Page 69 of A Nameless Highland Laird
“Thank ye. That will be all,” Cameron said, effectively dismissing the man.
Charlotte waited only until the door was shut before ripping into the letter.
Her eyes scanned over the page and with every word that she read, her stomach sank further and further. She read it again, and a third time, foolishly hoping that what had been written there would change. When it didn’t, she looked up at Cameron with her eyes full of tears.
“What is it?”
“My father. H-he…och God. What are we going to do?” she whispered, her voice barely hanging on.
“Charlotte, what did he say?”
A tear fell down her cheek. She swallowed and tried again, letting her eyes drift back to the page as if that would make sharing the news any easier.
“My father has written to tell me that he and some of his allies have declared war against the Knox clan.”
“What? Why?” Cameron sputtered.
“He said that he wants to make ye pay for yer past sins. That he has nay interest in a partnership between our clans. That I was sent here only as a distraction and will be sent for as soon as the war is over.”
Cameron staggered back to the window, sitting on the small stone perch.
“I dinnae understand,” he muttered.
“Here. Read it. I dinnae mind.”
She shoved the paper into his hands and then moved to collapse onto the couch. It was bad enough that Alec might be out there right now, ruining her reputation. But now they had to contend with a war against her father who seemed to care very little for her safety.
“He sent ye here to spy for him. On me. He never wanted us to marry, he never wanted a peace treaty. He was just biding his time.”
Charlotte couldn’t fault Cameron for the malice in his words. He only spoke the truth.
“It would appear so.”
“Did ye ken anything about this?” he demanded, his full attention back on her.
She shook her head as her tears fell freely.
“Nay. He only told me I was coming here to marry ye. He insisted that I write to him and give him updates. And he did seem overly interested in yer castle and yer soldiers but—” she stopped with a gasp. “He used me. I did nae realize. Och, Cameron I am so verra sorry. I should have told ye about them sooner. He asked so many questions and I did nae understand their true meaning.”
“What did ye tell him?”
Gone was the gentle man who had been comforting her only moments before. In his place was a Laird preparing for war.
“Nothing! I swear, I kept my word to ye. I did nae betray ye. I would never. I shared only the details of the castle and the land that any visitor would have kent. And when his questions started to put me on edge, I stopped answering. I did nae ken he would do this. I did nae ken he would send me to his enemy only to use me. I did nae ken he does nae care for me.”
Cameron rubbed a tired hand over his eyes, letting his fingers linger at his temples. She sniffled, trying to get control of her emotions.
“We need to talk to Alastair. He will ken what to do. I dinnae.”
Though he hadn’t asked for her approval, she nodded anyways.
They sat in silence together as Cameron rang for a servant to fetch Alastair from the gardens. Her thoughts swirled more and more the longer they waited.
She had never felt so unwanted, so unloved. Her father had sent her there to bide his time, so she could act as a spy without her knowing about it. And then when he was ready to declare war, he didn’t care enough to get her out of the castle and out of harm’s way before he sent in the troops. Maybe he believed that Cameron was so horrible a man that any attempt to get her back would be futile. Maybe he thought she would be kept safe enough with Cameron. Or that he would be able to get her out before the fighting began. But even those three options made her stomach turn. He didn’t care about her. He didn’t care what happened to her.
Her father had never been a particularly caring man. He wasn’t a present father nor did he seem to take special interest in her, even when she was younger. But to know so fully, to have such tangible proof that her life mattered little to him, stung more than she could have ever expected.
Charlotte just barely managed to get a hold of herself when Alastair strode back into the room, his brow tight with concern.
