Page 25 of Craved By a Highland Beast

“It must be difficult, bein’ the laird,” she said. “I see it in Macauley . . . it weighs on him, this responsibility fer his clan. An’ it’s the same fer me sister. The Lady o’ the Clan has a heavy burden tae bear.”

Wrapping a gentle hand around Bonnie’s arm, Ruthven said, “Trust me, ye will want fer naething. Dinnae fash. All ye’ll have tae dae is raise our bairns. I will handle the rest.”

So even if he wants me in his study, it isnae tae assist him. It is tae act like another ornament . . . or like a beloved pet.

Bonnie tried her best to keep the disdain from showing in her features and smiled instead, forcing her mouth to contort into the shape. For a while, they continued their walk and Bonnie let Ruthven ramble about their future until she had heard enough. She could excuse herself without appearing too eager to leave or giving him a reason to suspect her.

“Thank ye fer showin’ me the gardens, me laird,” she said. “But I am very tired an’ I wish tae retire fer a while. I hope ye dinnae mind.”

“O’ course,” Ruthven said. “Forgive me fer keepin’ ye fer so long. Ye must be tired after yer travels.”

With that, he led her back to the castle and excused himself to his study the moment they were inside, much to Bonnie’s relief. With him gone, she could find Evan and Alaric and tell them about the room and the key, in the hopes that they could find its location on their own.

Bonnie began to comb the castle methodically, starting from the bottom floor before moving upstairs. For a while, she feared that they were nowhere to be found because they had left, neglecting to inform her of their departure, but then she caught a glimpse of Evan as she passed by one of the corridors, and she rushed to him, finding him there with Alaric.

“I must speak with ye right the now,” she said in a breathless voice, grabbing both their arms to tug them along. “Come.”

At first, they didn’t move and Bonnie walked in place, held there by their combined bulk. When she realized she was going nowhere, she turned to face them expectantly, a rush of breath escaping her lips.

“Well?” she asked. “Come!”

Finally, they followed obediently after her, letting her take them to her rooms. Once she ensured that no one was watching, she pulled them both inside and shut the door, taking a moment to breathe.

“I have information,” she said.

Instantly, Evan and Alaric were upon her, bombarding her with all sorts of questions that she couldn’t hear as they spoke over each other. She waved them both off and pushed them towards the chairs that stood near the fireplace, forcing them to sit, and it was only then that they fell quiet and allowed her to speak.

“There is a room,” she said. “Ruthven said he keeps everythin’ important there because the maids look through his things. He keeps the key on himself at all times.”

Evan and Alaric looked at each other, once again communicating silently between them. Then, they turned to Bonnie, both sporting a look she didn’t like at all.

“Ye must steal the key,” Evan said.

“Steal the key?” Bonnie asked in a hiss, her hand coming up to rub her eyes wearily. How did she always find herself involved in something dangerous? She had gone along with her cousin’s mad plan not so long ago, but at least then she had the excuse that she was under threat by him. What excuse did she have now for her reckless behavior? “Why would I steal the key? Why cannae one o’ ye dae it?”

“Because yer close tae Ruthven,” Alaric pointed out. “He thinks yer tae wed an’ he already wishes tae spend time with ye. Yer the only one who can dae it.”

Bonnie knew it was true, but it didn’t mean that she liked the thought one bit. She had had enough danger to last her a lifetime and she didn’t want to put herself in such a precarious position again.

But what other choice did she have? If she wanted not only to avoid the wedding but to also help her neighboring clans, then she had to do her part. She had to help Evan and Alaric stop Ruthven and Balliol.

Even though she said nothing, Evan and Alaric seemed to sense that she was going to agree. They both smiled at her, those identical, devilish smiles that she had already come to hate.

“Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “But if anythin’ happens tae me, ye should ken me sister will have her revenge.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Catching Ruthven at a time when he wasn’t busy turned out to be much more of a challenge than Bonnie could have ever anticipated. Days passed with her trying to run into him only to find him locked up in his study along with his advisors from dawn to dusk, the man rarely ever leaving the room. Had it not been for the necessity of sharing at least one meal with his guests, she wouldn’t see him at all.

Is that how it would be were we tae wed? I suppose it wouldnae be so bad if I never saw him.

It was the kind of bargaining she had reached when she realized her council wouldn’t let her get away with turning down this marriage proposal. But now she had another choice. Now she could hold onto some hope that Evan and Alaric could bring the truth about Ruthven to light and save her from this loveless pact.

The difficulty Ruthven posed, though, also meant that Bonnie couldn’t get him to be alone to extract more information from him no matter how much she tried. She had begun to despair,thinking that all her efforts were in vain, when that morning she stumbled upon Ruthven as he walked out into the courtyard, for once alone.

She didn’t waste a moment before she rushed to him, eager to grab her chance now that she had it.

“Good mornin’, me laird,” she said, bowing her head to him. “I havenae managed tae speak with ye in a while.”

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