"I'm sure Margaret would not think it was much of a riddle," she retorted.
"Margaret? You're still fretting about her silly comments? I told you, tomorrow I will—" The horrified look on Elise's face halted him.
"Marcus," she said in a trembling voice, "if you have any feeling for me, you will not do this. Margaret made it perfectly clear how she felt about you flaunting your mistress—"
"Flaunting my mistress?" Anger flooded him. "This is none of her bloody affair."
"None of her affair? For God's sake, you are to marry her. I certainly wouldn't—"
"I what?"
Elise blanched.
"Margaret," he said through gritted teeth, "I will wring your meddling little neck."
Elise bristled. "You have no right to be angry just because she spoiled your plans."
"Aye, but I do."
"You think you can use women as pawns."
"Love—"
"Do not address me in that familiar fashion. I tell you, I will not be your mistress." She struggled beneath him. "I won't change my mind, no matter what you say."
Marcus caught her face between his hands. "No matter what I say?"
She tried shaking her head, but he held her firm.
"I am happy to hear that," he said. "For 'tis not Margaret I intend to marry, but you."
Chapter Nine
A hard knock sounded on the door of Winnie's cottage. Elise started from her concentration on the teacup Winnie stood filling with hot water. They exchanged a questioning look before Winnie called "Come in" as she turned and replaced the kettle over the fire.
The door opened and Mary entered. She brushed back the shawl thrown over her head as cover against the light rain and addressed Elise. "Ye must come to the castle."
"Why?"
"'Tis the MacGregor's command."
Elise bristled. His imperious commands—her stomach did a somersault—were those of a husband-to-be. She summoned a believable amount of female condescension. "What does he want?"
"He and Lady Ross are in his library. Says you must come without delay."
"Margaret?" Elise shot a glance at Winnie.
"The man keeps his promises," Winnie remarked.
"The man is an idiot." Elise turned back to Mary. "Tell him I'm busy."
The girl gasped. "I canna' do that. He'll have my hide."
Elise's stomach gave another turn. It was her hide he wanted.
Tell him the truth, her mind insisted, but she ignored the urging now as she had last night when Marcus said it was her he wanted to marry and not Margaret. He wasn't the sort of man who would let his wife set off to America with the intention of avenging herself against a killer. And Amelia and Steven deserved more than to be forgotten at sea.
"Tell him I'm busy," Elise said.
Mary shot Winnie a beseeching look, but Winnie shrugged. "Lady Margaret can go to the devil."
Mary looked at Elise again. "You can't refuse."
Elise gave a single shake of her head. Mary looked from one to the other, then whirled and left the cottage.
Elise still sat across the table from Winnie, deep in conversation, when another rap sounded on the cottage door, this one sharper than the last.
"Who in the world?" Winnie complained. She hurried to the door and threw it open. "Marcus." The housekeeper stepped back.
Elise flicked her gaze from Marcus to Margaret, who stood beside him, then narrowed her eyes on him. He lifted a brow as if to ask where she would now hide and, despite her efforts, her heartbeat accelerated.
"May we?" Marcus indicated the interior of the cottage with a nod.
"Aye, of course." Winnie stepped clear of the doorway.
Margaret glided into the room ahead of him and sat in the chair Winnie had occupied. Marcus leaned against the doorframe.
A moment of silence passed before Margaret addressed Elise. "I understand there has been a misunderstanding between us."
For the hundredth time, Elise thanked God for the misunderstanding. Otherwise, Marcus would have looked deeper for the reason behind her running away.
"I wish to apologize for any distress I caused," Margaret said.
Elise quirked a brow. A tinge of red heightened the color in the woman's cheeks. Satisfaction shot through Elise. What would the woman think of Marcus's marriage proposal to a lowly servant? The thought vanished with the realization that Marcus might have told her. Who else might he have told? The possibility of spending the rest of her life with this man—
"I regret you misinterpreted my words," Lady Ross went on.
"I understood you perfectly," Elise replied.
Another long silence drew out before Margaret looked at Marcus. "Now that this is all settled, your—" She stopped, and Elise caught sight of the now hard set of his jaw. Margaret turned her attention back to Elise. "We understand one another, then?"
"We do."
Lady Ross angled her head. "I shall be going." She glanced at Marcus. "If I may?"
With a brusque nod, he straightened from the doorframe. "Winnie, escort Lady Ross to the stables, if you please."