Page 55 of Captured by a Laird
“Well, I won’t do it!” Robbie shouted. “Ye can’t make me!”
What on earth was David making his brother to do? She found herself silently cheering for Robbie, who apparently did not like David forcing decisions upon him any more than she did.
“This is for your benefit and Will’s,” David said with an edge to his voice. “Ye should be grateful.”
“Keep your bloodygift,” Robbie said. “The price is too high.”
“You’ll see it differently in a few years,” David said.
See what differently?Alison strained to hear, but they had lowered their voices and she could not make out their words. Frustrated, she pushed the door open a crack.
“I’m taking some of our men to assist Cochburn,” David said. “I’ll leave them there and return on the morrow.”
At least she had learned something about his plans, though she did not know where he was going or what he was helping Cochburn do.
“I want to go,” Robbie said.
“I need ye here,” David said. “I’m entrusting the safety of my wife and stepdaughters to ye while I’m gone.”
“You’re making me their nursemaid again?” Robbie said, his voice going high with outrage.
“Protecting them is an important responsibility.”
Alison pushed the door open, and the two spun toward her with black expressions.
“I fear ’tis too late to protect us,” she said. “We’ve already been taken captive and our castle overrun by Humes.”
She was relieved to see the glint of amusement in David’s eyes after how they had parted. Her attempt at humor was lost on Robbie, however, who bolted past her like a storm.
“I see my suggestion did not help matters with Robbie,” she said, glancing toward the door.
“Will’s training is going well, and it has succeeded in easing the trouble between my brothers,” he said. “Robbie is just angry because I won’t allow him to go with me today.”
She noted that David omitted saying where he was going, but it was pointless to press him. He seemed willing to talk about his brother, if nothing else, and she wanted to know what David was forcing him to do.
“Is that all Robbie was angry about?” she asked, since she could not ask him outright or he would know she had been listening at the door.
“Aye, that’s all it was,” David said in tone that did not invite further questions.
Why he was lying? And why was he suddenly unwilling to discuss his brother?
“I’m concerned about him,” she said. “He seems—”
“’Tis his age,” David said. “He’ll grow out of it.”
“With his mother gone, perhaps it would help if I spoke to him again while you’re away,” she said. “If I could persuade him to confide in me about what’s troubling him—”
“Don’t,” David said. “I’ll deal with my brother when I return.”
“I see.” She dropped her gaze to the floor so he would not see how much his words hurt hers.
In brief moments, David allowed her to see behind the stone wall he had erected between them. But every time she began to trust him, he showed her how unwise that was. His passion and occasional kindness had caused her to lose sight of who he truly was.
She would be wise to remember that her new husband was the Beast of Wedderburn, a ruthless man who would do whatever he believed necessary to achieve his ends.
***
David had no cause to hope Alison would come out to see him off, and yet he found his gaze returning to the door of the keep again and again as the men prepared to ride. He went to speak to Robbie, who was only here because David had ordered it and stood apart looking sullen.
