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Standing, he looked around the library, searching for a place to start. Now what?
In their last conversation, he hadn’t asked any of the right questions of Juliet. Where was she taking Ness? How was she going to get there? Did she have coin, food?
Anything a sane man would have asked. Not that she would have answered any of his questions. Better that she didn’t. That was the only choice for the rage he’d brought her.
But he hadn’t been sane. He’d been desperate. Desperate to hold onto the first thing in his life that he truly wanted. Wanted for him and him alone. Wanted no matter what.
And instead, he’d driven her away. Exiled her.
Bloody idiot.
And now there was only one thing to do. Find her. Throw himself at her mercy.
With a nod to his grandfather, he stalked out of the library, his mind a whirlwind.
It only made sense that Juliet and Ness had travelled to Edinburgh as Gilroy had thought—from there, they could disappear anywhere.
But Evan had knowledge on his side.
He knew Juliet would never abandon her friends in London or Hoppler or the Den of Diablo. She would at least write, tell them where she was. The loyalty that ran deep through her soul would demand it. And he would do whatever it took to find out where she was. To beg her forgiveness. To make right—with Juliet, with Ness—all that he should have long ago.
But first he had to deal with Gilroy.
Evan found him in the great hall, pulling arrows from the round rolled hay targets. He walked along the length of the long hall and stopped next to his brother, joining him in pulling arrows embedded deep in the hay.
Gilroy reeked of whisky and it was not even midmorning.
His mouth already curdling at the thought about what he was going to say, Evan glanced at Gilroy. “I’ve been pondering it, and I cannot help but think on what an opportunity this is for us.”
Gilroy stacked two arrows into the bundle in his left arm, then looked to Evan. “Opportunity?”
Evan nodded. “We need to wash ourselves of them—Ness and Juliet. We’ll start over, the both of us. We’ll divorce them both on abandonment charges. Everyone already knows they left together, so it will be easy. With them gone for good, we start over. With a new wife for you, the earldom is still yours, brother. You’ll have children and the future of this place in your hands.”
“And what will you have?”
“My integrity.” He met Gilroy’s eyes with honest earnest. “Keeping the vow I made to you. It has always been the most important thing. You know that. I’ve never veered from it. I’ll keep women on the side as I’ve done, but none will come to Whetland. It was a mistake, bringing Juliet here and presenting her to Grandfather. Lies that never should have happened—it was an idiot’s quest.”
Gilroy yanked a deeply embedded arrow with a grunt. “That it was.”
“I should have known Grandfather would take advantage of the situation, forcing a marriage upon us like that. And now he won’t even look at me.” Evan stood up from stooping to gather rogue arrows. Looking around the room, he shook his head. “But I cannot stand being in this place another minute. I need to get out. Possibly to Edinburgh.”
Gilroy’s look snapped to him. “Why not to London? And then ye can gather up a new lass like ye did before. Keep her here on a cottage on the far grounds. And maybe ye grab one for me this time.” Gilroy chuckled. “Just don’t marry this one.”
Evan shrugged, his fingers smoothing over the fletching of an arrow. “Edinburgh is more to my liking these days.”
Gilroy’s eyes squinted at him. “You’re going to go look for her, aren’t ye?”
“I don’t ken what you’re talking about, Gil.”
“Your wife.” Gilroy shook his head, stalking back along the length of the hall to the table where he dumped his load of arrows and grabbed his half-full glass, swallowing a gulp of whisky. “A fool’s errand. Ye waste your time. If I couldn’t find her and Ness, she can’t be found.”
The smallest nugget—Gilroy hadn’t once mentioned looking for them after noting it in passing when he’d arrived back at the castle. Evan forced his voice to stay nonchalant. “So you looked hard for them?”
Gilroy shrugged.
Evan nodded with a sigh and he dropped his arrows onto the table. “You’re probably right. I’m looking for answers to questions she cannot give me. London it is. Then maybe I’ll inquire in Edinburgh on my return.”
“Good luck with that.”
