Page 85 of A Flawed Scotsman

Her father would not have asked Clan Ross, not after throwing Ruari from the Fraser Clan. “I am not sure my father would. Can ye understand why I came?”

“No.” The blunt answer made her cringe. His face was expressionless, and she feared he preferred her to go back to her family.

“If ye allow me to go, I will. I have to see about my brother.” Esme took a shaky breath. “I want to be with ye. We are husband and wife, and I love ye even if ye do not feel as strongly for me.” When tears slid down her cheeks, Esme wiped them away angrily. “I will require at least four men to escort me. Although I doubt the Mackenzie will stop me again.”

Ruari took her arm to keep her from turning away. “I saw yer brother. He is here.”

“What?” Unsure she’d heard correctly, Esme studied Ruari’s face. “Ye’ve seen him?”

He nodded. “He did not tell me what he is doing, but I suspect some sort of work for yer father that they prefer to keep quiet.”

Breath left her. She’d been rash and stupid for leaving, openly disobeying her husband. And now he was giving her the option to leave. On the precipice of losing Ruari, Esme wasn’t sure how to repair all the damage she’d done.

“I should not have come. It was reckless. Will ye forgive me?”

For what seemed like a long moment, Ruari remained silent, his hand around her arm, gently holding her in place. “What do ye wish to do, Esme? Return with me or go to Fraser Keep?”

“I wish to return with ye.”

He’d not said that he’d forgiven her and he did not acknowledge her profession of love. When they returned to the horses, Ewan studied their faces, and waited for Ruari to say which direction they’d travel.

“North,” Ruari said and they began the trek to Ross lands.

They arrived at Ross Keep the next morning. Once inside, Esme did not look around, but hurried directly to the bedchamber. Maids were already setting up a bath for her, which she figured Elspeth had ordered. A clean nightgown was laid on the bed and, moments later, Ceilidh entered with a tray. “I bring some warm cider and a bit for ye to eat.”

“Thank ye, but I am not hungry,” Esme said, meeting her friend’s gaze. “I wish to bathe and go to sleep.”

“Of course.” Ceilidh neared. “We are so sorry. We should have seen to it that someone followed closer. It was late by the time Ruari found out and he was so furious, it was terrifying.”

Esme let out a breath. “There is no need for any of ye to feel badly. It was I who went forth without making sure that I followed. I kept going and got lost.”

Ceilidh’s eyes rounded. “Oh, no.”

“I will tell ye more once I rest.” Esme undressed, not caring that Ceilidh remained in the room and sunk into the fragrant, heated water. She closed her eyes. “I told him I loved him, and he did not respond.”

When she opened her eyes, she met Ceilidh’s who gave her a warm smile. “It could be that he was too angry to respond at that time. The moment may not have been right.”

Esme felt somewhat better. “Ye may be right.”

Moments later, as she slipped her night rail on, barely able to keep her eyes open, Esme considered waiting for Ruari to join her. The draw of sleep was too strong.

The next morning, the silence in the great room was like nothing before. The usual jovial mood when the Ross wives gathered was gone. Servants and visitors had all been told to stay out.

Malcolm stood in front of the gathered group. Next to him stood Tristan. Kieran and Ruari sat in chairs, their expressions austere.

Elspeth, Merida, Gisela and Esme had been asked to sit in four chairs placed in a semi-circle facing the laird.

Although she’d often heard of Malcolm Ross described as a heartless laird, for the first time, Esme experienced a shiver of apprehension. His expression was hard, like stone. His darkened brown gaze piercing as it landed on each of the women.

“Yer advice to Esme, that she leave this keep without escort, could have not only cost her life, but also the lives of many of our men. The Mackenzie is volatile and easy to goad. The outcome could have been very different. Our men are tired of war and to be thrown into another would have been disastrous.”

When Merida sniffed, Esme took her hand, but at Malcolm’s frown, she released it.

She looked to Ruari for support, but his expression mirrored Malcolm’s.

“I am very disappointed,” Malcolm added. “I do not care who ye are, I will not allow my clan’s lives to be put in danger over a silly game. Am I understood?”

Elspeth, Malcolm’s wife, stood. She was the only one brave enough to stand up to the man. “We are embarrassed, all of us. It was thoughtless and a big mistake.” She turned to Esme. “We owe ye an apology as well for goading ye to do it.”