Page 74 of The Beast

Lady Mariel wiped at a tear, doing her best not to cry harder. Beatrice blinked away tears at learning even more than she already knew about her husband’s horrible past.

“I tell ye this, not for ye to forgive my brother’s transgressions, but for ye to understand why he left recently.” Darach cleared his throat, overcome with emotion. “Just a few days before we came here, my brother was trapped by a man from one of the ships he’d been held at. The man hung Duncan upside down and stabbed him several times, planning to let him bleed to death. It would have happened if not for Stuart and Gideon arriving just in time.”

“My goodness,” Beatrice’s mother exclaimed and then took Lady Mariel’s hand. “I am so sorry.”

“After this current experience, Duncan was not well,” Darach let out a sigh. “I am not sure why he left, but I presume to rid the plague in his head.”

The room was silent for a long beat while her father digested the information.

Beatrice was not aware of the horrors Duncan had been through. Her heart broke for the young man, who’d been torn from his family and home and subjected to such heartbreaking treatment for so long.

“What did he ask ye to tell me?” her father asked.

“He asks for a second opportunity to meet with ye and wishes to make amends with the clan and to regain Beatrice’s trust.”

Everyone waited as the lairds continued speaking. Beatrice was not sure she was ready to talk to Duncan. Despite everything, she was hurt. He had abandoned and humiliated her by being forced to return home without him.

Now he returned from wherever he’d gone, prepared to make amends. What exactly did that mean? That she should immediately forgive and forget?

“I will meet with Duncan,” her father said and then studied her for a moment. “It will be up to Beatrice if she wishes to speak to him. He broke trust with my daughter and that is not something easy to recover from.”

When Darach turned to her, Beatrice did not meet his gaze. It was impossible to know what she’d feel in the next hours, but in that moment, she could not fathom speaking to him. All she did was shake her head.

“I will go see him, and inform him of yer decision,” Darach told her father.

Beatrice hurried from the room to seek the solace of her bedchamber. A part of her was relieved to know that Duncan was alive and well. The larger portion of her was too angry and hurt to consider a simple discussion with him.

“Did ye know what had happened to yer husband?” Isobel strolled in and immediately sat on the bed next to her. “My heart breaks for him.”

“I knew a bit. Although I am sure there are still many things Darach did not tell. From the scars on Duncan’s body, I can tell he went through some horrific times.”

“Ye are not ready to forgive him are ye?” Isobel asked, her dark eyes searching her face. “I understand. I am not sure I could either if I were in yer place.”

“I love him,” Beatrice blurted. “With all my heart. And he professed to feel the same. How could he leave, not try to be with me and allow us to work together against the demons in his head?” Beatrice slammed her fist into the soft bedding. “I am so very angry with him.”

Isobel let out a long sigh. “Ye know that in the end ye will return to him and over time forgive what he did. I strongly suggest ye take all the time needed. If it is a season or even a year before ye return, then so be it.”

Her sister was right. There were no limitations to how long she could take to decide.

She let out a long sigh and leaned her head on Isobel’s shoulder. “I am so very thankful for ye and my family.”

“I do think ye should return with us. To Keep Ross of course.”

The house was silent as Duncan walked through the great room towards the stairwell. Upon reaching the second floor, the new chambermaid Beatrice had hired walked out of Beatrice’s bedchamber and jumped at noticing him.

“Dear me,” she exclaimed. “I apologize Mister Duncan, ye startled me.”

He gave a nod. “No need. I know I have been gone a long time.”

The woman studied him for a moment as if assessing if she could trust him. She then crouched down and picked up a cloth she’d dropped.

“When will Lady Beatrice return?” The question was innocent enough, but it speared Duncan through the heart.

“I am not sure as yet,” he replied and continued toward his bedchamber. Once he washed up and changed, he had to speak with Caelan and learn how things had continued with the livestock his brother was breeding.

He was pleasantly surprised to note all seemed to be in order, the grounds kept up and the house orderly. Of course, Caelan would have it no other way.

His brother would have questions that he was not up to answering, but he owed him that much.