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A wooden staircase wound upwards, and he pushed her before him. The air was cool and dusty inside, and when they reached a doorway at the top, they emerged into a darkened room. It was sparsely furnished but comfortable and clean, cosy in a rough kind of way. Kenna had expected dirt and dereliction, but no, there was a solid bed with what appeared to be fresh linen, a few chairs and a fireplace stacked with wood. It had been prepared for her arrival, but for what purpose?
Conall barred the door behind him, and she heard a key turn in the lock. She scuttled as far from him as possible as he busied himself opening the shutters of four large windows, set all around the room, flooding it with light. Kenna looked out to a spectacular view of the treetops and, beyond that, the mountains. Conall kept glancing at her but not saying anything, as if he was working up to something.
‘Who lives here?’ she asked.
‘No one. It’s an old hunting lodge, built by my grandfather on a whim a long time ago. It’s abandoned now, but I sometimes come here when I need to get away from everyone.’
‘Is this a prison, Conall?’
‘I hope not. I know I can’t lock you up forever, though I would, to keep you away from Meyrick.’
‘So this is about him.’
Conall looked out at the mountains, his jaw was working, and his handsome face was so very hard. ‘When I saw you two together like that, I wanted to kill him with my bare hands, and I wanted to punish you for it.’
‘That kiss, I did not invite it, you know.’
‘It didn’t look like that. You two were very cosy together.’
‘You have it all wrong, and you shouldn’t spy on people.’
‘I was trying to keep you safe.’
‘Safe? You left without any word of when you would come back?’
‘I was angry that you rejected me, so I had to go away and think. Back at Cailleach, I had a long talk with my mother about you.’
‘And she told you to kidnap me, did she?’ said Kenna, putting her hands on her hips.
‘No, but she told me never to give up on something I wanted and that if I had feelings for you, I should act on them. I do, so I have. I know about your brother coming and your father. Kenna, I am sorry.’
‘Oh, don’t pretend you’re sorry he is dead.’
‘I’m not. I’m just sorry I couldn’t be the one to kill him.’
Kenna could not think of anything to say to that, and the look on his face had darkened to a point where she felt a little fearful of him.
‘When I came back and saw you with that wretch, it wounded me so.’ Conall balled his hand into a fist and rubbed it against the palm of the other. ‘Meyrick is not what he says he is, Kenna. He’s not right. Oh, he looks fine enough on the outside but inside, something is twisted in him and always has been. Don’t get involved with him, please.’
‘Meyrick’s kinder to me than you have been lately.’
‘Kind is he? Let me tell you something about Meyrick. There’s a particular kind of woman he is interested in - pure, innocent, not knowing any better. He seeks them out, works on them, seduces then abandons them. He will do exactly the same thing to you.’
‘And you are so much better than that, aren’t you? He told me all about you, bedding any girl you can get your hands on. Did you use me Conall, the same way you used them?’
‘Aye, ‘tis true. I’ve had my fun these last few years, and there have been more women than is decent, but I never lied to any of them, and I never took advantage of them. They knew exactly what they wanted from me and what I could give in return. I never hurt them, just as I would never hurt you. You have to believe that.’
‘I don’t have to do anything, and I am so very tired of being ordered about by men, my father, my brothers and now you of all people.’
‘I can understand that but, as I’ve said before, we must wed, Kenna. It is the only sensible course, especially now your father is dead, and your brother is screaming for vengeance. And I intend to keep you here until you agree to do it.’
‘I already gave you my answer.’
‘Aye, you did, and you are a fool if you think I am going to accept it, especially now I realise Meyrick is my rival.’ He began to unwind his neckerchief.
‘He is no rival. How many times do I have to tell you.’
‘I mean to keep you away from him, and you will stay here until you agree to be my wife. If you fight me in this, if you cry for help, no one will come.’ He tore off his boots.
