discovers the truth, he will kill us all,” Isabelle breathed, then took off running as fast as her legs would carry her.

“What were ye thinking, Madden?” Keelin hissed. “I can smell her on ye. Ye can be certain that Bain will be able tae smell ye on her if he gets close enough. Ye are risking both of yer lives.”

“I love her,” Madden admitted.

“Yer love will get ye both killed.” Keelin sighed, her anger losing its intensity with his admission. She shook her head. “What are ye going tae dae?”

“I asked her tae run away with me, but she does nae believe that she can. If me suspicions are correct, she may nae have a choice.”

“Suspicions?” Keelin asked, her brows raised in question.

“Bain and Athol.” Madden quickly filled her in on what he had seen on the battlefield and the way that they had behaved afterwards.

“Ye suspect that they had something tae dae with the attack? I dinnae like the man, but what reason would he have tae attack his own wife’s people, her own braither?”

“He came tae beg Arran fer money. Arran has nae given him what he wants.”

“That does nae mean that he will nae help him.”

“Aye, but dae ye see the Laird Sutherland as a man of patience?”

Keelin shook her head. “I dinnae.”

“Is he a man that would settle fer less than what he came fer?”

Once again, Keelin shook her head. “He is nae.”

Madden raised his brows in suggestion.

“Dae ye have proof?” Keelin asked.

Madden shook his head. “I dinnae.”

“Then we need tae find proof. If what ye say is true, then more than money is at stake here. If what ye say is true, Arran, Isabelle, and anyone else who stands in his way is in danger.”

Isabelle raced up the back stairs and burst into Arran’s room startling Cara. “Isabelle, has there been another attack?”

“Nae,” Isabelle gasped. “Bain is on his way here. If he asks, I have been here with ye fer some time.”

Cara’s forehead crinkled in question, but she nodded. “Aye, I will say this, but ye owe me an explanation.”

“I will give it tae ye, but it must be later,” she promised. Isabelle’s eyes begged Cara to understand.

Cara nodded. “Aye, I can wait.”

“I thank ye,” Isabelle sighed in relief.

A hard knock sounded on the door. Isabelle straightened herself, leveled out her breathing, then walked over to the door to answer it. “Bain,” she greeted her husband more calmly than she felt. “Arran is asleep and is nae receiving visitors at this time.”

Bain grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out into the hallway. His eyes fell on the necklace around her neck. “Ye said that ye lost that.”

“I was mistaken. I found it in our bedchamber.”

Bain grabbed ahold of the necklace as if he were about to rip it from her neck. Without thinking, Isabelle lashed out and slapped him across the face. Bain was so surprised that he dropped the necklace and took a step back. Fury filled his eyes, and he raised his hand to strike her back, when Cara opened the door, saving Isabelle from a bloody beating.

“Arran is awake now,” she announced. “He would like tae speak with ye, Isabelle.”

Isabelle nodded and slipped back into the bedchamber. Cara closed the door leaving Bain standing outside in the corridor.