“The stupid bitch,” Brodie breathed furiously.
“Oh, it gets better, m’laird,” Dwyn assured him with amusement. “Because that night we knew we’d no’ sleep was the night we went to the loch where yer men tried to drag me off, then wounded Geordie before he could kill them both. And that is why I am now married. Because when I got him back to the keep, Father Archibald came to give him the sacraments o’ the dying, and Geordie asked him to marry us in case he died.” She allowed a moment for that to sink in and then announced, “We were married in his room, both o’ us in pain and bleeding, with me father, me sisters and his brothers Rory, Alick and Aulay and Aulay’s wife, Jetta, as witnesses.”
Meeting his gaze she said firmly, “I am married, m’laird. The wedding at Innes is merely to allow the rest o’ his family, and me people at Innes, to witness it and welcome their new laird, Geordie Buchanan.”
Sitting back, she shrugged. “So ye see, I should really thank both you and Katie. If no’ fer what she and yer men did, presumably under yer order, I’m no’ sure Geordie and I would be married now at all. We may no’ even have been betrothed.”
Judging by the fury building on Brodie’s face, Dwyn gathered the man finally believed she was married to Geordie. Now she just had to worry that he might kill her for it.
Chapter 17
“Oh, Geordie, me poor sweet man, I’m ever so glad to see ye awake and recovering.”
Geordie stiffened at those words as Katie hurried into the room, but forced himself to relax. Turning his head, he watched dispassionately as she rushed around to where he sat on the side of the bed with his feet in the rushes.
“Thank goodness I found ye and was able to get ye back here for Rory to heal,” the maid said as she placed the ewer and bowl on the bedside table. Turning to peer at him then, she shook her head unhappily. “Ye’re soaked in blood.”
“Most o’ it is Simon’s,” he pointed out, his voice even. “I’m sorry ye lost him, lass. I ken ye were lovers.”
Katie blinked, and toned down the smiling, replacing it with a sad moue. “Aye, well, I liked him well enough, but I did no’ love him. No’ like I do you.”
Geordie ignored that and lowered his head. “I loved him. He was like a brother to me.”
“Well . . .” Katie paused and was silent so long he almost raised his head, but then she said with practicality, “Fortunately, ye’ve six true brothers still alive and well. Here, let me help ye out o’ yer clothes so we can get ye cleaned up.”
Geordie caught her hands as she reached for the pin of his plaid, and squeezed firmly, barely keeping himself from breaking her fingers as he growled, “And Dwyn is gone. Taken by that bastard Brodie. He’s probably torturing and killing her as we speak.”
“Nonsense,” Katie snapped, trying to tug her hands free. “All he wants is to marry her. She’ll be fine. And ye’re better off without her. She was no’ right fer ye anyway. She could no’ make ye happy like I can.”
Geordie raised his head and speared her with cold eyes. “But I do no’ want you. I want her. And she does make me happy. ’Tis why I married her.”
“You— She— Ye’re no’ married,” she got out at last. “The wedding was to take place at Innes. And ye do no’ love her. Ye love me. ’Tis only Aulay that made ye end our relationship. I ken that. One minute we were playing Nine Men’s Morris and laughing, and then he came to the room and took ye away to talk, and ye never came back. I ken he made ye stay away from me after that. I ken ye love me, Geordie. Ye do no’ have to pretend anymore that ye do no’. I’ve taken care o’ everything. Aulay’ll no’ interfere after tonight, I promise. Ye’ll be able to live yer life as ye please and we can marry and ye can love me openly.”
Geordie stared at her, his brain suddenly sending out a loud alarm in his head. Releasing her abruptly, he stood and walked to the door. Much to his relief, he opened it to find Aulay and every one of his, as well as Dwyn’s, family members standing there. They were waiting in the hall, offering silent support and staying near in case he needed them. They’d probably heard most, if not all, of what Katie had just said. Still, he met Aulay’s gaze and murmured, “Do no’ eat or drink anything until we ken how she’s taken care o’ ye.”
Aulay nodded and then said in a voice low enough it wouldn’t carry into the room, “I spoke to one o’ the men who were on the wall when Katie and Simon rode out. Ye’re right. Katie was sitting in front o’ Simon. He could no’ have been stabbed, let alone gutted, by anyone but her in that position.”
Geordie grunted and closed the door.
“Who were ye talking to?” Katie asked with a frown as he started back across the room. “Who’s out there?”
Geordie didn’t answer. Instead, he caught her by the throat and drove her backward until she was pinned against the wall. He didn’t have the patience to try to trick her into a confession. Besides, she’d already given enough away.
Eyes wide, Katie gasped for the air he was choking off and grabbed at his hand, trying to pull it away.
“I am married to Dwyn,” he assured her coldly. “Father Archibald married us the night Brodie’s man ran me through with a sword. After he gave me the sacraments o’ the dying, I asked him to marry us. Because I love her. And he did,” Geordie told her grimly. “Now where is me wife?”
“It’s no’ true,” she cried the minute he eased his grip on her throat. “Ye love me.”
Geordie smiled coldly. “I do no’ love ye, Katie. I never did. How could I love a murdering bitch who would kill a man like Simon? He was a good man, Katie. He cared about ye. He told Rory he planned to ask ye to marry him. I should have told him that ye were sneaking around trying to get back into me bed, but I did no’, and ye killed him like he was nothing.” Slamming her back against the wall, he growled, “Where is Dwyn?”
“I did no’ kill him,” Katie cried the moment he eased his grip on her throat, and Geordie immediately tightened his hold again, cutting off her air.
“Ye were seated before him when ye rode out, Katie. No one could have stabbed or run him through without going through ye first. Only you would have been in a position to do that, and no one would have taken four or more hours to calm a horse and return to Simon. Ye killed him. Ye went to Brodie and had him come knock me out, take me wife, and then ye had him or one o’ his men lay me over Simon’s horse so ye could ride back to Buchanan with the ridiculous story about being attacked. Now.” Geordie slammed her against the wall again. “Where’s me wife?”
He eased his grip on her throat again, and this time she didn’t immediately try to deny what she’d done. Instead, sweet, always smiling Katie snarled, “I hope he kills the bitch.”
Geordie’s fingers contracted around her throat almost of their own accord, and he might not have stopped this time if someone hadn’t started knocking at the door and then opened it.
“Geordie, we know where Dwyn is.”
Aulay’s voice made him freeze, and then he released Katie and turned to hurry across the room as she collapsed to the floor, coughing and sucking in great gasps of air.