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Despite her lingering doubts about his affection, she knew she would ever tire of the way his hands felt upon her waist as he supported her weight and lifted her to the ground. The strength in his arms and the way his broad shoulders felt underneath her hands was enough to make her swoon, and she was not even the swooning kind. At least, she had not thought she was, but every time she remembered their kisses and whatever he had done to her in the tower, she felt a little hot and dizzy.
“I ken it’s unladylike to say so, but after the last week, I could certainly use a drink,” she said, smoothing down her skirts as he released her.
He laughed stiffly. “I willnae imbibe, I daenae think.”
“Are ye afraid ye might lay with an unknown woman again?” Edwina meant it as a jest but realized it might have been too soon, particularly as they were there to find out what had happened the night of his supposed infidelity. What if, after all his insistence to the opposite, he found out that hehadbetrayed her? Maybe, he just did not remember.
He met her gaze, and the strange hunger that Edwina had seen before flared again. However, he did not answer her as he walked into the inn, spilling light and noise onto the dusty ground.
With a deep breath, Edwina pursued him into the welcoming warmth.
“Laird Moore!” a booming voice exploded above the drone of drunken cheer the very second that Felix entered.
Edwina spied the man it belonged to—a bear of a fellow with a barrel chest and a stomach to match, with red cheeks and fiery hair that blazed almost as brightly as hers. She liked him immediately.
“Och, good evenin’ to ye, Fergus,” Felix replied tightly.
The giant of a man clapped Felix on the back, almost sending him sprawling. “I never thought I’d see ye again so soon after what happened.” Edwina’s heart clenched as the man continued, “Must be a lucky month, though it dinnae half give me a fright when I went to yer room upstairs and found ye missin’. Thought the lad what poisoned ye must’ve come back for a second try, ‘til Auld Bill told me ye’d ridden off in one piece.”
“Pardon?” Edwina leaped in, practically pushing Felix to one side.
Fergus turned admiring eyes on her. “And who’s this, eh? Is this the lass ye couldnae stop crowin’ about?” He stuck out an immense paw. “Fergus McLean. Innkeeper to this rowdy establishment.”
“Edwina Young.” She shook his hand, only to be pulled into a tight hug that squeezed the air out of her.
“Och, yearethe lass ye couldnae stop crowin’ about!” Fergus’ laugh was just as booming as his voice, and she could feel every rumble from his chest. “The mysterious betrothed that’s captured the Laird’s withered old heart! Are the pair of ye nae married yet? Accordin’ to yer drunken ravings, M’Laird, that was supposed to be soon, was it nae?”
“In the mornin’,” Edwina wheezed, gasping for air as Fergus released her.
The huge man blinked in confusion. “Then what the devil are ye doin’ here? Should ye nae be gettin’ yer rest and storin’ up yer strength for the comin’ days? Weddin’ festivities are nae as easy as ye think.”
“Ye mentioned poison.” Edwina ignored the questions. “What did ye mean by that?”
Fergus scratched his wiry, ginger beard. “Well, it was the queerest thing. Ye see, M’Laird here was drinkin’ and merrymakin’, cheerful as ye please, tellin’ all and sundry about this lass—ye—who had stolen his heart. Next thing I ken, he’s out cold on the ground and nothin’ could wake him. It was me wife who said there’d been somethin’ put in his drink. She could tell from the smell on his breath. Nothin’ strong enough to kill, accordin’ to her—which I daenae ken if I should be worried about—but it had His Lairdship here dead asleep for two days.”
“Could I speak to yer wife?” Felix finally chimed in, looking very pale indeed.
“She’s nae here, at present,” Fergus replied apologetically. “She’s gone up north with the lads to find them wives at the games.”
Felix’s brow furrowed. “Ye said ye feared a lad had come to finish what he started. Was I drinkin’ with someone, or did ye see who it was who put somethin’ in my drink?”
“Aye, ye were drinkin’ with one man. A traveler. I dinnae recognize him, but me wife could give ye a fair description when she returns. She never forgets a face,” Fergus assured. “When ye collapsed, I looked around for the lad, but he’d ran off. Only reason I ken he was suspicious is because ye were drinkin’ from a flask that he was pourin’, and it wasnae our stock. Afterward, me wife said she’d been watchin’, and she dinnae remember the man takin’ a single sip of what was in that flask.”
Felix took a shaky breath. “Did ye take me to the room upstairs, where I awoke?”
“Aye, threw ye over me shoulder and carried ye up like a bairn that’s been runnin’ wild all day.” Fergus laughed, but there was an awkwardness to the sound, like he knew it was not an amusing matter.
Edwina managed a smile. “Ah, so it’s nae just lasses who get thrown over men’s shoulders.”
“Did anyone visit me in that room? Any… lasses?” Felix persevered.
The words had a peculiar effect upon Edwina’s heart. He had just discovered that a stranger had potentially tried to poison him, yet he was ignoring that in favor of having her hear that he had not betrayed her. He was putting her ahead of himself.
Ye liar,she mused fondly.Ye’re nae doin’ yer middlin’ best at all. Ye’re doin’ yer very best.Guilt twisted her insides into knots, as she thought of how rude and cold she had been at dinner, after all the efforts he had gone to.
Fergus snorted. “Nae likely, M’Laird. The only lass that visited ye was me wife, and that was to make sure ye were still breathin’.” He glanced at Edwina, as if understanding. “She touched ye only as a healer would, M’Laird. Until ye left, nay one went in or out other than me and her.”
“Could we get some of yer finest blackberry wine?” Felix’s shoulders sagged as he expelled a breath of deep relief.
