Page 104 of Captured by a Laird
“Why are ye upset with me?” she asked.
“I’m not,” Robbie said, keeping his gaze on her daughters.
Alison blew out a breath in exasperation. “Something’s happened. I want ye to tell me what it is.”
“Ye want to know?” Robbie said, turning fierce green eyes on her that were so much like David’s. “Truly?”
“I do.”
“Nay, ye don’t,” he said. “Ye want to believe what ye want to believe.”
Her mind had been on her troubles with David, but she realized now that Robbie had been stone-faced around her since David paraded the head around the courtyard and Will cried. But why would he be angry with her for that?
“Come,” she said, “tell me what this is about.”
“Ye acted disgusted by what David did to that French bastard, but ye don’t know why he did it,” he spat out. “And ye don’t care why.”
David had already told her why.Blood for blood, a lesson had to be given.Apparently Robbie felt the need to explain that to her too, so she’d let him.
“I do care,” she said, “so why don’t ye tell me.”
“D’Orsey was going to murder our Will,” Robbie said. “I tried to save him, but D’Orsey knocked me sideways and sent me flying, as if I was one of those wooden toys.”
Robbie paused to wipe at an angry tear that slid down his cheek.
“He had his sword raised over Will.” He swallowed. “I saw David coming on his horse, but he was too far away. He could never make it. I thought my little brother was dead.”
Alison touched his arm, but he jerked it away.
“D’Orsey’s blade was no more than a breath away from slicing Will in two,” Robbie said. “But David came riding up at a full gallop and struck with such force that it lifted D’Orsey backward off his feet.”
Her hand went to her throat. Tears sprang to her eyes at the thought of how close they’d come to losing Will.
“Why did David not tell me?” she asked.
“Loyalty is everything to him,” Robbie said. “He expected ye to trust him, to believe in him, without requiring an explanation.”
She had failed David, and he could not forgive her.
***
Alison watched with a lump in her throat as Robbie picked his mother up off the ground in an embrace and spun her around.
“My, you’ve grown so tall,” Isabella said through her tears.
All through the introductions, Alison’s gaze strayed to the door. David must have stopped to talk to the guards at the gate or to give instructions regarding the horses to the stable lads.
“Will spoke so much of you, that I feel as though I already know you,” Isabella said to her.
“Mmmhmm.” Alison smiled and leaned to look past her. She feared she was being rude, but she was distracted, waiting for David. It was pouring rain. What was keeping him?
She was anxious to apologize to him and set things right. He’d saved Will’s life and rescued Isabella, and she had upbraided him.
“Pardon me,” she said, touching Isabella’s arm, “but I must find David.”
She opened the outer door and squinted against the driving rain. She spotted David walking his horse through the muddy courtyard. Why was he leading itawayfrom the stable?
“David!” she called, but he didn’t hear her.
