Properly beaten and ashamed, Eoin slowly nodded, trying to swallow his anger at the situation.
“I’ll no be letting ye retrieve her from the dungeon either, Eoin. I’m sure the poor lass is scared to death of ye after being down there for days. I want ye to leave. Right now. Go for a ride, clear yer head, and only come back when ye are ready to apologize and make whatever peace ye want to with the lass. But there will be peace, do ye understand? I’ll no have shouting day in and day out just because yer father is no here to keep the two of ye in line.” She quickly marched around Eoin and gave him a hard shove in the back. “Get on with ye. Now. Ye can find the lass in the lavender room, later.”
“What about him?” Eoin jerked his elbows in Arran’s direction, suddenly feeling as if he was eight years old once again, and not understanding why his punishment differed from his brother’s.
Mary shifted her gaze back and forth between both brothers before continuing. “I doona see why it’s any concern of yers, but just so ye will both be satisfied, Arran is going to leave for a few days. Ride out with Kip to pick up a few more horses for the stables. He’s leaving now, aren’t ye, Arran?”
Arran lowered his head and made his way to the door, only pausing to address both Mary and Eoin. “Aye, Mary. I’ll go. And Eoin, I am sorry, brother. Doona take it out on Blaire. The blame is mine.”
Eoin turned, intent on making it to the stables before his brother left to meet Kip. “Aye. I’m sure ye put the lass in a difficult situation, but she should no have behaved as she did. I’ll speak to ye when ye return, Arran. Safe travels.”
With that, he turned and was gone. Arran and Mary following silently behind him.
*
A familiar voice caused me to stir from the restless and—thankfully—dreamless sleep I’d fallen into after hours of unsuccessfully trying to figure a way out of this hellhole.
Exhausted, filthy, and most of all frightened, it took me a moment to realize that the voice belonged to Mary. I swallowed a hard lump that rose in the back of my throat, bringing with it tears of joy, which came from the almost certain knowledge that she would not let them leave me down here.
“Ach, lassie! Ye sure have managed to upset the men around here. One’s yearning for ye so much he has no stayed sober in days, and the other’s calling ye a whore, and that’s the nicest of it! Now, stand up! I’ve sent both of the boys away for a bit. I’ll bring ye back up and place ye in his late mother’s chambers, and ye can get yerself cleaned up. I expect ye’ll have some time alone. It will take the lads a wee bit o’ time to calm down and realize how foolish they’ve both been.”
I stood a little more shakily than was warranted. Physically, I was fine. Mentally, I was so confused and pissed off that the effort it took to stand seemed almost too much. My voice cracked when I spoke. “Mary, I need to know exactly what’s going on here. You have to tell me what you know.”
“What did ye say, dearie? Wait until we get ye settled in yer new room, and the two of us will have a nice, long talk.” Mary motioned to the guard standing at the end of the passageway, who obviously knew better than to question her. He retrieved the cell key from his belt before he made his way to the door and obediently opened the lock.
Now released from my cell, I gladly followed her into a beautiful bedroom directly across from Eoin’s. Mary left after depositing me in the room, but within minutes she returned with a trail of servants carrying steaming pitchers of water to fill the tub. After laying out some fresh clothes, she sat down on the edge of the bed and crossed her arms, resting them on the fullness of her stomach. She waited until the tub was filled with steaming water and the servants had retreated before she spoke.
“Alright, dearie. I know ye must be scared to death after the last few days ye’ve had here. I apologize for no explaining what I knew before the wedding, but there just was no time. And believe me, dear, I dinna know where Eoin had placed ye. If I had, I would’ve retrieved ye immediately.”
I smiled gently and stood watching her intently. “I know, Mary. Thank you. But, please, tell me what’s going on. How did I end up here?”
Mary uncomfortably crossed her arms, only to cross them once again as I watched her struggle to find the right words.
“Well, the truth of it is, dearie, that I doona know all that much. Before Alasdair’s death, he told me a long story, but at the time I put most of it up to his injuries. But then, I saw ye, strange as ye could be, and as ignorant as a wee lamb, and I knew everything he’d said was true.”