Page 70 of Highlander's Captive Bride
Nadia shook her head. “Nay, he’s alive.”
Bellamy could hardly take it in. “Ye’re nae lying to me?” he asked sharply.
She shook her head vehemently. “Nay. I promise ye, Lachlan’s alive. He wasnae killed when ye stormed the castle. He’s been hiding out all this time.”
Bellamy ran a hand through his hair in amazement and began pacing the room. He barely registered Daisy tending to Poppy’s wound a short distance away.
“How long have ye known this?” he asked, turning back to Nadia.
The girl recovered herself enough to sit up and wipe her face. “’T’was about a year ago, he approached me in the market. I couldnae believe it was him at first, but it was. I was so glad to see him, to ken I’m nae the last of Clan McGowan.” She looked accusingly at him. “Ye see, I never understood why he had to die, too. He was always kind to me, while Faither was… Anyway, I loved Lachlan.”
Bellamy listened with rapt attention, his thoughts racing with the implications of this new information.
“So, I was happy when he came and talked to me. But after a while, he started wanting me to do things for him.”
“Go on,” Bellamy urged, watching her face for any sign of deceit.
“He was the one who made me poison Elodie. It was on his orders that I did it. He wanted to get back at ye, he said, and I-I wanted to please him. He said he was goin’ to rebuild the clan and promised to take me with him.”
“So, it was ye poisoning her all this time! Ye were tryin’ to kill me wee lassie?” Bellamy could hardly comprehend the startling revelation.
“I’m so sorry, I didnae want to do it. But Lachlan said I would be helping him rebuild our family and our clan. I believed him. But I regret hurting Elodie, I truly do,” Nadia said, her eyes beseeching.
Bellamy scoffed, “Dinnae try to wheedle yer way out of yer guilt. ’T’was ye who’s been poisoning her, watching her suffer all this time while ye were pretending to be her friend. Ye disgust me.”
“But ye dinnae understand everything,” Nadia hastened to say. “I wasnae goin’ to do it anymore.”
“Oh, ye had a belated attack of conscience, did ye nae?” Bellamy said mockingly.
“Aye, I did when I found out what sort of a man Lachlan truly is. I didnae ken before. I loved him as me braither, all that’s left of me flesh and blood. But yesterday, he told me himself that he’s Elodie’s true faither, nae ye at all. He told me about yer sister and what he did to her. That was when I realized he isnae a good man. I willnae do his bidding any longer.”
“Is that so?” Bellamy gritted out, his heart torn by Nadia’s reference to Bridie’s fate at her brother’s hands.
“Aye, ’tis true.”
“I want more answers. Like what were ye intending to do with Elodie this night, when ye were caught red-handed standing over her bed with a knife.”
“I had to use the knife to stop Poppy. I wasnae goin’ to hurt Elodie. I only came to get her and take her away from here, and I kenned Poppy would try to stop me.”
Bellamy rounded on her. “What? Take her away? Why?”
“Because Lachlan is goin’ to ambush the castle in a few hours with his men.”
Bellamy stood above her, his eyes blazing. “And what else?”
“He told me he’s goin’ to take Elodie with him, her being his daughter. I panicked. I couldnae stand the thought of what he would do to her, but I didnae ken what to do about it. Then I thought, under cover of the Beltane festival, I could take Elodie and run away before the attack begins. She’s me niece, after all, and I want to protect her.”
Bellamy was gripped by fresh anger. “Ye vile, wee hypocrite!” he hissed, grabbing Nadia by the collar of her cloak and pulling her to her feet. “Ye dare expect me to believe anything ye say when ye’ve been poisoning her for weeks now, and almost killed her?!” He dragged her roughly to the door, throwing it open. “I’m taking ye to the dungeons meself, and ye can stay there and rot, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Nay, please, I’m sorry. Please, forgive me,” Nadia repeatedly begged as he marched her through the halls and outside to the dungeon entrance.
Once inside, Bellamy shoved her at the surprised turnkey and commanded him to lock her up.
“I’ll never forgive ye for what ye’ve done to Elodie. Ye’re as bad as that braither of yers. To think of all I’ve done for ye…” he told her harshly, too choked with fury to say anymore.
He marched out of the dungeons and then hurriedly found Jamie and told him what had happened, commanding him to prepare for the forthcoming attack.
When a shocked Jamie raced off to ready their defenses, Bellamy ran back upstairs to help Daisy with Poppy. Amid the swirling anticipation of the forthcoming battle that was pervading his whole being like smoke was a jagged edge of fear for Elodie’s safety. But he knew he would protect her with his life if necessary, so he could deal with that.
