The Bewitching Twin(49)

“If you think you will get the Isle of Non now—”

Tarr yanked Fiona gently to his side and spoke directly to Rogan. “The Isle of Non is yours and I hope you take up residence there with your wife and clan as soon as possible.”

“We will see,” Rogan said. “You are welcome to visit for a few days. My men will show you the way to the village. Right now I wish to speak with my wife alone.” He held his hand out to Aliss.

She stared at him, shook her head, and sprinted past him toward the village.

He turned and followed.

“Why did—”

“Hush,” Tarr said and forced Fiona to walk with him, putting distance between them and the Wolf clan. “We need time to consider this matter. Obviously they are wed as claimed or Aliss would have spoken up, which means Rogan is right—Aliss belongs to him. Until this can be resolved I would prefer Aliss close by.”

Fiona’s eyes sprang wide. “In my rage, I did not think. The Isle of Non is not far from us.”

“And I am sure Aliss will want you close by.”

“She will need me,” Fiona said with a firm nod. “She thinks herself in love with the Wolf.”

“I doubt she feels that way anymore,” Tarr said. “Now come and let us be civil with our new family so that we may help Aliss.”

Rogan found Aliss sitting at the table in the cottage, her head bent and her hands clasped. He had wondered how to approach her on his walk back to the village. How could he make her understand that he laid claim to what was rightfully his? And that he had never imagined falling in love with her. She had been a means to an end. Now she was the woman he loved and wished to spend the rest of his life with, though she would never believe him.

He slid along the bench opposite her at the table, hesitated to reach out to her then finally he laid his hand over hers.

She pulled away as if his touch scorched her skin.

“Will you hear me out?” he asked, praying she would give him a chance to explain, although even then he was not sure she would understand and forgive him.

She did not raise her head. “You lied to me. All this time you lied to me.”

“No, I did not.”

Her head shot up and her blazing green eyes disagreed.

“My people were ill and I needed a healer.”

“That was not the case at first, was it?” she asked but answered for him. “The two times you attacked the Hellewyk village you were looking for me to abduct and ransom. When your people grew ill my abduction served a twofold purpose.” She shook her head. “I am such a fool for trusting you. I played right into your trap.”

“I did not plan on falling in love and wedding you.”

“Please spare me the lies,” Aliss said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“It was ransom I asked for, not marriage.”

She choked on her laughter. “But marriage to me would guarantee you the Isle of Non. After all, my sister and I would want to be close.” She shook her head again. “I had told you that, about wanting to be close. How you must have laughed at me when I proposed. Everything was suddenly in your grasp and all you had to do was—”

“Commit myself to you for the rest of my life?” he asked incredulously. “Do you not think ransom a more sensible choice? Why wed you and be stuck with you?”

“Guarantees. Tarr of Hellewyk would not dare attempt to reclaim the isle if you were wed to his sister-in-law.”

“So I saddled myself with you in exchange for the land.”

“It would appear the Isle of Non is that important to you.”

“Do you not care to know why?” he asked.

She shook her head. “What difference does it make? The isle is what matters to you. I do not and that tells me that you do not—”

“Do not dare say that I do not love you,” he said, giving the wooden table one good pound with his fist.

Aliss smacked the table with her hand. “Do not dare insult me by claiming to love me.”

He tempered his tone. “I do love you, Aliss.”

“No! You love the land more.”

Her hurt refused to allow her to listen to him and he could not blame her. Nothing he said right now would make sense to her.

“I want free of our marriage.”

“No!” His shout reverberated in the room. “ We are husband and wife, joined before God and so shall we remain.”

Aliss stood. “We will see about that.”

Rogan followed her out of the cottage and over to where Fiona and Tarr stood talking with Anna and John.

“I want out of this marriage, Tarr,” she said, coming to stand in front of her brother-in-law.

“I will not release you from our vows,” Rogan said with a cold calmness.