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A quick block, and Evan dodged to the left, leaving Duncan spinning. For as strong as Duncan was, Evan was a touch quicker.
Any which way it went, Evan never could tell if he won these bouts or if Duncan did.
It felt good, smashing something after the last two days without Juliet.
The castle empty of her scent. His bed empty of her throaty laughter. The smile gone from his grandfather’s face.
He hated her for leaving.
But damned if he didn’t love her even more for what she’d done.
She’d chosen the path of right, and she’d done so with steely courage and unwavering determination to the purpose—even after he’d flung that idiotic ultimatum at her.
He’d never seen Ness injured by his brother’s hand before, but he was beginning to understand that he noticed very little about what was actually happening around him. He should have been the one protecting his sister-in-law. Not forcing Juliet to take action where he failed to do so.
When he’d finally pulled himself out of the drunken stupor that he’d committed to after Juliet had left, the empty castle had done nothing to assuage his guilt.
Grandfather had shut the door of the library to visitors, and only Duncan and a few odd cousins still wandered about. Juliet was gone. Ness was gone. But most alarming, Gilroy was gone.
He hadn’t even noticed when his brother left the castle.
And nothing had sent an icy spike down his spine more than that fact.
He’d asked every cousin still around—Duncan, Angus, and Carson—and none had seen Gilroy leave. The last time anyone had seen him was at daybreak the morning after Juliet had left with Ness, when Carson was pissing outside on the south wall.
“Mi’lord—he’s back.”
Evan spun away from Duncan and looked at the stableboy who was panting from running up from the stables. “At the castle yet?”
“No, sir. Just walking up now.”
Evan gave the boy a nod and strode toward the west door of the castle. He intercepted his brother just outside the great hall before Gilroy could escape up the main staircase to his room.
“Brother.”
Gilroy’s feet stopped and Evan waved him into the empty great hall. His brother followed, not saying a word until Evan closed the door.
His arms clamped across his chest, Gilroy’s eyes narrowed at Evan. “You knew?”
“Knew what?”
“Knew that Juliet was taking Ness away.”
Shit.Evan froze. Who in the hell had told Gilroy that? Or had Gilroy seen them in woods—heard them? “Aye. I did know.”
Evan stared at his brother, waiting for the explosion.
It didn’t come.
No explosion. No berating. No demands. No glasses being thrown, furniture smashed. So far from typical where his brother was concerned.
Gilroy’s head merely cocked to the side, the only displeasure showing on his face a slight frown. His arms unthreaded and he rapped his knuckles onto the heavy oak table. “Since you didn’t tell me before, perhaps ye would like to share with me now where they went?”
Evan’s hands lifted, palms up, with a sigh. “I don’t ken. I didn’t ask. I only know they left. Where have you been, Gil?”
Gilroy’s head bobbed as he looked down at the rows of arrows lined on the table, fingering the silver tips. “Still playing that?”
“Playing what? Where have you been?”
