Page 36 of A Virgin for the Vicious Highlander
And that was the third strike of stabbing confusion that had hit Cecilia that morning, though perhaps it was more of a continuation of the second strike.
She’s in love with Murdoch. And Murdoch is… goin’ to marry her.
That was what Tara meant by no one being able to guess that they were fond of each other, as she hadnotspoken fondly of him the previous day. But it was the perfect ruse, pretending to speak harshly about him, acting as if she was scared of him, whispering of dark and treacherous deeds.
It had certainly fooled Cecilia.
And George had likely mentioned the marriage because he did not know it was supposed to be a secret, or because he was so excited about the union that he saw no harm in speaking about it. Fathers could be like that sometimes if her memory served her right.
“I thought ye were afraid of him,” Cecilia remarked, just to be sure she was not mistaken.
Tara giggled behind her hand. “Och, nay, but we have to pretend we dinnae care for each other until we’re ready to declare it publicly, ye ken?”
The words confirmed Cecilia’s suspicions, the realization leaving a sour taste in her mouth.
Murdoch had betrayed a woman who loved him dearly by kissing Cecilia and making sultry suggestions. He had put a stop to both of his indiscretions because he had undoubtedly realized it was wrong and had not wanted to say why.
All the while, Cecilia had been oblivious.
I should have kenned it would be so much worse than it seemed.
Indeed, she felt terribly guilty just sitting there next to the woman, who had no idea that she had kissed her beloved and spent one night half-naked in a makeshift bed with him.
“Ye’re a fine lass, Tara,” Cecilia said thickly. “I’m happy to have met ye, and I wish ye every luck and joy in yer future. I’ll write to ye from the convent and let ye ken how Dipper is farin’. But aye—be happy, Tara. I pray that ye will be.”
Running forward, she scooped Dipper up into her arms and left, unable to spend another moment in Tara’s presence, for she was now the one with a secret. A secret that could never be shared. In fact, Cecilia meant to bury it behind the doors of the convent for good, forgetting that she had ever set eyes on Murdoch Blaine.
But not before she had left him with a parting word or two that hewould never forget.
CHAPTER 16
“Ambushed in me own study,”Murdoch muttered furiously, navigating the strangely empty hallways of his castle to the one sanctuary he had left. “The bastards. As if I dinnae give them enough of me time—they come and bother me when they havenae been summoned!”
He was beginning to think that Cecilia’s arrival at Castle Moore had put something otherworldly in motion that had not merely turned hisworld on its head but had turned everything around him upside down too. His councilmen barely seemed scared when they had knocked on his study door to disturb him, and their requests and demands had been far more forthright than he cared for.
Of course, they had lefthis study like startled rats, scuttling away as fast as their legs could carry them, butsomethinghad made everyone bolder. And Murdoch did not like that change one bit.
“Someone’s in a fine temper,” Lennox called out as he emerged from one of the branching hallways, a grin on his face.
Murdoch did not even stop, marching right past the man. “If ye have time to talk, perhaps I need to consider replacin’ ye with a more diligent man.”
“Och, ye dinnae mean that.” Lennox fell into step beside him. “I heard ye had visitors in yer study this mornin’.”
Murdochalmostdrew to a halt. “I sent them on their way.”
I had to… If I let Cecilia stay in the study a moment longer, I would have done things that I wouldnae be able to undo.
Blood rushed in his ears as he thought about her, the sound of her gasps and sighs echoing in his mind, pouring fuel onto the blaze of his frustration.
By dismissing her, he had hoped that the simmering in his blood would stop, but it had not. Now, he feared that it would not even when she returned to the convent; that she would be stuck there in his brain, robbing him of sleep and sense and reason until he lost control entirely and became a babbling madman, sequestered to his tower for the foreseeable future.
“This isnae a friendly interruption, M’Laird,” Lennox said, frowning. “Aspartof me duties, I thought it wise to ask if anything was amiss.”
Murdoch glared at him. “Why would anythin’ be amiss?”
“Because the councilmen came to yer study at such an early hour,” Lennox replied as if it was obvious. “Is there trouble in the territory? Is that what they were comin’ to tell ye?”
Murdoch returned his gaze to the end of the long hallway, cursing himself for jumping to conclusions.
