Chapter 20

“Ian Grant to see ye, Miss MacGregor.”

Davina jumped up from the settee, her heart pounding. Ian wasn’t supposed to be here until tomorrow. “Please bring tea and refreshments,” she instructed the servant, then smoothed her gown.

A moment later he stepped into the room and Davina sucked in a breath. His left eye was blackened, nearly swelled shut, and there were bruises on his cheek and jaw. “What happened?” she rushed forward.

“Alistair.”

Her brother? Davina frowned. “Why?”

“He overheard you talkin’ to Sheena and Arabella this morning,” Ian bit out as his eyes bore into hers. “Apparently he kens almost everythin’.”

By Ian’s stance and the tightness of his jaw, Davina feared Ian was in a good deal of pain. How could he not be when half of his face was bruised and swollen? Oh, she’d give Alistair a piece of her mind as soon as she found him. “He had no right!”

“Aye, he had every right,” Ian countered. “If I found out Jesse or Fanella had behaved as we did, the man would be in a far worse condition. The only reason I’m still walkin’ is because Maddie intervened.”

“Why dinna ye fight him back?”

Ian rubbed his brow. “It was his right, lass. It was a matter of honor to him.”

Davina did not agree, but Ian would only argue. “I’m sorry. Does it pain ye much?”

Ian shook his head. “Do ye think so little of me?”

Davina took a step back. “What?”

“Tell me now, are ye just playin’ at this game with no intention of bein’ courted at all?”

“Nay, I am not playin’ a game, Ian.”

He took a step forward and Davina realized for the first time just how angry he was. His stiffness wasn’t from pain as she first assumed.

“I wish I could believe ye, Davina, but I’m not certain I can trust a word ye utter.”

Again she gasped. She’d hoped he’d understand and be angrier with her uncle.

“First, I go off to London, like ye asked, to prove myself when I would have rather remained here to court ye.”

She blinked up at him, afraid to say anything. She’d never seen Ian angry before. Not that she feared he might harm her. At least, not physically, but this was a side of him she was not familiar with. Ian never angered. Ever!

“When I returned ye seemed agreeable but insisted on secrecy.” He took another step toward her. “Do ye ken why I went along?”

“Because I asked ye to?” she asked quietly.

“Nay. Because I believed yer lies of Fiona being ill and yer uncle being gone.”

Davina gulped. “Fiona was ill.”

“Ill enough that Aiden wasn’t leavin’ her side?”

By that time, her young cousin had been recovered, or near it anyway.

“Just as I thought.”

The maid entered at that moment with the tea service and set it in the middle of the small table between the settees. After a quick glance at Ian, she quickly departed.

“Tea?”

“No thank ye. I willna be here long enough to be enjoyin’ tea.”

Her heart skipped as panic set in. Was Ian here to tell her goodbye? Was he terminating his association with her? With her family?

She anticipated he would do so, but she hadn’t expected it would hurt so deeply.

“Was Aiden ever in Edinburgh?”

“When?” She wasn’t ready to admit her uncle had been at Annagburn the entire time.

Ian glowered down at her.

“Nay.” Davina swallowed against the tightness in her throat. “But I didn’t exactly lie.” It was a weak excuse that she well knew.

“Ye just let me assume incorrectly.”

“It was to protect my family,” Davina argued.

“Aye, I’m well aware that ye were tryin’ to save yer uncle’s neck. What I canna comprehend is how ye could even think it was right?”

“I dinna!”

“Yet, Lady Bentley has been here, held hostage, for at least a fortnight, and ye did nothin’ to help her.”

“What could I have done?” Davina cried.

“Many things, Davina. Ye’re not a weak, easily frightened lass. Ye could have taken her from here. Grant Manor isna so far. Many things ye coulda done, yet ye stood by while he kept her here, waitin’ on a ransom.” He narrowed his eyes on her. “My question is, did ye even realize any of this was wrong?”

“Of course!” she insisted. “But I dinna wish to see my uncle arrested either.”

“Did ye honestly think that once the ransom was paid and Lady Bentley left there would be no repercussions of Aiden’s actions?”

“It’s been my greatest fear. It still is. He could hang. All of us could hang.” The fear that had been with her for days, but that she had tried to bury, came to the surface. Not only could she lose her uncle, brothers, cousins and her life, but she was going to lose Ian too. As much as she hated the weakness, tears sprang to her eyes, but she swiped them away quickly.

“Ye could have said somethin’ as soon as I returned,” Ian said quietly.

“So that you could see him arrested even sooner? I was doin’ what I could to buy time.”

“Time for what?” he yelled. “The circumstances werena goin’ to change.”

“But they were fallin’ in love, Ian.” Once again she swiped the tears, using the back of her sleeve. Why wouldn’t they stop? Had a dam broken inside of her?

Ian pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. “Wipe your face with this, not yer sleeve.”

“Thank ye.” She accepted it and dabbed at her eyes.

