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“What are ye doin’ down here all by yerself? Seems awfully lonely to be sitting in such a large room in the dark,” Olivia said as she inched closer to him.
“I was thinkin’, or did ye think that all there was to bein’ the laird is fancy gatherings and the like? Ye ken there is more goin’ on in my life than that right?” he snapped, causing Olivia to jump back a step. She nodded as her eyes scanned the room. The smell of whiskey filled the room as if someone had tossed a bottle into the fire. Yet, there were no broken pieces scattered about. Slowly she drew her attention back to Conner and dropped her shoulders.
“What is goin’ on?” she asked as she lifted her head up, refusing to be frightened by him. “One minute yer kind and gentle, showin’ me around and treatin’ me as a respectable wife, the next yer barkin’ at me and givin’ me a cold shoulder. So, what is this all about? Because clearly, somethin’ or someone has turned ye against me.” Olivia’s heart pounded in her ears as she dared to lift a hand to him.
“Dae ye ken a man by the name of Joseph O’Mallie?” Conner asked. The fire light played with the shadows on his face making him look hard as stone and fearsome.
“Nay, should I?” Olivia asked as she studied him a bit closer. It was clear he was mulling something over. Something important that he couldn’t set aside and come to her. Her heart sank as he shook his head and turned his back to her.
“Dae ye remember me tellin’ ye about gettin’ answers about my family? How I was to meet someone who could give me a clue as to where to start?” Conner’s voice was quick and harsh like a lash striking between them. The dread Olivia sensed coming down the steps made sense now. It wasn’t her fear that was lingering in the air and weighing her down, but his.
“Aye, I dae,” she answered boldly, squaring her shoulders for a fight. “Henry, I believe ye said his name was. What of it? Did ye get yer answers? Or was it merely another runaround which is causin’ ye to be so harsh to me?”
Olivia watched as Conner poured himself a glass of the whiskey but only managed to get half a glass out of the bottle. He slammed the empty bottle down as if it had injured him in some way.
“Aye,” Conner growled. “That was the man who came tonight. And dae ye ken what he told me? He told me a man named Joseph O’Mallie would have the answers I’m lookin’ for.”
“So, what does that have to dae wit’ me? Why would I ken the name?”
“Because,” Conner hissed turning to face her. His eyes were cold and distant, it was like watching a storm rolling through the moors. “Henry said Joseph works for yer family.”
Olivia shook her head and stepped back as she spied the ire in Conner’s gaze. “And what makes ye think I ken anythin’ about such things? I ken nothin’ of it. I’ve been wit’ ye, here in this castle. It’s possible my parents took on another servant by that name. But there was nay Joseph O’Mallie there while I was growin’ up. Nor anyone by that name when I left.”
“I want to believe ye,” Conner said as he balled his hands into tight little fists. Olivia’s eyes flickered about the room, trying to make sense of what was going on. She thought they had gotten past the judgments and prejudices. Yet, here was Conner accusing her family once again of betraying him.
“There I cannae help ye,” she said after some time. “Either ye dae or ye dae nae. But I’ll nae stand here and take anymore of yer insults. Ye ken as well as I dae how long I’ve been here wit’ ye. And I’ve been nothin’ but honest wit’ ye. Clearly, all that I’ve told ye and shared wit’ ye means nothin’ when a stranger can come in and twist yer mind against me.” Olivia felt her nerves rattle as she swallowed hard. Her eyes shifted about the room before landing back on Conner.
Shaking her head, she realized she’d get nothing out of him tonight. How coming down here to ease her fears was a mistake. Pulling in a deep breath, she fought against the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. Without saying another word, she turned on her heels and made a beeline for the door.
“Ye have to understand,” Conner said to her as she crossed the threshold.
“I understand completely,” she said without turning to face him. “Ye daenae trust me or at the very least suspect me of being a liar.”
“How would ye act if a man told ye that yer enemy has been harborin’ a witness?”
Olivia flexed her jaw as she turned slowly. Anger flashed through her like gunpowder, sparking all sorts of confusion and frustration. Her face turned to stone as she glared daggers at him.
“Dae ye ken why I came down here? It was because I thought my husband would comfort me, ease the fears that I have bubblin’ up inside of me. Instead I come to find out that he doesnae care one bit about anythin’ but his problems. That I can handle. I can handle yer selfishness, but I’ll nae tolerate yer accusations against me and my family.”
Anger flashed across his face as his lips twitched. “Dae ye nae realize I’ve been up all night wonderin’ how it is that the very man I’m lookin’ for is livin’ on yer parents’ estate.”
“Did ye ever think that Henry could have been lyin’ to ye to get ye to go somewhere else? Or maybe sparkin’ this rage in ye out of spite? Or feedin’ ye lies to get ye to turn against me?”
Conner nodded as his nostrils flared. “And dae ye think I didnae think of that three hours ago? This whole thin’ has me goin’ mad. What if I never ken the truth? What if I never find the answers to these questions that haunt my every wakin’ hour?”
“It sounds to me like it is the uncertainty that ye cannae live wit’.”
“Tell me, Olivia, how would ye feel if ye found out yer parents vanished without a trace one night? Would ye throw yer hands up and let it go? Because I daenae think ye would.”
“I wouldnae accuse ye of bein’ behind such acts, especially after everythin’ we’ve shared wit’ one another. I thought ye ken me. I thought we were past all this. Clearly, yer love for me is so fragile that an outsider can twist yer mind. Now I ken ye’ve had a lot to drink tonight, I can smell it in the room,” Olivia said as she reached for the glass in his hand. “I think things will be a lot more clearer for ye come mornin’.”
“Dae ye now?” Conner growled as he jerked the glass away from Olivia before she could snatch it from him.
“I dae,” she answered boldly. “Right now I think yer makin’ accusations wit’ a dulled mind and throwin’ out yer ideas like a snare hopin’ to trap somethin’ but all yer gettin’ back is more frustration. Instead, what ye should be doin’ is goin’ to bed and sleepin’ on it. Yer nay good to anyone in this state.”
“For the first time in a long time I’m thinkin’ clearly,” Conner said through his clenched teeth.
“Fine,” Olivia snapped, throwing her hand up into the air. “Ye stay down here and fester. I’m goin’ back to bed. I just hope come mornin’ ye’ll be apologizin’ to me for yer rude behavior and tone.”
