Page 55 of The Eagle

Two of the hired men brushed past Stuart and took the hapless man by the arms holding him up off the ground.

They turned him upside down and shook him until coins fell from his purse. Then when more didn’t spill, a third took his dirk and cut the strings so that the purse fell into his palm.

“It should be enough,” he informed the others.

“That is more than ye asked,” the constable screamed, his face turning a dark red. “Put me down at once.”

They dropped him and he hit the floor with a loud thump.

Stuart motioned to his men to take the constable, and they dragged him kicking and screaming out the front door and threw him onto the back of a cart.

Women rushed somewhere in the back. One, who he assumed was the constable’s wife screeched loudly. “Get out of my house at once.”

“This is my house,” Stuart told her calmly as two other women came to stand next to her. “I gave ye plenty of time to leave. My patience is gone. It is ye who must leave at once.”

It took about an hour for the women to pile all they could into the back of a wagon, all the while glaring in Stuart’s direction. Finally, the constable and his wife climbed into a coach and followed the wagon out of the village.

“Where do ye suppose they are going?” Dougal asked. “It is all Ross lands.”

“There is a corner in the southern portion of the island that is claimed by a different clan. I will wager that is where he is headed.”

He’d hired a husband and wife from the village to clean the house and ensure the property was prepared for someone to move in.

Once Cait arrived, which he guessed would be in a day or two, he would be able to show her both houses.

Upon returning home, Stuart was surprised to note that the guards who’d gone to Keep Ross were already back. He rushed to dismount and hurried into the house, finding the men in the kitchen.

The two exchanged looks, seeming nervous.

“What happened?” Stuart asked when one stood. “Is something wrong with Cait? Mother?”

“No,” the man said and again glanced to the other.

For a moment he misunderstood. “When will they come? Did they say?”

“Laird Darach wishes me to inform ye that Lady Isobel is about to give birth and requires yer mother to remain there.”

It made sense; he’d not considered it. It would have been nice to see both his mother and Cait’s reaction to the house. He was proud of how much had been accomplished not only to the structure, but the lands surrounding it. There were several smaller houses built for the guards. His cousin and wife’s home was quite nice as well.

“When will Cait arrive?” he asked while scanning the room and taking in the well-made furnishings.

The guard cleared his throat. “She will not be coming either.” The guard held out his hand, in his palm was the Ross crest.

At first, he wasn’t sure why she’d sent it. “What did she say exactly?”

“She would not travel here unless married first and she releases ye of yer promise of marriage.”

The words sunk in. One by one. Stuart stood frozen to the spot. He noted Maisie and Grace, who’d come out with bowls of food, exchange worried looks. Yet he could not force a word, a breath, or even a movement from his body. It was as if the air was taken, and an invisible force tightened around him.

“Ye have been gone a long while Mister Stuart,” Maisie said nearing. When she placed a hand on his shoulder, the spell was broken, and he inhaled sharply.

The men seeming to understand he needed privacy, picked up their bowls of food and left quickly out the back door.

“She said yes,” he murmured, unsure what to think. He’d ensured everything was perfect, had spent every waking moment considering how she’d react to what he did to their home.

“This was all for her.”

“Was it?” Caelan entered the room.