Why, Sheila wondered now, had she done that? It had seemed so important at the time.
“Three what, sweeting?” Granny asked.
Sheila looked up at her grandmother. She’d already forgotten what she had said, and the memory of taking the Tome was swiftly fading. “Oh, nothing, Granny,” she replied. “It was a strange feast, wasn’t it? See? I told you I didn’t need to take a bath. I’m still hungry, aren’t you? What’s for supper tonight, Granny? I hope it’s something good.”
In the Great Hall, Fiona said to Alasdair, coolly, “That’s that, then. I’ll leave tomorrow.”
He watched in numb disbelief as she slid the gold ring from the fourth finger of her left hand. It came off with an ease that somehow seemed a little obscene. Gently she placed it on the table between them.
Did she feel freed? From a burden so dreadful she couldn’t wait to be gone? Had her feelings for him, then, dissolved so quickly? Or was there something monstrous—repellent—in him, some awful, fundamental aspect of his character that was driving her away?
Her face, calm, as remote as a medieval saint set in stone, was his answer. And he remembered that ugly exchange between them in the Great Drawing-room, when she had vehemently said, You’re nothing to me. I’m so sorry I married you. And determined to hold himself aloof from her, he’d replied, I’m afraid, though, that you’re stuck with me.
How wrong he had been.
How terribly wrong.
“But the baby!” blurted Duff, and Alasdair whipped around.
“What?”
“Fiona is—that is, Isobel and I assumed—the symptoms—” Duff stammered out, then faltered when he saw Fiona give a small shake of her head. “Ah, lass, I’m sorry.”
“Look on the bright side, Uncle,” she answered levelly. “No bastards to worry about.”
My God, my God, Alasdair thought, but she’s a cool one. Out loud he said:
“Are you certain, Fiona?”
“Oh yes, quite sure. Nature has told me so.” She stood up. “If you’ll excuse me? I’ve so much to do before I go. Laird, I trust you’ll allow Begbie to assign some of his men as outriders on my journey to Wick Bay?”
“I will escort you myself.”
“No. I’ll go as I came, alone, a maiden—” Her lip curled ever so slightly. “— a maiden of clan Douglass.”
He stood up also, and looked deep into those big, long-lashed gray eyes. “Fiona,” he said, quietly, urgently, “there’s no need to go in such haste.”
“On the contrary, there’s every need. I want to move forward with my life.”
“You can do that here.”
“You and I both know that’s not true.”
“Why is it not true?” he asked, feeling like a schoolchild who has failed, and spectacularly too, at a lesson that should have been learned some time ago.
“Because I’m greedy,” she said evenly. “Because I’m greedy and I’m hungry. I’m ravenous. My God, I’m starving. But what I want you don’t have to give me. It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you. It’s just the way it is. And I don’t want to fight against it anymore. That’s why tomorrow I’m leaving here.”
“But—” he said, “don’t you—shouldn’t we—” And abruptly he ground to a halt. Not knowing what else to do, he reached out his hand for hers, hoping that his touch might accomplish what his inarticulate words couldn’t.
But she stepped back and away from him.
“No,” she said. “It’s not proper. That’s all over now. Will you have Begbie assign some outriders for me?”
“As you will,” he replied, numbly. “I’ll speak to him myself.”
“Thank you.”
“And—and could he have readied a carriage for myself, please, laird.”
They all looked at Isobel, in whose trembling voice was nonetheless a firm resolution.
“But—” said Duff, and stopped.
“My place,” Isobel said, “is with Fiona.” She too rose to her feet. “How can I help you, Fiona dear?”
“If I may, I’ll share your bedchamber tonight, Cousin. And we’ll need to get our things packed very quickly.”
“Of course. Shall I—shall I send an express to your parents?”
“No. We’ll surprise them,” said Fiona with a small, sardonic smile.
“Very well.” Distressfully Isobel pressed a hand to her forehead. “Oh dear, how dreadful this is! I can only imagine the reception we’ll receive back in Wick Bay! Do you suppose your father will be very angry with us?”