“Just so that I am clear, ye were dishonest with me to save yer family, instead of comin’ to me for help.”

Is that why he was angry? Because she hadn’t gone to him? Surely, being a Grant he was the last person she could confide in. “I dinna ken what to do.”

“Yet, a ball seemed a reasonable plan?” he asked incredulously. “With a kidnapped lady in yer house, yer uncle thought havin’ a ball was a reasonable idea?”

“To him it was,” Davina answered weakly.

“Why? And tell me the truth, lass.”

“To find husbands for me, Arabella and Sheena before he was arrested.” She sank down on the settee feeling more defeated than she ever had in her life. Everything she’d hoped for was disappearing before her very eyes. “He hopes we are all wed on Friday.”

Ian could only stare at her. Surely he hadn’t heard correctly. Aiden was acting completely out of character even for him, but to marry his nieces off so quickly was even beyond anything Ian could have imagined. “That was the reason for the ball?”

She nodded.

“Yet, my family wasna invited when ye ken I wished to court ye?” Bloody hell, had she wanted the courtship at all or was she leading him on a merry chase?

“Ye would recognize Rose and ruin everythin’.”

“Aye, and ye could have been betrothed to another. Is that what ye wanted?”

Davina jumped from the settee. “Nay.”

“I am no’ so certain.” He’d been such a bloody fool. He’d believed her lies and omissions, trusted her, when all along she knew Aiden intended to see her married in less than six days. “When I informed ye I intended to speak to Aiden, ye should have told me of his plans, yet ye dinna. What am I supposed to think, Davina?” He thrust his fingers through his hair and turned away from her, emotions rioting inside. A part of him wanted to take her over his knee and make her promise never to deceive him again, another wanted to pull her into his arms and soothe her pain and assure her all would be well, and the other, the strongest, wanted to be done with every MacGregor he’d ever known. “I just wish I would have kent before it was too late.”

“Too late?”

Ian turned back to her. “Alistair kens we met in secret and will expect a betrothal, and I willna dishonor ye lass by not doin’ what is expected.”

All color left her cheeks as panic filled her eyes.

Maybe she did wish to have him, but Ian wasn’t sure he trusted anything at the moment.

“Ye doona wish to be betrothed to me?”

“I doona ken what I wish at the moment, but I have no choice so I will live with what we’ve done, but I’m not so certain I can ever trust ye again.”

“I was tryin’ to protect my uncle,” she cried.

“To the point that ye could have been betrothed to someone else. That is not the actions of a lass who wishes to be courted by me.” And that was what really burned. She’d go so far to protect her uncle that she’d marry someone she didn’t love and lose Ian in the process.

Love. Words they’d not spoken, but what lingered in his heart. He’d hoped in time to tell her, but he may never utter those words to Davina now, not ever. He’d allowed her to hurt him enough already and he wasn’t going to give her any further power over him.

“What if I had remained in London? What then? I’d return to find you married to another man?”

“But ye did return.”

“And if I hadna?”

“I woulda thought of somethin’”. Tears welled in her eyes. “I would have told my uncle that I wanted ye.”

Ian simply stared at her. He wished to believe her. “How can I be so certain when ye havena been exactly honest with me since my return?”

“It is the truth. I want no one else but ye.” More tears spilled from her eyes. “Please, Ian, ye must believe me. I dinna ken what to do.”

“Ye could have told me. As soon as I returned and found ye in the stables, ye should have said somethin’.”

“An impossible situation. Have ye and see my uncle hang, or buy time to hopefully save my uncle’s neck and lose ye? What would ye have done?” she demanded. “I hoped to save his neck and have ye too.”

“Well, Davina, ye may not have either.” It was an empty promise. He knew that as the words left his lips, but Davina needed to realize that he was not so certain that he wanted her as he’d once been.

That was a lie as well. He did want her, a need that burned deep, and he loved her, but did he wish to be married to a lass he could not trust?

“Ye doona mean that?”

Ian studied her and stared into her dark eyes. His heart constricted at the pain he saw in her depths. Perhaps she did love him and wanted him, but it would take time before he could trust her again--trust that she wouldn’t be so foolish as to go along with a kidnapping, trust that she’d no longer lie to him. “Nay, but not for the reasons ye may hope for.”

“What reasons?”

“Honor demands that I speak with yer uncle and ask for yer hand. Alistair willna allow me to do anythin’ else, but I can assure ye, if given a choice and if yer brother dinna ken what we’ve done, I would no longer wish to court ye.”

Davina covered her mouth with her hand as she sank back down onto the settee. As much as it pained him to hurt her, he would speak the truth, at all times, including what he was feeling for her. Aye, they would marry, but it would take time before they were returned to how they were five days ago, if they ever did.

“I shall take my leave.”

“Ye arena goin’ to speak with Uncle Aiden now?”

“I will wait until Lady Bentley’s family arrives. Once those decisions have been made, I’ll speak with Aiden, or Alistair, depending on yer uncle’s fate.”