Page 42 of The Winter Laird

He did stop then and turned to her, his stomach sinking slightly. Keeping his face impassive, he raised a supercilious brow. “Are you so sure?” he drawled, letting his meaning crystallize. If the clan didn’t think he had consummated the marriage, it wasn’t going to go well for him when Brianagh left.

He felt the relief course through his body as Erin’s face drained of color.

“Well…um, I don’t know about that. But outside of your closed doors.” She nodded briskly. “Aye. Outside of closed doors, she’s quite miserable.”

Nioclas paused. Brianagh had seemed fine to him, but he really wasn’t near her during the day all that much. He’d seen small changes in the castle—his castle did appear much cleaner when he ate his supper, and the general chaos he encountered in the moments before it was served had disappeared. He figured she’d been keeping herself busy somehow.

“I might remind you that you have a reputation to consider,” Erin added, the blush rising to her cheeks.

He choked. “What? How do you—”

“I’m not deaf!” she exclaimed. “And I’ll remind you I’m a married woman now.”

“You’ve been married for half a year,” Nioclas pointed out, “and that does not make you the most knowledgeable in this area.”

Nioclas couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with Erin, of all people. She was like a little sister to him, and while he certainly wasn’t against her and Donovan together, he had no wish to think about it anymore than he had to.

Which was never.

Besides, he’d already determined that, while he wanted Brianagh in his bed, getting her there was a bad idea indeed. If she carried his child, even more complications would arise, and he’d never be able to bring her back to her home, which would mean he’d have to break a vow. He never broke vows.

Unless, of course, the person to whom he made the vow asked him to.

“I like her, Nick,” Erin said firmly. “She’s clever and capable of running this whole clan if she’s just shown our ways. I think she’s going to make an excellent lady for the MacWilliams, but don’t forget that we all know you. We all know of your, um, prowess. And we all have eyes. We can see that you stay away from each other, and that you don’t share a room, even though you’re newly wed.”

Nioclas had to concede the point. Erin was the most outspoken among the clan—and he had a very outspoken clan—and she would be the only one brave enough to tell him the truth.

And the truth was, after one week of marriage, the ruse wasn’t exactly convincing.

If his clan leaders thought him to be unhappily married and then his wife disappeared after only a few short months, they would never believe him to be so in love with her that he could never attempt marriage again. He needed a plan, and he needed one quickly. “Where is she now?”

“She went to the village.”

Nioclas’s jaw clenched. “Who let her out of the gates?”

“She went with Donovan and some others,” Erin replied. “She tried to find you all morning but was unsuccessful, so she asked Donovan to take her.”

“Is he a fool?” Nioclas asked angrily. “He knows what is out there!”

“You do Donovan a dishonor by thinking he wouldn’t keep your wife safe.”

“I stole a woman from my sire’s pathetic excuse of a dungeon. When it comes to Burke, honor has nothing to do with it. You best of all know that.”

Erin swallowed visibly. “Donovan took seven men. His personal guard.”

Nioclas blew out a breath. “You said it yourself, Erin. She’s not used to our way of life. She may have little knowledge of the dangers.”

Erin nodded. “She has asked me some rather interesting questions about everyday life. I believe she was sheltered by her cousin. I doubt she’s seen battle or wars.”

“If she’s never seen bloodshed, I do hope her first experience with it isn’t with your husband skewered on my sword,” Nioclas muttered, his mind racing.

“Nick!” Erin exclaimed as he spun on his heel and took off across the hall. “Where are you going?”

He didn’t bother answering. He could not afford to lose Brianagh.Well, lose her before I’ve a chance to convince the clan we’re a love match, he hastily amended. And he couldn’t take the chance she’d be killed by his fool of a father, either. No lass deserved that kind of an end. His jaw set in a determined line, he motioned to his own personal guards, then saddled his mount and rode out of the castle gates.

Chapter 12

As they rode back to the castle, Brianagh couldn’t stop smiling. Keela had been overjoyed to come to the castle. Brianagh still had the unenviable task of firing the current cook, but that had to wait until after dinner. She didn’t want that man to spit on her food.

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